The southern Amazon: the forest as an extension of the south

Four environments not to confuse

A good stay combines several of these environments. Be wary of programmes that promise everything in two days.

Puerto Maldonado

Puerto Maldonado, at an altitude of about 180 metres, was founded in 1902 at the confluence of the Tambopata and the Madre de Dios. The name of the rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald remains attached to the region, which he had linked to the Ucayali basin via the isthmus that bears his name; his death, in July 1897, in the wreck of the steamer Adolfito, is told in differing ways, and the accounts studied by the historian Lorena Córdoba place it in the Ucayali–Urubamba system, not at the confluence of Puerto Maldonado. Today it is a town of timber, Brazil nuts, boatbuilding, ecotourism and gold panning. You get there by plane from Lima or Cusco, or by the Interoceanic Highway, which links the Pacific coast with Brazil.

The town itself has little to visit: it is the embarkation point. The town and the lodge are two different things: compare the transfer times, the location and the activities that are really possible. Ask for the latest pick-up time at the airport on the first day, and the departure time from the lodge on the last, so as not to miss the plane.

The context. Illegal gold mining, which employs tens of thousands of people in the region, destroys rivers and forests. The FDFA reports a very tense situation in the south of the province of Tambopata, linked to illegal mining, and recommends travelling with guides who know the region well. The tourist lodges are in other sectors, but find out about the recent situation before you leave.

Tambopata and Lake Sandoval

The Tambopata National Reserve protects a vast area of forests, lakes and rivers, with about 600 species of birds and 169 of mammals according to SERNANP. A lodge that bears the name “Tambopata” is not necessarily in the reserve: ask which sector it is in, and whether entry to the reserve is included.

The entry fee and opening hours: S/ 30 for one day, S/ 60 for two to three days, S/ 150 for four to thirty days (general rate); every day from 5:00 to 19:00; Lake Sandoval 30 minutes by boat then 3 km on foot; middle Tambopata (Cocococha, Sachavacayoc and Condenado lakes) about 3 hours by boat; upper Tambopata (Chuncho and Colorado clay licks) about 5 hr 30 min by boat.

Lake Sandoval, about 16 km from the town, is one of the largest oxbow lakes in south-eastern Peru, covering some 125 hectares. You get there on foot through the forest, then travel by boat or canoe; the giant otters and black caimans are its stars. The paiche, a large Amazonian fish that lives there today, escaped from a nearby fish farm during a flood in 1979. It is a good outing for a first stay; it can be very busy in the high season.

Choose an operator that respects the wildlife and refuses forced contact. A responsible programme explains that the animals are free; be wary of promises of interaction or a list of guaranteed species.

Manu

Manu National Park, listed by UNESCO, covers 1.7 million hectares, from the Andean grasslands above Cusco down to the lowland forests: it is this gradient that makes it one of the richest parks in the world, with more than 1,000 bird species. It is not a quick equivalent of Sandoval.

Very different zones. The park is divided into zones: most of it, reserved for protection and research, is home to intact forests and Indigenous peoples, some of whom live in voluntary isolation; tourism takes place in the zones set aside for it, with an authorised operator. Peoples in isolation are never an attraction: do not look for them, and do not pay to “see” them.

The journey. Andean sector via Paucartambo to Acjanaco (143 km, about 4 hours from Cusco); río Manu sector: Cusco–Atalaya in about 8 hours by road, then about 7 hours by boat to Limonal (a six-day visit is advised); an authorised operator is compulsory. In practice, you go down by vehicle from Cusco through the cloud forest, where you see the cock-of-the-rock, then continue by boat. It is a week-long expedition, with several nights in lodges or camps, a lot of travelling, and a diversity of landscapes that no other stay offers. Ask for the exact itinerary, the road and boat times, where you will spend the nights and the zone visited.

Three, four or five nights, including transfers

Activities, comfort, guide: what to ask

• The outings: how many per day, at what time (dawn and night are the best times), on foot or by boat, with how many travellers per guide.
• The guide: do they speak your language, are they trained in wildlife, how many travellers do they accompany?
• Comfort: a room open to the forest or closed, a mosquito net, hot water, electricity (possible hours), meals.
• The limits: the forest is dense, the animals discreet; you hear much more than you see. A good guide says so.

Choosing an authorised operator

SERNANP requires Tambopata, like Manu, to be visited with an authorised operator. Before booking, check:

1. that the operator is among those authorised by SERNANP for the sector advertised;
2. that the price specifies what is included: flights or not, transfers, reserve entry, meals, outings, guide;
3. the cancellation conditions in case of a cancelled flight or an impassable river;
4. the evacuation plan in case of a medical emergency, far from any hospital.

According to the CDC, yellow fever vaccination is recommended for Madre de Dios, and malaria is present east of the Andes below 2,500 metres: see a travel medicine centre. See Health.