Tambopata Research Centre

Arriving at Puerto Maldonado, we are transferred to the Tambopata River to go into the pristine heart of the reserve. After the first hour we leave the final traces of human habitation behind as we cross the northern boundary of the 700,000 hectare and completely uninhabited nucleus of the Tambopata National Reserve. Differences in wildlife abundance will be noted immediately: we begin to sight macaws, herons, kingfishers and cormorants and may be lucky to have chance encounters with capybaras, caiman, storks, ducks and other wildlife.

Boxed lunch on the boat.

Tambopata Research Station (TRC). Overlook trail and Macaw Project Lectures 

We arrive at the Tambopata Research Centre (TRC) in the early afternoon, greeted by the Chicos, our flock of semi-wild, rescued macaws. On arrival, we hold an orientation session. After this, a three to five kilometre hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata river winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey.

We return to TRC for dinner.

After dinner, we can choose to take part in the Macaw Project Lectures. Scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits,the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.

While we are at the TRC, there are many activities to choose from according to our interests. These include a monkey search, different walks and a Macaw nest visit.

Optional activities with ‘A La Carte’ upgrade

Night Walk: Experience the sounds of frogs, insects, and other nocturnal animals. 

Colorado Macaw Clay Lick: Parrots, macaws and parakeets love the clay lick — with luck, it’ll be busy.

Discover New Species: Become a scientist and get the chance to discover a new species, led by our team of researchers.

Rainforest Master Hike: A full, six-hour hike deep into the rainforest gives optimal wildlife viewing possibilities.

Birdwatching: More than 600 bird species await on this birdwatching-specific tour.

Chuncho Macaw Claylick Expeditions: A two hour boat trip brings us to this fascinating clay lick, attracting large macaws, parrots and parakeets.  

Sunset Cruise: Enjoy the river and its surroundings at sunset.

AmazonCam: Explore the world of camera traps and the amazing wildlife they capture.

Creek Hike: A wide variety of birds, animals, frogs, and insects gather at the creek.

Island and Pond: A new ecosystem to explore, with turtles, caiman, and much more.

Bamboo Trail: Native bamboo forests brim with wildlife, with a beautiful viewpoint en route, too.

Bowl Adventure: (Nov-March) Pre-dawn walk to palm swamps teeming with wildlife.

Butterfly World: (May-Sept) Peru has more butterfly species than anywhere else — book this tour in advance to see some of the most glamorous and elegant the Amazon offers.

Ceiba Walk: Hike to some of the forest’s largest Brazil nut trees, some of them jaw-dropping in size.

Monkey Search: Walk the floodplain looking for spider monkeys, red howler monkeys, and brown capuchin monkeys.

Giants of the Amazon: Trek among giant trees, and while among the figs, ceibas, and shihuahuacos we will look for squirrel, brown capuchin, and spider monkeys.

Palm Swamp Walk: (Nov-Mar) Aguaje Palm Swamp is a dried Oxbow lake, now home to palm trees and a proliferation of animals — it’s an ecosystem in action.

At dawn we 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.

Of the lick, the January 1994 issue of National Geographic stated: “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 up to 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 colour.

Around mid-morning, when the most intense clay lick activity is over for the day, we return to TRC for breakfast.

Floodplain Trail and Pond Platform

This five kilometre Floodplain trail covers the prototypical rain forest with immense trees criss-crossed bycreeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat.

We will return to TRC for lunch. Ten minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place tos pot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that call this pond their home.

After dinner you will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarelyseen.

Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

We wake up at dawn once again to visit the macaw clay lick and then return for breakfast.

After breakfast we will hike the Terra Firme Trails, an entirely different habitat characterised by smaller, thinner trees atop hills and slopes is covered by this five kilometre trail.

Saddleback tamarins are frequently found here. As we walk near the limits of the swamp we will also keep our eyes open for rare tapir tracks.

After lunch we visit the Palm Swamp Trail. Growing on the remains of an oxbow lake and providing both arboreal as well as terrestrial mammals with fruits throughout the year, the aguaje palms are one of the most important food sources in the rainforest. Demand for these fruits and great conditions for planting rice, makes the palm swamp also one of the most threatened habitats.

We return to TRC for Dinner.

After an early breakfast we return to Puerto Maldonado for our flight back to Cusco or Lima.

Peru is the perfect holiday destination for adventure travellers that want an amazing variety of activity, geography and cultural travel experiences.

The breadth of travel experiences in Peru is breathtaking – from trekking in the Andes to Machu Picchu to the tropical jungle of the Amazon, and plenty in between.

The people of Peru make it a special destination too, with its colourful and traditional street life and friendly locals.

Peru is made up of 3 distinct geographical areas: the coast, the mountains and the jungle.

The costa or coastal region is a narrow ribbon of desert 2,250 km long, crossed by fertile river valleys flowing from the Andes. It takes up 11% of the country and holds more than 40% of the population.

The cold Humboldt current gives rise to a blanket of mist – the garua – which hangs above coastal cities like the capital Lima from May to November.

