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PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
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TAMBOPATA EXPEDITION
EXTENSIVE
7 days and 6 nights
Daily Departures
Per Person Prices:$1031 based on Double occupancy
Per Person Prices:$1370 based on Single occupancy
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Duration |
7 days and 6 nights |
| Price per person
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US$1031 per person based on double occupancy |
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Departures |
Daily departures |
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Airfares |
Not included, available upon request |
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Accommodations |
Included |
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Meals |
included as specified below |
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Customizable |
YES, feel free to ask for extra
services |
DAY 1:
PUERTO MALDONADO - POSADA AMAZONAS
Upon arrival from Lima or Cusco, reception and transfer
to the Tambopata river port in Puerto Maldonado. Puerto
Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty
Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling,
booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities
are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber
extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief
survey of the town we will depart on a 1 hour ride via
Infierno road, followed by 30 minutes boat journey by
motorized canoe to Posada Amazonas. Depending on the
arrival time of the plane we will have a boxed lunch
aboard the boats or have lunch upon arrival at Posada
Amazonas. During our voyage we may see bird species
typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black
Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork,
Roadside Hawk, and several species of kingfishers,
swallows and flycatchers. When we arrive at Posada
Amazonas we will unpack and unwind. Posada Amazonas is a
comfortable yet unobtrusive 30 room lodge owned jointly
by Rainforest Expeditions and the Local Community of
Infierno. We will receive a short orientation and a
complete briefing on the lodge and the Ecotourism
Project before our afternoon activity : the canopy tower.
In this activity, we will visit a 35 meter scaffolding
tower that is 15 minutes walking from the lodge. The
scaffolding tower is built so that you safely climb
using the internal staircase with verandahs on each side,
and rest in platforms present every 2 meters. From the
top you not only get spectacular views of the river and
the surrounding forest but also excellent opportunities
to observe birds from the canopy including parrots,
toucans and macaws. A video about the forest of
Tambopata will be displayed after dinner.
(L, D)
DAY 2: POSADA AMAZONAS
After an early breakfast we will visit a clay lick. This
clay lick is a ten minute walk from the lodge, but next
to the river. Amazingly, the variety of parrots that
visit this clay lick is considerably different than the
one inside the forest that we will visit later in the
day. Some of the large macaws, like the red and green
macaw, and larger parrots, like mealy and yellow crowned
Amazons visit this lick, as well as the smaller parrots
and parakeets. From the blind we have constructed next
to this lick, even the amateur photographer can take
good pictures of these wonderful birds. We will also
have a great opportunity to spot other spectacular
wildlife, active at this time of the day, like scarlet
or blue and glod macaws and a great deal of other birds.
When the activity dies out we will visit a small
parakeet clay lick that is a 45 minute walk away. Dozens
and sometimes hundreds of Blue Headed Parrots, Orange-Cheeked
Parrots, Cobalt-winged parakeets, and sometimes even the
rare Rock Parakeet congregate here on clear days to
ingest clay. This congregation creates a riotous and
colorful wildlife spectacle where the greens, oranges,
reds and blues of the parrots dance around the bank as
each individual parrot competes for their choice beakful
of clay. At times, this spectacle lasts for hours. Then
we will return to the lodge for lunch before embarking
on our afternoon outing. In the afternoon we will visit
the community’s ethnobotanical center. From this little
shop, the community has been registering the uses of
medicinal plants from elders and planting, producing and
distributing them for over ten years. We will hike the
trails around the center with one of the residents who
will explain to us the everyday uses of forest resources
in medicine, construction, food and fiber. We will
return to Posada Amazonas for dinner and overnight.
After enjoying our popular happy hour and refurbishing
your spirits with ours, you will be ready for bed.
(B,L,D)
DAY 3: POSADA AMAZONAS - TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER
We will be up at dawn for a visit to the Tres Chimbadas
oxbow lake. After an early breakfast we depart, fifteen
minutes from Posada Amazonas by boat and a 30 minute
walk take us to the lake shore. From here we take a
long, easy canoe ride around it. We will look for giant
river otters, turtles, hoatzin, and wading birds. The
giant river otters that are seen in Tres Chimbadas
belong to a resident family of nine. As we approach noon,
animal activity decreases, and we will continue travel
up the Tambopata River for 3 to 4 hours into the
pristine heart of the reserve. After the first hour we
will leave the final traces of human habitation behind
as we cross the northern boundary of the 700,000 hectare,
completely uninhabited nucleus of the Tambopata National
Reserve. Differences in wildlife abundance will be noted
immediately: we will begin to sight macaws, herons,
kingfishers and cormorants frequently and improve our
chances of encounters with capybaras, caiman, storks,
ducks and other wildlife. Boxed lunch on the boat. We
will arrive at Tambopata Research Center in the early
afternoon, being greeted by the Chicos, our flock of
semi-wild, rescued macaws. On arrival, we will hold an
orientation session. After this we will hike the 1.5
mile Bamboo Trail, a trail that is famous for the
abundance of rare birds that live exclusively in this
habitat and are endemic to southern Peru. It is also the
home of the frequently found Howler and Dusky titi
monkeys. As we birdwatch our way through the trail we
will end our hike at the overlooks which are good places
to observe canopy birds like tanagers, jacamars,
elaenias, guans, and oropendolas. We will return to TRC
for dinner. After dinner, to cap off a fulfilling day we
can have a frog walk through the forest, allowing the
photo lovers to take incredibly beautiful macro shoots
of american bullfrogs, horned frogs, tree frogs and an
incredible variety of colorful insects.
