Trip Description: The Tambopata Reserve, Perú

This trip visits some of the most beautiful forest in Amazonia. It takes place in an area with very few settlers so there is lots of wildlife to see. We journey to two different lodges, one on the territory of a native community and the other farther upstream into the forest. At both lodges there are many activities guided by expert naturalists. We spend some days at a comfortable lodge on the lower Tambopata River and then venture farther upstream into the spectacular Tambopata/ Candamo Reserve, an area that is almost perfectly preserved rainforest. Our recommended trip is 9 Days/ 8 Nights, but shorter programs are also available.
The Tambopata Region is located in the least populated state and the most naturally preserved of Peru, Madre do Dios. The flora and fauna of this remarkable region are well preserved so that we have a very good chance to see not only the world’s greatest diversity of bird life, but also several large animals.

The lodges are located on the Tambopata-Candamo Reserve, one of the most extraordinary natural areas in all of South America. Its remoteness, great size and extremely varied terrain have given it one of the highest diversity of plants and animals in all of the Amazon. The reserve is enormous, covering over 2.2 million acres of undisturbed and mostly uninhabited rainforest. It covers the entire watersheds of two rivers that rush down from the Andean highlands: the Rio Tavara and the Rio Candamo. Within boundaries of the reserve lies most of the watershed of a third large and very wildlife rich river: the Rio Tambopata.

The Tambopata-Candamo Reserve begins in the precipitous cloud forests of the eastern Andean slopes. Water from melted snow and rainfall rushes in torrents down tumbling waterfalls into rolling hills entirely covered with forest.

There are still no roads, no settlements and no people for millions of square miles. As the terrain begins to flatten the countless small streams merge into meandering rivers that weave through dense rainforest. The great variety of terrains found in this region combined with the warm climate, rich soils and abundant moisture has created a fantastic collection of flora and fauna...a veritable paradise of wildlife.

Creatures
Though observing mammals in the Amazon is always a matter of luck, our guests frequently observe giant river otter, capybara, and anteaters. We are also likely to see some of the six species of monkeys native to this part of the Amazon. Guests will certainly see the Amazon’s version of crocodiles: caiman. The most singular feature of the Tambopata Reserve is that it offers the guests the once in a lifetime chance to see one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife phenomena: a place where thousands of parrots daily congregate to lick mineral rich clay. In the Quechua Indian language, this is known as a collpa.

The collpa at Tambopata an enormous deposit of this mineral clay that attracts large groups of parrots that fly great distances to nibble at the hillside. It is thought to be the world’s largest. The lodge is built only 1000 feet from the clay bank. Every day thousands upon thousands of parrots congregate to lick minerals from the rich red soil. From the largest of all parrots, macaws, to the smallest parrots, parakeets, the grand assembly of birds chatters, sings, and screeches in all the trees nearby. Precariously clinging to the bank the birds boisterously ingest tiny bits of the mineral rich clay and vocalize in glee.

Tours Included In the Program
During the stay at the two lodges in the program there are many explorations both on foot and by small boat always accompanied by naturalist guides. Every evening guests get together with the guides to review what we have seen and to discuss the activities of the following day. The Amazonas Lodge is partly owned by the Ese’eja indigenous community and members of the tribe frequently accompany the groups. At Tambopata there are resident researchers that specialize in different aspects of the rainforest such as birds, mammals or botany. These scientists often serve as our guides and talk with us about their studies.

When walking in the forest we keep the size of our groups small in order to increase the likelihood of seeing wildlife. Small groups also allow guests to spend more time with the guides and share in their enthusiasm for the rainforest. There are several trails radiating out from the lodges, most of them loop trails that can be walked in 3-4 hours. There is also a 130 foot platform which guests can optionally climb to experience the rainforest canopy. Most guests will visit the parrot lick several times during their stay at the Tambopata Reserve.

Facilities and Accommodations
The two lodges visited in this trip, the Amazonas and the Tambopata are both comfortable and well appointed. They are rustic accommodations, but most passengers find that they have enough of the creature comforts to enable guests to focus on the natural environment.

The Amazonas Lodge
This is the first of the lodges that we visit and it is located on the banks of the Tambopata River within the territory of the Ese’eja Native Community. The lodge is surrounded by spectacular rainforest that is adjacent to the 1.5 million hectare Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone. It is partly owned by the native community and tribal members often serve as guides. The lodge consists of several buildings separating the dining room, the lounge and the guest rooms. These are linked by a covered walkway.

