Amazon Rainforest Add-on Tour (from Cuzco)

Name: Amazon Rainforest Add-on Tour (from Cuzco)
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 1 (1 reviews)

1 reviews

Activity

Wildlife Holidays

Overview

Explore the world’s largest rainforest, of unparalleled biodiversity

Easily accessible via a short flight from Cuzco, the Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and home to an astonishing array of wildlife, as well as countless plant species. Spending three nights at a riverside lodge in the Tambopata Reserve, we use motorised canoes to explore its lakes and rivers, and follow jungle trails to discover its dense forests. The biodiversity of this region is incredible and with a bit of luck you may see colourful macaws and other tropical birds as well as an array of native South American mammals, such as capybara and Giant river otter. There’s also time to relax by the river at the lodge or to sit back in a hammock.

Key Information

Trip Code: XTRAIN4
Countries: Peru
Carbon Footprint: 73kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Expert local guides in the rainforest
One domestic flight

Highlights

Fall asleep to the sound of the jungle, spending three nights in a riverside lodge in the Tambopata Reserve
Explore the dense rainforest and its waterways on foot and by motorised canoe
Look out for mammals including giant river otters, wild boar, capybara and a variety of monkeys
Chance to spot tropical birds including parrots, macaws, hoatzin and kingfishers
Learn about the diversity and medicinal properties of the vegetation

Itinerary

First Destination: Cuzco hotel (Pre-tour: Puerto Maldonado airport)
Next Destination: Puerto Maldonado airport (Pre-tour: Cuzco hotel)

Meals included:Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Cuzco hotel (Pre-tour: Puerto Maldonado airport)
Next Destination: Puerto Maldonado airport (Pre-tour: Cuzco hotel)

A car and a driver will collect you from your hotel early this morning and take you to Cuzco airport in time for the early morning flight to Puerto Maldonado. Puerto Maldonado is a small jungle town and you will be met by a guide at the airport, who will accompany you to the jungle lodge. The transfer is a short (45 minute) drive to the river, from where you continue by boat to the jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve (between 1.5 and 3 hours depending on which lodge you are staying in). On the way it is possible to see caiman, River turtles and a wide variety of bird life. A light lunch/snack is served on the boat. You will make a stop at the lodge’s office in Puerto Maldonado town en route where you will be provided with a duffel bag and be asked to take only what you need with you, whilst your main luggage will be stored securely at the office during your stay in the rainforest.

Pre-tour: If travelling on this before your main Exodus tour, the add-on tour starts at Puerto Maldonado airport this morning.

Amazon Rainforest Lodge

Meals included:Lunch, Dinner

Amazon Rainforest Add-on Tour (from Cuzco)

The next two days are spent exploring the forest, rivers and lakes surrounding the lodge, on foot and in both motorised and paddle canoes. Although a lot of the wildlife tends to hide in the dense foliage, we should expect to see a wide variety of birds, including herons and egrets, jacanas, macaws and the almost prehistoric-looking hoatzin, as well as several species of monkey, reptiles and insects, and with luck the Giant otters which live in the rivers of the Amazon Basin.

Amazon Rainforest Lodge

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A dawn start is required for the boat transfer back to Puerto Maldonado (usually departing between 07:30 and 08:30), giving memorable views of the sunrise over the river. Look out for the early morning wildlife, which is particularly active at this time. Howler monkeys are frequently heard as they stake out their territories. You will go via the lodge’s office in town to collect the rest of your luggage and then continue to Puerto Maldonado airport (usually arriving between 09:30 and 11:00 – depending on which lodge you have come from). The add-on tour ends at Puerto Maldonado airport – if booking your own flights, you should not book an onward flight from Puerto Maldonado departing before 13:00 at the earliest.

Pre-tour: If travelling on this before your main Exodus tour, a flight from Puerto Maldonado airport to Cuzco is included today. Upon arrival into Cuzco you will be transferred to the start hotel of your main Exodus holiday.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Accommodation

Amazon Lodge

Although we usually use Cayman Lodge, this is subject to availability and we work with a variety of lodges in the Tambopata Reserve within the Amazon. All offer a similar standard of accommodation and rainforest experience, and each has a network of walking trails through the forest.

The lodges are between 1½ and 3½ hours by boat from Puerto Maldonado, and each has a main building surrounded by lodge/bungalow accommodation. The rooms are usually based on two people sharing, and all have private bathrooms with a shower as well as mosquito nets over the beds. Some lodges also have mosquito screens on the windows, but this will vary from lodge to lodge. There is usually no electricity in the bedrooms, and lighting is provided by lanterns or candles.

The main buildings each have a dining room and bar, as well as a small selection of books relating to the rainforest and its flora and fauna. These are usually the only areas of the lodge with an electrical supply (not 24 hour).

A compulsory single supplement or sole traveller supplement may be applicable.

Essential Information

This add-on tour may be booked before of after any Exodus tour that starts/ends in Cuzco.

Activities and transfers to and from the lodge are not exclusive to Exodus clients and may be shared with other guests at the lodge.

There are some walks along jungle trails, which although well marked, can be muddy following periods of rain. The walks are not particularly physically demanding but you should have a reasonable level of fitness. The rainforest is generally hot and humid in the daytime and the high humidity can be uncomfortable at times, although nights and early morning end evening can be a little chilly. Mosquitoes are present, and are particularly active after it has rained and at dawn and dusk.

The Amazon is teeming with life and at night you will hear the sounds of the jungle. There will be some very early morning starts as the wildlife is often most active at dawn and dusk when the temperature is cooler.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings and factors such as poor weather can affect the likelihood of seeing wildlife. Many creatures are more elusive during rain and additionally some planned activities may be postponed or altered depending on the weather or river levels for safety reasons. Your guide may assume that you don’t want to go out in the rain but if this is not the case please make this known to your guide to make sure you don’t miss out.

The accommodation is simple but comfortable. Given the remoteness of the lodges, please be aware that there is no mains electricity and service at meal times can be quite relaxed. Only the main buildings have power for a few hours a day. Lighting in your room will be by torch and lanterns/candles.

Peru

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Peru. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/entry-requirements
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Peru.html

All meals are included during your stay in the Amazon. The food is a mixture of Peruvian and international cuisine.

Please do not drink the tap water or brush your teeth with it – it is not potable.

Whilst the Amazon Rainforest is generally warm and humid, it can be subject to drops in temperature caused by cold fronts pushing in from the south, especially in June and July. This can send temperatures dropping into single figures, and if taking the rainforest add-on tour we recommend that you take some warm clothing with you to the lodge in case of sudden changes in the weather.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

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Ian Gunn

Added June 2024

Rainforest extension

After a great trek this was disappointing. The guide (Raoul) gave the impression of just going through the motions really.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Poor

Reply from Exodus

Thank you for taking the time to review your trip, Ian; we’re delighted to hear that your time in the Amazon rainforest followed a great trek with us in Peru, but are so sorry to read that the extension itself didn’t live up to your expectations. This extension is led by local guides employed by the Amazon Lodge our clients stay at, and we’re extremely sorry that you weren’t impressed with your guide, Raoul. We generally get very good feedback about the Amazon Rainforest Extension and are confident that the local guides who lead our clients are enthusiastic experts, but we regret that on this occasion Raoul didn’t make a positive impact on your trip. This is the first time we have been made aware that a guide hasn’t lived up to our clients’ expectations and should we receive similar feedback, we will alert the lodge involved. We hope that, despite this, you have some fond memories of your time exploring the Amazon. - The Exodus Product Team

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