The Manu biosphere is a carefully protected area of rainforest that is arguably the biodiverse area of the entire Amazon, and certainly one of the most naturally abundant national parks in the world. There are over 1000 species of bird, 200 species of mammal (including 13 species of monkey) and many tens of thousands of flowering plants. Species, commonly spotted here include giant otters, hyacinth macaws, monkeys and lowland tapirs. This is also an area in which the jaguar makes its habitat and can sometimes be seen.
The Manu Biopshere is one of the premier wildlife spotting locations in all of South America and one of the world’s most special and important natural wildernesses. Guiding Peru has designed a 4 day Manu Amazon Rainforest tour to provide visitors and tourists a memorable experience of exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Manu World Biosphere Reserve.
The Manu National Park is considered the best wildlife destination in the Amazon, which you will fully explore on this guided tour. During this professionally guided tour of Manu, you will enjoy spending your days viewing the red and green macaws, monkeys, tapirs, Capybaras, Cayman, jaguar and other fascinating resident wildlife.
Day 01: Puerto Maldonado - Colorado - Manu Wildlife Center
Day 02: Appreciate the Mammals Clay lick
Day 03: Get on a boat tour and see wildlife
Day 04: Learn about native vegetation
Day 05: Manu Wildlife Center - Puerto Maldonado
The Manu Wildlife Center is a very important national reserve of Peru. The ecological wealth that it has is vast. Here you can find more than 15,000 species of plants, and 1000 types of birds. Regarding the flora of the Manú, we will say that up to 250 varieties of trees have been found in only one hectare. On the other hand, in terms of fauna, there are about 99 types of reptiles, 140 species of amphibians and 159 of mammals. But, that's not all, it also has 300 species of ants, 650 types of bees and 1307 of butterflies. Within this territory, there are 30 peasant communities, whose mother tongue is Quechua.
The first day of this adventure starts in Puerto Maldonado, where our ride will take you to the pretty town of Santa Rosa in a two and a half hour trip. From there, you'll enjoy a short and lovely 15-minute boat ride that will take you to Puerto Carlos, the starting point of an exciting land trip to Boca Colorado, done in a car for 45 minutes.
The adventure continues with a motorized boat trip of about four and a half hours, going up the big Madre de Dios river, until you reach the Manu Wildlife Center. When you arrive, a tasty lunch in the middle of nature will be waiting for you, and after that you'll get to know some of the 30 miles of paths around the lodge.
During the afternoon, you'll explore the forest paths, where you'll have the chance to see up to 12 kinds of monkeys, including the big spider monkey and the playful emperor tamarin, who live in this environment. The day ends with a night walk, where, under the moonlight, the jungle will show you its amazing wildlife, including birds and animals that come out at night.
After a good breakfast, we'll start the day with a short walk in the forest. There, we'll see the Macaw Clay Lick project. Don't forget your camera and binoculars, because you'll have the chance to see the bright red macaws sitting on top of the trees, an amazing natural show.
Later, we'll keep exploring the paths around the lodge, finding the different plants and animals of the area. After coming back for lunch, the afternoon will become an exciting and amazing experience. We'll get to the Canopy Tower, where you can feel the thrill of going high above the jungle and enjoy wide views.
The best part of the day will be the trip to the famous Tapir Clay Lick. Here, in a mysterious place, you'll see the most active clay lick in the whole Peruvian Amazon. Studies show that between 8 and 12 tapirs, each weighing about 600 pounds, gather at this place to eat clay. This natural resource helps them get rid of poisons from their plant-based diet. Because these curious mammals are usually shy, seeing them will be even more special and exciting.
When the sun comes up, we will take a boat to a mysterious lake with water lilies and fallen trees, a beautiful place inside Manu. During this boat trip, nature shows all its beauty: you can watch a family of giant otters that swim nicely while fishing, and hear the happy sounds of groups of monkeys playing in the trees.
Every moment on the lake you will see closely the lives of the animals that live there, like: a spotted jacana, that walks gently on a water lily, while a grebe swims softly in the water. An anhinga, with its bendy neck, spreads its wide black wings to dry in the sun, and from a high branch, an osprey looks carefully for its next meal.
Among the bushes, hoatzins let you know they are there with strange whistles and grunts, adding to the sounds made by woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, toucans, and parakeets that fly down quickly, filling the air with color and life. After enjoying a tasty lunch at the lodge, the afternoon continues with a new boat adventure along the riverbank. Here, with our expert guide, you will have the chance to look for alligators and watch other amazing night birds, ending a day full of excitement and discoveries in the heart of the Amazon.
We start the day with a tasty breakfast and then go into the thick native plants of the Amazon. With local guides and nature experts, you will walk through a maze of paths that will take you to see very old trees, flowering bushes, and many kinds of strange fruits that the jungle hides in its corners.
Every step is a live lesson about the different kinds of plants: you will learn about the secrets of plants that heal and the special ways that Amazon plants have grown to live well in this place. Also, you will hear interesting stories about how the local people and these natural areas have been connected for a long time, giving you a rich cultural and nature view.
During the day, the animals will also show up, with a chance to see some types of monkeys again and lots of birds, which adds to the experience in this natural place. In the afternoon, you will have the chance to go up to the Observation Tower to see the huge size of the forest from above, and visit the Tapir Clay Lick for one last meeting with the wild animals, ending a day full of discoveries and learning in a great way.
The last day of this adventure starts very early at the Manu Wildlife Center, saying goodbye to the jungle after a good breakfast, either at the lodge or on the boat. Then you will go on a two and a half hour trip down the big Madre de Dios River, where nature will be with you all the time.
The trip continues with a stop in the mining town of Colorado, which feels like the old west of the Amazon. From there, you will continue with a comfortable 45-minute car ride to Puerto Carlos, followed by a short and nice 15-minute boat ride across the Inambari River until you reach the town of Santa Rosa.
Finally, a bus will take you to the Puerto Maldonado airport, ending an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Amazon in a great way.
