Day l: Flight to Puerto Maldonado, and journey to the lodge. Following your early morning flight to Puerto Maldonado from Lima or Cusco, you will be met at the airport by your naturalist guide and transferred to a dugout canoe for the trip up the Tambopata River to the lodge. On the journey the vegetation changes from colonized deforested areas to virgin rain forest. A box-lunch is provided on board. On arrival you'll have a welcome drink and meet the rest of the staff. In the late afternoon you set off for an introductory walk into the "terra firme" forest behind the lodge (Trail 2), dominated by giant Brazil-nut and Dipteryx trees. Frequently seen mammals on this trail are Saddle-back Tamarins, Brown Capuchins, Agoutis, Pacas, Blue-Morpho butterflies, Trogons, Toucans and many other species of birds. After dinner a night walk to find nocturnal animals or insects by the eye-shine a specialization for increasing the light and see better, about 50% of the animals are nocturnal in the rainforest. (L,D)

Day 2: Trip to the Macaw Clay-lick (Collpa). After breakfast you return to the canoe to continue the journey upstream, a further 4 hrs, to an area deep within the Reserve National where the isolated Collpa is situated. The Collpa is actually one of the large clay cliffs lining the Tambopata River in this area. After lunch you and your guide have the afternoon to explore the trail system in the area. Camping on the beach near the Collpa. (B,L,D).

Day 3: Visit the Collpa and return to Libertador Tambopata Lodge. A pre-dawn start is needed to get to the clay-lick before the birds. They arrive in search of minerals and salts and the digestive properties of the clay particles themselves. On average several hundred Macaws and smaller parrots visit the clay-lick daily, including Scarlet, Blue and Yellow, Red and Green, and Chestnut-fronted and Blue-headed parrots, among others. This clay-lick is considered one of the largest in the world. Following a late morning hike and lunch we return down river to the lodge. At night you will go searching for Caiman (alligators) and other nocturnal animals by canoe along the Tambopata River. Night in Libertador Tambopata Lodge. (B,L,D).

Day 4: Departure. A dawn start is required for the canoe trip back to Puerto Maldonado giving memorable views of the sun rise over the river. Lookout for the early morning wildlife which is particularly active at this time. Howler monkeys are frequently heard, as they stakeout their territories. Your guide will take care of you on arrival in Puerto Maldonado and will deal with all the necessities at the airport prior to you departure. (B)

Additional days at the Macaw Lick or Collpa: Any number of extra days in the vicinity of the Collpa, over and above the aforementioned program, are possible. These can be guided or unguided according to your preference and interests. During these days you can either; explore the trail system in more depth, going further a field along trails not visited before; visit a small lake hidden amongst the trees with a floating viewing platform situated in it; take a trip up river to explore a clear forest stream teeming with fish. Full board is included during each of these days.

Services included in your Macaw lick trip: All meals and accommodation (camping gear) from lunch on Day 1 to Breakfast on your final day (inclusive). All transport from your arrival al Puerto Maldonado to your return to the airport (inclusive). All guided excursions describes in the itinerary (including on additional days, if you wish). One night excursion on the river looking for Caiman.

Services Excluded in your Macaw lick trip: Flights to and from Puerto Maldonado, The entrance Fee to the TNR (Aprox US$30), airport taxes, Tree climbing (with harnesses and ropes). Any drinks you may purchase from the bar. Tips. 

MACAW CLAY LICK - CHUNCHO

Macaw clay licks are one of the most spectacular natural phenomenon's in Amazonia. On the Tambopata river, approximately 90 km. up river from the town of Puerto Maldonado, 2-2.5 hours from the lodge, you can find the Chuncho clay lick. Libertador Tambopata Lodge offers special excursions to visit this magnificent area.

The action starts just before dawn as the first few rays of sun are braking through the sky and expose the eroded river bank that is known as the Chuncho clay lick. The first sign of activity will be the ear piercing squawks of the parrots, parakeets and macaws as they start to arrive in the area. Some of the birds have flown here from as far as seven kilometers away. Depending on the species the birds will arrive in discrete pairs or in huge flocks. When they arrive in the area they head straight for the trees were they will perch for some time before they decide if it is safe to eat the clay or not. When they have secured the area the first descent from the trees to the cliff will be made by the small parrots and parakeets.

Next the small macaws such as the chestnut fronted macaw and the red bellied macaw will fly down and land on the cliff face. The next birds to descend are the large red and green macaws, the spectacular scarlet macaws and the beautiful blue and yellow macaws. You will be treated to an amazing display of color as these birds demonstrate why they are known as the 'winged rainbows'. You will have the best seats in the house to watch these magnificent birds consume there daily breakfast of clay. The viewing point is on a hidden beach approximately 40 meters away from the clay face.

Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado is a city in Southeastern Peru in the Amazon forest 55 kilometres (34 mi) west of the Bolivian border on the confluence of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios River, a tributary of the Amazon River. It is the capital of the Madre de Dios Region.

Nearby are the Manú National Park, Tambopata National Reserve, and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. These are some of the most pristine primary rain forests in the world, which include several oxbow lakes and clay licks, where hundreds of birds including macaws feed on clay.

Biodiversity is the word that covers everything that Madre de Dios contains infinite forest, immense rivers and vast variety of animals and vegetation. Its capital, Puerto Maldonado is an obligatory stop along the way to the national parks and reserves located in the area to gain the entrance and authorizations. Years ago Madre de Dios have been an important exporting site rubber, wood, gold, and petroleum; today the eco-tourism and chestnut harvesting are the two main economic activities in the department.

About ten kilometers from Puerto Maldonado and an hour and half walking you find the Lake Sandoval, surrounded by aguajales (swampy areas full of palm trees), orchids, kapok trees, caoba trees, and Mauritanian palm trees that grow up to thirty meters tall. The lake is the home for a vast variety of animals like parrots, macaws, toucans, egrets, turtles, tapirs and the refuge for black caimans and otters, two species threatened with extinction.

60 Kilometers from Puerto Maldonado by the Madre de Dios River is Lake Valencia, in the areas around of the lake there are several native communities. These natives are extraordinary fishermen and living from that activity, fishing for tiger shovelnose catfish, gilded catfish and paiche. This area is full of flora and fauna, too.
One of the most important national parks in the world is The Manú National Park with 1,716,295 hectares, located in the departments of Cuzco and Madre de Dios, protects more than 800 bird species, 200 species of mammals, gigantic trees and it is the home of many native communities. This park has the world record of the number of species seen in one day at one spot with 324 species.

Other national park in the area is The Tambopata-Candamo National Park con 274,690 hectares, which is known to possess the greatest diversity of mammal, tree, insect, and bird species in the world, as well as the world record for the amount of butterfly species.

USEFUL INFORAMTION

Climate

Puerto Maldonado is in the tropical Amazon Basin. The climate is hot and humid at all times. The average annual temperature is 26 °C (79 °F) with the months of August and September being the hottest. Annual rainfall exceeds 1,000 millimetres (3.3 ft). The wet season is from October to April. The main part of the town is located on a slightly elevated area that does not normally flood in the wet season. Road travel often becomes impossible during this time. A low season occurs between June and August.

A common phenomenon known locally as a "surazo" or "friaje" occurs when polar winds blow in from the mountainous south. The temperature will drop to as low as 8 °C (46 °F) for several days.