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Pre-Departure Information Manu national park tapir & macaw clay licks Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, Manu Tented Camp, and Manu Wildlife Center

Manu.  The name has acquired a legendary mystique among birdwatchers, naturalists, and conservationists throughout the world. No other park on the planet protects so many bird species, so many plants and animals, as this outstanding wilderness area.

Only 20% of the entire Amazon has the rich floodplain soils that yield abundant rainforest fruits and support dense populations of forest wildlife. Of that area, a mere one percent is both protected by wildlife reserves and has regular access by safe and reliable turboprop aircraft. These are the qualities that have earned Manu its fabled reputation as the jewel in the crown of Amazon wildlife viewing experiences.

And for those who choose to take the land route into Manu, the park offers even more - a vast span of stark mountain and high altitude cloud forest that covers the entire spectrum of contrasting natural environments and wildlife, all the way from the high Andes to the Amazonian lowlands. This route includes the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge, a superbly located cloud forest hotel, with a nearby viewing area for the almost garishly brilliant national bird of Peru.

Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve lies adjacent to three other protected areas that together cover an area nearly the size of Belgium, or the U.S. State of Maryland.  This area includes vast swathes of land inhabitated only by either uncontacted tribes or a handful of intrepid scientists. It contains
1,000 of the globe’s 10,000 bird species (200 more than all of the U.S. and Canada combined), 15,000 of the world’s 250,000 flowering plant species, 13 species of monkeys – including the rare Monk Saki and Emperor Tamarin monkeys – and all of the major Amazonian predators.

Rainfall in the Manu Lowlands is around 2500-3500 millimeters/98-138 inches per year, with most rainfall occurring in the rainy season months from November to April.   The average temperature in the Manu lowlands is 28°C (82°F), with daily highs of 34°C (93°F) and nightly lows of 22°C (72°F) .   During the dry season cold fronts from the South Atlantic (friajes) occur once every month or so, with daily temperatures dropping to 15°C (59°F) and nightly temperatures to 13°F (55°F).

From Cusco we fly 45 minutes by plane to the Manu lowlands and navigate 90 minutes down the Madre de Dios River by motorized canoe to reach Manu Wildlife Center, the single best wildlife lodge in the Amazon. 

Those taking the overland and river route to Manu will travel two or three days, stopping overnight at our cloud forest location, Cock-of-the-Rock lodge, and then embarking at Atalaya on a half-day boat journey down the Madre de Dios River.

Our boats are equipped with 65HP engines, a roof to protect us from the  weather, life jackets, and cushioned seats. They carry a spare motor, in the unlikely event that the principal engine breaks down.

(Please note: local regulations require that during river travel lifejackets must be worn at all times, and rubber boots must be removed.)

The Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is located in the pristine Manu cloud forest on the verdant eastern slopes of the Andes. opened in 1997, it is named after the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana), Peru’s large, bright-red national bird that puts on a colorful, noisy mating display adjacent to the lodge every morning. Spectacled Bears, Woolly Monkeys, Brown Capuchin Monkeys, quetzals and a host of other colorful birds inhabit the surrounding forest, and a bubbling mountain stream tumbles past the lodge.

Cock of the Rock Lodge has no electricity, a 220V generator is available and has limited electricity at certain times of night, during which it is possible to recharge batteries, although a local wall-plug adaptor may be required. (Note that current is 220V; make sure your equipment is compatible with this voltage.) Lighting in the communal areas is by kerosene lamp and candles, with the paths around the lodge complex lit by kerosene lamps. Lighting in the guest bungalows is by candle.

Manu Wildlife Tented Camp is located near Cocha (Lake) Salvador, the largest and most beautiful of the 13 oxbow lakes of the Manu River.  The Manu Wildlife Tented Camp features screened hermetically-sealed, double-occupancy, walk-n tents.  Each tent measures 16.5x10x7 feet (5x3x2.2m) and the floor is elevated above the ground on wooden stilts. Each of the extra-long twin beds in each tent has a mosquito net.  Our camp also features an elevated, screened dining room with wooden floor and a separate complex of shared hot-water showers and flush toilets.

Manu Wildlife Center is located east of the Manu River on the north bank of Madre de Dios River. The Lodge contains 22 double-occupancy fully screened private bungalows, separate complexes with hot showers and toilets, a large fully screened dining room and a delightful bar with hammocks for relaxing.