The guest complex consists of four buildings each of which has five or six private guest rooms. The rooms are large (23 feet x 13 feet) and have two double beds and mosquito nets. The floors are of polished tropical mahogany. Each room has its own private full bath with a hot and cold water shower. All of the rooms have a large window facing the forest with a second window on the opposite side for ventilation. The dining area is large and airy and is a good place for our evening slide presentations. The lounge is also quite large and has a cash bar, a fire place and hammocks. Guests often relax here in the evening and between our daytime excursions. There are also catamarans which guests can paddle around on a nearby lake. Paddlers often spot our playful resident family of Giant River Otter.

The Tambopata Lodge
This lodge is situated a 3 to 4 hours boat ride upstream on the Tambopata River. It is built in a clearing only 55 yards from the river. On the other sides of the clearing there is natural rainforest. The Tambopata Lodge is a rustic lodge but provides the creature comforts necessary for a comfortable stay. There are four interconnected thatch-roofed buildings that are joined by wooden walkways. The main building has over 3,300 square feet and is divided into 11 double rooms. We accept a maximum number of 26 guests though frequently there are many fewer. Our small group size greatly enhances the natural experience.

Each bedroom is furnished with two single beds, a chair, a night table and a table for luggage and clothing. There are several showers and bathrooms shared by all of the guests. All of the rooms have been designed to maximize the possibility of observing wildlife and have large windows. In the early morning the rooms are great for observing birds and mammals gamboling about in the trees just outside our guest rooms. There is electricity during the day but lighting by night is via kerosene lanterns.

Seasons and Weather
May through October: In the Tambopata Region the weather is generally warm and humid. The months of May- October are a bit cooler and more dry because Tambopata is somewhat south of the equator and only 30 kilometers from the foothills of the Andes. The average daytime high temperature is between 82°-93°F with an average nighttime low of between 62° F and 73°F. In these months there are occasional cold fronts from Argentina that sweep into south western Amazonia and keep daytime temperatures below 50° F and can push nighttime lows to a chilly 43°F. These cold fronts usually also bring with them a light drizzle.

November through April: These are the rainy months and it can sometimes rain heavily for hours or days. Though it rains about 1/3 rd. less here than it does on the equator, around 80% of the annual average rainfall occurs during this season. Some advantages to traveling in the rainy season are that many plants are in flower and there is a greater abundance of fruit which can attract greater numbers of birds and primates.

Itinerary #A 9 Days/ 8 Nights
Day 1 Lima On the arrival of your international flight you will be met at the airport by an English speaking guide and transferred to a four star hotel in Lima. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to take in a museum or a city tour of this ancient colonial capital. These arrangements can normally be made through the hotel reception desk. Overnight in hotel. (No Meals)

Day 2 Puerto Maldonado/ Amazonas Lodge
Early this morning we will take a short commercial flight from Lima to the Amazon town called Puerto Maldonado. We will transfer from the airport to the port which lies near the confluence of two mighty rivers of the Peruvian Amazon: the Madre de Dios and Tambopata. After a short stroll through this Amazon frontier town we will board our motorized canoes and embark on a journey on the Bajo Tambopata River. We will voyage for around 2 hours with our destination the pleasant Amazonas Lodge.

During our voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Horned Screamer, Bat Falcon, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. Depending on the arrival time of the flight from Lima, we will either have a boxed lunch aboard the boats or if the plane has arrived early enough we will have a lunch when we arrive at the lodge. Once at the lodge we will unpack and explore the forest nearby. During dinner we will have a short orientation talk about our stay and the participation of the Ese’eja Native Community project. (BLD)

Day 3 Amazonas Lodge After an early breakfast we will depart for a visit to the beautiful Tres Chimbadas Lake, only fifteen minutes away. We will hike a short trail to the lake and take a long, easy canoe ride around it. We will look for Giant River Otters, turtles, Hoatzins ( a bizarre bird with a blue eye and a “punk rock” hairdo) and a grand collection of wading birds. In Tres Chimbadas Lake there is a resident family of five Giant River Otters and we have a good chance of seeing them.. Around mid- morning, we will return from the lake and will begin a hike along the trails in the floodplain forest. This is the type of forest most people imagine when they think “rainforest”. We will be accompanied by an Ese’eja native who will point out the many types of plants that are used by native peoples in their everyday life, for food, medicine, construction material, fiber and many other uses.

