Wanting to spend more than just a couple of days birding in the Peruvian Amazon jungle, I signed up for a 9-day, 8-night trip with Manu Expeditions that would begin on July 5th. This tour was more expensive than many, but every night was to be spent at a lodge, including three at the Manu Wildlife Center. Moreover, the company was owned by a birder, and, while this wasn’t a birding tour per se (they were even more expensive), the emphasis seemed to be on wildlife rather than activities.
Since Nina made all the arrangements, I had no direct contact with the office staff for this company. They were pretty iffy about whether the trip was going to occur or not, exactly how it would be run, and several other logistical items; all of which made Nina very nervous. I persisted in my choice and paid for the trip. And, we heard nothing.
As we neared my departure date, Nina checked with them and was told the trip would occur. It would have been nice of them to let us know. I found out on the trip that three of the others had paid their money about the same time I had. All that worry and aggravation had been unnecessary. Moreover, the member of this group of three who had done the booking seemed to be having a running disagreement with the tour guide about sleeping arrangements as in a triple vs a double + a single. Whether this was the result of a lack of communication, misunderstanding, or obfuscation, I don’t know. I do know that I paid the single supplement, and there never was a question about my accommodations.
The company did let Nina know in advance that air service from the small field near Boca Manu was no longer available, so there would be a change in itinerary. In addition, some of the lodges we stayed at were not the ones listed in the itinerary, but that was probably for the better.
During the trip, things happened which I will talk about as I discuss the trip. For me, they provide interesting travel stories. Thus, if you are considering an extended visit to Manu, not just a couple-day visit to a lodge near Puerto Montalnado, be prepared for an adventure. If all goes as originally planned, consider yourself extremely lucky.
Klaus Macedo was an extremely knowledgeable guide. With his help we saw an amazing number of birds, many types of monkeys, giant otters, and a tapir. The only disappointment with respect to wildlife was that we did not get to see a jaguar. Another group who traveled along the same stretch of river on the same day did see one.
I really enjoyed this trip, so if you are prepared to deal with an office staff that might not be totally upfront about everything and to be flexible about itinerary changes on the fly, I highly recommend it.
A teaser