I just returned from three months in Peru. At the moment, there are a lot of political problems there. The former president is in jail, and his followers are protesting and sometimes rioting. They often set up roadblocks, making travel impossible for days at a time. Several people have been killed. Access to Maccho Piccho has been closed, as well as several airports in the south. Some tourists have been trapped in their hotels for days. The situation changes by the day. Some days are very bad and others are peaceful. Hopefully, this will clear up before you go. If not, I suggest you postpone your trip. If you do go, one of the best birds to see is the Marvellous Spatultail. This rare hummingbird lives only in one valley in the northern Andes mountains. You can also see birds that reside along riverbanks by taking a boat tour. I did tours on the River Mayo. Of course, you will want to see the Andean Cock-of-the-rock. There are several places to see them. I went to a breeding colony of them in the north. Also, several birds are endemic to the Tumbes region in the northwest corner of the country. There are lots of other great birds to see all over the country. Besides birds, there are many interesting insects and snakes, and I especially liked the poison dart frogs, the sloths, and the monkeys. I can suggest a couple of guides in the Tarapoto area if you go there.
