Description

Peru is one of the richest countries in ornithology and culture, especially southern Peru – Cusco. That is why all photography, culture and bird watching tours begin in this city and many of them also end right
here.
Machupicchu with its incomparable history, added to the great Biological Biodiversity of Manu National Park are the perfect combination for nature and culture lovers, which offer us an infinitive number of
photographic opportunities, making this photo tour an adventure unparalleled from beginning to end.

Day 1 – 3: Upper Manu Road.

Early in the morning we’ll start our excursion to Manu road, we’ll drive through the dry Andes, along the way will make a couple of selected stops before arriving at the last Andean pass – Ajanaco depending of the weather conditions we’ll be able to look out from the last range of the Andes over the Amazon basin stretching into the distance, here we can compare both sides of the Andes, at this point just below the treeline down we start our Photography tour on this area, of course we’ll stop several time before to get a landscape photo.
we need to spend couple days in Upper Manu road area, possibilities are many but we hope to encounter mixed species flocks of Tanagers, Flycatchers and Ovenbirds, some of them are around the lodge close by Hummingbird feeders.

Night: Upper Manu Road. L:D.

Day 4 – 7: Middle Manu Road – Cock-of-the-rock Lek.

We’ll keep going into Manu heart, our next three full days is around Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge – this is tanager paradise!
The lodge gardens are visited by Several Hummingbirds, so we will be busy for at least couple days getting our best shots between Tanagers and Hummingbirds.
of course Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks are our main target so we»ll visit a lek!, where every day early in the morning and afternoons this bird is displaying, making his best show for females,
At night we have more chance for night birds, usually slow, but we should see Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Band-Bellied Owl and Rufescent Screech-Owl is also a possibility.

Night: San Pedro – Cloud forest. B:L:D.

Day 8 – 9: Amazon Foothill.

After to spend couple days in middle Manu road, we keep going down the hill, until amazon basin, where another selection of new species are waiting for us.
variety of habitats provide more species, we start with lowland birds, in this new lodge, options are plenty, not only for hummingbirds, but tanagers, antbirds, woodpeckers and couple or waterbirds,
­­­Garden is so wonderful, where we could find rare visitor. This Lodge offer us a new feeder type, for ground birds, where some tinamous and antpittas can be photograph, considering behavior and habitat of these species, we have a unique chance to photograph them.
In the evening, we have a good chance of photograph ­night birds Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, but the local Black-banded Owl – though we usually hear it – is much more difficult to get a good shot, and this part of the challenge.
Night: Amazonian Lodge. B:L:D.

Day 10 – 11: Amazon Basin.

Time to leave to get our first lowland lodge, we take a short boat ride down stream from Atalaya Port.
Here there is a nice Garden, our target is spend some time for the crazy and beautiful hummers that we can find just around here.Afternoon can be very productive, Parrots. Macaws and Woodcreepers are nesting in the garden.
Another and unique target is Hoatzin our prehistorical species, also known as the reptile bird, skunk bird, stink bird, or Canje pheasant, is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests.

Night: Amazonian Lodge. B:L:D.

Day 12 – 15: Amazon Rainforest.

We have a long day ride down stream to get our last lowland lodge, Scanning from the boat, we’ll enjoying Nature, wildlife and bird photography you have the best chance from the boat, along the river, Manu National park has incredible biodiversity in the world, this place can offer to show us innumerable quantity of birds and mammals, even with the really small chance, here we have the best opportunity to see the wildlife like the mythical tropical rain forest predator «Jaguar», and several species of monkeys.
During our stay we’ll visit a famous Macaw clay lick and oxbow lake, in a comfortable catamaran, from where we get lots of great species including rare Giant Otter.
after this amazing adventure we go back to the civilization, until Puerto Maldonado where we take a flight back Lima and / or international flight.
End of amazing Photography tour.

Night: Amazonian Lodge. B:L:D.

Machupicchu Extension – 3 days.

Machupicchu its one of the 7 wonders of the world, if you are in Cusco you have to visit this mythical and impressive archaeological site, I am sure you will have a great time enjoying the Culture and nature together,
we consider an extension this part of the tour considering your available time of your vacation, so we can run this «Machupicchu photography tours extension after or before our main tour.
anyway this 3 days will be totally amazing, we’ll learn about Culture, History, Cuisine, Archaeology, Nature, Wildlife and Photography in short time.
if you want to do this extension before, so we’ll start in Cusco, if you want to do the tour at the end, you should go back to Cusco. From here we take a train to get Machupicchu town, its the only way to get there, first day we take train, second day we’ll visits all archeological site with an expert guide, and last day we’ll go back to Cusco.

Night:Cusco / Ollantaytambo / Cusco. B:L:D.

