Copyright ® Vertigo Travel Peru
✓ Metal canteen 1lt
✓ Towel for face and hands
✓ Toiletries and personal medications
✓ Trekking shoes, tennis shoes and flip flops
✓ Flashlight, spare batteries, adapter and charger
✓ Cabana or cap, sunglasses, sunscreen
✓ Insect repellent (recommended with 40% or more DEET)
✓ Raincoat, poncho and umbrella
✓ Loose-fitting clothing in environmentally friendly colors (not white): long-sleeved shirts, long pants, cotton socks and underwear, bathing suit.
✓ Warm clothes when cold fronts
✓ Binoculars; Minimum increase of 8×25, with strap to wear them hanging on our neck
✓ Imaging camera, adapter and charger; with strap to wear them hanging on our neck
✓ Large backpack and backpack, plastic bags
✓ Toilet paper for the first day of the trip, in a plastic bag
✓ Small denominations of money for incidentals and tips
Leaving Cusco early, in the morning, we begin a 10-hours journey over the Andes in our private bus, on a road that partly goes up to 4000 meters above sea level. We travel through traditional Quechua communities and through the spectacular eastern ranges of the Andes, on the way, we have a few stops, to see the pre-inka cemetery of Ninamarca or to visit the famous folkloric village of Paucartambo (2900 m above sea level). Then we continue to “Acjanaco“, the park’s entrance from here we descend the eastern slopes of the Andes through cloud forest with lush vegetation (bromeliads, ferns, orchids etc.) in the cloud forest we can see wildlife such as our national bird: the bright red, Cock of the Rock (Rupicola peruviana) showing his mating dance. Quetzals, Trogons, Brilliantly colored Tanagers can be seen and possibly the first monkeys, such as capuchin monkey or Woolly Monkeys. In the afternoon, we arrive at the town of Salvacion, where we will exchange our car for a better one suitable to continue traveling in the amazon lowlands along the new communal integration road of Manu that crosses several Amazonian villas as the native community of Shintuya, home of the Harakbut people. In the evening we arrive at Dorado Lodge (500 m above sea level), where we will have dinner and then spend the night in double rooms with private bath. Night walk on the lodge’s paths to observe the nocturnal fauna
This day is special, because we will visit the famous reserved zone of the Manu National Park and travel on the enigmatic Manu River, where you can observe the wonderful fauna of this pristine place. In the morning if there is activity, we may visit a clay lick where many parakeet and parrot species eat clay every day. Also the smaller macaws such as the Chestnut-fronted and the scarce Blue-headed Macaws can be found there. After this we take our boat for about 45 minutes downstream the river “Madre de Dios“. Then we enter the reserved zone of the Manu National Park and continue our way for about 5- 6 hours on the Manu River until arriving at the Casa Matshiguenka Lodge that belongs to the legendary Matshiguenka people. On the way, from the boat, we can see a lot of biodiversity like birds, capybaras, and several species of monkeys, two species of caimans and tapirs. With luck we can also see the biggest cat in South America: the jaguar. We spend our night at the Casa Matshiguenka Lodge located in the Manu National Park. Double rooms & shared bathroom
This day we will visit by catamaran the famous “Cocha Salvador“ lake, home of the giant otters, this Cocha Salvador is the highlight in Manu park . especially in the dry season, is loaded with nesting birds and feeding Herons, Egrets, caimans (South American relatives of the Alligators) , Terns, Skimmers, Shock-headed & Large-headed Capuchin Monkeys are usually feeding on fruits nearby. To name but a few. In the afternoon we have time to explore the trails and walk in the primary forests of the Amazon rainforest, where the sensation is unique, since we are in an ecosystem that has remained unchanged since the formation of the amazon. And a visit to the lake of Cocha Otorongo is planned, where a 20-meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake is available for observing wildlife. We spend our second night at the Casa Machiguenga Lodge. Double rooms & shared bathroom.
We star early to travel by boat, 6 hours down the Manu River, along the river beaches we can see more wildlife like monkeys, caimans, birds, Capybaras, etc. We make a short stop in Boca Manu village, the main settlement in Manu called after the confluence of the sediment rich Manu River with the wider Madre de Dios River , after Boca Manu village we continue traveling upstream on the Madre de Dios river for a time of 2 hours to arrive again at the Dorado lodge. Once in the lodge we go for a walk to the mammal salt lick, where we look for tapirs, deer monkeys, and other animals who visit the salt lick. After returning to the lodge we explore the forest on a night walk to see frogs, insects and snakes etc., optional night on the platform at the salt lick. Night in double rooms with private bath
We will to return to Cusco, after a delicious breakfast we will take our car for a trip of approximately 10 hours’ drive along the new communal integration road of Manu and we make stops to continue observing wildlife and ascend to the cloud forest where we will enjoy our last lunch together. We will be arriving in the city of Cusco at approximately 6 or 7 pm