Copyright ® Vertigo Travel Peru
Cash to contribute to the local people (crafts, sodas, beers)
Our journey of experiences and adventure will begin by crossing 'From the Andes to the Amazon.' We pick you up from the hotel early in the morning to start our trip in a private minivan, ascending to the high mountain area at 4000 meters above sea level . Our first stop is a guided tour in Ninamarca, where you can photograph the pre-Inca cemetery. Then, we continue to the town of Paucartambo, recognized by the WTO as 'one of the best tourist towns in the world.' Our guide will provide information about this charming town. We proceed in our van, enjoying spectacular views of the biodiversity of Manu. We'll descend through the eastern slope of the Andes, passing through the cloud forest where you can appreciate the lush vegetation (ferns, orchids, bromeliads, etc.). During our hikes, you may spot birds like tanagers, quetzals, trogons, toucans, and brilliantly colored hummingbirds, as well as hawks and monkeys. Our main activity will be to find Peru's national bird (Rupicola peruviana) in the San Pedro area. We'll continue our journey until we reach the town of Salvación, where we'll switch from the minivan to 4x4 trucks. We'll continue for an additional 2 hours until we reach the Dorado Lodge located at 300 meters above sea level, where we'll spend the night (double rooms with private bathrooms). After dinner, your guide will inform you about the activities planned for the following day. Night hike (optional).
Early in the morning, we will board our motorboat and navigate on the upper Madre de Dios River. Downstream, we'll have our breakfast on the boat as we head to the Limonal control post, where park rangers will welcome us and provide a brief overview of Manu National Park. Then, we'll continue our journey by boat along the Manu River. Depending on the weather, we may have the chance to observe different species of birds, macaws, eagles, etc., as well as mammals like the jaguar (panther onca), capybaras, tapirs, monkeys, and reptiles such as the 4-meter black caiman (melanosuchus niger), white caiman (caiman crocodrylus), anaconda (eunectes murinus), and river turtles (podocnemis unifilis). Upon reaching the port, we'll disembark to explore the jungle amidst immense trees. We'll walk through trails, spotting and listening to bird and mammal sounds, howls, etc., until we reach Lake Brashco. There, we'll navigate the lake in a catamaran to observe families of giant otters (pteronura brasiliensis). After our activity, we'll return to our boat, enjoying a typical jungle lunch while sailing. Along the way, we'll make a brief stop at the Diamante native community to support them by purchasing crafts and typical products like fish, yuca, and papaya. We'll continue by boat until we reach our lodge. Before or after dinner, we'll take a night walk where we might encounter tarantulas, snakes, spiders, frogs, nocturnal birds, etc. Night hike visit tapir clay lick, Overnight at the Lodge.
Very early in the morning, we will head to visit the parrot and macaw clay lick. It's a special place where we witness the natural spectacle of parrots descending to feed on clay, which aids their digestion. Among the species, we can observe auroras, parakeets, parrots, the military macaw, blue-headed macaw, chestnut-fronted macaw, etc. Perched on the trees, we can spot Bolivian macaws, red macaws, and more. After the activity, we'll return to the lodge, have breakfast, and pack our belongings to begin our return journey. We'll board the 4x4 trucks for a 2-hour ride, spotting flora and fauna, crossing rivers and streams along the road, passing through indigenous villages until we reach the town of Salvación. Here, we'll switch from our truck to the minivan. Along the way, there's an opportunity to visit the hummingbird and orchid garden, local projects run by the community. Continuing in our van, we'll make a brief stop in the town of Pilcopata, where we'll support the local people by purchasing juices and fruit ice creams made from seasonal fruits (copazo, aguaje, pineapple, cocona, etc.). We'll board our van to return to Cusco, we will conclude our adventure tired but happy and content after having visited the 'Lung of the World,' leaving you at your respective hotels.