LODGES WE USE IN THE MANU TOUR

BAMBU LODGE:

Located on the Asuncion area 650 msl.wich is consider the upper tropical forest. This area is very close to the cloud forest only one hour drive and is more safe because we do not have any problem with landslides in rainy season . There is trails for night walks and also good place for birdwatching. The accomodations are double rooms with private bathroom.

SOGA DE ORO LODGE:

Located at the beginning of the lowland forest 480 msl. There are many trails and the base camp for the cultural tours. The accomodation is double rooms with private bathroom and hotshower.

HUMMINGBIRD LODGE:

Located on the mouth of the Manu River close to Boca Manu Village 300 msl, from here you are 6 hours close to Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo if you are doing the program of the Manu National Park, and only 2 hours to Maquisapayoj Lodge if you are doing the program of the Manu Biosphere reserve.The accomodation are double rooms with private bathroom.

CASA MATSIGUENKA:

Located on the Reserved Zone of the Manu National Park at 330 msl, also call the touristic zone of the park. The lodge has been built in the style of the Matsiguenkas. The accomodation are doble rooms and shared bathrooms.

MAQUISAPAYOJ LODGE:

Located on the Manu Biosphere Zone outside of the Manu National Park at 280 msl, also call the clay lick area because of the Tapir and Macaw clay liks. The lodge has been built all in wood wich gives the comfort jungle style. The accomodation are doble rooms with private bathrooms and hotshowers.

TAMBO BLANQUILLO:

Located on the Manu Lowland rainforest at 230 msl. The lodge is close to the Macaw clay lick, and to other 3 oxbow lakes. The accomodation are double rooms with shared bathroom also has hot shower.

MANU NATIONAL PARK INFORMATION

An area more than half the size of Switzerland, was established in 1973 on the eastern side of the Andes, extending from the puna( 4100masl), over mountain cloud forest to the Amazon lowlands ( 300 m asl).
Only in a small area along the Manu River can tourists visit the Manu National Park and observe wildlife in its natural way of living. (Most of the National Park is strictly protected and only accessible with a special permit.)
You spend the nights at lodge camps or in a lodge (Matsiguenka Lodge).
Due to the longer boat travel to and inside the National Park we recommend to do a 6 or 7 day tour (by bus) or a min. 7 day- tour (in and out by plane from Puerto Maldonado). At the moment only charter flights are available from Boca Manu airstrip.
Facilities at Maquisapayoj Lodge, close to the river, includes: double rooms with mosquito nets, private bathrooms with hot showers and a dining room. In Maquisapayoj you can also stay at the Tapir lick, on a special, elevated platform with comfortable mattresses and mosquito nets and toilet just in front of the tapir lick, in dense primary forest. Manu Biosphere Reserve with flight from Puerto Maldonado 5D/4N or by bus 7D/6N. See Details on itinerary
Please ask for our southern Peru weekly departures. Contact Us

FRECUENT ASKED QUESTIONS - MANU

1. DO I HAVE TO BE FIT FOR THE MANU TRIP?
On the Manu tour you spend some time travelling by bus and on the boat - depending on the tour (e.g. on the Manu National Park Tour you spend more time sitting in the boat) and we do walks that usually do not exceed 3 to 4 hours in one. You only need to bring a day pack on the walks. Night walks are optional and included in the price.
Due to the humidity and heat some people may feel a bit weak but there is always a 'siesta' at midday and the possibility to stay at the lodge instead of participating in a walk.
A rainforest tour is not a comfortable tour, but if you bring appropriate gear (see packing list) you will have an incomparable experience.
2. HOW TO DECIDE BETWEEN  OUR MANU NATIONAL PARK TOURS?
The Manu Biosphere Tour is outside of the Manu National Park and visits often 2 oxbow lakes from the 5 lakes wich exist around there (to observe Giant Otters), the Mammal Salt Lick at Maquisapayoj and the Macaw Clay Lick at Blanquillo private Reserve, both situated 30 km (19 miles) South of Boca Manu. The Macaw Clay Lick is situated outside the Manu National Park on the area call the Manu Biosphere Zone thus you need more time for travelling if you want to go into the National Park AND visit the Macaw Clay Lick.
On the Manu Biosphere Tour you have more time for walking on the trails and the tour has one day (day 5) to choose which animals you are missing or  would like to try (again), which is useful especially in case of bad weather conditions. The Biosphere reserve covers the territory of the indiginous community of Puerto Azul Barraca and they have special permission for logging around this area and you may listen some chainsaw.
On the Manu National Park Tour (ex-Reserved Zone, now the proper name is the touristic area of the Manu National Park since 2002),   you spend more time on the boat BUT IT IS WORTH AND HIGHLY RECOMENDED – travelling deep on the ISOLATED Manu River and comming back couple days later - and visit 2 oxbow lakes from the 23 inside the Park to observe Giant Otters, caymans and monkies and possible jaguar.
On both tours you have great opportunities to see animals, on the National Park Tour you have more options to see jaguar, big black caymans, turttles on the riverbanks (while travelling by boat) ( according to the statistics one out of ten groups see the Jaguar). On the Manu Biosphere Tour you are more flexible and have more options to try again at the tapir clay lick, macaw clay lick or walking on the trails.
3. IS THERE MALARIA AND LEISMANIASIS IN MANU? WHICH VACCINATIONS DO I NEED?

MALARIA: The Malaria risk in Manu is extremely low (less than 0.1 %). We recommend to bring insect repellent and protect yourself with long sleeves instead of taking heavy malaria prophylaxis (please check for the side effects of these medicaments!!) which are not very secure either. If you want you can bring a ´stand by´ medicine in case you get Malaria (which can be detected by blood analysis), but you can also get this medication here. In the south peruvian rainforest there is only the type of Malaria named ´Plasmodium vivax` which is completely curable.
YELLOW FEVER: It is recommended to have a Yellow Fever vaccination for Manu. If you plan to visit any jungle area or cloud forest like Machupicchu or Manu you better have the Yellow Fever vaccination because it is controlled at Limonal guard station.
LEISHMANIASIS: The risk to get Leishmaniasis is also very very low, the best form of protection is to wear long sleeves and long pants.  Is very important to chek 4 weeks after the tour for any round wound, if you have a wound that does not cure with regular medication chek with your doctor. In Peru the treatment for Leishmaniasis is free and they use Glucantine.
TETANUS: You should have a Tetanus vaccination for the rainforest and for Peru in general.
AS TO RABIES: We spend all nights under mosquito nets therefore the risk to be bitten by a bat is very low.
BOTFLY: If you have a pain like somebody pricking in your body that can be a botfly; you can feel this 2 or 3 weeks after the tour.  The human botfly occasionally uses humans as the host to its larvae. The larva, because of its spines, can pose an extremely painful sub-epidermal condition. To kill this larvae, one can attempt to seal the breathing hole of the larva with nail polish,  vaseline or with adhesive tape and then, after a day, squeeze out the suffocated dead larva.  In 25 years that I am working in Manu I knew of 2 clients had this botflies. 

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THE BOOKING?
Please read the tour program before you book a tour, if you have any questions we will be happy to answer them.
We need your.
-      Full name:
-      Address:
-      Age:
-      Profession:
-      Nationality:
-      Actual Passport number  the one you are going to use for your trip.
To secure your booking we require a deposit in our Bank account or via Western Union. (more details in our booking conditions on terms and conditions please read carefully before booking).
We then confirm reception of the deposit and your tour booking. The balance is due at our office in Cusco, latest 3 days before your tour start. You can pay in cash (Soles, US $ or Euros),  Mastercard or Visa 5 working days before your tour begins.
We recommend to check credit card conditions (limits for the ATMs) with your bank before coming to Peru. 5. WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE FLIGHTS FROM MANU TO CUSCO AND VICEVERSA?
The flights from and to Boca Manu are NO LONGER operated with small aircrafts. THE ONLY OPTION IS VIA PUERTO MALDONADO.
Please also consider that flights to/ from Puerto Maldonado are more likely (than flights like Cusco - Lima) subject to change due to bad weather conditions, especially during the rainy season November till April or when we have cold fronts from May to October. We make the flight reservations for you but have no control over the flights. In rare cases with persistent bad weather conditions we may have to return overland from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco. Therefore we strongly recommend allowing a spare day before flying back to Lima, especially if you have connection to an international flight. In case you do not use your flight NO Show is charged (full flight price), in case you miss your flight the airline charges a 100 % penalty. We highlyrecommendto have a TRAVEL INSURANCE.
The luggage limit on the plane is 20 kg per person, there is a fee of 4 US $ per kilo for extra luggage. Also you have to pay a tax for Puerto Maldonado airport which is 6 US $ per person (one way).
6. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE?
On Manu tours the maximum group size is 10 people per guide. That means if there are more than 10 participants on a tour we take one more guide to divide the group into two while walking on the trails. This secures that everybody can hear what the guide says and the group is not too big to see animals etc.
7. WHAT ABOUT SLEEPING BAGS AND BINOCULARS?
You should bring a light sleeping bag to Manu for the observation platform at the mammal salt lick. In the months from may to october there can be cold fronts in the lowland forest, and temperatures may go down as far as 10 ° C, which feels colder due to the humidity in the rainforest. Binoculars are VERY essential for a Manu tour: to spot and have a close view of the animals.
Both sleeping bags and binoculars can be rented in Cusco. Just let us know.

MANU NATIONAL PARK LOGE

LODGES WE USE IN THE MANU TOUR:

BAMBU LODGE:

Located on the Asuncion area 650 msl.wich is consider the upper tropical forest. This area is very close to the cloud forest only one hour drive and is more safe because we do not have any problem with landslides in rainy season . There is trails for night walks and also good place for birdwatching. The accomodations are double rooms with private bathroom.

SOGA DE ORO LODGE:

Located at the beginning of the lowland forest 480 msl. There are many trails and the base camp for the cultural tours. The accomodation is double rooms with private bathroom and hotshower.

HUMMINGBIRD LODGE:

Located on the mouth of the Manu River close to Boca Manu Village 300 msl, from here you are 6 hours close to Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo if you are doing the program of the Manu National Park, and only 2 hours to Maquisapayoj Lodge if you are doing the program of the Manu Biosphere reserve.The accomodation are double rooms with private bathroom.

CASA MATSIGUENKA:

Located on the Reserved Zone of the Manu National Park at 330 msl, also call the touristic zone of the park. The lodge has been built in the style of the Matsiguenkas. The accomodation are doble rooms and shared bathrooms.

MAQUISAPAYOJ LODGE:

Located on the Manu Biosphere Zone outside of the Manu National Park at 280 msl, also call the clay lick area because of the Tapir and Macaw clay liks. The lodge has been built all in wood wich gives the comfort jungle style. The accomodation are doble rooms with private bathrooms and hotshowers.

TAMBO BLANQUILLO:

Located on the Manu Lowland rainforest at 230 msl. The lodge is close to the Macaw clay lick, and to other 3 oxbow lakes. The accomodation are double rooms with shared bathroom also has hot shower.