Leaving Cusco early in the morning, we begin an 8-hour journey over the Andes by bus, stopping for breakfast at the beautiful colonial village of Paucartambo. Continuing, we climb to the highpoint of the Manu Biosphere at about 4000 m before descending to the cloud forest. In these mysterious surroundings we take a hike to the lek of the incredible cock-of-the-rock, to see the ‘performance’ of the males right under our eyes. We spend our first night in the rustic lodge Posada San Pedro (appr. 1,600 m).
Day 2: Cloud Forest
We start hiking early in the morning down the road looking for the great diversity of cloud forest´s birds hummingbirds, tanagers, guans, kites hawks, trogons, quetzals, jacamars, tucanets, fruit eaters, manakins, flycatchers and more around the lodge. However, we also have a good chance to spot brown capuchin monkeys or the bigger woolly monkey. Jaguar, puma and the spectacled bear are there as well, but harder to find. In the afternoon we spend time hiking up the road and put more emphasis on the cloud forest’s beautiful flowering plants, as the many orchids and begonias and also the bromeliads, ferns, lichens and mosses that oftentimes completely cover the branches of the cloud forest trees. Just before dusk is the time to look for the lira tailed nightjar. Overnight in Posada San Pedro.
Day 3: Cloud forest - Cusco Early in the morning we have another walk through the forest; as always it is teeming with life and by now many birds, monkeys, insects, trees and plants are familiar to us. We hike till our car picks us up to take us to Huatocto, near Paucartambo. This is a traditional Andean Community where there used to be a big hacienda in colonial times. Of course the hacienda was built on top of Inka ruins! From here we travel by car to Cusco, where we arrive in the late afternoon.
Note
* Bearing in mind the uncontrollable forces of nature, the program could be subject to changes at any time
* Manu is a rainforest that has remained intact because of it hidden location. This means the program involves much traveling by bus and boat (for 5-day tour). However, it also means you are in a part of the Amazon rainforest that has no comparison, with an untouched flora and fauna!
* Every group can contain people who travel for 3, 5, 7 or 9 days
Included
*Naturalist guide in English and Spanish
*Transportation Cusco/Atalaya & Atalaya/Cusco by private bus
*Transportation by private boat for 5-day tour: Atalaya/Pantiacolla Lodge/Atalaya
*Excursions as described in the programs
*Overnights in lodges
*Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
*Water at any time and warm drinks or lemonades with meals
*Guide book for rainforest of Manu – Talking About Manu
Manu Ecological tour, cultural zone, jungle peru
