MANU WILDLIFE SAFARI OVERLAND ADVENTURE: ANDES & AMAZON Visit us at www.wildland.com
Itinerary Overview This Amazon journey through the Manu Biosphere Reserve to the Manu Wildlife Center is one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the entire Amazon rainforest. Due to its ecological diversity, Manu boasts the highest recorded bird, mammal, and plant diversity of any park on Earth, including 1,000 of the world's 9,700 bird species, 200 species of mammals, and 15,000 species of flowering plants. Traversing a vast elevation range traveling by land over the Andes we make overnight stops at the Cock-of-the-Rock Cloud Forest Lodge and the Amazonia Lodge in the Manu foothills. At the Manu Wildlife Center we hike on an extensive network of trails, take nocturnal forays through the forest to a tapir clay lick blind, canoe in oxbow lakes in search of giant river otters, and climb a steel circular staircase into the rain forest canopy. Nearby are two macaw licks to photograph and observe colorful macaws from a blind. We are also accompanied by specialized anthropology and archaeology guides in the Andes as we walk among native Quechua villages, discover monumental Inca sites and the colonial history in Cusco, the Urubamba Valley, and the world-famous ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. DAY OVERNIGHT HOTELS MEALS HIGHLIGHTS 1 LIMA Costa del Sol Arrival in Lima 2 CUSCO Casa San Blas B Fly from Lima to Cusco, afternoon tour of Cusco 3 URUBAMBA Sol y Luna BL Urubamba Valley and Ollantaytambo 4 MACHU PICCHU Machu Picchu Pueblo BL 5 CUSCO Casa San Blas BL 6 CLOUD FOREST Cock of the Rock Lodge BLD 7 LOWLANDS Amazonia Lodge BLD 8 MANU Manu Wildlife Center BLD Train to Machu Picchu, guided tour of the site Free morning, afternoon train back to Cusco Drive overland from Cusco to Andean cloud forest Morning birding, road and boat transfer to Manu foothills Boat down Madre de Dios River, wildlife observation 9 MANU Manu Wildlife Center BLD Wildlife observation 10 MANU Manu Wildlife Center BLD Wildlife observation 11 CUSCO Casa San Blas B 12 DEPARTURE Day Room B Boat and drive to Puerto Maldonado, fly to Cusco for overnight. Fly to Lima, evening international departure -2-
Itinerary in Detail DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN LIMA Arrive in Lima. Overnight in the Costa del Sol Ramada Airport Hotel. DAY 2: CUSCO Assistance with early morning check-in for one hour flight to Cusco. Airport reception and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon half-day guided orientation of ancient Inca temples, Spanish churches, the artisan San Blas neighborhood and the surrounding hilltop ruins of Sacsayhuaman which offer a panoramic view of Cusco. Your guide will also direct you to shops, museums, markets and restaurants where you can shop, dine and explore on your own. Overnight at the Casa San Blas. [B] DAY 3: URUBAMBA VALLEY Full day private guided exploration through the Sacred Valley of the Incas visiting Quechua villages where highland Indians tend their fields and sell their food products and handcrafts in outdoor markets. Explore the hilltop Inca ruins of Pisac and hike down through the Inca terraces (or optional drive) to the village of Pisac with its colorful market. After lunch explore the spectacular fortress of Ollantaytambo and walk through the narrow streets of the town below, one of the few Inca towns that have survived much as the Incas designed it hundreds of years ago. Here we can see Inca canchas (stone corals), enclosures of multi-family living quarters that share just one exit to the street, ingenious stonework, original cobblestone streets, and an extensive communal water system that survives to this day. Overnight in the serene Urubamba Valley at the Hotel Sol y Luna. [BL] DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU Transfer to the Ollantaytambo station and ride the train to Machu Picchu. Your guide will assist you with hotel check-in then accompany you on a private, guided tour of the ruins before returning to Cusco, leaving you free to photograph and explore on your own time. Overnight in the town of Aguas Calientes at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. [BL] Note: Optional upgrade at extra cost to the Sanctuary Lodge, next to the site. Travelers interested in more activity can also opt to trek along the 1-day Inca Trail Express route, entering Machu Picchu via the Gate of the Sun. Subject to permit availability. Cost is an additional $250 per person based on two people. DAY 5: CUSCO Take the early shuttle bus to be among the first to enter Machu Picchu this day. Enjoy the morning on your own to wander, contemplate, and photograph the mysterious maze of streets and stone buildings of this magnificent citadel. Optional hike up the precipitous Wayna Picchu peak (permits must be booked in advance for $15 per person), or back up the Inca Trail to the Intipunku. Leisurely mid-afternoon return on the train back to Cusco, arrive by evening. Transfer to overnight at the Casa San Blas. [BL] Boat transportation to Manu limits travelers to 22lbs of luggage per person. Extra luggage may be stored at your Cusco hotel for collection upon return. DAY 6: CLOUD FOREST OVERLAND Early breakfast, then set off for the Manu cloud forest passing over two Andean ranges of almost 13,000 feet elevation through high grassland puna and mountain wetland habitat teeming with migrant and local waterfowl. On the way pass stone chullpas, or burial chambers, of the Pre-Inca Lupaca people, and will hope to catch site of some of the bird species of the high Andes, including the Giant Hummingbird and Mountain Caracara. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Ajanaco pass affording a spectacular view on a clear day over the vast expanse of lowland Amazon rain forest. The road plunges down the eastern slope of the Andes, past remnant patches of elfin forest, through swirling mist and cloud, to emerge in a forest of stunted evergreen trees, -3-
