Clients taking this shorter itinerary fly to Boca Manu and then rendezvous with the visitors participating in the regular 7-day tented camp tour.

Day 1 - 08:30 a.m. Transfer you to the airport for a 30' twin-engine flight to the Boca Manu airstrip. Weather allowing, we shall enjoy great views of the snow-capped peaks near Cusco, specially the Ausangate on our tour right, and the Veronica on our left as we cross a low Andean pass on our descent to the jungle. Upon arrival on the small Boca Manu airstrip, we will transfer to motorized dugout canoes. Upon arrival in Boca Manu we will boat upstream by the Madre de Dios River to the Boca Manu village, where we may have to wait for the boat coming from Atalaya with clients participating on the regular 7-day itinerary. Although we will make our best effort to minimize the waiting time, clients will have to be prepared to wait for several hours. Lunch and iced beverages in addition to a short visit to the small settlement of Boca Manu and the surrounding forest may be an interesting experience. Boca Manu is a small village of Andean colonists and indigenous people and is the meeting point of two large rivers, the Manu and the upper Madre de Dios. Every year the combined force of these two rivers eats away the banks near Boca Manu, eroding about 15 meters of land a year. All the houses in Boca Manu are built of wood, because they can be taken down more easily. When people's riverfront houses are about to topple into the river, they dismantle them and rebuild them at the back of the town, albeit without the pleasant waterfront vista. It may be said that the Boca Manu residents take turns dictated by nature to enjoy a seasonal "marina" position. Another interesting feature of Boca Manu is the sustainable use of the seasonal yield of mahogany which the locals transform into beautiful, efficient and durable dugout canoes which are considered as the best in the entire region. We boat upstream by the Manu River, where we spend the night in a tented camp.

Day 2 - Today we boat upstream by the Manu River. As soon as we enter the great Manu Wilderness, every river bend will bring us a vista of unspoiled beauty. We may see Black Caiman, White Caiman, toucans, parrots, scores of wild macaws, several species of raptors, and maybe even a magnificent Jaguar. The best proof of the presence of Jaguars and the possibility of many of our tour groups to see these great cats, are many wonderful amateur photographs that our customers sent back to our company. After about six hours, we arrive at the Salvador Lake surroundings, and then we hike 50 meters from the boat landing to reach our safari style camp.

Day 3 - We may rise to the roaring territorial call of Howler Monkeys. Today we will quietly explore the Salvador Trail system in search of wildlife. Manu is famous for its abundance of primate species. In a typical tour to Manu you may be able to see up to nine of the 13 species of monkeys that occur in Manu: 70-member-troops of Squirrel Monkeys, Brown Capuchins, and White-Fronted Capuchins. Several bird species might also be spotted, which includes: Black-Tailed Tityra, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Golden-bellied Euphonia, Palm Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, and Masked-crimson Tanager. After lunch we will have the opportunity to paddle on the Salvador Lake to observe the Bizarre Hoatzin, Striated Heron, Wattled Jaçana, Yellow-billed Tern, White-winged Swallows, Black-capped Donacobius, and Red-capped Cardinal.

Day 4 - The five-kilometer long Salvador Lake is the largest and most beautiful lake on the lower Manu River. Four lake piers, several trail circuits and a small catamaran will offer us a chance to look for fauna and to observe the serene beauty of this marvelous place. Without any doubt, one of the highlights of the Salvador Lake is the family of Giant Otters. You will be able to see these playful and gregarious carnivores from the catamaran or even better from one of the piers without causing any disturbance of their daily activities. We will make a visit to Lake Otorongo in hopes to see a troop of Woolly Monkeys and to climb a 100-Ft. observation tower near the lakeshore. If we are lucky, while on this tower, we might see a group of Giant Otters playing and fishing on the waters below.

Day 5 - Today we boat back to the confluence of the Manu and the Madre de Dios River to our rendezvous with a twin-engine, pressurized twin-engine plane. The boat journey back to the airstrip is our last chance to spot a Capybara, the world's largest rodent, or a Tapir, a relative of horses and the rainforest's largest land mammal. The small airstrip will almost certainly make you wonder of the possibility of any aircraft landing in the small grassy airstrip. Nevertheless, the expert bush pilots will make it look easy as you take-off over the meandering river. The flight to Cusco is an experience in itself as it provides a totally different perspective of the forest. As the plane gently climbs towards the towering Andes you will have a great view of huge stands of Mauritia palms, the braided Upper Madre de Dios River, smaller meandering tributaries, small native settlements, and the glaciers of the Carabaya range, as well as the Urubamba glaciers near Machu Picchu. Weather conditions, airport traffic in Cusco, and other factors may cause frequent, several hour-delays at either, Cusco or Boca Manu runways. Thus, you should consider flight schedules provided only as a reference. Upon arrival in Cusco our staff will transfer you to your hotel.

Inclusions: Ground, plane and boat transport, naturalist guide, all meals, camping equipment (with the exception of sleeping bags), entrance fees and park permits, transfer to Cusco's Main Square.

Not included: Sleeping bag, bottled water, alcoholic and soft beverages, tips.

Important Note: Two-day Macaw clay lick extension trips are available with all of our itineraries.

(*) For an additional fee of $70.00/person you may spend two first nights in a comfortable Manu Cloud Forest Lodge double-bed room with private bath and hot water shower.

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