Amazon Wildlife Peru’s most popular program is designed for travelers with a general interest in wildlife, accommodating their travel schedules. All our wildlife sighting programs commence with an exploration of the high-altitude sections along the famous Manu Road, which traverses various altitudinal and ecological levels.We descend through the magic cloud forest, pass through the foothills, and continue our boat journey along the Madre de Dios River. This includes a visit to the Bonanza Ecological Reserve for a Tapir Clay Lick experience, followed by a boat trip deeper into the Amazon basin, towards the Rio Manu in the Reserve Zone. Our adventure features a two-night stay at the comfortable Jaguar Ecolodge, where we will also visit a Macaw Clay Lick. Each of these locations provides unique opportunities to observe diverse wildlife.
Our adventure begins in the exciting jungle of Manu. We will pick you up around 4:30 AM from your hotel in Cusco using our private transport. The first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains, and afterward, we will pass through the town of Huancarani. Then, we will travel to Paucartambo, a small traditional town known for its rich folklore.
By mid-morning, we will arrive at Acjanacu, the entrance to Manu National Park. Here, we will embark on a short hike to explore the Puna Grassland Paramo, an area considered the continental divide. In this beautiful landscape, we may spot the Andean Fox, Gray-tailed Deer, and, with a bit of luck, the elusive Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus).Continuing our journey along Manu Road, we will stop at various ecosystems and ecological levels, experiencing breathtaking waterfalls, open gaps, epiphytic forests, and stunning views. Eventually, we will arrive at the habitat of the exotic Peruvian national bird, the Andean Cock of the Rock. You will be amazed by the spectacle at the lek, where we may also have the chance to see Gray Woolly Monkeys and other exotic birds, such as the Blue-banded Toucanet, Golden-headed Quetzal, and Crested Quetzal. After our birdwatching adventure, we will continue driving to the Rainforest Lodge, where we will spend our first night. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
1. Explore the Ecological Zones of Manu Road: Discover the diverse ecological levels, including the enchanting Enfenwood Forest, the majestic Mountain Forest, and the lush Cloud Forest.
2.Visit the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Lek: Experience the vibrant display of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Peru’s national bird, in its natural habitat within the Cloud Forest.
3. Birdwatching and Scenic Views: Engage in birdwatching as you search for a variety of species, including tanagers, toucans, barbets, hummingbirds, quetzals, trogons, motmots, woodpeckers, and hawks. Enjoy breathtaking views of the cloud forest, where you can witness the stunning interplay of fog and mist in the landscape’s natural scenery.
Very early in the morning we will depart to Atalaya Port, on the way we will make a stop to sighting birds such Hummingbirds, Aracari Toucans, Amazonian Umbrella Bird. Later we will begin the boating part of our journey in river excursion on the Madre de Dios River a tributary of the famous Amazon River.We will make a stop at the natural hot springs to have a bath and relax, travelling by boat exist chances to see the famous Capybaras (worl’s largest rodents), Red Howler Monkeys, Rosiate Spoonbills, river scavengers like King Vulture, Caracaras, river Owls etc. After midday we will arrive to Bonanza Lodge after enjoying a short break we will start trekking through the jungle to hear the natural sounds of animals and see Monkeys like Dusky-titi Monkey, Brown Cappuchins we will spend the night at our Tapirs Clay Lick. This Camouflage House is strategically located near to the Mammal’s Clay Lick where we will have the opportunity to see the Brazilian Tapir, Red Brocket Deer, and Porcupines during the night time. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
1. Hummingbird Garden: In this enchanting garden, visitors can observe a variety of hummingbird species, including the Rufous-crested Coquette, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, White-necked Jacobin, and Gould’s Jewelfront. The vibrant colors and agile movements of these birds create a mesmerizing experience for nature enthusiasts.
2.Natural Hot Springs: Immerse yourself in authentic hot springs nestled within the lush surroundings of nature. These mineral-rich pools not only provide relaxation but also attract butterflies that come to lick the minerals from the rocks, creating a unique and tranquil atmosphere.