festooned with mosses, lichens, bromeliads and other epiphytes. You ll make frequent, spontaneous stops to look for wildlife, perhaps spotting a brilliantly feathered quetzal or trogon. In the late afternoon, arrive at the Cock of the Rock lodge, nestled within the cloud forest next to a rushing mountain stream. You ll have the opportunity to visit the lek to hopefully view Peru s national bird, the Andean Cock-ofthe-Rock, displaying in all of its glory. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. [BLD] DAY 7: MANU FOOTHILLS Rise before dawn to for another visit to the display ground (lek) of the Andean cock-of-the-rock. From the observation blind watch the blazing orange males just feet in front of the blind strut and dip their crested heads screeching in the hope of attracting a mate. Optionally you can hike along the sinuous jungle road looking at orchids, flowers and cloud forest birds such as the golden-headed trogon, as well as numerous, brightly colored tanagers and hummingbirds. You may see a troop of muscular-limbed woolly monkeys or brown capuchin monkeys. After breakfast depart by road (3-4 hours) and descend into the jungle as mountains give way to low rolling hills and farmland. At Patria you visit a plantation of coca grown legitimately for the Peruvian coca leaf market. At midday you reach Atalaya, leaving the van to motor in a dugout canoe down the Upper Madre de Dios River to the Amazonia Lodge or Pantiacolla Lodge in the foothills of Manu where you spend your second night (shared bath). These lodges are ideally situated for wildlife observation with some of the best bird watching in the world. Colorful tanager flocks skim through the trees and clearings around the lodge offering superb birding from your porch, including toucans, kingfishers and a rare endemic hummingbird. As many as seven species of monkeys reside in the area, and collared peccaries are also commonly seen. Overnight at Amazonia or Pantiacolla Lodge. [BLD] Note: The very best months for viewing the cock-of-the-rock are in September, October and November, although the males display all year round. DAY 8: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER Rising early you have time for another short morning hike along the lodge trails before you continue by boat (approximately 6 hours) down the Madre de Dios River to spend the next three nights at the remote Manu Wildlife Center [MWC]. Along the way, stop for a visit at Boca Manu where local indigenous people make their living building the dugout canoes essential to river travel. Midday arrival at the Manu Wildlife Center where you ll be welcomed, shown to your private bungalow and given time to relax from the morning s long journey. In the afternoon, delve into the lowland rainforest and explore some of the 30 miles of specially designed trails through the private rain forest reserve in search of 10 species of resident monkeys, including the Red Howler and Black Spider Monkey and many other species of flora and fauna. Take a nocturnal foray through the forest to the tapir clay lick blind where you can observe and photograph these 500 pound beasts, the largest land animal in South America. You paddle around oxbow lakes in-habituated by giant river otters, piranhas, anaconda, and black caimans, the largest crocodilians in the Amazon. Overnight Manu Wildlife Center. [BLD] DAY 9-10: MANU WILDLIFE EXPLORATION Many activities at MWC take place early in the morning, at dusk and at night when wildlife is most active. Arise early your first morning to visit the macaw lick of the MWC to photograph and observe macaws eating mineral-rich clay on the bank of the river. Throughout your stay join guided walks or venture on your own around the lodge on the extensive trail system to search for some of the 12 species of monkeys. Hikes through diverse habitats include bamboo forests, forest stream riparian vegetation, and large strangler figs and other fruiting trees that attract monkeys and birds. A sturdy steel circular staircase 115 ft. up to a platform built into the crown of a huge Kapok tree affords endless hours observing the rainforest canopy from above with chances of seeing passing troops of monkeys, many birds and a view over the Madre de Dios River. -4-
In the evenings guides organize nocturnal forays into the forest to the tapir clay lick. The elevated, screened platform structure is equipped with simple mattresses so that you can relax comfortably in wait for the first tapirs to arrive typically between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. Sometimes deer and peccaries also come in. On one of the mornings you visit an oxbow lake to see waterfowl, the prehistoric-like hoatzin bird, and to search for a family of giant otters. This two-meter-long, 70-pound predators are the only social mustelids (family of weasels, minks, badgers, wolverines, skunks, otters) in the world. Overnights at Manu Wildlife Center [BLD] Optional Blanquillo Macaw Lick Visit: $150 per person Depending on the season and local conditions at the time of your visit, you can elect to join an optional early morning visit to the Blanquillo macaw clay lick. The spacious, privately owned blind is located at a further distance (300 fit) in front of a wide swath of river bank where the macaws perch. Breakfast and coffee can be purchased in the blind and a bathroom is available. First smaller parrots flock to the lick, and if the weather is good and no predators are in sight, the macaws congregate and descend in a cacophony of sound and color. This activity would be in lieu of the smaller but still very active Manu clay lick that is closer to the lodge. Note: Although the macaw clay lick is active year round, the best months for viewing and photography are July through November when there are larger flocks and less rain. See: Wildland Adventures Video in Manu National Park, Part I See: Wildland Adventures Video in Manu National Park, Part II DAY 11: RETURN TO CUSCO Depart from the lodge very early for the return boat trip downstream to the gold-mining town of Colorado Village (2.5 hrs). Enjoy breakfast on the way while watching early morning wildlife activity and miners who pan for gold along the Madre de Dios River. Drive 45 minutes to Puerto Carlo where we ll cross the Inambari River for a 15 minute boat trip to Santa Rosa. In Santa Rosa a vehicle awaits for the two and a half hour drive to Puerto Maldonado. Catch a flight to Cusco and return to the Casa San Blas where additional luggage has been stored for collection upon arrival. Overnight. [B] DAY 12: LIMA - DEPARTURE Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Depending on timing and flight schedules, a day room will be reserved for you either at the Ramada del Sol Airport Hotel if you only have a few hours to spare, or in the Miraflores district of Lima if you have time to venture into town. Evening international departure. [B] Note: Half-day tours in Lima and its museums are available upon prior request. Observe the blend of cultures in one of South America's oldest capital cities on a tour of the old colonial center of downtown Lima, the church and catacombs of San Francisco and the cathedral of Lima. The most comprehensive museums in Lima that feature Peru's archaeological heritage are the Gold Museum and the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. END OF SERVICES Actual routes and activities may vary. Local trip coordinators reserve the right to change accommodations to similar quality alternatives. -5-
PRICING AND DATES: For current pricing please click here: Pricing For scheduled departure dates please click here: Dates INCLUDED SERVICES All guided tours and excursions English-speaking naturalist guides Airport-hotel transfers, land and sea transportation 11 nights hotel accommodation as indicated 2 Bus tickets Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu, 2 entrance fees to Machu Picchu site First class reserved train tickets Meals as indicated [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner] Wildland Adventures travel consultation and pre-departure services NOT INCLUDED SERVICES International or internal airfare (Lima-Cusco, Puerto Maldonado-Lima) Optional Blanquillo Macaw Lick Visit ($150 per person) Tips and gratuities Airport departure taxes (Most included as of 2011) Drinks, alcoholic beverages, and meals other than listed above Personal expenses for extra services, optional activities, or changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control Travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical services, or evacuation Any other items not mentioned above -6-
Accommodations COSTA DEL SOL RAMADA AIRPORT HOTEL, LIMA Located within the Lima airport complex, the Costa del Sol is an easy stop after a late arrival from Quito. The hotel features 130 guest rooms all with high speed Internet access, air conditioning and a marble bathroom. Enjoy a delicious meal in the restaurant offering a variety of local and International cuisine or relax in the pool. CASA SAN BLAS, CUSCO The hotel is in an original colonial building peacefully removed from Cusco s fast pace like a sophisticated country hotel in the city. Rooms offer superb distant views of Cusco s tiled rooftops and surrounding mountains or of the handsome arcaded interior courtyard, central fountain, and ample terrace. Tucked away in the heart of the city s most atmospheric neighborhood, San Blas, the hotel is perfect for visitorss looking for a relaxed, spacious option, and ideal for families. HOTEL SOL Y LUNA, URUBAMBA VALLEY Nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Hotel Sol y Luna combines comfort with a rustic Andean ambience. Clustered in a landscape of flowers and majestic Andean peaks, individual hotel bungalows offer doubles, family bungalows, and one suite. Each bungalow features a colorfully decorated interior, private bathroom and shower, king-sized beds and a private terrace. The hotel features a swimming pool, restaurant with brick oven pizza, and the welcoming warmth of an open fireplace, featuring typical Peruvian dishes as well as international plates. MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO HOTEL, AGUAS CALIENTES The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is an intimate 85-cottage luxury hotel in sprawling Andean style village within the secluded 12 acres of exquisite beauty, where guests follow stone pathways to their rooms, located in comfortable one- or two-story whitewashed casitas. The hotel has the world s largest native species orchid garden open to the public with over 372 species. A lush garden, stone-paved paths and canals flowing with spring water set the tone for a relaxing atmosphere. Large and bright rooms are furnished with wooden furniture specially made by local craftsmen. The UNU Spa features massage, sauna and aromatherapy. -7-
COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE Located at 5000 feet elevation within a 10,000 acre cloud forest reserve, the lodge is a comfortable accommodation featuring double-occupancy cabanas with hot showers, flush toilets and a dining room with excellent wildlife viewing! A short walk away is the world's largest and most accessible group of displaying Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. AMAZONIA OR PANTIACOLLA LODGE These lodges are ideally situated for wildlife observation with some of the best bird watching in the world. Colorful tanager flocks skim through the trees and clearings around the lodge offering superb birding from your porch. As many as seven species of monkeys reside in the area, and Collared Peccaries are also commonly seen. Rooms have shared bathrooms. MANU WILDLIFE CENTER Manu Wildlife Center features 22 fully screened doubleoccupancy thatched-roof bungalows with large living area and private bathrooms with hot water showers. The dining room is fully screened and the commons building contains a fully stocked bar and reading room with hammocks for relaxing. Candlelight in the rooms and paths lit by oil lamps contribute to the natural ambiance. There is no electricity other than a generator for the kitchen and to recharge batteries. HOTEL CASA ANDINA PRIVATE COLLECTION, MIRAFLORES The Casa Andina Private Collection is a contemporary hotel located in the Lima suburb of Miraflores. Surrounded by the greatest density of restaurants, shopping and nightlife, Miraflores has become the most fashionable, upscale district of Peru s cosmopolitan capital, renowned for its gastronomic scene. Spacious rooms are well-equipped featuring cable TV, Wi-Fi access, a safety deposit box, and air conditioning. The property features two restaurants, a coffee shop, spa, gym and heated swimming pool, all available for your convenience and relaxation. -8-
Booking your Wildland Adventure HOW TO RESERVE A TRIP You can book online using our Reserve a Trip form or by calling 1-800-345-4453. Your space on a trip is confirmed once we receive your reservation form and initial trip deposit. All travelers must sign and submit a Release of Liability. Deposit requirements are as follows:* $1000 per person for all trips in South America. *Some trips require additional non-refundable deposits, especially when yachts have been chartered, or if permits to visit archaeological or wildlife sites have been purchased in advance. CUSTOM TRAVEL This trip isn t exactly what you re looking for? We are happy to design a private custom itinerary to accommodate your travel dates, interests and style of accommodations. Call us at 1-800-345-4453, send an email to info@wildland.com, or use the Ask The Program Director button on our website. PAYMENTS, CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS Full payment of the trip balance is due 90 days prior to departure. If you must cancel before departure, money will be returned less the cancellation fees charged by WA Inc. plus any additional non-refundable cancellation fees and payments already advanced to airlines, hotels and local operators: Days Prior to Departure: Fee per person 91 or more: $300 61-90 days: Initial deposit amount 31-60 days: 50% of land cost 30 or less: 100% of land cost PRE-DEPARTURE SERVICES Upon receipt of your deposit and completed reservation form, we will send you a comprehensive Predeparture Dossier. This contains important information to help you prepare including immunizations, visas, trip insurance, packing checklist, reading list, maps, cross-cultural information, optional trip extensions and more. You will receive a final trip packet including Final Reminders and local contact information in your destination 2-3 weeks prior to departure. REFERENCES AND QUESTIONS Have any questions or concerns? Call us a 1-800-345-4453 or email info@wildland.com. We re here to help and are happy to provide you with references from previous Wildland travelers. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Wildland Adventures, Inc. has arranged your trip utilizing the travel services of local incountry ground operators who are independent contractors. These local outfitters, lodges, hotels and other suppliers of your travel services will make every effort to conduct this trip as described in the itinerary. It is however possible that due to transportation schedule changes, weather, delays and unforeseeable acts of God, humans or nature, this itinerary may vary from what is described. Participants must assume all risks whether identified in advance or unforeseen. All optional activities are at your own risk. Extra costs due to unexpected changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control are not included. We highly recommend purchasing traveler s insurance for trip delay, trip cancellation, baggage, accident or sickness. Representatives are available for assistance at any time during your trip. If preferred hotels are not available, every attempt will be made to reserve alternative accommodations of similar quality. (If upgrade is necessary, higher rates may apply.) All information and services provided are subject to our Terms and Conditions -9-