Manu Cusco Tour
Many travelers dream of visiting the Amazon Rainforest, and the Manu stop is a great way to do it, as it is believed to host the largest range of biodiversity on the planet.
Description
Located in the jungles of the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios, the Manu National Park represents the largest natural treasure in Peru, for the number of species it houses and the diversity of ecosystems it protects. Manu is one of the few wild areas in the world where animals abound and live in a totally natural state. The jungle of Manu offers an extraordinarily high density of wildlife, collpas of mammals and macaws where the animals are concentrated and it is easy to observe them. Exotic birds such as the Gallito- Antiguentero Frentirrufo, Cotinga Carinegra. No other area in America offers such excellent sighting of rare or difficult to observe animals.
Visiting the Manu requires time and accepting or being open to special, sometimes difficult, travel conditions. It should be mainly flexible to changes in travel plans mainly for climate reasons. As in all the Amazon, the fauna is shy and elusive, so we suggest taking a tour of at least 6 to 8 days to obtain a good record of sightings. The best time to visit is during the dry months of June to October. It is cheaper to join a group, for this you must arrange your trip in advance, there is currently a tourist infrastructure to spend a few days comfortably.
What to Expect
Quick Itinerary:
Day 01: Cusco - Ninamarka - Pilcopata Lodge
Day 02: Pilcopata Lodge - Boca Manu Lodge
Day 03: Boca Manu Lodge - Casa Machiguenga
Day 04: Casa Machiguenga - Cocha Salvador - Cocha Otorongo
Day 05: Casa Machiguenga - Boca Manu Lodge.
Day 06: Boca Manu - Port Atalaya - Cusco.
Information about Manu :
Location
At 1400 kilometers from Lima. It was established as a national park in 1973 on an area of 1,532,806 hectares and declared a Natural World Heritage Site in 1987.
Manu Altitude
It covers a latitudinal variety that goes from the 4,300 masl of the high Andean puna to the 200 masl of the Amazon plain.
Getting to Manu from Cusco
A road starts from Cusco and leads to the towns of Atalaya and Shintuya (9 and 12 hours respectively), points from where it is possible to start the trip by river (5 to 6 hours). There are also small plane flights that connect Cusco and the town of Boca Manu (30 minutes), from which it is necessary to continue by river (4 to 6 hours). You have to hire the services of the authorized agencies.
* It is from the city of Lima, by air, or from the city of Puerto Maldonado you can reach the Reserve by land or river.
Manu Weather
Rainy season from December to March, although outside it is not rare the downpours.
The months from May to August, with temperatures above 30 ° C, are the most recommended for your visit. The normal climate of this zone goes from 26 ° c to 32 ° c, but in rainy days it is from 13 to 18 ° c.
Itineray Details
Day 1: Cusco - Ninamarka - Pilcopata Lodge
We woke up early to start our Manu Cusco Tour!
First, our driver take us by private transport to a place called Ninamarca to observe the pre-Inca chullpas (tombs) of the Lupaca culture. Then, we continue to Paucartambo, a colonial city with narrow streets and a beautiful church, where people still preserve their ancient customs. Then, we ascend to the "Tres Cruces" point of view (3,900 masl) a beautiful view of the Amazon basin if the weather permits. From there, we begin to descend to Manu National Park, home to species such as the cock of the rock (the Peruvian national bird), hummingbirds, brightly colored quetzals, trogons, spotted flycatchers, and woolly monkeys. As for the flora, we can see a variety of orchids, mosses, ferns, etc.
We cross the cloud forest, it is perhaps the most fragile and threatened type of tropical forest. This forest, which begins at 11,000 feet and continues up to about 5,000 feet of elevation, covers the eastern slopes of the Andes, before yielding to the vast lowland forest of the Amazon. This is a kingdom of mosses, lichens, ferns and orchids.
Finally, we will arrive at Pilcopata (700 masl) where we will spend the night in our jungle lodge after enjoying a dinner and a show.
Day 02: Pilcopata Lodge - Boca Manu Lodge
After breakfast, we will board our private vehicle for an hour and a half to the main port of the Manu-Atalaya National Park (500 meters above sea level), there we will board a motorized boat to continue for approximately 7 hours navigating the Madre de Dios River.
Throughout our walk along the river, we have a great opportunity to observe several species such as herons, vultures, kingfishers, turtles, herons and some of the 13 species of monkeys that live in Manu.
