Day 1: CUZCO / BOCA MANU / MADRE DE DIOS RIVER / JUAREZ LAKE / MANU LODGE
At 8:30 am we transfer you to the Cuzco airport for a 30´ twin-engine flight to the Boca Manu airstrip. Weather allowing, we shall enjoy great views of the snow-capped peaks near Cuzco, specially the Ausangate on our right, and the Veronica on our left as we cross a low Andean pass on our descent to the jungle. Upon arrival on the small Boca Manu airstrip, we will transfer to motorized dugout canoes, equipped with tarps to shelter you from the tropical sun and the sudden downpours. Lunch and drinks will be served as you relax on cushioned, individual seats. Boat journeys in Manu can be long, and you will come to appreciate the comfort of our long custom-made canoes. The four-hour boat ride to Manu Lodge will bring you to your first encounter with the great Manu Wilderness, boat rides are always a great chance to see Capybara, Peccary, large Black Caimans, and maybe a magnificent Jaguar. We treasure the many amateur Jaguar pictures sent to our office in Cuzco by former visitors thrilled the experience. From the boat landing on a white sandbar, our staff will carry your luggage for the 600 yards to the Juarez oxbow lake. Guides will paddle a small catamaran to the exclusive and secluded 25-bed Manu Lodge. Overnight: Manu Lodge.
Day 2: JUAREZ LAKE: STRIATED HERON, WATTLED JACANA, YELLOW-BILLED TERN, THE BIZARRE HOATZIN, WHITE WINGED SWALLOWS, BLACK-CAPPED DONACOBIUS, AND RED-CAPPED CARDINAL
Juarez, the pristine oxbow lake adjacent to Manu Lodge harbors intact communities of A family of Giant Otters visit our lake every now and then, and has recently bred two cubs there. You might be able to watch them from our lake pier as they fish and eat their prey, ignoring our presence completely only 15-20 meters away!. amazing birds, monkeys and caimans. A family of Giant Otters visit our lake every now and then, and has recently bred two cubs there. You might be able to watch them from our lake pier as they fish and eat their prey, ignoring our presence completely only 15-20 meters away!. The immediate vicinity of this lake offers you easy and superb sighting of: Striated heron, wattled jacana, yellow-billed tern, the bizarre hoatzin, white winged swallows, black-capped donacobius, and red-capped cardinal. Other frequent visitors of the Manu Lodge are: Great Egret, green ibis, osprey, and black-collared hawk. Often, pairs and trios of blue and yellow macaws fly over the Manu Lodge at dusk, on their way to their roosting site not far from the Manu Lodge.
Day 3: MANU LOGDE MIRADORS: MACAW – PARROT
Two miradors are located within a close distance from the Manu Lodge; when clear, they allow visitors with a vista of the canopy line that seemingly stretches to the snow-capped peaks near Cuzco. Dawn visits to the miradors are the most rewarding, and while we look at the distant horizon several species of primates and birds may be the prize to our patience. To cap the day, we offer an afternoon boat excursion to an spectacular Macaw and Parrot roosting and nesting site. From an elevated platform you will see an old oxbow lake with dozens of colorful Blue and yellow, and Red-bellied macaw nests.
OPTION: Canopy Climbing: during your stay at Manu Lodge, you will have the option to explore the: rainforest canopy at a closer range. Or staff can take you for an spectacular and safe climb to a tree-platform located 76 foot above the ground. Overnight: Manu Lodge.
Day 4: MANU RIVER / OTORONGO LAKE / SALVADOR LAKE
Today we will have an opportunity to explore the Manu River, and two of the most beautiful oxbow lakes in Manu, Otorongo and Salvador. This is another good chance to try our luck and see a Jaguar sunning in the sandbars of the Manu River, as well as side-neck turtles sunning in logs. The five-kilometer long Salvador Lake is the largest and most beautiful lake in the lower Manu River. Manu Nature Tours manages a private camp close to tall, mature never-flooded rainforest close to the lake. Four I several trail circuits and a small catamaran will offer us a chance to look for fauna and to observe serene beauty of this marvelous place. On the boat trip back to Manu Lodge we will make a stop at lake Otorongo in hopes to see a troop of woolly monkeys and to climb a 100 ft. observation tower near the lake shore. If we are lucky while on this tower, we might see a group of Giant Otters playing and fishing waters below. We boat back to Manu Lodge in the late afternoon, to a refreshing shower, snack and iced drinks. Overnight: Manu Lodge.
Day 5: MANU LODGE / CUZCO
Boat to Boca Manu airstrip, and our last chance to spot a tapir, Capybara, large black, and/or white caiman, or a Jaguar sunning on a river sandbar. The flight back to Cuzco is also a farewell look from a different perspective to one of most intact tropical parks in the world, a last look to an unspoiled sample of a dwindling world. Early afternoon arrival, transfer to Cuzco hotels. End.