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DAY 1 LIMA
Reception in the Lima airport and transfer to the Hotel.(No meals)
Day 2 : LIMA CITY TOUR AND GOLD MUSEUM
In the morning, Lima city tour (half day). You will be picked up from your
hotel at 09 a.m. The city tour begins with a visit to the
Plaza the Armas, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Running along two sides are arcades with shops: Portal de Escribanos and
Portal de Botoneros.
In the center of the Plaza is a bronze fountain dating back to 1560. Located
in the Plaza is the Cathedral, note the splendidly carved stalls, the silver
covered
altars surrounded by fine woodwork, mosaic covered walls bearing the coat of
arms of Lima and Pizarro. Next to the Cathedral is the Archbishop's Palace.
Then you'll visit the Monastery of San Francisco. This is famous for the
Sivillian tilework and paneled ceiling in the cloisters, the catacombs under
the church and
part of the monastery are well worth seeing, You'll visit the old colonial
streets in the center of the city, and the modern Lima with the district of
San Isidro and Miraflores. Then you will visit the Peruvian Gold Museum;
this excellent private collection includes pre-Columbian gold, silver and
bronze, ceramics, weavings, mummies, etc. The second floor of this
museum is a remarkable arms collections with an impressive exhibition from
Spanish colonial times.
Overnight at the hotel (B,L)
DAY 3 PARACAS
Early in the morning transfer to the bus station, at 7:30 am you willl take
the Bus to Paracas (3 hours 1/2).
Upon arrival transfer to the hotel, then excursion to Paracas of about 2 h.
30 min. Paracas is one of the best marine reserves, with the highest
concentration of marine
birds. In the afternoon return to the hotel and overnight (B)
DAY 4 BALLESTAS ISLANDS
At 7:15am in the morning transfer to the mole where you will take a
motorboat excursion to the Ballestas island.
This islands are spectacular, eroded into numerous arches and caves, which
provide shelter for thousands of seabirds, some of which are very rare, and
seas lions.
The islands are known as "The Galapagos of Peru", at the end private
transfer to Nazca 82 hours aprox), during the route you will visit the
Chauchilla cemetery, where
skulls, mummies and pottery shards littering the desert. Overnight at the
hotel. (B)
DAY 5 NASCA LINES
You will be picked up from your hotel, transfer to the little airport where
you'll take the flight over the famous Nazca lines. Cut into the stony
desert are large number
of lines, not only parallels and geometrical figures, but also designs such
as a dog, an enormous monkey, a bird with a wing span of over 100 meters, a
spider and a tree.
The lines, that represent some sort of vast astronomical pre-Inca calendar,
are best seen from the air, we will take a half hour flight above the Lines
(included).
At 1:30 pm we will take the motor coach Royal class to Lima where we will
arrive around 7:30 pm. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel .
Overnight at the hotel. (B)
DAY 6 MEETING THE JUNGLE
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado (airfare not
included).
Transfer from Puerto Maldonado airport to the river port on the Madre de
Dios River. A 25 minutes journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe
brings you to
the riverside trailhead to Sandoval Lake Lodge. From here the trail takes
you on a 2-miles (3,2-kilometers) walk through secondary forest, until we
reach a small
canal where we board canoes and are paddled 220 yards(201 meters) through a
flooded forest of 100-foot (30-meters) tall Mauritia palms. As the canal
opens onto
the shimmering surface of the lake, we transfer to a catamaran and are
leisurely paddled across half the lake to the lodge. After lunch and a brief
rest to avoid the early
afternoon heat, we will learn about the history of the lodge and the
philosophy of its founders. Then we once again board the catamaran and set
off to explore the
entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest we drift to
the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied Macaws as they return to the palm
forest for the night.
This macaw species is found locally in parts of the Amazon, always living in
flooded palm forests such as the beautiful palm stand at Sandoval Lake. At
500-800 birds, this
flock of macaws at Sandoval Lake is currently the largest reported in the
world for this highly-specialized macaw. As night falls we will look for the
large and extremely
rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, we will also be able to
float in the middle of the lake to marvel at the brilliance of the sky and
listen to the sounds of the
forest. We return to the lodge for a short video or slide presentation and
dinner. At any point, you could step out from the bar to admire the wide
variety of nocturnal
moths, beetles and praying mantis attracted to our black light in the lodge
clearing. For those with lots of energy, our guide will take us on a short
night-walk into the
forest behind the lodge.(B,L,D)
DAY 7 SANDOVAL LAKE
A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable us to be on the lake for sunrise and a
hopeful encounter with the family of Giant Otters who frequent the lake and
are most active
at this time of day. Sandoval Lake offers abundant wildlife including over
40 species of birds resident to its lake margins, most of the fish-eating
water birds around the
lake actively fish in the early morning as well, and this outing should
provide excellent views, of the prehistoric- looking Hoatzins, These are
easy to observe and also
photograph from the paddled canoes or catamarans. After returning for a late
breakfast we set off into the cool under story of the tall virgin forest
near the lake to see
some towering wild Brazil Nut trees and a demonstration of how our hosts
collect, open and commercialize this important natural product. After lunch
and an hour or so
to relax we once again board the catamaran to explore the eastern part of
the lake, where we might see one or more of the five species of monkeys who
live in the
forest near the lake, such as the Brown Capuchin Monkey and Squirrel Monkey.
