ITINERARIES IN PERU

Peru is a country of contrasts: Rainforest and desert, fertile valleys, white sandy beaches and snow-covered mountains - you will find a bit of everything in Peru. Our recommended roundtrips are suggestions how you can explore the diversity of Peru.

Peru Intensive - On the trace of the Inca - Mystic North
Additional programmes: Rainforest - Inca Trail - Enjoy the beach -
Huaraz/Cordillera Blanca
Roundtrips Domiruth: Peru by Bus

Three fifth of Peru are covered with rainforest. Therefore it is highly recommendable to not only visit Peru´s famous sights along the coast or in the Andes, but to also explore the Peruvian jungle. Visitors have the opportunity to do so in different regions:
In the Southeast of Peru the Manu National Park and the Tambopata Candamo Reserve are located. Trips in these regions can ideallybe combined with a visit of Cusco.

Another opportunity to explore the rainforests you can find in the Northeast of Peru:
There, close to the city of Iquitos on the Amazon River, the Natural Reserve of Pacaya Samiria is located. In this beautiful area you can find various jungle lodges, which can be reached by air from Lima or by boat.

As example we present you a 4-day excursion to the Tambopata Candamo Reserve in the South of Peru.

Day 1:
Transfer from Puerto Maldonado airport to the river port on the Madre de Dios River. A 25 minutes journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe brings you to the beginning of the trail to the Lodge. From here the path takes you on a 2-mile walk/or rickshaw ride through secondary forest, until you reach a small canal where you board canoes and are paddled 220 yards through a flooded forest of 100-foot tall Mauritia palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, you transfer to a catamaran and are leisurely paddled across half the lake to the Sandoval Lake Lodge.
After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, you once again board the catamaran and set off to explore the entire Western end of the lake. There, in the flooded palm forest you drift to the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied Macaws as they head to the palm forest for the night. You return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner.
After dinner you will return to the canoes to look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, you will also be able to float in the middle of the lake and marvel at the brilliance of the sky.

our recommendation

Sandoval Lake Lodge

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Day 2:
A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable you to be on the lake for sunrise and a hopeful encounter with the family of Giant Otters which frequent the lake and are most active at this time of day. Most of the fish-eating water birds around the lake actively fish in the early morning as well, and this outing should provide excellent views, and photographs, of the prehistoric looking Hoatzins.
After returning for a late breakfast you set off into the cool understory of the tall virgin forest near the lake to see some towering wild Brazil Nut trees and a demonstration of how your hosts collect, open and commercialise this important natural product. After lunch and an hour or so to relax you once again board the catamaran to explore the Eastern part of the lake, where you might see one or more of the five species of monkeys which live in the forest near the lake, such as the Brown Capuchin Monkey.
There is a final chance after dinner to try and spot some Black Caimans on the lake, or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest.

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Day 3:
Rising once again at dawn, you have a quick snack before boarding the catamarans to explore the Western end of the lake in the hope of an encounter with Giant Otters. After a late breakfast you explore some of the rain forest trails with our knowledgeable resident naturalist guide. As you walk, the forest will be brought to life as your guide explains the ecology of the rainforest and its diverse flora and fauna. You return for lunch and then there is an optional rest for those who would like to escape the early afternoon heat. For those still full of energy, there is an option to independently explore some of the forest trails.
In the cooler late afternoon you will once again board the catamaran to explore the Eastern end of the lake, and hopefully experience a spectacular sunset over the lake before returning to the lodge for dinner. After dinner, there is a final chance to look for Black Caiman on the lake, or to go on a short night hike through the forest.

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Day 4:
After a dawn breakfast you take a final, shorter paddle around the Wesernt end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before returning to Puerto Maldonado to catch the flight to Lima or Cusco.

Are you interested in hiking the legendary Inca Trail from Cusco? Click here for further information!

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