Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [400]
Explorer’s Inn (www.explorersinn.com; s/d 3 days & 2 nights US$238/396) Cuzco (084-23-5342, Plateros 365); Lima (01-447-8888, 01-447-4761; sales@explorersinn.com; Alcanfores 459, Miraflores) Puerto Maldonado (082-57-2078) is 58km from Puerto Maldonado (three to four hours of river travel) and features 15 rustic double and 15 triple rooms, all with bathrooms and screened windows. Around since the ’70s, it’s a more open lodge than the others previously mentioned, in a pleasant grassy clearing. The central lodge room has a restaurant, a bar and a small museum. Outside is a soccer pitch, and you can also browse through an assortment of plants in the medicinal garden. The lodge is located in the former 55-sq-km Zona Preservada Tambopata (itself now surrounded by the much larger Reserva Nacional Tambopata). More than 600 species of bird have been recorded in this preserved zone, which is a world record for bird species sighted in one area. Despite such (scientifically documented) records, the average tourist won’t see much more here than at any of the other Río Tambopata lodges during the standard two-night visit. The 38km of trails around the lodge can be explored independently or with naturalist Peruvian guides. German, English and French are spoken. Rates include meals and guided tours. Four-night tours include a visit to the macaw clay lick (single US$530, double US$900).
Next up is the new Cayman Lodge Amazonie (082-57-1970; www.cayman-lodge-amazonie.com; s/d 2 days & 3 nights US$400/560); Puerto Maldonado (Map; Arequipa 655), some 70km from Puerto Maldonado. Run by the effervescent French Anny and her English-speaking Peruvian partner, Daniel, this lodge boasts an open, relaxing environment with banana, cocona (peach tomato) and mango trees in a lush tropical garden. Activities include visits to the oxbow Lagunas Sachavacayoc and Condenado, and there is also a five- to seven-day shamanism program, where you can learn about tropical medicine and even be treated for ailments. There is a large bar and restaurant area. The rooms are a little on the small side, but are more than comfortable; windows have mosquito meshes. One of its more arresting features is the hammock house, from where you can watch the sun set over the Río Tambopata.
Further along is the Libertador Tambopata Lodge (082-57-1726, 082-968-0022; www.tambopatalodge.com; s/d 3 days & 2 nights US$379/614); Puerto Maldonado (Map; Prada 269). Set mainly near secondary forest, this considerably more luxurious lodge is still within the Reserva Tambopata. A short boat ride from here will get you into primary forest. Tours to nearby lakes and to the salt lick are included on tours of four days or longer (single from US$688, double from US$1160), and naturalist guides are available. There are 12km of well-marked trails, which you can wander at will without a guide. The lodge consists of a series of spacious individual bungalows, some of which have solar-generated hot water. Each enjoys a tiled patio with a table and chairs, and all look out onto a lush tropical garden. There is the mandatory restaurant and a cozy separate bar complex: the overall effect is like a set from the TV series Lost.
New in 2006, the latest addition to the jungle accommodations scene is the rather impressive Refugio Amazonas (4 days & 3 nights s/d US$565/860). This lodge is better for a longer stay, as it is a fairly lengthy boat ride up the river to get here. It is built on a 20-sq-km private reserve in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. While it feels just that little more isolated, the lodge is not lacking in creature comforts, with