Before dinner we will again enjoy an informative natural history video or
slide
presentation. We will leave after dinner to try and spot some Black Caimans
on the lake, or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest. (B,L,D)
DAY 8 RAINFOREST
After a dawn breakfast, we will cross the lake by catamaran and take a short
walk into the interior of the Mauritia palm forest to stand beneath and
closely view the
impressive morning congregations, this place has a very interesting
concentration of parrots, parakeets and large and small macaws that can be
observed using dead
Mauritia palm trees, some of them are resident nesters (Yellow headed
Parrot, Mealy Parrot, Blue headed Parrot, Scarlet Macaw, blue and Yellow
Macaw, Red and
Green Macaw, Chestnut fronted Macaw, Dusky headed Parakeet, Red bellied
Macaw, Cobalt winged Parakeet, Tui Parakeet). Returning from the macaw show
we will
cross the lake to explore a primary forest trail and admire the impressive
ancient rainforest trees and lianas with our knowledgeable resident
naturalist guide.
As we walk, the forest will be brought to life as your guide explains the
ecology of the rain forest and its diverse flora and fauna. We return for
lunch, and then there is an
optional rest for those who would like to escape the early afternoon heat.
For those still full of energy, there is an option to independently explore
some of the forest
trails using our trail map. You might stroll through our medicinal plant
garden or watch hummingbirds visiting the nectar feeders, or the tanagers
visiting our fruit feeders.
In the cooler late afternoon we will once again board the catamaran to
explore the eastern end of the lake, and hopefully experience a spectacular
sunset over the
lake before returning to the lodge for dinner. For some people, an
alternative afternoon activity would be to relax on benches inside the
forest perched above a clear
running stream in which a variety of bathing hummingbirds and forest birds
visit. After dinner, there is a final chance to look for Black Caiman on the
lake, or to go on a
short night hike through the forest. (B,L,D)
DAY 9 CUSCO
After early breakfast we leave near dawn and we take a final, shorter paddle
around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before
returning by
motor canoe for the 35 minutes return trip to the Puerto Maldonado Airport,
taking advantage of valuable early morning wildlife activity along the
river.
From here you fly to Cusco (airfare not included).
Upon arrival transfer to the the Orquidea Real Hostal. (B)
Please note that the jungle 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.
DAY 10 CUSCO CITY TOUR
Morning at leisure.
In the afternoon: Cusco City Tour From 1:15 p.m. Aprox
This tour includes the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun) and the Cathedral and
some other famous places like the famous fortress of Sacsayhuaman, then to
Q'enqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.
You will also receive a tourist ticket valid to many other sites you can
visit on your free time.
Overnight at the Hotel.
DAY 11 SACRED VALLEY TOUR
(Available on shared service on :TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SUNDAY ONLY!)
At 8:15 a.m. we will depart for the Sacred Valley tour, that includes: Bus
service to the market of Pisaq, visits the ruins of Ollantaytambo, and the
market at Chinchero.
There is an English speaking guide, and lunch in a typical restaurant in
Urubamba.
Of course, throughout this trip you will have magnificent views of the high
Peruvian Andes.
At the end you will go back at the Hotel. ( B,L )
DAY 12 MACHU PICCHU
Early breakfast and transfer to the train station to depart to Machupicchu
the trip takes about 4 hours and you will be traveling in vista dome train,
upon arrival to Aguas Calientes you will have to approach the bus station
towards the Ciudadela of Machupicchu (Only 20 minutes ride) will receive a
guided tour by this Huge Historical Sanctuary follow by some free time to
lunch at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge restaurant (included), overnight
at the select hotel in Aguas Calientes town (B,L)
*Optional: For lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge instead of box-lunch,
add $40.00 to the tour price.
DAY 13 MACHU PICCHU
Breakfast and rest of day at leisure by your own (entrance and bus fee to
Machu Picchu not included on this day) in the afternoon return to Cusco.
Reception at the train station and transfer to the Hotel where it passed the
night (B).
DAY 14 PUNO - CHULLPAS OF SILLUSTANI
Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Puno.
On route you will stop to visit the chullpas of sillustani.
CHULLPAS OF SILLUSTANI
Near Puno are the Chullpas (pre-Colombian funeral towers) of Sillustani.
The scenery is desert but impressive, in a beautiful setting on a peninsula
on lake Ayumara about 32 Km. from Puno. Most of the towers date from the
period of Inca
occupation in the 15th century, the engineering involved in their
construction is more complex than anything the Incas built.
Upon arrival , transfer to the hotel(B)
DAY 15 UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS
You will be picked up from your hotel at 6:40 a.m., after a 2 hour motorboat
ride, you will arrive at the Uros island, in the Titikaka lake. Fishermen
and hunters inhabit the floating islands of the Uros. The residents of the
Uros use the cattail, a type of rush, which grows in the lake, to create the
conditions
that ensure the islands stay afloat. The dense roots that the plants develop
support the island. The roofs are waterproof and the houses are extremely
humid
because of the surrounding water. At present, they speak Quechua and Aymara.
Then we will visit the Taquile island, where we will have lunch in the
cooperative
restaurant. There is also a cooperative shop on the plaza that sells
exceptional wool goods which are of very fine quality and somewhat
expensive. Taquile Island is
famous for its craft production, particularly for its beautiful textiles.
The island is narrow at about 1 Km. wide and 6 to 7 Km. long.
The visit could be exhausting because of the 533 steps on the stone stairway
to climb to get to the village and because of the altitude (13,000 ft above
sea level).
On Taquile there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins as well as Inca
terracing.
We will return in Puno in the afternoon, and overnight at the hotel(B,L)
DAY 16 PUNO - LIMA
Morning at leisure in Puno.
In the afternoon transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima (airfare
not include)o time to get your International flight. (B)
END OF OUR SERVICES |
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Lima Plaza de Armas
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