Tambopata Reserve Bird Clay Lick

Tambopata Reserve Bird Clay Lick 4 days 3 nights

Four days in the Amazon basin, based at a comfortable jungle lodge and exploring tropical forest ecosystems, including a bird clay lick.

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY AND SERVICES:

Day 1: Puerto Maldonado – Tambopata River

After your flight to the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado in southeastern Peru, you will be met at the airport for a wonderful three-hour boat trip along the Tambopata River to our jungle lodge. Following your arrival at the lodge, you will be invited on a trail walk, during which your naturalist guide will introduce you to the tropical forest habitat surrounding the lodge.  

Day 2: Forest trails - Bird clay lick

After an early breakfast, we will board our launch for the 9-kilometer ride upriver to the trailhead. We will spend an hour walking this trail, with plenty of time to observe Amazon flora and fauna along the way. At the clay lick, groups of scarlet and red-and-green macaws often gather to feed on clay deposits. After plenty of time to observe birds, we will return to the river via another forest trail and take the launch back to the lodge. On the trails it is possible to see howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys. After lunch, guests can explore the trails around the lodge, visit a nearby sustainable rainforest farm, swim at the lodge’s swimming hole, or simply relax and enjoy the excellent lodge facilities. In the evening, we will return to the river in search of nocturnal fauna, including caimans.

Day 3: Forest trails – rainforest oxbow lake

Today your guide will take you deeper into the forest to visit the wetland ecosystem around a rainforest oxbow lake. The Tambopata tropical forests around this picturesque lake are filled with typical Amazon flora and fauna. The lake offers the perfect habitat for caimans and other rainforest species. Back at the lodge, during the afternoon there will be time for you to relax in a hammock or explore the trails in the protected forests around the lodge.

Day 4: Tambopata River – Puerto Maldonado

Your stay in the forests of Peru’s Amazon basin will end today with an early morning return by boat along the Tambopata River to the town of Puerto Maldonado, for your return flight. This is an excellent time of day to observe Amazon fauna along the riverbanks. 

EXTENSIONS: DO YOU HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND IN PERU?

Other travelers added the following extension to this Peru itinerary...

CLASSIC INCA TRAIL 4 days 3 nights 
Follow in the footsteps of the Incas and hike the complete world-famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The classic 4 day / 3 night Inca Trail to Machu Picchu follows a magical route surrounded by spectacular Andean scenery and dotted with fascinating archaeological sites. This 25-mile (40-kilometer) trek through a variety of landscapes is famous as one of the world’s great hiking routes. After walking for three days, on the morning of the fourth day, from high above the site hikers can enjoy their first view of magnificent Machu Picchu. 

CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S INCLUDED AND WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING...

Included
  • All meals and accommodation
  • Transport from arrival at the town of Puerto Maldonado to return to the local airport
  • All guided excursions described in the itinerary
Not included
  • Flights to and from Puerto Maldonado. 
  • Entrance fee to the Tambopata National Reserve; any drinks purchased from the lodge bar 
  • Tips
What to bring:
  • Light clothing, long loose-fitting trousers, long-sleeved shirts, a wide-brimmed hat and walking boots or tennis shoes 
  • Around the lodge you can wear: shorts, T-shirts and sandals
  • Windbreaker or a sweater for early mornings on the river
  • Rain gear: Impermeable jacket or rain 
  • Swimwear 
  • Sun block
  • Flashlight and batteries
  • Daypack
  • Water bottle
  • First aid kit
  • Cap and sunglasses
  • Pocket knife
  • Passport
  • Waterproof bags for camera equipment
  • Insect repellent
FAQs - Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Amazon forests? 

It can rain at any time in tropical and subtropical forests. For drier weather, the best time to visit the Tambopata and Manu forests accessible from Cusco is between mid-April and the end of October. The driest months are June, July and August. Different species of Amazon wildlife can be seen at any time of the year in the tropical forests of Peru. 

Should I get a yellow fever vaccination before going to the rainforest?
Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for rainforest trips anywhere in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Is there malaria in the rainforest? 
The US Center for Disease Control considers Puerto Maldonado to be a malaria risk area although it is reported as extremely rare. Avoid mosquito bites as much as possible by using insect repellent, long-sleeved clothing and long trousers rather than shorts, and consider taking malaria prophylaxis.

What will we do for drinking water at the jungle lodge? 
Drinking water and other beverages such as coffee and tea are provided free of charge at our lodge, and sodas and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at the lodge’s bar.

Should I pack rubber boots?
At our lodge, rubber boots in a range of sizes are available for use during excursions.

Is there electricity at the lodge, can I charge my electronic devices?
Yes. For example, at our Tambopata lodge recharging facilities for mobile phones, pads, and assorted batteries are available at midday and in the evening between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

Is there a phone available at the lodge(s)?
In the event of an emergency, lodge staff can contact the outside world by phone or internet. 

Is a laundry service available?
Remember that it can take a long time for clothes to dry in a humid rainforest environment. Laundry services can be organized in the main towns (Cusco, Puerto Maldonado, Iquitos) from which our Amazon itineraries depart. Ask our staff for more information. 

Is smoking allowed in or around the lodge?
Smoking is not permitted in rooms, dining or communal areas, such as the bar. However, guests can smoke on the terraces of their rooms and in outdoor areas of the lodge. 

What happens in the case of a medical emergency?
In the event of a medical emergency which cannot be dealt with by guides and staff trained in first aid, guests will be evacuated to the nearest town with a hospital or other medical facilities. 

RELATED ITINERARIES: