“MANU NATIONAL PARK VS TAMBOPATA” is a topic of keen interest for travelers exploring the Peruvian Amazon. Both destinations offer unique experiences, yet they vary in several ways. Understanding these differences can shape your Amazonian journey.
Manu National Park remains relatively untouched, offering a more pristine wilderness experience. In contrast, Tambopata, while still rich in biodiversity, has seen more visitor traffic and development. This article delves into the distinct features of each, helping travelers make an informed choice.
Tambopata offers us a greater facility to know the Amazon rainforest since it has developed in a better way for tourism. There are hostels to stay in the place, which is home to macaws and a large family of river wolves. It also has an observatory tower for a panoramic view of the immense landscape.
In the Manu one of the main attractions of the Park are the collpas, habitat of flocks of guacayamos, as well as other species of fauna, that come in search of food. Inside the Park there is a metal tower 18 meters high and a raised path with platform that facilitates the best bird watching and the immensity of the forest from the treetops.
For a spectacular view, we recommend to reach the Tres Cruces viewpoint and appreciate the sunrise, as well as two opposite landscapes: the Andean mountain range and the cloud forest.
For explorers and nature lovers, visiting Manu is the greatest experience as they can see it in all its splendor and enjoy the wildlife in this reserve. “Civilization” has barely touched this area, making our visit a true adventure where significant courage and freedom are required.
Unlike Manu, business and a large influx of visitors have affected Tambopata Amazon Peru, making it much harder to see a variety of wild animals.
The Manu National Park Amazon Reserve is the largest and one of the protected reserves in Peru. And so it’s a bit harder to get there. The most common route leaves from the city of Cusco passing through Paucartambo and down to the tropical jungle to reach the limit with the reserve and then take a boat that will take us to the most interesting part of the reserve and live a true experience in the jungle amazonian
To get to the Tambopata National Reserve from the city of Cusco, you can take a regular flight of approximately half an hour, or by road (approximately 12 hours by bus). From the airport, a journey of about three hours by bus and boat leads to the heart of this protected natural area.
Unlike Manu in Tambopata we can reach the tropical zone and the virgin forest much faster which makes the cost of our trip less.
In Manu, the trips can cost up to 3 times more than a walk in Tambopata, and the small number of shelters makes the demand is mostly for small groups making the prices much higher.
Between Manu National Park vs Tambopata, we recommend Tambopata for people who have a tight itinerary but who wish to visit the Peruvian jungle, they will be able to find trips lasting 3-4 days. The fastest way is to take a walk from the city of Puerto Maldonado to Lake Sandoval, one of the most requested walks for the great variety of wildlife that we can appreciate in a short time.
If you want to take a walk in the reserve of Manu and know the most original part of it, we recommend you to have at least 9 days. There are trips that last a shorter amount of days but you spend more time traveling to the reserve than knowing the wonderful places you can offer us. However there are longer trips in which we will be able to enjoy the Manu in all its splendor living an incredible and real experience in the jungle.
Whether you choose Manu National Park or Tambopata, the Amazon rainforest offers you a great variety of flora and fauna species. In both reserves there are visits by boat, night walks and canopy circuits that are the best option for the observation of monkeys, birds, giant otters, alligators (the black alligator), capybaras and the Hoatzin in their natural habitat that are frequently seen although species such as toucans, pumas and jaguars are rarely seen by visitors