We return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon we will walk to the nearest and most active of eight Harpy Eagle nests found within the native community territory. Near these nests there is a 100 foot tall observation tower that has an internal staircase. We will climb the tower and find ourselves within fifty yards of these magnificent nests. This Harpy is the world’s largest eagle and the most powerful bird of prey. We are fortunate to have these nests nearby since Harpy Eagles are elsewhere hard to find. We will return to the lodge in the afternoon. (BLD)

Day 4 Amazonas/ Tambopata Early this morning there will be an optional pre-breakfast outing to observe wildlife at peak activity time. Following breakfast we will travel up the Tambopata River for 3 to 4 hours into the pristine heart of the reserve. After the first hour we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind as we enter the northern boundary of the proposed Tambopata National Park. This region has over 700,000 hectares and is completely uninhabited. Without the disturbance of settlement and without hunting this area remains some of the most pristine of rainforest areas in the world.

As we voyage upstream we will enter an area of even more abundant wildlife than we encountered on the lower river. We should frequently see Macaws, Herons, Kingfishers, and Cormorants and we have an excellent chance of observing the giant guinea-pig like rodents, Capybara. We should also see a number of the Amazon’s crocodilians: Caiman. We arrive at the Tambopata Lodge in the late morning where we will be greeted by a flock of semi-wild, rescued macaws. There will be an orientation session over lunch.

After lunch we will hike the 1.5 mile Bamboo Trail, a trail that is famous for the abundance of rare birds that are endemic to southern Peru and live exclusively in this habitat. It is also the home of the Howler Monkeys and Dusky-headed Titi Monkeys which we very frequently observe. As we quietly walk along the trail spotting birds we will also keep our eyes open for small creatures on the forest floor. Our trail passes some scenic overlooks where we can look directly into the canopy. This is a good chance to study the riot of plant life of the canopy and many of the birds that are found high in the trees and are rarely seen from the ground. We return to the lodge in the afternoon to relax and have dinner. Following dinner there is a slide presentation on the research projects of the lodge. Before retiring for the night it is a pleasure to take a short walk on the beach gazing at the night sky blazing with stars. (BLD)

Day 5 Tambopata At dawn we will cross the river to enjoy the world’s largest macaw clay lick. Here hundreds if not thousands of parrots and Macaws gather daily to lick the mineral rich clay. The lick was featured in the January 1994 issue of National Geographic. We can expect to see ten to twelve of species of parrots large and small and of every imaginable color. Most of the time the birds sit calmly nibbling at the clay and chattering among themselves. Occasionally however, a bird of prey will come nearby and then they all fly off at once in an explosion of sound and color. Around mid-morning when most of the activity for the birds is done for the day we will return to the lodge for a full breakfast.

Following breakfast and a rest we will hike the 1.5 mile Ocelot Trail. This trail winds among the giant trees and occasional dense undergrowth typical of this forest type known by its Latin name terre firme. We will concentrate on the forest and its plant life and consider the fascinating ecology of the rainforest. Along the trail are some of the largest of Tropical America’s trees, the truly huge Kapok trees. We will also observe gargantuan Strangler Figs with their hollow trunks usually serving as the roost of bat colonies. Occasionally we encounter some of the mammals that live here, though in order to see them we have to walk quietly! It is not uncommon to see Saddleback Tamarin Monkeys, Squirrel and Brown Capuchin Monkeys and even the occasional Collared Peccary. We are also likely to see the tracks of Amazonia’s wild cats like Ocelot, Puma and Jaguar, but it is extremely unlikely that we would ever see them. They are very secretive animals that are very shy of humans.

After our lunch at the lodge we will take a short boat ride to a small creek where we will paddle small canoes into the forest. The creek is as narrow as a walking trail and it is possible to go into the forest without making any noise. As the day lengthens toward dusk, if we are lucky, we may surprise a tapir whose tracks are often cover the creek’s sandy beaches. This evening after dinner we will scout along the river bank spotting amphibians. The Tambopata region has perhaps the greatest diversity worldwide of frogs from the tiniest poison arrow frog to the dinner plate sized Bufo Marinus. We will marvel at the volume of sound that these creatures manage to produce. (BLD)

Day 6 Tambopata Today we will once again wake at dawn to visit the clay lick. When the site has begun to quiet down we return for breakfast and to relax a bit. Later we will take our boats for a five minute trip to a small oxbow lake where we have constructed a viewing platform. From this platform we will we will observe a tremendous quantity of bird life including some of the most elusive found in Amazonia. There is a possibility also that we may be visited by some primates. We will return to the lodge before the heat of the day.

