5-Days Macaw Clay Lick & Lago Sandoval Tour

Upon arrival at the airport or bus station, you will be transferred to the office of Monte Amazonico Lodge and their tour operator, Carlos Expeditions, for a final briefing about the tour before departing on our adventure. If you have large luggage, we recommend repacking and storing unnecessary items, and carrying only what is necessary for the trip. We will take a 2-hour land transfer (4X4) to reach the banks of the Tambopata River. If we were to travel by river, it would take over 6 hours (just for your information). From here, we will take a boat to our lodge, "Monte Amazonico - Tambopata." Upon arrival, you will be welcomed with either breakfast or lunch, depending on your arrival time. In the afternoon, we will embark on an introductory walk into the rainforest where we will have the opportunity to see animals in their natural habitats, including amphibians, mammals, reptiles, and wonderful insects, among others.

We wake up very early, at 4:30 am, to embark on an incredible boat journey to the world's largest macaw clay lick, "EL CHUNCHO," which takes about 1.5 hours by boat. On the way, we will have the opportunity to spot various species such as capybaras, the world's largest rodents, tapirs, and even the majestic jaguar - many of our clients have even captured photographic evidence of encounters with these beautiful mammals. Upon arrival at the macaw clay lick, we will witness hundreds of parrots of different species (11) gathering to eat clay adjacent to the river on the wall. We will take our seats and wait to witness one of the most beautiful natural bird sightings in the world. The parrots are followed by three species of the most colorful macaws of America - reds and greens, blues and yellows - all gathering to eat clay, which is needed in their daily diet to eliminate toxins. On a good day, we can observe hundreds of these wonderful animals flying over us, making it a truly unforgettable experience. After the macaw clay lick, we will return to our lodge for breakfast and rest. Then, we will take a walk through the botanical garden where we can see various fruit, timber, and medicinal species in our area, in the company of our guide. After lunch, we will have the opportunity to kayak the Tambopata River, where we can move silently along the river, providing us with more opportunities to observe the larger animals of the Tambopata Reserve. For the night, we can rest or participate in a night walk if desired.

After a hearty breakfast, our boat will take us back to Puerto Maldonado and transfer us to the port where we will take a boat for an hour to reach our lodge. We will be welcomed with a refreshing fruit juice from our region and given accommodation. After resting, we will have a two-hour hike in the dense tropical forest, guided by an expert who will take us through the trails and show us a variety of trees that can be more than five hundred years old. We will have the opportunity to observe some species of wild animals such as toucans, orioles, parrots, monkeys, snakes, butterflies, and more. We will experience the magic of our Amazon jungle inside TAMBOPATA NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESERVE (278,000 hectares protected). After lunch, we will visit "Monkey Island," located in front of our lodge across the Madre de Dios River, where we will find different species of monkeys such as the brown capuchin, squirrel monkey, and saddle-back tamarin. We will then return to the lodge. In the evening, we will go on a caiman search. White alligators are typically found on sand banks in the Madre de Dios River, so we will need to bring a flashlight. We may also see some capybara. We will then return to the lodge for dinner and rest.

After breakfast, we will walk 3 km into the dense rainforest to reach Lake Sandoval, one of the largest lakes in the Tambopata National Reserve and a habitat for piranhas. We will then take a rowing boat ride where we can observe many different bird species such as shansho cormorant, jacanas, puma heron, buzzards, howler monkeys, brown capuchin monkeys, tamarins and sloths. We may even have the opportunity to encounter a family of giant river otters, which are almost two meters long and in danger of extinction. We will return to the lodge to enjoy a typical lunch. In the evening, we will have another opportunity for a walk where we can observe the diverse species of insects, amphibians, reptiles, and other nocturnal animals. Dinner and rest at the lodge.

At 5:30 a.m., we will take a short walk to our canopy walkway, which is about 30 meters high and allows us to appreciate nature from the highest possible point. We will also have a panoramic view of the Madre de Dios river. From the platforms, we will observe different species of birds, including toucans, macaws, tanagers, and orioles. It will be a wonderful experience. After breakfast, we will return to the city for airport transfer and/or bus station.