6day Manu Park Macaw Tour that Visit a Macaw Clay Lick.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco – Pona Lodge

On the first day of our adventure into the Manu jungle, we will pick you up around 6:00 AM from your hotel in Cusco, using our private transportation service. The first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains, where we will have the opportunity to visit a beautiful lake called Hucarpay, a High Andean lagoon that boasts a variety of flora and fauna typical of the Andean mountains. Then, we will visit the town of Huancarani which contains the funeral towers of Ninamarca, a Pre-Inca cemetery of the Lupaca culture, which we will visit briefly on our way to Paucartambo, which is known as the folkloric capital of Cusco. In the face of modern times, this small colonial town has maintained its rich tradition for centuries. At midday we will arrive at the entrance to Manu National Park and access one of the most protected natural areas in South America. We will continue in our private transport, descending through a dense fog from which this section of the forest takes the name of Cloud Forest. Eventually we will arrive at the home of Peru's exotic national bird: the Cock of the Rock, where they gather with others of their kind for a sort of social gathering that seems to resemble a grand courtship. You will find that this quite amazing spectacle is complete with an impressive array of sounds and colors that can only be found in the jungle. For our first night, we will stay at the beautiful Pona Lodge, where we will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m. (L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1.    Walk along the Cloud Forest of Manu Park
2.    Visit the Peruvian National Bird LEK
3.    Bird Watching along the Cloud Forest, at the cloud forest we will be able to see several species of colorful birds including Tanagers, toucans, barbets, hummingbirds, two species of quetzals, trogons, motmots, woodpeckers and hawks.
4.    Tanager garden optional Visit, this visit is not included but its an excellent spot to photograph colorful birds.

Day 2: Pona Lodge – Boca Manu Lodge

This Day we will continue travelling by car towards the Boca Manu Port that is found close to the place where the Alto Madre de Dios River joins the Manu. 
In the morning after Pilcopata town we will visit a bird garden, at this bird garden we will see several species of Hummingbirds including, tanagers, barbets, king vultures, titi monkeys, etc.
From Boca Manu we will travel down river by boat to our next lodge where we will spend our second night, the boat ride will take only about half an hour.

Highlights of the Day:

1.    Hummingbird Garden Visit, at this place several species of hummingbird species are observed including tanagers, barbets, monkeys and the king vulture.

Day 3: Boca Manu Lodge – Tapir Lodge

Today we travel downstream along Madre de Dios River, late in the afternoon passing two in the afternoon we will arrive to our lodge, where we accommodate and get new water resources to be able to take a 45min to an hour in a half walk through the forest, during the walk we will be able to observe several species of animals including exotic birds like Toucans and macaws.

Near the Tapir clay lick we do have a platform where we will accommodate our selves because we will spend the night in this blind from where at night we can observe Tapirs eating the clay which its reach in minerals; at the platform we do provide mattresses, mosquito nets, blankets and a toilet in the backside of the building.

At this clay lick we can also observe deers, peccaries, spider monkeys, red howler monkeys, guans, and parakeets.

Highlights of the Day:

1.    Tapir Clay Lick: In the evening we will visit a mammal clay lick where tapirs are seeing. 

Day 4: Tapir Lodge – Jungle Exploration -Tapir Lodge

This day before breakfast we will explore the surrounding areas of our lodge where we will have great chances to see several species of birds like Toucans, macaws, tanagers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, etc, we will also see monkeys like Howler Monkeys, black spider monkeys, tamarins, titi monkeys, squirrel monkeys, capuching monkeys and more, amphibians and reptiles.
In the afternoon from the lodge we will head towards a blind in the middle of the jungle where we will spend the night, the reason why we are going to this bling is because there we will have the chance to see tapirs at night. (B+L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

2.    Tapir Clay Lick: In the evening we will visit a mammal clay lick where tapirs are seeing. 
3.    Spend a Night in the middle of the Jungle, In order to see the tapirs we will have to spend a night in a camouflage house.

Day 5: Tapir Lodge – Macaw Clay Lick – Blanco oxbow lake – Tapir Lodge

Very early in the morning we will walk back to the lodge and from there we will travel down river towards the largest Macaw Clay lick found in Manu Park, The activity at the clay lick begins about 5:30 am as medium sized parrots arrive with the dawn, pair by noisy pair, and land in the treetops above the lick. Hundreds of screeching birds clamber about in the branches in preparation for their descent to the riverbank. Eventually, cascades of green, blue, and red parrots circle down to the clay wall. About 7:00 or 7:30 am large macaws start to arrive. After about 40 to 100 have gathered and deemed the lick safe, they begin to descend. This colorful and noisy scene continues for 20 to 40 minutes while the birds eat their fill of clay or until danger arrives in the form of a hawk, eagle, or ocelot. There are normally between 80 to 100 macaws and 600 or more other parrots. This is truly one of the world's great wildlife spectacles. After this activity we will sail up river towards our lodge where we will spend our last night.

Highlights of the Day:

1.    Macaw Clay Lick Visit, near our lodge we have a small macaw clay lick were two species of large macaws are observed, there we will see scarlet as well as red and green macaws. 
2.    Night Walk, during our night walks we can see several species of nocturnal creatures including insects, amphibians, reptiles, night monkeys and owls.
Cocha Blanco Visit, Cocha Blanco is the largest Oxbow lake in the area, at this oxbow lake

Day 6: Tapir Lodge – Boca Manu – Cusco

Early in the morning we will start with our journey back to Cusco, first, we will travel by boat until Boca Manu Port and from there we will head to Cusco by car. We will be arriving to Cusco around 9pm.