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[loz_matt]

Hiya,
We are heading to Peru in just over 2 weeks however we are still undecided on where is the best place to visit the amazon... basically we want to head there after visiting cusco and its sights, and are then heading back to lima afterwards (for flights). Is there anywhere in particular that anyone recommends? we just want to soak up the atmosphere for a few days, see some wildlife and experience the culture...
Thankyou in advance for any replies!
Lauren

[mmbcross]

Hello Lauren,

Much depends on the time you have available for the visit. Nevertheless the obvious choice from Cusco in Puerto Maldonado on the Madre de Dios river, which is a tributary of the Amazon. Please give me an approximate number of days available and if you have budget restraints and I'll be happy to offer more suggestions.

[loz_matt]

Thanks for your help!
We are spending just over 3 weeks in peru in total, and haven't set out an exact itinerary. We will be flying in to lima then travelling down the coast visiting ica, nazca, arequipa, puno and then on to cusco. We've been advised this would take approx 2 weeks, so we would have just over a week spare to visit the rainforest and return to lima.
Budget wise we are planning on having about £800 / $1600 available for the whole trip, and aren't looking to stay anywhere flash, just hostels.
We were looking at puerto maldonado, or the manu area, but weren't sure where would be better?
We can possibly stay for four weeks, do you think this would be worth it?
Thankyou again

[mmbcross]

The Manu Bisosphere Reserve is probably the best wildlife area in the Amazon. It's not easy to get to, unless you can spring for a charter flight from Cuzco, nevertheless it is accessible by hair raising road over the Andes also.

Skim through some blogs from Travelpodders who have been there. Don't hesitate to contact them if there is something that interests you.

http://www.travelpod.com/cgi-bin/keyword2....phere%20reserve

These sites are local Cusco based companies that offer services in Manu, mainly for those with the means to fly in. If nothing else, the information is excellent:
http://www.inkanatura.com/manuperu.asp.
http://www.manuperu.com/index.htm
and these are a couple of lodges in the Manu area:
http://www.manuwildlifecenter.com/
http://www.manulodgeperu.com/

I hope you can find what you need, as I think Manu will be the place for you to experience the Amazon.

Cheers
Martin

[loz_matt]

brilliant
have skimmed through already and found lots of great tips.
Thanks for your help!
Lauren

[mmbcross]

Great! I'm glad we could be of help.

Please help us and tell your trip to the world by writing your own Travelpod blog about your trip to Peru.

Enjoy!

[sarce]

For your future reference, I highly recommend you check the following web pages:

1. Amazon Rainforest

2. Rainforest Expedition

In my opinion, these are the best Amazon lodge and tour operators in the Tambopata Natonal Reserve.

[kiwi_surfer]

Im looking at visiting peru, Looks like i will do the Manu trip. I had a look at your links mmbcross and i just have a few questions.

Can you confirm the prices in this link?

http://www.inkanatura.com/manu_wildlife_center_4d3n.asp

it looks like it may be $1,350US per person? then it says single suppl @ $225US

Its just a bit confusing for me to figure out.

Im looking at going with a friend and we dont really want to spend $1,350 each, for a 4 day tour of the amazon

[mmbcross]

Regrettably it's US$ 1,350.00 each, based on you using a double room. If you wanted to each use a single room, then the price would be US$ 1,350 + US$ 225 = US$ 1,575.

Bear in mind that it does seem to include the charter flight from Cusco to Boca Manu.

Your next question is sure to be..."Can we do it ourselves without a tour operator?"

Virtually anything in the world can be done without a tour operator, but some things are harder than others. Unfortunately due to the remoteness of Manu National Park, this is one of the harder ones. There is actually land transport from Cusco to Atalaya, then motorized canoe to Boca Manu, but as you can see by this blog, it's a long and tiring journey. On the second blog, the bus passengers were actually held up and beaten by bandits!
http://www.travelpod.com/s/boca+manu

To be honest, you may have to gulp and pay up on this one.

On the other hand, a less expensive alternative may be to fly by regular aircraft from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and visit the Tambopata Natural Reserve, which is more accessible.
http://www.go2peru.com/manu_tambopata_travel_guide.htm
http://www.travelpod.com/s/tambopata

Whatever you decide to do, please keep in touch and let us know your experiences.

[abulia]

I went to Manu with Amazon Trails Peru, which was somewhat cheaper than other operators. We spent a lot of time on the boat, but it was an amazing experience and we had a great time! We went in overland and the drive was fantastic, though we did blow a few tires on some pretty rough roads. Manu is a wonderful place!

[dzasta]

Im in Peru now and heading to P.M. next week. I looked at Manu but it was way out of my price range so I am heading to P.M. I have 2 tour booked at Tambopata and Ecoamazonia. If you like watch my blog on here cos I will be telling my kids all about it and it might help you. www.travelpod.com/members/dzasta

[kiwi_surfer]

sweet, thanks