Manu in July. (1 Viewer)

Hi folks,

somewhere between 10 and 30 of July, I want to visit the S-Peruvian Amazon.
I was aiming at 10-11 days:
2 days Amazonia lodge
3 days Pantiacolla lodge
3 days Amazon Manu lodge
3 days los Amigos.

Manu is not cheap. I can arrange a boat from Atalaya to Puerto Maldonado for around 1500 dollar. The lodges are around 70-80 dollar/person/night.

So 11 days + boat would be around 1255 dollar or around 1000 euro. If you do this with any agency, you would at least pay double (but you probably get guiding etc.. but I am not requesting a guide anyway).

For those who are interested, please drop me a message. :t:

Temmie

Sounds a great trip and good luck with it; why do you need to go to so many lodges? Are some of the species easier at different lodges? What is at Los Amigos? I've not yet looked into it but hope to go in the next few years,

cheers, alan

Hi Alan,

I am aiming to see some specialties at each site, but I still have to do some homework. Los Amigos could be skipped in favour for more time in Pantiacolla and Amazon Manu lodge, but it seems like they are the only lodge having some canopy towers.
Amazonia and Pantiacolla are around 900 masl and have some foothill species + better chances on e.g. Black-capped Tinamou, Amazonian Antpitta,... and some bamboo species that are harder to get in other places. Amazon Manu has clay licks, giant otters, Rufous-fronted Antthrush and some other birds more associated with lowland Manu (around 500 masl).

hi Temmie,
i think you are a bit out with your elevations. amazonia lodge is about 500m. it is at the bottom of a ridge that goes up to 1000m though. There is a canopy tower on the ridge (didn't visit as it's quite a steep climb and i had a bad knee).
because it is right by the foot of the andes the bird list is influenced by foothills. i saw black-capped tinamou and heard lots of amazonian antpitta, plus loads of other great stuff!!
pantiacolla is downstream at a similar altitude but is also by a ridge (i never went as the boat trip from amazonia was so expensive), but beyond that the other lodges are in the flat lowlands
cheers,
James

Technically you're right James and I am confusing the altitudes a little...

The take-home message is that the first two lodges are having a mix of foothill+lowland birds (because of the altitude/ridges/location), while the other two are 100% lowland sites with all the associated birds and the oxbow lakes and the clay licks etc...

If I don't find company, I could quite easily visit Amazonia + Pantiacolla by a cheaper boat and do some lowland stuff based in Puerto Maldonado (though not as attractive as going into the Manu biosphere reserve itself).
If we would be more than 4 persons (can be up to 7), the boat cost would go down more.

Seems like I am getting somewhere with Manu NP and the boats... So no more asking for companions at the moment...