1. Complete personal data, name of the passengers and age.
2. Passport number and Nationality.
3. Occupation.
4. Any special food requirements (Vegetarian, low salt, low fat, diabetic or other)
5. Any special medical requirements.
6. Any special interest.

Though we have never heard of anyone contracting yellow fever anywhere in Peru or neighboring countries Peru nevertheless requires a current yellow fever vaccination for trips to the rain forest regions. This vaccination normally is required or recommended for all rain forest regions around the world.   This vaccination, which is valid for 10 years, must be administered AT LEAST 10 days before the guest’s arrival in Peru.

• Lima
  Manuel Banon 461 San Isidro, Lima
  (511) 203-5000



• Cusco (Administrative and operations office)
  Calle Ricardo Palma J1 - Urb. Santa Mónica, Cusco
  (51 84) 231138 or 243408

All meals are included in the trip from the Lunch on the first day to the Breakfast on the last day. We believe that our guests should experience as much of the Peruvian cuisine as possible and this is reflected in the range of Peruvian dishes offered, with an occasional international twist.   Typical lunch and dinner dishes served are lomo saltado (a spicy mix of stir fried beef, tomato, peppers, onion and French fries) and arroz con pollo (a mildly spicy mix of saffron rice, chicken and vegetables).  When possible fruit and vegetables are bought from the few families who live in the area.

• Overland transportation from Cusco through Manu Cloud forest until Atalaya; or air transportation from Cusco to Boca Manu.
• Transfer from the Airport to the selected hotel at the end of the trip
• Accommodations with all meals from lunch on the first day to the breakfast on the last day.
• English speaking guide.
• Guided excursions in accordance with the itinerary
• River transportation.
• Entrance fee to Manu National Park.

• Airport taxes. Note about the different rates for the airport taxes: For Manu National Park programs - the airport tax is US $ 15.00 per person.
• Excess baggage charges. If you have more than the 10 kilograms permitted then the excess will be charged to you directly in Cusco, The cost for the extra kilo is US $ 3.00 "space permitting".
• Extra services (Transportation) and nights at Manu Wildlife Center or alternative lodges in case of flight cancellations.
• Personal expenses and tips. Passengers should bring some cash.

• our lodges have a staff tips box, whose contents are shared among housekeepers, waiters, cooks and cleaning staff. We suggest a contribution of $10.00 per day of stay per guest.
• for your guide we suggest a tip of $10.00 per day per guest.
• for your boat driver we suggest a tip of $5.00 per day per guest.

If you do not have an operator in Cusco our office CAN take care of the reconfirmation of any domestic flights to Lima or other cities. Please ask for further information when you make your reservation.

2. If the air company cancel the flight (maintenance, technical problems, or any other reason), Inkanatura Travel would organize a way to exit from Manu, with the following option:

Last day Manu Wildlife Center-Puerto Maldonado-Cusco.- we will take a motorized boat journey downstream the Madre de Dios river from Manu Wildlife Center to Boca Colorado Village bye Boat (2 hours)  then car transportation to Puerto Carlos (1 hour). We will cross the Inambari river by boat (15 minutes) to get Santa Rosa Village followed by car transportation to the Airport in Puerto Maldonado(3 hours) from the airport in Puerto Maldonado we would fly to Cusco in a commercial flight with a posterior transfer to your hotel.


More Information About Manu
Travelers may recall three recent TV shows about Manu on Discovery Channel, PBS-TV in the U.S., and NHK-TV in Japan, or the cover story about the macaws of Manu and Tambopata in the January 1994 National Geographic Magazine, and most European and Japanese nature magazines. Condé Nast Traveler Magazine, Dec 2002: “Manu Wildlife Center´s ability to deliver watchable wildlife is unsurpassed”.

You can visit our web site: www.inkanatura.com or www.manu-wildlife-center.com

Conditions And Responsibility
InkaNatura Travel and/or their employees act only as agents for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by car, boat, or airplane and assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity that may be caused either by reasons of defect in the vehicle or for any reasons engaged in conveying the client or carrying out the arrangements of the tour. They can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All such expenses will have to be borne by the passenger.

InkaNatura Travel HAS THE RIGHT:

1. to make any change in the itinerary when deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules.
2. to accept or decline any persons as members of a tour.
3. to fill unoccupied space on its boats and airplanes with its guides, staff and cargo.
4. No refund will be possible for any unused part of the tour.

More information:    More tours in Manu National Park    Visit Manu staying at the comfortable Manu Widlife Center    Manu Map