Scuba Diving Fishing Land Rafting Xtreme Adventures Things 2DO

SOUTH AMERICA / Perú Machu Picchu

US$1350 6 Day without Lima/Cusco services
US$1140 5 Day Manu Wildlife Center Only
US$995 4 Day Manu Wildlife Center Only

Trip Code: MB 9
Price per person in US$1,550.00
Number of days: 09 days

Description
Wander the cobblestone streets of Cusco, exploring markets, museums and nearby ruins. Then, embark on a stunning two-day journey over mountains and through cloudforest, stopping for the night at small jungle lodges. Our destination is the Manu Wildlife Center, set amidst some of the most prolific jungle in the entire Amazon basin. We'll spend our days there searching for monkeys, red and green macaws, giant otters, tapirs, and other fascinating resident wildlife. A final night in Cusco before heading home gives one more opportunity forcultural exploration.
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Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive Lima
Overnight.

Day 2 Fly Cusco
A morning flight takes you to the colonial city of Cusco. Andean history comes alive in Cusco, and the day is yours to wander its narrow streets, tour nearby ruins and visit Qoricancha (the Inca's Temple of the Sun). For the energetic, Cusco offers mountain biking, rafting and horseback riding! This evening enjoy a folkloric show at one of Cusco's typical restaurants.

Day 3 Cloud Forest (B,L,D)
Today we leave early from Cusco and head into the Manu cloudforest. The road climbs to almost 13,000' as we pass over two Andean mountain chains before descending into the cloudforest - a paradise for birders! After around seven scenic hours on the road, we arrive at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge in the Selva Sur private cloudforest reserve, where we'll spend the night within earshot of a tumbling mountain river.

Day 4 Enter the Amazon Basin (B,L,D)
The early morning is the most active time for wildlife, so while in the jungle and cloudforest we begin our days as the sun rises. Today we wake and visit the lek - or mating ground - of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. We'll spend the morning hours watching these birds with their fantastic plumage and colorful courtship display. With luck we'll also see the Common Wooly Monkey before we depart by bus for Atalaya and the Alto Madre de Rios River. A box lunch tides us over until our two-hour canoe ride brings us to the Pantiacolla Lodge in time for supper. The forests surrounding the lodge are threaded with hiking trails, and with enough time this evening you can begin your exploration of the area.

Day 5 Transfer Manu (B,L,D)
There's time for a short hike this morning before we set off for our main destination, the remote Manu Wildlife Center. Billed as the single best wildlife destination in the entire Amazon, the MWC is a six-hour drive away, including a stop at a Piro Indian Village along the way. Over thirty miles of trail wind around the lodge at Manu, set within the largest protected area in all of Peru. Spend the afternoon wandering the trails and searching for the
abundant wildlife that inhabits the surrounding forest, including twelve species of monkeys. After dinner we'll take a short excursion to explore the nocturnal life in the rainforest.

Day 6 Macaw and Tapir Clay Licks (B,L,D)
Rising before the sun, we take a twenty-five minute boat journey downstream to the largest parrot and macaw clay lick in the 4.4 million acre Manu Biosphere Reserve. A floating catamaran blind lets us get closer to the morning action - hundreds of parrots arriving at the lick, followed by large red and green macaws, eating the clay for its high salt content. The birds begin to disperse around nine in the morning, and we head back to the lodge to spend the rest of the day exploring the trails, canopy platform, and the Amazon's largest known
tapir lick. The elevated screened-in platform overlooking the tapir lick is equipped with inflatable mattresses and pillows, along with fresh pillowcases, and adventurous souls are welcome to spend the night there as tapirs come and go in the dark!

Day 7 Cocha Blanco and Cocha Camungo (B,L,D)
We depart early again this morning, this time to the Blanco and Camunga oxbow lakes, where a variety of water birds, prehistoric-looking hoatzin, and giant otter families make their home. After lunch at the lodge, the afternoon is free to relax and enjoy a siesta, or spend more time exploring with our guide. Once dusk approaches we'll have an opportunity to search by boat for caiman and other nocturnal life along the riverbank.

Day 8 Return Cusco
After an early morning transfer to the Boca Manu airstrip, we board our flight back to colonial Cusco. At night, travelers from all over the world fill Cusco's restaurants, pubs and dance clubs, providing the most vibrant and unique nightlife on the continent. Enjoy your last evening before bidding farewell to your Peruvian hosts!

Day 9 Fly Lima and Return Home

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