What to Bring:

• Please do not bring too much luggage. For domestic flights you can hold 23 kg. ( 50.7063 lbs.) and 8 kg. (17.637 lbs.) in hand luggage. Extra costs run by yourselves.
• Lightweight comfortable clothing is recommended, i.e. standard field pants and shirts for the
  entire trip, some jackets, gloves, for cold places is enough, at least for the Cusco area.
• Day back pack is recommended, we have some walking and you need to pack daily use devices.
• Sunblock and hat or cap.
• Mosquito or insect Repellent
• An umbrella and rain poncho, remember even if you have a good weather forecast, this can change suddenly.
• Please using camouflaged clothing would be OK, not really any military clothing avoid the second.
• Dry back pack is recommended, specially for river sailing.
• Shower thongs / rubber flip flops will be useful.
• if you will take Machupicchu Extension: Inside the train is allowed just hand backpack, so please consider this but if you have your check luggage no problem, we are going to keep it until you are back in Cusco again.

Recommendation:

• Camera.
• Camara lenses (depending your preference. telephoto, Macro or/and Wide angle.)
• Continuous light Lamp (optional)
• Flash.
• Extra Batteries
• Tripod.
• Remote control Flash. (Optional)
• Binoculars. (Optional).

General:

• we’ll visit protected national Park and Private protected area, our tour will primarily be on forested roads and some trails – difficulty is totally easy level.
• We will be moving between 3400 – 300 meters, asl (11154.86 – 984.252 feet), . Mostly between 500 – 1500 meters.
• We will experience all kinds of weather, but no special clothing is necessary.
• We will have electric power at all our destinations. There are sockets inside all rooms with 220 volt electricity.
• Lodges provide this service by generator from 6 – 9 pm. This in 3 different lodges, and in the other lodges you will have electricity 24 hours
• Please note be sure and bring extra batteries sometimes one single battery is not enough for one day.
• Wifi service its available just in one Lodge.
• additional memory card would be OK, please remember to download your previous day photos.

Medical and Health Information:

High altitude information you may find useful.  Arriving in Cusco you will be at an altitude of 3400 mt. – 11154.86 feet is fairly high, but probably not high enough to cause serious problems, our Photography tour is relaxing, we try to avoid physical effort mostly we’ll be driving with short conformable walks, Adjusting to higher altitude is a very individual thing.
Some may feel no effects at all, some may have minor effects, and others may experience great difficulty.
You may feel the lack of oxygen, and will easily get “out of breath” You may feel a little nauseous, have a headache, or tire easily.. You will acclimatize to it by producing more red blood cells, so you should make sure you stay well hydrated, avoid physical effort as the extra cells thicken your blood. and Coca Tea its very helpful.

Drink lots of water, while avoiding alcohol or caffeine. Dehydration can make any effects of altitude worse. Try to avoid overeating the first day.

your safety and well-being is of first importance above all else.

Therefore, I will be making frequent checks to make sure everyone is feeling well.
If someone in the group isn’t feeling well easily we can visit and small hospital to be sure that you are OK at the same time we can ask for some medicine at the drugstore after doctor diagnostic.
There are medications available for altitude sickness. Please check with your doctor. For the headache, you can take an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve).

Travel insurance

Our suggestion is that you use travel insurance service. The normal price of this tour not cover travel insurance.

Books:

Birds of Peru is the best field Guide.
If you consider you can bring some other field guide are welcome.

+ Prices Include:

• Private transport in all the way.
• All accommodations in all the tour (Cusco / Puerto Maldonado).
• Three meals per day (breakfast, lunch/ picnic or box lunch depending where we are, dinner, snacks, water available all the time).
• Guide specialist / photo assistance.
• River transport.
• Entrances to all Archaeological sites and Birding spots.
• Blanquillo Macaw clay lick fee entrance.
• Blanco lake fee entrance.
• Transfers in Cusco.
• Basically full board in a private tour.
• Oxygen Bottle.

Machupicchu Extension

• Train tickets round trip to Machupicchu.
• Machupicchu fee entrance.
• Buss in / in Out to Machupicchu.

– Not included:

• Laundry, calls, medical costs or hospitalization, excess baggage charges, insurance, or other items of personal nature.

What I (guide) will have with me

• Camara.
• Tripod.
• Recording stuff Roland R-05/Microphone SENNHEISER ME66/K6.
• Two iPods- speakers.
• A Swarovski ATX 80 scope 20-60 zoom
• Green laser pointer
• Owling light.
• GPS.
• Personal Swarovski Binoculars.
• I will be carrying the new field guide Birds of Peru this can be found on www.amazon.com.

Tour Calendar 2023:

• 9th May 2023
• 1st July 2023
• 23rd August 2023
• 15th October 2023
• 7th December 2023

If some our fixed departure doesn’t work with you, we can propose a fixed departure with your available dates , also if you need private or customized tour, please contact us for more information, all our tours are totally flexible and adjustable to your needs.

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