Tambopata National Reserve – 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.

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.

Driving distance: 23 km / 14.3 miles by vehicle. 45 km 28 miles by boat.

Visiting time: afternoon hike 2 hours, night hike 2 hours

Altitude:

• Puerto Maldonado 183 meters / 600 feet.
• Tambopata Ecolodge 205 meters / 672 feet.

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.

Driving distance: 9 km 5.6 miles by boat.

Hiking distance: 3.5 km / 2.17 miles (round trip).

Visiting time: morning hike 4-5 hours, night boat exploring hour 1.5-2 hours

Altitude:

• El Gato macaw lick 215 meters / 705 feet.
• Tambopata Ecolodge 205 meters / 672 feet.

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.

Driving distance: 6.5 km 4 miles by boat.

Hiking distance: 13.4 km / 8.32 miles (round trip).

Visiting time: morning hike 6-7 hours,

Altitude:

• Sachavacayoc lake 202 meters / 643 feet.
• Tambopata Ecolodge 205 meters / 663 feet.

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.

Driving distance: 45 km 28 miles by boat. 23 km / 14.3 miles by vehicle.

Altitude:

• Tambopata Ecolodge 205 meters / 672 feet.
• Puerto Maldonado 183 meters / 600 feet.

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.

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.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for rainforest trips anywhere in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the event of an emergency, lodge staff can contact the outside world by phone or internet.

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