Jungle Manu Biosphere Reserve
This Amazon journey through the Manu Biosphere Reserve to the Amazon Wildlife Center is one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the entire Amazon rainforest. Due to its ecological diversity, Manu boasts the highest recorded bird, mammal, and plant diversity of any park on Earth, including 1,000 of the world’s 9,700 bird species,
200 species of mammals, and 15,000 species of flowering plants. Traversing a vast elevation range traveling by land over the Andes, explore unique habitats with overnight stops at the Cock-of-the-Rock Cloud Forest Lodge and the Amazonia Lodge in the Manu foothills. In spend two nights at a secluded tent camp,
located close to wildlife-rich oxbow lakes. At the Manu Wildlife Center you hike on an extensive network of trails,
take nocturnal forays through the forest to a tapir clay lick blind, canoe in oxbow lakes in search of giant river otters, and climb a steel circular staircase into the rain forest canopy. Nearby are two macaw licks to photograph and observe colorful macaws from a blind.
This trip departs Cusco on Tuesdays from April-October and can be combined with our Valley Sacred Lands of the Incas trip and any of our trekking departures or included in a custom designed Peru Adventure with MANU JUNGLE TRIPS.
TOURS ECO MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE, PERU AMAZON
Manu Reserved – Blanquillo to Puerto Maldonado 8 days
Manu Zone Reserved Natural Paradise With Blanquillo And Puerto Maldonado Bus/Flight Manu National Park, one of the biggest protected areas in the world, is home to the some of the greatest biodiversity and the greatest biomass in the world. The park boasts over 1,000 species of birds and 200 species of mammals. Including the biosphere reserve (Manu National Park Biosphere)
BIRDING THE MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE, PERU
Peru stands at the top of the international birder’s agenda. Complex patterns of biogeography and topography across many different ecotones have blessed the country with some of the greatest diversity and density of birds on earth. This coupled with its rich history and culture makes Peru a must see destination for the intrepid birder.
Approximately 1,792 bird species are known to occur in Peru Biosphere, which corresponds to 18.5% of all known bird species on earth, and 45% of all neo-tropical birds. In fact, only Columbia has a higher diversity of bird species. Many species new to science have recently been discovered in Peru Biosphere (including from the Manu
Park region), and the majority of these still await formal description. Unlike other top-ranking neo-tropical birding destinations, such as Ecuador or Costa Rica, Peru still has extensive tracts of undisturbed habitats. Consequently, most reputable bird tour companies have Peru on their menu of birding holidays.
How to get there to Peru – Manu ?
From Europe without US transit – KLM, Iberia and Lufthansa fly to Lima. From North America – American, Delta, Continental, LAN and Air Canada, all fly to Lima – Peru.
The jumping off point for Manu Park is Cusco – Peru at 3300 meters above sea level in the Peruvian Andes. Cusco is a 1 hour jet flight from Lima which is where all international flights arrive. Carriers include Lan, StarPeru and
TACA. In Cusco there are a wide variety of hotels from 5 star to cheap and cheerful. From Cusco it is possible to self drive as far as Atalaya. In reality access and logistics are so complex and time consuming, taking a tour with a reliable operator is recommended. There is an intermittent and unreliable air service to the Boca Manu Aerodrome
in the lowland rainforest from Cusco. The aerodrome is one and a half hours from Manu Nature Wildlife Centre Lodge and one hour from the Romero Rainforest Lodge – Peru.
When to go and climate of Manu ?
Anytime is good. A birding trip to Manu is possible at anytime of year but there is more rain from December to April. Cold snaps (Friajes) from the south are periodic in the May to July period and can affect birdsong. The area
has a wide range of climates, from the cold, dry Andes to the hot, humid Amazon forests. There are however, no long term records of rainfall or temperature in the manu park, and up to 1985 continuous records of rainfall were
only available for two years (1976 and 1982). At the Biological Station of Cocha Cashu (400m), the rainfall between September 1976 and August 1977 was 2100mm. There is a rainy season from October to April with an average monthly rainfall of more than 200mm. From early May to late September rainfall decreases to less than 100mm per
month. There is a slight variation of air temperature during the year. The coldest month is June with an average temperature of 11.1 C the hottest month is October with 25.4 C. There are virtually no records of rainfall within the
park above 650m. At Pilcopata Biosphere (650m) the mean annual rainfall (1971-1980) was 3929mm and all months have more than 100mm of rain. July is the driest month with an average rainfall of 188mm. Higher up into
the Andes rainfall drops again, and temperatures fall significantly to average a few degrees above zero. Fog is common all year round in montane forest regions.