Peru Independent Short Break: Amazon Jungle Adventure

Hola! Welcome to Peru. A lodge representative will welcome you at the airport, so please make sure you arrive in Puerto Maldonado by 1 pm. Then, head to the Amazon lodge office, where you’ll safely store most of your luggage for the duration of your Short Break. Pack everything you need for your two days in the jungle in a small bag provided and hit the road again. To reach your jungle lodge in the Madre de Dios area, journey in a motorised canoe upriver. When you arrive, unwind in your new jungle surroundings.

Start your day by exploring the Amazon by boat and foot. You’ll arrive at an oxbow lake in the middle of the rainforest – the habitat of a family of giant otters. Keep your eyes peeled for a variety of jungle fauna along the way, like hoatzins, monkeys, macaws, black caimans, flying parrots and, if you’re lucky, a family of endangered giant river otters (pteronoura brasilienses). Then, head to the parrot clay lick where birds flock to feed on the salty clay. The macaws begin by ceremoniously circling the cliff area and the feeding frenzy usually lasts 20 to 25 minutes. The salt from the clay is thought to detoxify the birds’ fruit diet. After, enjoy lunch back at the lodge before heading back out to the jungle to learn about the medicinal properties of the plants. Return to the lodge once again to freshen up before dinner. If you want to see the Amazon jungle at night, you can join an optional night walk later in the evening.

Get up close to mammals during their morning feeding time. Unlike birds, these timid creatures follow no set schedule and feed day or night, making them harder to observe in the wild. Watch for white-lipped peccaries and collared peccaries, deer, agouti, squirrels and tapir at this feeding station. For your own food, head back to the lodge. Then, visit the lodge’s medicinal garden or a local family farm that has developed traditional and sustainable agricultural methods over the years. Here, you’ll identify plant species that are typical of the region. Enjoy a final dinner back at the lodge tonight.

Depart the lodge this morning after an early breakfast. You’ll be taken from the port to the airport, at which point your trip comes to an end. Departure flights for today should be booked for after 11.45 am.