Manu Biosphere and Maquisapayoj Info

offers a special destination in Manu: Manu Blanquillo and Maquisapayoj, to discover the trails through primary forest. Blanquillo and Maquisapayoj are private nature reserves, situated southeast of the Manu National Park, only a short boat ride away from Boca Manu village where you find the Manu Airstrip. Blanquillo offers ideal conditions to observe Giant River Otters at the nearby lakes and Macaws, Parrots and Parakeets at the best Macaw Clay Lick in Manu. As there is no Macaw Clay Lick open for tourism inside the Reserved Zone of Manu National Park, Blanquillo is the ideal spot in Manu to observe macaws and other animals, especially if you don’t have much time or want to avoid long boat travel. On the Manu Biosphere program you spend less time travelling on the boat and thus have more time to explore the trails, oxbow lakes and small rivers in dugout canoes. From our Maquisapayoj Lodge you have more chances to observe macaws and tapirs.

Maquisapayoj Lodge Maquisapayoj Lodge view of Camungo lake from the tower

Maquisapayoj Lodge on the tapir platform in Maquisapayoj

Facilities at Maquisapayoj Lodge, close to the river, include: double rooms with moquito nets and private bathroom and a dining room. In Maquisapayoj you can also stay at the Tapir lick, on a special, elevated platform with comfortable mattresses and moquito nets and toilet just in front of the tapir lek, in dense primary forest. » Manu Biosphere Itinerary Details Please ask for our 20 day birding tour in august 2010! Contact Us

NEW in Amazon Trails Peru! Adventure with balsa raft : see itinerary

Frequent Asked Questions - Manu

1. Do I have to be fit for the Manu Trip?

On the Manu tour you spend some time travelling by bus and on the boat - depending on the tour (e.g. on the National Park Tour you spend more time sitting in the boat) and we do walks that usually do not exceed 3 to 4 hours in one. You only need to bring a day pack on the walks. Night walks are optional.

Due to the humidity and heat some people may feel a bit weak but there is always a 'siesta' at midday and the possibility to stay at the lodge instead of participating in a walk.

A rainforest tour is not a comfortable tour, but if you bring appropriate gear (see packing list) you will have an incomparable experience.

2. How to decide between Manu Biosphere and the Manu National Park tour?

The Manu Biosphere Tour visits 2 oxbow lakes (to observe Giant Otters), the Mammal Salt Lick at Maquisapayoj and the Macaw Clay Lick at Blanquillo private Reserve, both situated 30 km (19 miles) south of Boca Manu. The Macaw Clay Lick is situated outside the National Park (Reserved Zone), thus you need more time for travelling if you want to go into the National Park AND visit the Macaw Clay Lick.

On the Manu Biosphere Tour you have more time for walking on the trails and the tour has one day (day 5 ) to choose which animals you would like to observe (again), which is useful especially in case of bad weather conditions.

On the National Park Tour you spend more time on the boat – travelling up on the Manu River and coming back 2 days later - and visit 2 oxbow lakes inside the Park to observe Giant Otters.

On both tours you have the same options to see animals, on the National Park Tour you have more options to see animals on the riverbanks (while travelling by boat) and on the Manu Biosphere Tour you are more flexible and have more options to see a bigger variety of animals.

3. Is there Malaria and Leishmaniasis in Manu? Which vaccinations do I need?

Malaria: The Malaria risk in Manu is extremely low (less than 0.1 %).
We recommend to bring insect repellent and protect yourself with long sleeves instead of taking heavy malaria prophylaxis (please check for the side effects of these medicaments!!) which are not very secure either. If you want you can bring a ´stand by´ medicine in case you get Malaria (which can be detected by blood analysis), but you can also get this medication here. In the south peruvian rainforest there is only the type of Malaria named ´Plasmodium vivax` which is completely curable.

Yellow Fever: It is recommended to have a Yellow Fever vaccination for Manu. If you plan to visit the Reserved Zone of Manu you have to have the Yellow Fever vaccination because it is controlled at Limonal guard station.

Leishmaniasis: The risk to get Leishmaniasis is also very low, the best form of protection is to wear long sleeves.

Tetanus: You should have a Tetanus vaccination for the rainforest and for Peru in general.

As to rabies: We spend all nights under mosquito nets therefore the risk to be bitten by a bat is very low.

4. What do you need for the booking?

Please read the tour program before you book a tour, if you have any questions we will be happy to answer them.

We need your full name, address, age, profession, passport number and nationality to make a reservation. To secure your booking we require a deposit/ down payment of 150 US $ per person.

The deposit can be made to our bank account in Cusco / Peru, our account in Germany or via Western Union. We then confirm reception of the deposit and your tour booking. The balance is due at our office in Cusco, latest 1 day before your tour start. You can pay in cash (Soles, US $ or Euros) or with US $ Traveller cheques (involves fees).

We recommend to check credit card conditions (limits for the ATMs) with your bank before coming to Peru.

5. What should I know about the flights from Manu to Cusco and vice versa?

The flights from and to Boca Manu are operated with small aircrafts (Twin Otter and Grand Caravan) and the schedule varies according to flight demand and thus is not very exact. Regular flights operate during the months of may to october/ november and usually flights are between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. We can give you the approximate flight time a few days before your flight. Bookings can be made until 8 days before the respective flight date. Afterwards bookings are subject to availability.

Please also consider that flights to/ from Manu are more likely (than flights like Cusco - