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Peru Expanded Amazon Rainforest Coverage

The best lodge is Sandoval Lake Lodge, which is on the other side of the lake. Getting there is half the fun. After hiking the 3km to the lake (bicycle rickshaws are available for luggage and for people with walking difficulties), you board paddled canoes to negotiate narrow canals through a flooded palm-tree forest inhabited by hundreds of nesting red-bellied macaws. Emerging from the flooded forest, you are silently paddled across the beautiful lake to the lodge, which is owned and operated by InkaNatura (see Tours, later in this chapter). Conservation organizations funded by InkaNatura are studying and protecting the endangered giant river otter, of which several pairs live in the lake and can sometimes be seen during early morning boating excursions. Various monkey species and a host of birds can also be spotted, as well as caiman, frogs and lizards. Hikes, into the forest are also offered, and guides are multilingual and knowledgeable.
The spacious lodge is built on a hilltop about 30m above the lake and is surrounded by primary forest. The hilltop was a former farm, and the lodge was built from salvaged driftwood, so the owners pride themselves on the fact that no primary forest was cut during constructions. (This is also true of some other lodges, through not always mentioned). The rooms (with heated and tiled showers and ceiling fans) are the best in the area, and the restaurant/bar area is huge, airy and conducive to relaxing and chatting. Rates are good value at US$180 per person (double occupancy) for three days/two nights, and US$250 for four days/three nights. Extra nights are US$70.

MANU WILDLIFE CENTER & AREA

A two-hour boat ride southeast (right) of Boca Manu of the Rio Madre de Dios takes you to Manu Wildlife Center. The center is a jungle lodge jointly owned by Manu Expeditions, Selva Sur and InkaNatura, all of which accept reservations. Although the lodge is not in Manu Biosphere Reserve, it is recommended for its exceptional wildlife-watching and birding opportunities. There are about 16 double cabins, some with private bath (private facilities are planned for all cabins), hot showers, a dining room and a bar/hammock room. The lodge is set in tropical gardens.
There are 48 km of trails around the Manu Wildlife Center, where 10 species of monkeys, as well as other wildlife, can be seen. Two canopy platforms are a short walk away, and one is always available for guests wishing to view the top of the rainforest and look for birds that frequent the canopy.
A 3 km walk through the forest brings you to a natural salt lick, where there is a raised platform with mosquito nets for viewing the nightly activities of the tapirs. This hike is for visitors who can negotiate forest trails by flashlight. Visitors may wait for hours to see the animals. Nothing is guaranteed, but the chances are excellent if you have the patience. (I was lucky enough to see a mother and nursing young on my second visit after a hot, silent, three-hour wait. I also saw a red brocket deer and an armadillo on these nocturnal excursions.) Other visitors have reported good sightings within a few minutes of their arrival. Note that there isn’t much happening at the lick during the day.
A short boat ride on the Madre de Dios brings visitors to a well-known salt lick that attracts various species of parrots and macaws. Most mornings, you can see flocks in the hundreds. The largest flocks are seen from late July to September. As the rainy season kicks in, the numbers diminish, thought I was impressed by the display when I visited in November. Numbers continue to fall in the early months of the year, and June is the worst month – when birds don’t visit the salt lick at all, May and early July aren’t reliable either, thought ornithologists report the presence of the birds in other nearby areas during these months, and birders will usually see them.
The macaw lick is visited on a floating catamaran blind, providing a concealed enclosure from which 20 people can view wildlife. The catamaran is stable enough to be able to use a tripod and scope or telephoto lens, and gets about halfway across the river. The boat drivers are experienced and won’t bring the blind too close to disturb the birds.
In addition to the trails and salt licks, there are a couple of nearby lakes where paddled catamarans provide transportation and giant otters may be seen (as well as various birds and other animals). Visitors wishing to see the macaw and tapir lick, lakes and canopy, and to hike the trails in search of wildlife should plan on a three-night stay at the Manu Wildlife Center, though shorter and longer stays are workable.