Heading east, you’re soon climbing above the garua and into the Andes. The sierra, or mountainous region, covers some 25% of Peru’s territory and contains 50% of the population. The sierra inhabitants are mainly Indigenous or Mestizo, and many still speak Quechua or Aymara.

The sierra contains dozens of 6,000-metre snow peaks and volcanoes, including Huascaran (6,768m) the highest mountain in the tropics. The deep valley basins contain most of the towns and arable land; the terracing and canal systems of the Incas and pre-Incas are often still used today.

The eastern Andes are heavily forested up to 3,350m and sweep down into the Amazon Basin.

Peru’s selva or jungle makes up almost two thirds of the country’s area, but holds only about 6% of the population: the only towns with significant populations are Iquitos and Pucallpa.

The Amazon rainforest

Year-round, weather conditions are hot and humid and there is always the risk of rain

There is a ‘dry season’ in Tambopata and Manu between May and October. The average daytime high temperature is between 25°C and 34°C and the average nighttime low is between 16°C and 22°C. Heavy downpours typically occur every few days.

Around 80% of annual average rainfall – approx 2,000 mm in Manu and Tambopata and 1,400 mm in Iquitos – occurs in the wet season Nov-April.

On rare occasions, between May and September, cold fronts from Argentina – ‘friajes’ – can sweep into southwest Amazonia and push temperatures down to 9° C. (Friajes usually last between 1 and 3 days).

Good kit is vital for every trip.

Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.

You can also read our blog about a day in the Amazon rainforest of Peru.

Detailed kit list

• The original and a photocopy of your passport.
• Yellow fever inoculation certificate.
• Good binoculars.
• Tight-weave, light weight long trousers.
• Quick dry socks.
• Rain suit or long poncho (100% waterproof – test before you leave home).
• Long-sleeved tight-weave shirts.
• T-shirts.
• A bottle or canteen to carry water on outings (1-2 litres).
• Sunscreen (factor 30+) and lip salve.
• A broad-brimmed hat that will not come off on windy boat-rides.
• 1-2 pairs of shorts.
• Sunglasses with UV filter.
• A pair of trainers.
• Ankle high, hiking boots.
• Insect repellent.
• Towel & wash-kit.
• Wet Wipes/antiseptic hand-wash cream.
• Head-lamp (plus spare bulb and batteries).
• Personal first-aid kit to include: painkillers, plasters (band-aids), moleskin, anti-biotic cream, general antibiotics (ask your GP), after-bite (tiger balm), anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication.
• Cash (small denomination bills) for souvenirs at the lodge, alcoholic beverages, etc.
• A small day pack, 30 litres.
• Camera and film / memory cards (take at least twice the amount you think you will need!).
• Book, e-book, mp3 player/ipod or other to help pass the time.
• Spanish/English phrasebook.
• Extra snacks i.e. cereal bars or favourite chocolate bars.

Please note: Guests should arrive in clothes which they do not mind getting slightly dirty or wet, and should wear footwear that is suitable to walk on a rainforest trail. Sun cream, insect repellent, hat and waterproof clothing should be carried in hand luggage and kept accessible for the journey to the lodge.

You may want to keep your binoculars and camera handy, too.

All bedding, toilet paper etc. is provided at the lodge (or camp, if camping).

Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.

We pay a fee to the CAA for every licensable passenger we book since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.

We also offer ATOL (Civil Aviation Authority) protected holidays to give our customers peace of mind when booking and travelling.

When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package from Andean Trails Ltd you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6275.

You can read more about ATOL, who is covered and what protections you have if not ATOL-covered, on our ATOL page.

What is ATOL?

The CAA’s ATOL scheme offers protection to your money and your holiday if you book with us. Not everybody is covered (see ‘Who is covered?’ for more), as you must purchase an ‘air package holiday’ with Andean Trails to be protected.

And  ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.

Who is covered?

To be covered by ATOL, you must book a flight and some ground services with us and be from the UK. If you are from the UK and only book ground services and no flights, you are not covered by ATOL (see below for more on how non-ATOL clients are covered).

If you are outside the UK and buy flights with us, you will be ATOL protected IF any of the flights booked with Andean Trails touches/stops in the UK at any point during your holiday package booked with us.

If you buy your flights elsewhere, please check with that agent if you are ATOL protected. Be careful with online flight purchases and make sure you know what protection you have, if any, before paying for flights.

Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

For land only holidays not involving any air travel, in accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”, all UK passengers booking with Andean Trails Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all money paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Andean Trails.

I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?

If you are not ATOL covered, any payments you make to us go to a Trust account.

We can only access this money once your tour has been completed, meaning that if anything happens to Andean Trails Limited while you are on holiday, then your money is secure and you can either complete the trip or be able to make it home.

If you pay for your holiday with a credit card, some offer payment protection – please check with your cardholder.

You also should have cancellation protection written into your insurance (which we recommend you have at the time of booking) in case you need to cancel.