After lunch we will take a 2 mile hike to a palm swamp where we can see a nesting colony of Blue and Gold and Red-bellied Macaws. The vistas at the swamp, especially with late afternoon sun, are spectacular. With the golden tint on the trunks of the trees and the glowing green of the leaves this is a fantastic opportunity for photographs. After a lazy afternoon of observation we will walk back to the lodge for dinner. (BLD)

Day 7 Tambopata / Amazonas Lodge Rising early we will visit the clay lick one last time and we also explore the trails and habitats around Tambopata. After lunch we will board our boats and journey downstream to Amazonas Lodge. Going with the current our downstream trip will take about three hours and we will arrive in the late afternoon. Our last night in the forest we will spend recounting the splendid vistas and fascinating creatures we have observed. (BLD)

Day 8 Amazonas Lodge/ Lima Early this morning we will have a continental breakfast and leave for our 2 hour ride back to Puerto Maldonado to catch our flight back to Lima. Once we are settled into our hotel in Lima, there should be enough time for guests to explore this interesting city. Many guests choose to explore on their own or perhaps arrange a guided tour through the hotel reception desk. (B)

Day 9 Lima Guests will be picked up at the hotel and transferred to the Jorge Chávez Airport for the international return flight to the United States. (B)

Meal Codes: B= Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Please note the itinerary must be considered approximate and may be changed according to weather or scheduling considerations.

Machu Picchu and Tambopata (Itinerary G)
These trips combined are a thrilling experience! The deep historical interest of Machu Picchu is a good complement to the splendid nature experience of the Tambopata Reserve and the airfare is really only very slightly higher. One of the world's most enchanting historical sites, Machu Picchu is the mountain top refuge of the Incas. From the ruins there are awe inspiring views of deep green valleys and distant forest covered summits.

Visitors first spend a night in the old Incan capitol, Cusco, and then take the mountain train to Machu Picchu. Our program includes hotel nights in Cusco and a city tour of this fascinating capitol at the top of the world and accommodations and guided tours in Machu Picchu itself. The following itinerary is a combination of a 6 Day/ 5 Night stay at Tambopata and a 5 Day/ 4 Night stay at Cusco and Machu Picchu. Two nights in Lima are also included.

Day 1 Lima On the arrival of your international flight you will be met by a guide transferred to your hotel. Overnight in hotel.

{For details of days 3-6, refer to the Tambopata Itinerary above}
Day 2 Lima/Amazonas Lodge
Day 3 Amazonas Lodge
Day 4 Tambopata Reserve
Day 5 Tambopata Reserve
Day 6 Boat to Amazonas Lodge

Day 7 Puerto Maldonado/Cusco This morning we will fly to Cusco and on arrival you will be met and transferred to a Superior class hotel. The remainder of the morning is at leisure to relax and become accustomed to the altitude. In the afternoon there is a tour of the city and archeological sites in the outskirts of the city. You will visit the Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Convent where the walls of the Inca Temple of the Sun were recently uncovered. Outside the city you will also visit the fortress of Sacsayhuaman high atop the hill overlooking the city on the sacred point of land. We will also visit the natural spring temple of Tambo Machay. Overnight in hotel. (B)

Day 8 Cusco/Machu Picchu After breakfast we will go to the train station for a spectacular ride through deep Andean gorges with vistas of precipitous lush verdant mountains. We are on our way to the most important archeological site in the Americas, Machu Picchu. On arrival we will tour the ruins themselves learning about the fascinating history and architecture. We will overnight in a comfortable but simple hotel. (BL)

Day 9 Machu Picchu Today guests can themselves choose their own activities. You may choose to return to the magnificent ruins again or hike a portion of the ancient Inca road, the Inca trail, that threads through the mountains. On the trail not far from the ruins lies Inti Punku the royal entrance to Machu Picchu, a very interesting monumental entrance. Again we will overnight at a simple hotel near the ruins. (B)

Day 10 Machu Picchu/Cusco This morning again guests have for the last time the opportunity to explore this magnificent example of natures wonder and the ingenuity of the ancient Incans. In the afternoon we will board the train and return to Cusco arriving in the early evening. We will be met at the train station on arrival and transferred to the hotel. Tonight we will overnight at a Superior hotel in Cusco. (B)

Day 11 Cusco/Lima This morning after breakfast, we will transfer to the airport to meet your flight to Lima. The flight is about one hour in length and on arrival you will be met by a guide and transferred to your hotel. Once settled into our hotel there should be enough time to explore this interesting city. Many guests choose to explore on their own or perhaps organize a guided tour through the hotel reception desk. (B)

Day 12 Lima Guests will be picked up at the hotel and transferred to the Jorge Chávez Airport for the international return flight to the United States. (B)

Meal Codes: (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D= Dinner)