Frequently Asked Questions

1.- What is the maximum group size on the camping trips?

The maximum size of the group is 10 people per guide. If we have more people (between 11 and 14) we send two guides. If there are more than 14 people we split the group into two independent groups - both with their own boats, guides, cooks and program. The only time they spend together is on the first and second day on the lodges like Rainforest Lodge and Bonanza Lodge.

2.- What facilities are there at the campsites, for example, for washing and for toilet facilities, and is the tour luxury?

We find it important to minimize our impact as much as possible. Therefore, we do not promote this as a luxury tour. On the contrary, you may encounter some physical hardships such as heat, humidity, biting insects, plus basic washing and toilet facilities.

Our Bonanza Lodge and Rainforest Lodge has nice and clean share toilets, showers with cold water and a big dining area, we also have a nice green garden area, where you can relax on hammocks.

3.- Do the boats have a roof?

Yes, the boats have a roof to protect you against the sun and rain (but if you are sitting on a moving boat, rain always comes in on one side though). On a rainy weather we provide long rain plastic to cover yourself.

4.- Is all drinking water provided? Is this purified?

You should bring your own water just for the first day. For the rest of the trip, we provide mineral water that we bring in from Cusco. We don’t have purified water at our lodges.

5.- What is the food like?

Our meals are not all typical Peruvian food, neither normal typical tourist food. It is food that lasts in the heat and humidity of the tropical rainforest. For breakfasts there are fruit salads, omelets, scrambled eggs, pancakes etc. The lunches include juices, since it is usually hot at that time of the day, and the dinners feature soups (the great Peruvian soups!), a main course with meat for the first part of the tour and beans or lentils for the second part (since meat cannot been kept cool for a long time) and desserts of fresh fruits or puddings etc. We don’t offer beer nor any alcohol drinks.

We can offer you special diets, such as vegetarian, vegan or any kind of diet according your request.

6.- How is the camouflaged house (hide) or Tapir clay lick?

This is a long wooden made platform, this has a roof, stairs with handrails, at about 6 meters high from the ground. This hide or blind is located in the middle of the jungle, there are no bathroom, and we use the bushes for pee. And because is considered as wildlife area, we do have some local regulations, like not smoking, not use deet, stay in silence, for sleep we provide mattresses and mosquito nets.

7.- Why do I need a sleeping bag?

You need to bring sleeping bag for the night, when you sleep at the camouflaged house, (light sleeping bags or a simple blanked) because the warm weather.

8.- How is the weather during the trip?

The first night, we spent at Rainforest Lodge at 600m, where temperatures are about 25 degrees Celsius. In Manu's lowland forest, the temperature at night is normally around 27 degrees Celsius and during the day about 32 to 36 degrees Celsius. However, cold winds from Patagonia may reach Manu National Park and the temperature may lower to about 10 degrees Celsius. These "friajes" are more common during the southern hemisphere's wintertime (between April and the end of June).

9.- Is there a lot of walking?

There is not a lot of walking in the sense of going far. All walking is done slowly. This is because most of what you find in a rainforest is vegetation and to be able to pick out the animals you have to take your time to look around, and listen as well. During your trip to Manu National park, walking is very important in order to find animals. In the Reserved Zone there are trails around the lodges that can last 3 hours maximum. Finally night walks can be added to most days depending on the lodge area and the activities.

10.- Should I take a malaria prophylaxis?

There is low risk to get malaria in the area we visit. However in a nearby gold miners´ area there is malaria, and these gold miners may travel back on the same river as we do. Therefore, there exists the possibility that one of the mosquitoes, that have no malaria yet, can bite one of the gold miners with malaria first, in the process infecting itself with malaria, and afterwards bite you, and so infecting you with malaria. This probability is very small, and until now, no tourist who visited Manu did get malaria, but still it exists. On the other hand, the gold miners do not use a malaria prophylaxis, meaning the malaria has built no resistance against any malaria medication, and being the first Manu tourist who got malaria, your cure will be simple 100%. This combined with the fact that the malaria prophylaxis is not good for our health, make it more recommendable all in all to take the tablets; but of course, it is everyone's own choice.

Regarding yellow fever, a yellow fever vaccination is totally recommended before entering to Manu.