Regional travel in Peru – Travel program PTW-TAM010-en
Bird watching at the Lodge Explorers Inn
7 days / 6 nights – Start: daily
When Max
Günther built the jungle lodge Explorer's Inn more than 30 years
ago about 30 km from Puerto Maldonado on the banks of the
Tambopata, there was neither tourism nor scientific research in
this little-
noticed area of the jungle. Today,
the Tambopata forest is a popular tourist destination and the
scientific research at Explorer's Inn has provided valuable
insights into understanding and valuing biodiversity. Activities
at Explorer's Inn have been instrumental in the creation of the
Tambopata National Reserve in which it is located and the
adjacent Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.
Over 600 bird species have been recorded in a relatively small area – 5500 ha, or 8 km radius around the Lodge Explorer's Inn. Nowhere in the world have so many bird species been recorded in such a small area.
Day 1: Arrival in Puerto Maldonado, transfer to the lodge
• Reception at the airport in Puerto Maldonado.
• Drive to the office in Puerto Maldonado, where unnecessary luggage can be left. Only one medium-sized piece of luggage can be taken on the drive to the lodge.
• Trip to the port of the Municipality of Infierno. About 45 minutes. Various birds can already be observed, such as great pootoo, purus jacamar and white-throated jacamar.
• Boat trip on the Tambopata to the lodge. Lunch on the boat. In addition to macaws and parrots, cocoi heron and capped heron can be seen along the riverbanks, and with a bit of luck, a flock of sand-colored nighthawks.
• The Lodge Explorers Inn is deep within the rainforest and surrounded by its sounds.
• After a short rest, a first excursion to spot nocturnal birds such as tawny-bellied screech-owl and great horned owl.
• Dinner and overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 2: Clay
lick and small lake
• Breakfast.
• 10 minute boat ride to «Collpa de Loros» (parrot clay lick). Here you can see yellow-crowned parrot, orange-cheeked parrot, chestnut-fronted macaw, blue-headed parrot, and with a bit of luck, scarlet macaws. On the way back, birds that specialize in certain forest types such as bamboo forest, pristine forest or swampy forest are searched for. This route includes sightings of striated antbird, pectoral sparrow, rufous-fronted antthrush, pale-winged trumpeter, blue-crowned motmot and musician wren.
• Lunch.
• 20 minute walk to a small lake to look out for toucans, arasaris, the black-capped donacobius and little cuckoo.
• After returning we try to track down other owl species.
• Dinner and overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 3: In the jungle
• Breakfast.
• Full-day excursion in the primary and secondary jungle on the «Main» and «Tapir» trails in search of mixed flocks of birds and new bird species, such as semicollared puffbird, white-winged shrike-tanager, red-crowned ant-tanager, pavonine quetzal, round-tailed manakin, scale-backed antbird, white-throated antbird, blue-crowned trogon, curl-crested aracari, golden-collared toucanet, and many others.
• Lunch during the excursion.
• At 16:00 h return to the lodge to rest.
• Dinner and overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 4: Observation tower and small lake
• Breakfast.
• Climbing the 42 m high observation tower. Here you can see, among other things, gilded barbet, amazonian pygmy-owl, purple-throated fruit crow, white-necked puffbird, paradise tanager, turquoise tanager, green and gold tanager, as well as the chance of seeing species of macaws, parrots, toucans and aracaries, and with a lot of luck the extremely endangered harpy eagle.
• Look for new bird species on the way back to the lodge.
• Llunch.
• Excursion along the «Big Tree», «Laguna Chica» and «La Torre» trails that lead through different types of forest. You can find here: blue-throated piping guan, black-spotted bare-eye, pale-legged hornero, band-tailed manakin, fiery-capped manakin, cream-collared woodpecker and many other species.
• Dinner and overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 5: Lake Cocococha
• Breakfast.
• Excursion to lake Cocococha, about 5 km away, to watch birds at sunrise, such as horned screamer, hoatzin, anhinga and various types of jacanas, kingfishers, and perhaps red-bellied macaw and blue and yellow macaws. With luck we may see the rare agami heron, point-tailed palmcreeper and long-billed woodcreeper. There are various other specialist lake birds that may accompany us, as well as the chance of seeing endangered giant river otters.
• Lunch at the lake.
• Return to the lodge at 16:00 h.
• Dinner.
• After dinner, option for a night drive to look for caimans and see nocturnal birds such as ladder-tailed nightjar, common pootoo and tropical screech-owl.
• Overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 6: Explorers Inn
• Breakfast.
• Hike on other trails to find new bird species or repeat an excursion you've already made.
• Lunch and dinner.
• Possibility of a night walk to see owls and other nocturnal birds.
• Overnight at the Lodge Explorers Inn.
Day 7: Farewell to the jungle
• Breakfast.
• Boat trip on the Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado.
• Transfer to Puerto Maldonado airport for the return flight.
Included
• Airport transfer in Puerto Maldonado.
• Private land and sea transportation throughout the program.
• Accomodation.
• Meals at the lodge.
Not included
• Transfers to and from Puerto Maldonado.
• Possibly additional overnight stay in Puerto Maldonado.
• Alcoholic and bottled beverages.
• Tips. After breakfast transfer to Puerto Maldondo Airport.
Program extensions
• Two-day trip to the salt lick of parrots and macaws with overnight in a riverside camp.
• Transfers to and from Puerto Maldonado.
• Additional programs in other parts of Peru, e.g. Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Colca Valley, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Manu, Tambopata.