In the afternoon, we will arrive at our hostel located in Boca Manu where we will spend the night, with showers and toilets available.
After dinner we will have a night walk on the Manu Peru Amazon.
Day 03: Boca Manu Lodge - Casa Machiguenga
Today we will get up very early to go visit the parrot colpa and then return to our hostel for breakfast.
Then we will board a motorized boat to travel along the Madre de Dios River, which offers us other incredible views of a great variety of species that live in and around it, such as groups of turtles, white alligators, capybaras, jaguars (Panthera onca) that They rest on a trunk and observe their territory.
We arrived in the afternoon to our Machiguenga Lodge. Later, our guide takes us to Otorongo Oxbow Lake, where an observation tower is placed that allows us to see the giant otters that live there. Afterwards, we return at night to the Machiguenga lodge with showers and toilets available.
At night you can take a walk with our guide and tour the Manu, or stay resting in the lodge
Day 04: Casa Machiguenga - Cocha Salvador - Cocha Otorongo
Today we will visit another lake called Salvador in our silent rowboat that allows us to observe a family of playful giant river otters, the largest freshwater carnivores in the world, they are still common only in Manu. Each animal consumes between 4 and 5 kilos of fish daily and can often be seen eating large fish on logs on the shore of the lake. We will also observe many species of rare birds, including a prehistoric bird called Shansho, Heron, cormorants, water duck, horned scream, turtles, Taricaya, black caimans.
The rest of the day you will go through the trails in the area looking for some of the 13 monkey species like Black Spider Mokey, Red Howler Monkey Night Monkey, Dusky Titi Monkey, Saddleback Tamarin, Brown Capuchin Monkey and some mammals found here: bear giant anthill, South American coati, two-toed sloth, deer, a group of peccaries, which is found in the forest here, our guide will explain some of the basics of the rainforest ecosystems and will point out some of the medicinal plants of the area that the locals use. Indigenous groups. You can be sure that the animals here in the wild Manu Amazon have never suffered from people hunting!
In the afternoon, we return to our Lodge in Otorongo with showers and toilets available in the Manu Reserve Center.
At night you can take a walk with our guide and tour the Manu, or stay resting in the lodge
Day 05: Casa Machiguenga - Boca Manu Lodge.
Today again the call of the red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) will wake us up.
We embark on our boat to begin our return on the Manu River, and one can understand why Manu is so famous for its wildlife. On the banks of the river, you will see groups of turtles, white alligators (Caiman cocodrylus), capybaras (Hydrochaeris) and perhaps a Jaguar (Panthera Onca) that rests on a trunk and observes its territory.
In the afternoon we will arrive at the hostel, where we will settle in our respective rooms and then we will take a walk through our hostel. After dinner, we will have a night activity.
At night you can take a walk with our guide and tour the Manu, or stay resting in the lodge
Day 06: Boca Manu - Port Atalaya - Cusco.
Today we get up very early.
After breakfast, we start our last trip, sailing along the Madre de Dios River to the port of Atalaya, where our private vehicle awaits us back to the city of Cusco.
Approximately we will arrive to the city of Cusco from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Included
Included
- Overland transportation by private vehicle
- River transportation by motorboat
- Accommodation: 5 nights in our jungle lodges
- Meals during the trip
- Professional naturalist guide
- Entrance fee to the Reserved Zone of the Manu National Park
- Professional chef
- Meals: 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners and drinking water. Note: vegetarian option available upon request at no additional cost
- First aid kit, which includes a poison extractor, a treatment for mosquito bites and an antidote for snake bites
- Radiocommunications
- Rubber boots
Not Included
- Flights and departure taxes from the airport
- Breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last day
- Personal expenses such as beverages, telephone call, tips, etc.
- Extras not mentioned in itinerary.
- Travel insurance
- Vaccinations
- Tips to local staff
Essential Information
Recommendations
- Avoid visiting the attraction in the rainy season (January - March).
- It is advisable to have the yellow fever vaccine.
- Bring sunglasses, camera, insect repellent and sunscreen
Packing List
- Camera, binoculars,
- Cash
- Water and snacks
- Sunglasses, sunscreen
- Copy of a valid passport
- Toilet paper
- Dark clothing, because there will be mosquitoes and many other insects
- Sweater, fleece or light jacket
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