If you are thinking of visiting and taking some tours to Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you will carry with you an unforgettable experience for the rest of your life.
This majestic place, located at the southeast of Peru’s Amazon rainforest, lies at the confluence of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios Rivers. The National Reserve protects a vast variety of birds, clay licks, and oxbow lakes, which enhance eco-tourism trips.
Among the indigenous communities living in this area, you can find the Matsiguenka tribe.
During this four-day tour of Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you will visit breathtaking places along this hidden gem deep in the jungle.
One of the highlights of the tour is the world’s largest clay lick, a perfect spot for birdwatching, due to the amazing congregation of brightly colored macaws, parakeets, and parrots. You’ll also visit the famous ‘Monkey Island,’ home to a diverse variety of monkeys.
Our Amazon tours include visits to the most beautiful lakes in southeast Peru, located within the Tambopata National Reserve. You’ll explore the lake and see the biodiversity of the flora, as well as wildlife (including several endangered species). You’ll spot black caimans and giant otters in their natural habitat.
Additionally, we offer adventurous activities like nocturnal walks, birdwatching, survival practices, traveling down the Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers, exploring the incredible Sandoval Lake, and learning about various types of forests.
We will pick you up from the bus terminal or Puerto Maldonado Airport and transfer you to our agency office for a short briefing on your four-day Amazon rainforest tour.
If you are carrying any heavy luggage, we recommend leaving it at our office during the tour.
Next, we will drive you for an hour to the port of Philadelphia, a small village along the Tambopata River. From here, we will board our motorized boat for a scenic trip to the lodge deep within the Tambopata National Reserve. During the trip, we will stop for a walk in a primary forest and reach a high observation tower for a stunning view of the ecosystem and Amazonian plain. Continuing the boat ride, we will arrive at the lodge, where our staff will warmly welcome you.
You will be accommodated in an ensuite room, and we will serve a typical Amazonian lunch.
After lunch, we will go on a hike along one of the most interesting trails through the riverbanks, where we can observe wildlife such as mammals, snakes, and insects.
After the tour, we will return to the lodge for dinner.
Our second day begins early around 4 AM. We will board a boat for a half-hour ride to see the Macaw Clay Lick. This is an unforgettable bird-watching experience, as the clay in Chuncho is rich in salts that help macaws flush out toxins from their bodies.
The boat ride to Chuncho is an adventure in itself, with plenty of opportunities to spot mammals and other animals along the riverbanks, including Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents.
After the Macaw Clay Lick experience, we will return to the lodge for breakfast and spend the morning relaxing in the hammocks amidst the Amazon rainforest.
After lunch, we will check out from the lodge and head to our next destination. Upon arrival, we will embark on a hike to experience the canopy walk at about 30 meters high. This offers an amazing view of the rainforest’s beauty and vastness. After this, we will return to the lodge for dinner.
Later, we will go on a short night tour to spot nocturnal animals and insects.
After a typical Amazonian breakfast, we will hike for about 3 kilometers to Sandoval Lake. Along the way, our local expert guides will explain the biodiversity of the area, highlighting the medicinal uses of various plants to the locals.
On the lake, we will explore by canoe. Lake Sandoval is home to giant otters and a rich variety of wildlife, including over 40 species of birds.
We will stop for lunch at our camp near the lake, where you can take a refreshing dip in the clear waters. Afterward, we will return to the lodge for a delicious dinner.
In the evening, we will go on another short night tour to spot nocturnal creatures.
After breakfast, we will visit a native indigenous family, where our guide will introduce you to their way of life and traditions. You can also join a short walk in the forest to try to spot more wildlife.
After lunch, we will take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado city. You will have time to make any last-minute purchases before we head to our agency office.
Finally, depending on your flight or bus schedule, we will transfer you to the airport or bus terminal.
The size of the group is 9 people per guide; if we have more than (10 to 14), we send a second guide (not an assistant). If there are more than 14 people, we divide into 2 totally independent groups both with their own cars, boats, guides and cooks.
Yes, the boats have roofs that will protect them from sun and rain. This does not ensure that you do not get wet during the navigation because it could get wet on the sides.
We request that hikers bring their own water the first day, since the containers with water will be accessible at dinner time. The rest of the trip, we will provide bottled and purified mineral water that we bring from Cusco.
Our meals are varied and taste of our hikers. In addition, they are foods that last the heat and humidity of the rainforest. Breakfasts consist of omelettes, scrambled eggs, pancakes, etc.
To be comfortable, we provide tents with capacity for 4 people for 2 people, we provide comfortable mats. The tents do not need a musketeer, because they carry musketeers at the door.
It is necessary to take a sleeping bag to the Camouflaged House, which you can replace with a thin blanket or if you want, you can rent it with us for $2.00 a day.
We cannot assure you that you will see the Macaws in the clay licks, but if you travel in the correct season you have more opportunities to see them.
The dry season is a good season to see these birds, as birds in some stations migrate to places of fruit production or eat only seeds per season. The seeds are toxic to prevent birds from eating them; however, if the macaws eat them, they increase the poison in their stomachs. To neutralize the acids and poisons in their stomachs, they eat nutritious clay.
In the rainy season, there are many fruits until the beginning of the dry season, which is May. Then the macaws eat fewer seeds and fruits that are less toxic and feel less need to eat the clay. This means that there are fewer macaws present; at midday of the dry season, there could be the presence of 100 to 150 macaws in a morning, unlike only 10 to 50 at the end of the rainy season.
The first night at Rainforest Lodge (600 m.a.s.l.) the temperature is around 27°C. In the low forest of the Manu, the temperature at night is normally around 27°C, and during the day about 35°C. As always, cold winds from Patagonia could reach the Manu area, and the temperature could drop around 10°C. These “Friajes” are very common in the southeast of the hemisphere, during the wind season (between April and the end of August).
There are not many walks in the sense of going far. All walks are done slowly. This is because most of you will find vegetation in the forest and be available to see the animals; giving enough time to see the surroundings and also hear them. The first day of the Tour we have afternoon walks around 2 hours. The second day is more to observe birds and animals along the Alto Madre de Dios River, with fewer walks than the other days.
The Tambopata Clay Lick Tour was an amazing 4-day escape into the Amazon. The highlight was definitely the macaws at the clay lick – a breathtaking sight. We saw plenty of wildlife, from monkeys to colorful birds. The boat rides and hikes were great, though I wish we had more time to explore. The lodge was simple but comfortable. Overall, it’s a fantastic short tour for those wanting a taste of the Amazon in just a few days.
The Tambopata Clay Lick Tour was an amazing 4-day escape into the Amazon. The highlight was definitely the macaws at the clay lick – a breathtaking sight. We saw plenty of wildlife, from monkeys to colorful birds. The boat rides and hikes were great, though I wish we had more time to explore. The lodge was simple but comfortable. Overall, it’s a fantastic short tour for those wanting a taste of the Amazon in just a few days.