3. Tapir Clay Lick: Experience the excitement of wildlife viewing at the Tapir Clay Lick, where a sheltered wooden platform offers a prime vantage point. Here, you can observe a variety of mammals, including Brazilian Tapirs, Red-brocket Deer, bicolored porcupines, and bats, particularly during the evening hours when these fascinating creatures come to feed on the mineral-rich clay.
Very early in the morning, leaving the relatively clean waters of the Madre de Dios River behind and enter the clay-laden waters of the Manu River with a brief stop at the park ranger station at Limonal to present permits. We will travel by boat (five hours) upstream Manu River which specially in dry season, are loaded with nesting birds and feeding Herons, Egrets, Orinoco Geese, Terns and Skimmers to name but a few. Some beaches will host sunning White and Black Caimans (Melanosuchus niger), South American relatives of the Alligators and the breeding Yellow-spotted River Turtles (Podocnemis unifilis), hundreds of Sand-colored Nightjars roost during the day on logs and beaches and there is a chance of encountering a stunning Jaguar (Panthera onca), the world’s third largest cat. We will see some species of primates on this river trip, possibly Red Howler Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Tamarins monkeys. We’ll have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the rainforest in the area. Before or after dinner you will have chance to go on an optional night walk with your guide in search of nocturnal creatures. We will spend the night at Jaguar Ecolodge a new lodge run by Amazon Wildlife Peru. There are confortable facilities available, carefully implemented with fine furniture, spacious rooms and bathrooms with single, double and king sized beds, covered with mosquitos nets. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning at the lake of Cocha Salvador. We plan to paddle across the lake on a floating platform (catamaran) observing the animal life on the lake. We may encounter the Agami Heron (Agamia agami), Hoatzin, Osprey, Sungrebe, and there are also Spider monkey, Brown Capuchin monkeys, White-fronted Capuchin monkeys, who are usually feeding on fruits nearby and therefore are relatively easy to sight. A specially constructed platform that looks out to the lake, enable us to look for a family of Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis the world’s largest freshwater carnivores) that lives here. This Otters are found in large families in Manu and each animal consumes between 4 and 5 kilos of fish per day. So with that in mind it’s most likely that they can be seen eating large fish on logs at the lakeside. After that we will continue exploring the forest, where we may encounter troops of monkeys. This is a particularly good trail to see Woolly and Black Spider monkeys we’ll pay special attention to the plant life on this walk and take it slowly listening for the rustle of vegetation or the soft sound of fruits falling to the rainforest floor that may betray the presence of animals or large birds. Later we will visit Otorongo Lake, where we can get up to 20 m high observation tower overlooking the lake to spot wildlife. We will also be on the lookout for a large family of Giant Otters that inhabit in this lake. We stay overnight at Jaguar Ecolodge. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we’ll early depart trying to spot the elusive Jaguar, one of the jewels of the Amazonian wildlife. Manu River offers great animal sights in the mornings including Tapir, Anteater, Anaconda and Three-toed Sloth. After 4 hours downstream we will arrive at Limonal checkpoint, here we have a short walk for covering ground in the area in search species of monkeys, which can be found in the forest, and your guide will explain some of the basics of rainforest ecosystems and point out some of the medicinal plants of the area that are used by indigenous groups. We may cross paths with a group of Peccaries, a species of wild boar found here, we might see some poisonous frogs too. Them we return upstream throught Alto Madre de Dios River arriving at Bonanza Lodge around midfternoon, During the afternoon we will visit our metal made 20 meters high bird watching tower. From there we will have an unique view of the evergreen forest, enjoying the flights of Macaws and many other colorful birds, the sunset, later at night we will spot some caimans and there is also optional night walk (herping activities). Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The sixth day will be our final day, we depart early in the morning traveling upstream to Atalaya port, where our private transportation will be waiting for us for driving back passing through cloud forest, where we can do some wildlife sightseeing, and arriving in Cusco at approximately 6:30PM. Breakfast, Lunch
1. Farewell Journey: On our final day, enjoy an early morning trip upstream through the stunning cloud forest, spotting wildlife along the way, before returning to Cusco by late afternoon.