rainforest ENCOUNTER

In the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado, as you begin your ecotourism adventure you will be met from your flight by our staff, who will escort you during the fascinating 68-kilometer road and boat trip along the Tambopata River to our Ecolodge (23 km by vehicle, 45 km by boat). Once we leave Puerto Maldonado behind, the forest vegetation will change from colonized deforested areas to virgin rainforest. Time spent on rivers is one of the highlights of any trip to a tropical forest ecosystem, offering the opportunity to observe native flora and look out for examples of Amazon fauna, with the help of one of our experienced naturalist guides. A box lunch will be served aboard our boat. After time to settle in your eco-lodge accommodation, your naturalist guide will invite you to explore the trails in the surrounding forest. Several giant brazil nut trees are located along these trails, while frequently seen fauna includes brown capuchin monkeys, agoutis, blue-morpho butterflies, trogons, toucans and other bird species. In the evening, a slideshow presentation will give you a thorough introduction to the many wonders of the rainforest. After an excellent buffet-style dinner, another guided trail walk in the forest will offer the chance to spot the world’s only nocturnal monkey species, as well as learning about the Amazon’s insects, while enjoying the unique sounds of the nighttime forest.

After an early buffet breakfast, we will board our launch for the 9-kilometer (20-minute) ride upriver to the trailhead, looking out all the while for mammals along the riverbank. We will spend around an hour walking this trail, with plenty of time to observe Amazon flora and fauna along the way. Among the tree species seen on this trail are the capirona, strangler fig tree, and palo santo, as well as bamboo, and several varieties of palm tree. Moving on through the forest, we will continue to El Gato macaw lick, where in the early morning groups of scarlet and red-and-green macaws often gather to feed on clay deposits. After plenty of time to observe the birdlife at the clay lick, we will return to the river via another forest trail and take the launch back to the Ecolodge in time for a buffet lunch. On these forest trails, sightings of howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys are common. After lunch, guests can choose from a number of options, including:

• Exploring the network of forest trails around the Ecolodge.
• Visiting a nearby, simple, “colonist-style” forest farm.
• Bathing in the Gallocunca forest stream that flows alongside the Ecolodge.
• Relaxing and enjoying the comfortable facilities of the Ecolodge, including the bar and lounge, gardens and hammocks.

In the evening, following a buffet-style dinner, we will meet in the bar for a brief talk given by our naturalist guides on caiman, the fascinating nocturnal predators that inhabit Tambopata’s rivers and lakes. We will then return to the river in search of nocturnal fauna, looking out for caimans using flashlights to pick out their “eye shine” as they hunt along the riverbanks. Snakes and capybaras are also often seen along the river at night.

Today, we will venture much further into the forest to visit the wetland ecosystem around Lake Sachavacayoc. After a short trip downriver by boat, we will access this lake via a long, fascinating forest trail, crossing streams and marshy ground via raised wooden walkways and bridges. Among the tree species seen on this trail are the capirona, strangler fig, and palo santo, as well as bamboo, and several varieties of palm tree. The forests around this beautiful oxbow lake teem with birdlife, and the waters are home to black caiman and the magnificent green anaconda. Visitors to this lake may also be fortunate enough to spot the rare Amazon giant river otter. The lake comes to life as we paddle across the water for around an hour, before heading back to the river via a different trail, with our naturalist guide on the lookout for interesting species. Capuchin and squirrel monkeys are commonly seen on these trails. Back at the Ecolodge in the later afternoon, you will have time to relax in a hammock or take a refreshing dip in nearby Gallocunca stream. After a delicious buffet-style dinner, there will be time in the evening to get to know other Ecolodge guests in the bar and lounge.

Your stay in the Amazon forest ends on this fourth day with a magical morning return by river for your flight from Puerto Maldonado. This is an excellent time of day for wildlife observation, as the forest awakens, and looking out for rainforest fauna from our boat with the help of your naturalist guide is the perfect way to bid farewell to Peru’s tropical forests.

At Tambopata Ecolodge, our ecotourism programs include: all fully escorted transport from our guests’ arrival at Puerto Maldonado airport or bus station to their return to the airport or bus station; cabin-style accommodation in comfortable rooms; all meals (most are buffet-style with a selection of traditional Peruvian cuisine) from lunch on day one of each itinerary to breakfast on the final day; all excursions described as part of our responsible ecotourism programs; the services of a professional, experienced bilingual naturalist guide. (English and Spanish. Other languages are available on request, at time of booking –rates may vary.)

Flights / bus services to and from the town of Puerto Maldonado; entrance fee to Tambopata National Reserve; any drinks ordered at the Ecolodge bar; tips.

Prices shown are per person in US dollars. The entrance fee contributes directly to the Peruvian national government’s running of Tambopata National Reserve.