Tour facts: Possible to depart the entire year but do your reservations one month in advanced.
Manú National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional del Manú)
It is a national park and biosphere reserve located in the regions of Madre de Dios and Cusco in Peru. It protects diverse ecosystems such as lowland rainforests, cloud forests and Andean grasslands. The Manú Nature Reserve was established in 1968.
Manú National Park was established by decree on 29 May 1973; during the dictatorship of General Juan Velasco.
In 1977, UNESCO recognised it as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1987, as a World Heritage Site.
In 2002, the Peruvian government increased the extension of the park to its current area.
Manu National Park covers an area of 1,716,295.22 hectares (17,162.95 km2) which comprises mountainous areas (traversed by creeks and valleys) with elevations close to 4000 m above sea level and a portion of the Amazon Basin plains.
The park is divided into the following areas: the restricted use zone (with pristine forests and native communities, access is granted to researchers only); the reserved zone (for recreation and research); the recuperation zone (for the recovery of disturbed areas) and the cultural zone (for human settlement).
Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport, Cusco Peru (Google Map)
At an agreed time
Our passengers must comply with the following rules for good use, comfort and enjoyment of the trip to the Manu Tourist and Recreational Use Zone.
1.- Overnight in the place indicated in the program and permission.
2.-Visit only authorized areas
3.- Do not interfere with the activities of park guards and researchers
4.-Do not establish contact with native people and respect their customs.
5.-Do not collect species of flora and fauna.
6.-Do not carry firearms.
7.-Do not enter hunting and fishing implements.
8.-Comply with the provisions of the Park headquarters and its park guard staff.
9.- Grant facilities to park guards to inspections carried out on the vessel that transports them.
10.- The entrance to Manu reserved area is from the Limonal Lookout, to the area of Otorongo Camps, salvador and Matshiguenka house
11.-Do not disturb or feed the wild animals.
12.-Place the garbage in the bins or when leaving the area. Take it with you.
13.- Do not destroy or write or scratch signs, bins, or other infrastructure.
14.-Communicate to the park guard any abnormal facts that you observe during your visit.
With the fulfillment of said norms, it will be supporting the conservation and good use of the recreation area of the Manu National Park.
Early in the morning we leave from Cusco in our comfortable private bus, will go across the mountains passing over more than 3900 m.a.s.l. On the way will make a stop to visit the pre Incas tombs, known as “Chullpas de Ninamarca”. Then will continue until Paucartambo (a typical colonial town). We continue by bus to reach Acjanacco pass, where we will be able to observe the nice overview in the entrance of the Manu National Park, the point between the Andes and the jungle.
We will continue descending until the Cloud Forest where we can enjoy the most beautiful species of orchids, heliconies and ferns. This is also the habitat of different species of birds and the endemic woolly monkeys, the famous Cock of the Rock “Rupicula peruviana”. We stop to have the opportunity to witness the cock of the rocks in the mating ritual. There are also possibilities to observe trogons (Greedy-guts sp.) and much more. If we are lucky we will find the only bear of South America, the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus). In the afternoon we arrive to the village of Atalaya, where we get on our boat for 30 minutes by Alto Madre de Dios River to our typical lodge. Showers and toilets shared available.
After a delicious breakfast, the group continues the trip by boat to navigate in the river Alto Madre de Dios. In the way we can observe a great variety of birds, as blue, kingfisher fisherman and always the presence of the vultures of which the most spectacular is the condor of the forest, the king of the vultures (Scarcoramphus potato) maybe Jaguar (Panthera Onca). In the morning a brief stop in the village of Boca Manu and then we continue with our trip in boat to the Manu reserved area, and one begins to realize reason Manu it is so famous for their wild life. Beside the river groups of turtles are observed, white caiman (Cayman cocodrylus) some ronsocos (Hydrochaeris) and much more. In the afternoon we arrive to our campsite located in the Otorongo, we will be the only agency camping there after we are organized in a walk to visit the lake and the observation tower from where we have the opportunity to observe the giant otter in the lake. Here in the Manu the animals have never suffered hunt persecution on the part of the men. Night in camp safari (bed with mosquito net) . With toilet and shared shower. Night walk.
The group visits today Cocha Salvador that is to 30 minutes of the Cocha Otorongo. Here paddling silently on the catamaran that gives us again the possibility to observe family of giant otters fishing and playing and a great variety of strange birds as the polla sultana (Porphyrula martinica) or the blue trumpeter (Agamia) later we walk in the main trails with the guide to learn the operation and the secrets of the tropical forest. In the afternoon we return to our camp in cocha Otorongo. Night in camp safari (bed with mosquito net) . With toilet and shared shower. Optional night walk.
After breakfast, we will take our belongings to descend the Apurímac canyon’s deepest part called San Ignacio at 1500m/4921f and have lunch. After that, we will ascend to our camping site in the beautiful gardens of Carmen (2000m/6562f).
Climate: moderate climate with mosquitoes
Today we wake up with the call of there red howler monkeys; unfortunately we have to begin our return to Boca Manu. Along the river we can see another species of the birds. Night in lodge (Boca Manu lodge). You take a shower and available bathrooms shared.
After the breakfast we continues by boat along the rivers up Madre de Madre de Dios, where there is an option to observe more birds, we can have a refreshing bath in Aguas Caliente (Hot springs), then we continue to our Amazon Lodge. Night in lodge with toilet and shower shared.
Wake up with the first light to see a parrots clay lick, where is possible to observe a big quantity of parrots, parakeets they need to eat the minerals of the clay in order to neutralized the toxins of the very green seeds they feed. After breakfast will continue to Atalaya port where the bus wait for us to return to Cuzco.