(B,L,D)
DAY 4: TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTRE - POSADA AMAZONAS
At dawn we will cross the river and enjoy the world's
largest macaw clay lick where hundreds of parrots and
macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily. The January
1994 issue of National Geographic features an article on
Tambopata Research Center and the Tambopata Macaw
Project. It begins with a description of the daily
spectacle at the clay lick: " When the morning sun
clears the Amazon tree line in southeastern Peru and
strikes a gray-pink clay bank on the upper Tambopata
River, one of the world's most dazzling wildlife
gatherings is nearing its riotous peak. The steep bank
has become a pulsing, 130-foot-high palette of red,
blue, yellow and green as more than a thousand parrots
squabble over choice perches to grab a beakful of clay,
a vital but mysterious part of their diet. More than a
dozen parrot species will visit the clay lick throughout
the day, but this midmorning crush belongs to the giants
of the parrot world, the macaws." You can expect to see
ten to twelve of the following members of the parrot
family: Red-and-green, Blue-and-gold, Scarlet, Red-bellied,
Chestnut-fronted and Blue-headed Macaws; Mealy and
Yellow-crowned Amazons; Blue-headed, Orange-cheeked and
White-bellied Parrots; Dusky-headed, White-eyed, Cobalt-winged
and Tui Parakeets and Dusky-billed Parrotlets. This show
will continue until the macaws sense danger, usually in
the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an
explosion of sound and color. Around mid-morning, when
the most intense clay lick activity is over for the day,
we will return to TRC for breakfast.. After breakfast we
will hike the 1.5 mile Ocelot Trail, a trail which
exemplifies the quintessential rainforest . Although at
this time of day mammals and birds are not as active as
in the early morning, we will concentrate on the forest
itself and discuss general rain forest ecology. This
forest, which is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old
and includes truly huge Ceiba trees and Strangler figs
is home to several mammals that are occsaionally
encountered: Saddleback tamarins, Squirrel and Brown
Capuchin Monkeys and Collared peccary. This trail is the
one which most often sports ocelot, puma and jaguar
tracks, although any one of these three large cats is
extremely difficult to spot. We will return to TRC for
lunch and then embark on a 2 mile hike to the palm swamp,
a nesting colony and preferred roost for Blue and Gold
and Red-bellied Macaws. Although there are different
degrees of macaw activity at the swamp year round, the
most exciting time to visit it is from October to March,
during the nesting season, when macaws will land on the
nests and stand there for several minutes, interacting
with other individuals at less then 20 feet from our
observation tower. The scenes at the swamp, especially
with late afternoon sun in our backs, make prized photo
opportunities. After a lazy afternoon with the macaws we
will hike back to the lodge for dinner.
(B,L,D.)
DAY 5: TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER
After our second visit to the macaw clay lick at dawn we
will have breakfast. Then we will embark on a hike of
the Toucan Trail that visits terra firme forests. We
will visit beautiful pristine creeks that wind their way
through forested hills, in some cases following dry
stream beds. The community of birds and other wildlife
that lives in the hilly terra firme, is very different
from that of the bamboo or mature floodplain. After a
long, easy hike, we will return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch we will take a short five minute boat ride
to a small, drying oxbow lake where we will spend the
afternoon on a platform in the middle of the pond
observing some of its birdlife, which may include
hoatzin, duck, ibis, woodpeckers, chachalaca, parakeets,
oropendolas and numerous flycatcher species. We will
return to TRC for dinner and an optional second night
outing. (B, L, D)
DAY 6: TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER-POSADA AMAZONAS
We will wake up at dawn once again to visit the macaw
clay lick and then return for breakfast. After breakfast
we will take a short hike to our favorite activitiy
before packing and saying goodbye to the staff. We will
embark to Posada Amazonas, arriving at mid-afternoon. We
will spend our last night in the rain forest in this
wonderfully designed lodge enjoying its happy hour as we
ponder over the exciting happenings of the past few days.
