Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [399]
Travelers heading up the Río Tambopata must register their passport numbers at the Puesto Control (Guard Post) next to the Explorer’s Inn and show their national-park entrance permits obtained in Puerto Maldonado. Visiting the reserve is only really possible if you book a guided stay at one of the lodges within it. One of the reserve’s highlights is the Colpa de Guacamayos (Macaw Clay Lick), one of the largest natural clay licks in the country. It attracts hundreds of birds and is a spectacular sight (see the January 1994 National Geographic for a photographic story).
Lodges are listed in the order in which you would arrive at them if traveling from Puerto Maldonado.
Posada Amazonas (s/d 3 days & 2 nights US$385/590) is about two hours from Puerto Maldonado along Río Tambopata, followed by a 10-minute uphill walk. The posada is on the land of the Ese’eja community of Infierno, and tribal members, as well as local mestizos (persons of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent), are among the guides. (Several other lodges use ‘native’ guides, but these are often mestizos rather than tribe members). There are excellent chances of seeing macaws and parrots on a small salt lick nearby, and giant river otters are often found swimming in lakes close to the lodge. Guides at the lodge are mainly English-speaking Peruvian naturalists with varying interests. Your assigned guide stays with you throughout the duration of your stay. Visits are also made to the Centro Ñape ethnobotanical center, where medicine is produced for members of the Ese’eja community. There is a medicinal-plant trail and, a short hike from the lodge, a 30m-high observation platform giving superb views of the rainforest canopy. The lodge has 30 large double rooms with private showers and open (unglazed) windows overlooking the rainforest. Mosquito nets are provided. Electricity is available at lunchtime and from 5:30pm to 9pm. Book with Rainforest Expeditions (www.perunature.com) Cuzco (084-24-6243, cusco@rainforest.com.pe, Portal de Carnes 236); Lima (01-421-8347; postmaster@rainforest.com.pe; Aramburu 166, Miraflores); Puerto Maldonado (082-57-2575; pem@rainforest.com.pe; Av Aeropuerto Km 6, CPM La Joya).
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JUNGLE CHECKLIST
If this is your first voyage into the jungle, you’ll find it far more pleasant and relaxing than the movies make out. The jungle, you’ll see, has largely been packaged to protect delicate tourists. With lodge facilities and the below kit list, you should be ready for most eventualities.
Two pairs of shoes, one for jungle traipsing and one for wearing at camp.
Spare clothes – because of the humidity, clothes get wet quickly; take a spare towel, too.
Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens, to catch wildlife at close quarters.
Flashlight for night walks and when the electricity cuts out.
Mosquito repellent with DEET – bugs are everywhere. Mosquitoes can bite without you knowing it; ants bite, too – hard.
Sunblock and sunglasses – you’ll be in the sun a lot.
First-aid kit for basics such as bites, stings or diarrhea.
Plastic bags to waterproof your gear and pack nonbiodegradable litter to take back with you.
Lightweight rainproof jacket, because it will rain – lots.
Sleeping bag, mat or hammock if you’ll be sleeping outside.
Books – cell phones don’t work and neither do TVs; electricity is limited to a few hours per day.
For tips on viewing wildlife, Click here.
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Inotawa (in Puerto Maldonado 082-57-2511, in Lima 01-479-9247; www.inotawaexpeditions.com; per person 3 days & 2 nights US$240) lies a few kilometers beyond Posada Amazonas and is a good budget option, although guides here don’t have the reputation that those of other nearby lodges do. It’s a 200m walk up from the river. Rates include transport, meals, guided walks and boat rides. The lodge features a high roof with a transparent window at the ceiling apex, allowing more light than most