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6 days/5 nights Program
Cost per person based in double occupancy:
US$ 975.00
Single Accommodation: US$ 1.240.00
Our Soft Adventure programs fit those who want to combine culture and nature in the rain forest with some more physically challenging activities. This program combines the largest known macaw claylick and canopy climbing at the Tambopata Research Center, with mountain biking and sea-kayaking at Refugio Amazonas.
Because of its remote location in a Connecticut-sized tract of uninhabited wilderness, it contains stable populations of endangered wildlife. The small scale of its infrastructure and operations and the presence of researchers and naturalist guides make the 18 room Tambopata Research Center an excellent location for in depth explorations of Amazonian nature and wildlife. During your entire stay your Peruvian guides could be a biologist, a native or a naturalist according to your interests and expectations. In addition to being guides the resident biologists perform on-going research providing you with the opportunity to learn first-hand about their findings.
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One of the highlights of your stay at TRC will be visits to the world's largest known mineral clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily to ingest the detoxifying clay. The clay lick is less than 500 meters from TRC. Other attractions include: Five identified macaw nesting sites, seven distinct habitats easily accessible form TRC, numerous opportunities to spot primates and other larger mammals.
Access: Fly from Lima or Cuzco on a daily scheduled commercial jet flights to Puerto Maldonado and travel by bus and then by boat from the Tambopata River port to Refugio Amazonas. The following day, continue upriver to the Tambopata Research Center. The lodge is located than 10-12 minutes walking from the river.
All programs to the Tambopata Research Center (TRC) are combined with lodging at Refugio Amazonas (RAL). In case of lack of availability at Refugio Amazonas, we provide our clients with alternative lodging at Posada Amazonas or lodging within the area and always accompanied by our guides and boats.
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ITINERARY
DAY 1
Arrival & Reception by Guide
Our guides are biologists, tourism professionals, or community members. Unless noted otherwise, our guides speak English. We assign guides at 6:1 ratio in Tambopata Research Center. This means groups smaller than 6 people will be merged with other groups under one guide. If you would like a private guide or a guide in a language other than English please let us know.
Transfer Airport to Puerto Maldonado Headquarters
Upon arrival from Lima or Cusco, we will welcome you at the airport and drive you ten minutes to our Puerto Maldonado headquarters. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in our gardens we will ask you to pack only the necessary gear for your next few days, and leave the rest at our safe deposit. This helps us keep the boats and cargo light.
Transfer Pto Maldonado Headquarters to Tambopata River Port
Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business.
Transfer Boat - Tambopata River Port to Refugio Amazonas
The two and a half hour boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Refugio Amazonas will take us past the Community of Infierno and the Tambopata National Reserve´s checkpoint and into the buffer zone of this 1.3 million hectare conservation unit.
Boxed Lunch
Orientation
Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
Dinner
Caiman Search
We will be out at the river’s edge at night, scanning the shores with headlamps and flashlights to catch the red gleams of reflection from caiman eyes.
Overnight at Refugio Amazonas
DAY 2
Breakfast
Sea-Kayaking the river in lodge surroundings
No previous experience required. After a few practice strokes with our kayaking guide, you will be ready to navigate the Tambopata at a natural pace for a few hours. Wildlife sightings increase in quality – the silent kayaks do not intimidate.
Transfer Boat - Refugio Amazonas to TRC
Four and half hours by boat from Refugio Amazonas, in the pristine heart of the reserve, lies the Tambopata Research Center. One and half hours into our boat journey, as we cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectare uninhabited nucleus of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws and other large species will become more frequent.
Boxed Lunch
Orientation
Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
Overlook Trail
A three to five kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey.
Dinner
Macaw Project Lectures
After dinner scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.
Overnight at Tambopata Research Center
DAY 3
Macaw Clay Lick
On most clear mornings of the year dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle which inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located fifty meters from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active.
Breakfast
Floodplain Trail
This five kilometer trail covers the prototypical rain forest with immense trees criss-crossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat.
Lunch
Canopy Climbing
Replicating the daily work of macaw researchers, we will climb a 30 meter tree with a rope, harness and jumar. From this vantage point we will have a macaws eye view of the forest. This demanding exercise is perfectly safe and requires no previous experience.
Dinner
Night walk
You will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.
Overnight at Tambopata Research Center
DAY 4
Breakfast
Terra Firme Trail
An entirely different habitat characterized by smaller, thinner trees atop hills and slopes is covered by this five kilometer trail. Saddleback tamarins are frequently found here. As we walk near the limits of the swamp we will also keep our eyes open for rare tapir tracks.
Lunch
Palm Swamp Tower
A thirty minute hike from TRC brings us to the palm swamp. Dead aguaje palms serve as nests to Red-bellied and Blue-and-gold macaws. An elevated boardwalk and scaffolding tower allow for eye level observation of the macaws as they fly in and out of their nests.
Dinner
Overnight at Tambopata Research Center
DAY 5
Breakfast
Transfer Boat - TRC to Refugio Amazonas
A three and a half hour boat ride brings us to Refugio Amazonas.
Boxed Lunch
Jungle Mountain Biking
Enjoy the forest from a different perspective, and get on a mountain bike. Our ride begins 10 minutes from the lodge, and then loops 10 kilometers thru mature forest and numerous creekbeds. The muddier it is, the more fun we will have!
Canopy Tower
A thirty minute walk from Refugio Amazonas leads to the 25 meter scaffolding canopy tower. A bannistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. The tower has been built upon high ground, therefore increasing your horizon of the continuous primary forest extending out towards the Tambopata National Reserve. From here views of mixed species canopy flocks as well as toucans, macaws and raptors are likely.
Dinner
Overnight at Refugio Amazonas
DAY 6
Breakfast
Transfer Boat - Refugio Amazonas to Tambopata River Port
Transfer Tambopata River Port to Pto Maldonado Headquarters
Transfer Puerto Maldonado Headquarters to Airport
We retrace our river and road journey back to Puerto Maldonado, our office and the airport. Depending on airline schedules, this may require dawn departures.
NOTES
Included: Program based on double occupancy. Includes all meal, accommodations, and services, all river transportation, and transfer from and to the airport of Puerto Maldonado.
Not Included: International or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature.
Boat Transportation: All our boats are 20 foot long, roofed canoes with 55 hp outboard motors. Daily arrivals and departures from every port are scheduled to meet every airline´s arrival and departure with a maximum two hour wait.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF ACTIVITIES.
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