(B,L,D.)
DAY 7: POSADA AMAZONAS - PUERTO MALDONADO
After an early morning wake up call and breakfast we
will return to Puerto Maldonado for our flight back to
Lima. (B) |
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Click to Enlarge
Tambopata
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Macaw Clay Licks |
Madre de Dios river |
Jaguar |
END OF OUR SEVICES
INCLUDES: All hotel and lodge accommodations based on double
occupancy. All scheduled land, lake and river transportation. All
transfers. All scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide
services. All entrance fees. Meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Breakfast;L=Lunch;D=Dinner.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE
Entrance to the protected area of Tambopata (INRENA TAX) is USD $36
per person . International or domestic airfares, airport departure
taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during
the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic and non-alcoholic
beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry,
phone calls, radio calls or messages, reconfirmation of
international flights and items of personal nature. |
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Published articles and reviews about us
2010
Testimonials
Norman Pedersen
Date:
Sun,18 Jul 2010
Machu Picchu and my entire visit to Peru were
wonderful. A dream come true.
I could not have been happier with everyone I met through your
arrangements.
The tours were very informative and showed me more than I knew
existed in this beautiful place.
All of the accommodations were very comfortable.
The luncheon buffet at the Alhambra was top rate. And the Ferré
Hotel in Lima was also a very good choice.Your personal assistance
throughout was exceptional!
Thank you for everything!
Melinda Hughes
Date:
Tues, 13 Jul 2010
I was one of
the “Joel Williams” party of four who was recently on a Peru Gateway
Travel tour of northern and southern Peru. I had to write so you
would know how satisfied we were with the hotel accommodations, the
tour guides, the restaurants they choose for our lunches and just
everything about the trip.
The hotels we stayed in were well located, clean and convenient in
every way. We have absolutely no complaints!
Our tour covered Peru from the north to the south. It had four
internal flights, so there were many connections, pick ups and
deliveries involved. Peru Gateway Travel made sure we were always
delivered on time to the airports and promptly met and picked up
when we landed. We never had a moments worry.
Since we had many different day tours, we had several different
guides. All were professional and spoke our language well. All were
very knowledgeable and eager to impart that knowledge to us. They
chose great places for our lunches and the cuisine was
unforgettable. We have traveled to many countries but found the food
in Peru to be absolutely wonderful.
I also wanted to mention the drivers who picked us up at all times
of the day and night, drove us to our next destination and the
delivered us safely to our hotels. We never had a driver who was
less than prompt, courteous and most importantly, a skilled and
careful driver.
The sites we saw were the places we chose to see. And they did not
disappoint us. From the desert to the Andes to the Jungle, we
enjoyed it all.
Please feel free to use this email on your website or as a
testimonial. All four of our group would recommend Peru Gateway
Travel to anyone planning a trip to Peru. We were well taken care
of, enjoyed delicious food, saw awesome sights and had a wonderful
time.
Sincerely.
Ajay Chopra
Date:
Fri, 02 Jul 2010
We are back in
Lima. Our trip to Machu Picchu was wonderful, thank you and your
team and the ground staff in Cuzco for all their help and care. A
special thanks to Angella for her help.
We hope to do business with you in the near future.
Best Regards
Saikat.
Date:
Fri, 02 Jul 2010
I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing
and wonderful trip to your country.
I must state that the people of Peru impressed me very much - they
are so nice!
While I have already filled-up the feedback form, this is just a
personal note to say Thank you.
Do visit India sometime - we have a lot in common.
Regards,
Irina Pascu
Date:
Fri, 25 Jun 2010
I am now back
home but still not believed that the holiday is over. I just
write you to tell you that I had a wonderful time in Peru and to
thanks for
your support. The circuit was very well designed and I had the
opportunity
to visit all the important sites I envisaged and also the Sacred
Valley and
the Altiplano.
I was really impressed by the organization and your people, always
in time
for pick up and interested to offer the necessary information.
Finally I showed to my friends that Peru is not so far and a visit
there
could be a wonderful experience. For me was a dream come true.
Many thanks to you and to your team.
Melissa Polier
Date:
Tues, 22 Jun 2010
My 2 adult children and I recently returned from our
hike to Machu Picchu and I wanted to thank you for all your
assistance. Our trip was great. We very much enjoyed visiting your
beautiful country. I especially want to praise our guide, cook and
porters. They did a terrific job. The food was marvelous and after a
long hike it was definitely something to look forward to. The
porters were very kind and when I needed some assistance at the end
of the 3rd day one of the porters helped me a lot. Our guide was
great. He was very knowledgeable and fun to hike with and he seemed
to really love his job. Again, thanks so much for everything
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