On the first day of our Manu jungle adventure, we will pick you up around 6:00 a.m. from your hotels in Cusco, using the private transportation of Bioandean Expeditions. The first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains. We will visit the village of Huancarani, which contains the funeral towers of Ninamarca, a cemetery of the pre-Inca culture of Lupacas, which we will visit briefly on our way to Paucartambo, known as the folkloric and colonial town. At midday we will arrive at the entrance of Manu National Park and access one of the most protected natural areas in South America.

We will continue in our private transport along a dusty road and through the thick fog from which this section of the forest takes its name of Cloud Forest. Eventually we will arrive at the home of the exotic Peruvian national bird, the “Cock of the Rocks”, where it is known to gather with others of its kind for some sort of social gathering that seems reminiscent of a grand courtship. You will discover that this is an incredible spectacle with an impressive variety of sounds and colors that can only be found in the jungle. For our first night, we will stay at Bamboo Lodge.

Very early at 06:30 a.m., we will depart in the direction of Puerto Atalaya; on the way we will make a few stops to visit local small farmers who are known to be producers of many varieties of jungle fruits, including the famous Coca plant. Later, we will begin the navigation part of our trip on a river excursion in Madre de Dios, one of the tributaries of the mighty Amazon River.

During our day we will have the opportunity to witness many types of colorful birds such as parrots, oropendolas, vultures and other species. We will make a stop at the natural hot springs. With luck, we will make some sightings of some jungle mammals, such as monkeys or the famous capybaras (jungle rodents that measure up to 2.5 feet long). Towards the end of the afternoon, we will arrive at our next sleeping destination, Dorado Lodge, arriving at approximately 3:00 pm Here, showers and toilets will be available. We will have a night walk in the dark, the best time to see many anthropoids, tarantulas, scorpions and snakes, of course optional.

After breakfast we leave Dorado Lodge, leaving behind the relatively clean waters of the Madre de Dios River; entering the clay waters of the Manu River, with a brief stop at the ranger station in Limonal to present our permits, we travel for about five hours down the Manu. Some beaches will harbor black and white caimans to sunbathe and breed turtles and hundreds of sand-colored caprimulgids roost during the day on logs and beach, there is a chance of encountering a sunbathing Jaguar, the third largest cat in the world.

We will see some primate species on this river trip, possibly red howler monkeys or smaller squirrel monkeys. After lunch by the river we arrive at Casa Matsiguenca. We will have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the rainforest in the area. Casa Matsiguenca is designed using indigenous construction techniques and has 12 fully screened double rooms. The beds are equipped with mosquito nets. There is a private trail system and local Matsiguenca guides will accompany you on the trails. There is an interactive interpretive center and locally made souvenirs are for sale.

After breakfast, we will spend the morning at Cocha Salvador Lake. Part of the time will be spent canoeing on the lake on a floating platform observing the animal life of the ox-bow lake from the water. We may encounter an Agami heron or a Sungrebe and brown capuchin monkeys usually feeding on nearby fruits. Specially constructed docks leading into the lake allow us to look for a family of giant otters that live here these largest freshwater carnivores in the world, remain common only in Manu as they have been hunted to extinction in most of their former range.

Each animal consumes 4 to 5 kilos of fish per day and can often be seen eating large fish on logs at the edge of the lake. The rest of the day will be spent walking the trails in the area in search of some of the 13 species of monkeys found in the forest here. Your guide will explain some of the basics of rainforest ecosystems and point out some of the medicinal plants in the area used by local indigenous groups. We may cross paths with a group of peccaries, a species of wild boar found here. An afternoon enjoying the sunset.

Today we will walk very slowly from the camp for 4-5 hours through the forest to Cocha Otorongo. We may encounter troops of monkeys. This is a particularly good trail for Woolly and Black Spider Monkeys. We will pay special attention to the plant life on this hike and take it slowly listening to the rustling of the vegetation or the soft sound of fruit falling to the jungle floor which may betray the presence of large animals or birds.

A visit is planned to Cocha Otorongo Lake, where observation piers and a 20-meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake are available for wildlife viewing. We will also look for a large family of giant otters that inhabit this lake.

Today, very early in the morning, we will head to visit another small lake to see Aguila Arpia, which means “expression of Matsiguenca”, it is a still unknown and unvisited palace that one day will be a very sought after tourist site. After that, our group starts the boat trip from Otorongo Lake to Boca Manu offering us to observe more wildlife. On the way, we can observe different trails and other types of mammals in our motorized shelter for the 4-hour trip downstream to Boca Manu at night. The river trip may hold surprises and we will be on the lookout for any wildlife on the beaches. Overnight at Dorado Lodge.

Upon leaving the lodge, we will travel up the Madre de Dios River for three hours to the comfortable Soga De Oro Lodge facility. This strategically located lodge facility is jointly owned and run by a local conservation group and is a base for scientific research for birders in the area and a center for visitors wishing to explore the rainforest. We should arrive in time for lunch and a shower and meet the researchers on site.

The afternoon is reserved for relaxation or, if you wish, to explore a trail through virgin forest to a lookout point on a cliff above the river to watch the flights of parrots and macaws as the sun sets. Those who wish can participate in a night walk with their guide in search of nocturnal animals. Overnight at Soga de Oro Lodge or Bambu Lodge.

We will leave Soga de Oro Lodge early in the morning to see small parrots lick clay and then to Puerto Atalaya from here; we will take the van directly to Cusco passing through the Cloud Forest. In the event that you return by plane, you will arrive at the airstrip, board our plane for the 35 minute flight over the endless rainforest and then over the Andes, passing glaciers and snow arriving at the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, where our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel.