MANU NATIONAL PARK, TAPIR AND MACAW CLAY LICKS by orquidea

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Day 1: Cuzco/Manu Cloud forest (Thursday) Depart Cusco in our private, custom-designed expedition bus/van with reclining seats and extra legroom and drive all day through all elevated in our private, 11000-acre (4,400-hectare) cloud forest in Peru. The bus stops frequently during the trip to permit visits to small Andean towns and exploration of the incredible range of cloud forest habitats. (L, D ).

Day 2: Manu Cloud forest/Boca Manu (Friday) Observe Cocks-of-the-Rock displaying and calling at down, and the enjoy breakfast back at the lodge. Explore the cool, moist, mosquito-free cloud forest and search for the confiding Brown Capuchin Monkeys. Travel by bus for 2-3 more hours to the riverside hamlet of Atalaya, where we board our motor canoes to travel down the Alto Madre de Dios River towards the mouth of the Manu River. Depending on the road and river conditions on this day, we either sleep in a simple tented camp (with small tents) or in a rustic local lodge near the mouth of the Manu River. (B,L,D).

Day 3: Boca Manu/Manu wildlife Tented camps at park (Saturday) Dawn in the forest or on the riverbank, Visit Boca Manu town. That day we will join the group that comes from Cusco by plane and together we will travel by motor canoe up the Manu River for 5-6 hours to the Wildlife Tented Camp near Cocha Salvador. We will stop at the Guard park station to be registered. On the way we will have the chance to observe beaches with different birds, black caimans, capybaras, turtles, etc. Afternoon arrival at Manu Wildlife Tented camp. Then we will explore some trails of primary forest searching for monkeys.
After dinner, the visitors with enough energy will explore other trails looking for different species including insects and frogs.
(B,L,D).

Day 4: Manu National Park (Sunday)
Visit Cocha Salvador and take a canoe or catamaran outing on the lake to look for the famous endangered Giant Otters and observe some birds and monkeys searching for food. The rest of the day we will explore other trails through different forest types, with excellent chances to observe monkeys.
(B,L,D).

Day 5: Manu National Park/Boca Manu/Manu Wildlife Center (Monday) Leave very early to motor down the Manu River to Boca Manu (here some of the people will take the flight to Cusco). After some time exploring Boca Manu community. Then we take a motorized canoe for the 90 minutes journey down the Madre de Dios River to Manu Wildlife Center. Late afternoon will be spent exploring some of the 30 miles of clean forest trails that surround the lodge. On these trails you have an excellent chance to encounter some of the 12 species of monkeys, which include the Monk Saki and Emperor Tamarin, which inhabit the surrounding forest.

We can return for dinner back at the Center, or pack our meal for the leisurely hike about 60-75 minutes through the night forest to the Amazon’s largest known Tapir clay lick. Here we climb a 17 by 17 foot observation platform perched almost 20 feet above the lick itself where we wait for the lumbering Tapirs to arrive. Then, using powerful flashlights we hope to observe and photograph them in action. Our scientific reports reveal that tapirs usually visit the clay lick between 9:00 pm and midnight; however, their activity continues until dawn. (L/D)

Day 6: Manu Wildlife Center (Tuesday)
Rising before dawn, we take a 25-minute boat journey downstream to the only large parrot and macaw clay lick in the Manu area. From a blind we are afforded excellent views and photo opportunities of hundreds of medium-sized and large parrots arriving first at the lick, followed by the large Red-and-Green Macaws arriving to eat the clay.

Please note that:

The clay lick activity reaches its best from August to October and decreases during the months of May and June After lunch at the Center we continue by boat and short hike from the river, you have what promises to be an exciting visit to Blanco Oxbow Lake. This lake has populations of a variety of aquatic life and water birds, including the prehistoric-looking hoatzin and the possibility to see the resident family of giant otters.

Alternatively, time is available to independently practice your abilities and experience this expanse of rainforest habitats on your own.

This evening, from the late afternoon until after Dinner, we offer an opportunity to search for caiman and other nocturnal life along the riverbank by boat. (B/L/D)

Day 7: Manu Wildlife Center/ Cusco (Wednesday) After early breakfast, we leave near dawn by motor canoe for the two-hour return trip to the Manu landing strip, taking advantage of valuable early morning wildlife activity along the river. From here you fly to Cusco, where your jungle adventure ends. Arrival at Cusco Airport, reception and transfer to your hotel. (B)

Important note: Please note that the program may vary slightly so as to maximize your wildlife sightings, depending on the reports of our researchers and experienced naturalist guides based at the lodge.

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