The Amazon Basin covers a vast swathe of eastern Peru and runs from its northern tip right down to the south of the country and covers over four million square kilometres and 60% of the country’s entire area. Vast regions of this green jungle remain in pristine condition and home to a staggering diversity of life including more than 10% of all the world’s bird species, 4000 species of butterfly, 2000 species of fish, 300 species of mammal and an extraordinarily rich variety of plant species.
The Amazon Rainforest
Why visit The Amazon Rainforest ?
- Walk high in the treetop canopy on the special ‘hanging bridges’
- Watch the multi-coloured parrots sqwarking at the clay licks
- Learn about the medicinal plants and try out a traditional bow & arrow
- Go fishing for piranha & other species in the many pretty lakes
- Head out in search of sloths, macaws and the legendary pink dolphins
The two principal areas where the jungle can be reached are via Iquitos in the north of the country and via Puerto Maldonado in the south. The only real difference is that the principal jungle viewing area in the north is based on the Amazon River itself and so visitors usually do a cruise, whilst in the south most people stay in jungle lodges located on the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers.
Manu National Park is 1.6 million square hectares and is one of the world’s largest protected areas and contains three distinct ecological levels namely: High Andes, High Jungle/Cloud Forest and Rain Forest.
The activities at all jungle lodges tend to be similar in nature with an emphasis on trying to show guests a wide selection of flora and fauna with hikes in the forest with your naturalist guides, visits to parrot clay licks & canopy towers, as well as exploring the lakes and rivers by motorised dug-out canoe. We would recommend a three night stay as a minimum in order to make the visit worthwhile and to ensure you have as good a chance as possible of seeing plenty of the exotic wildlife including various macaw and parakeet species, giant otters, tapir, crocodiles and capybara.
LOCATION
PERU KEY INFO
Visa
No visa is required for UK passport holders.
Health Requirements
No mandatory vaccinations are required.
Time Difference
GMT - 5 Hours
Flight Time
12.5 hours Direct
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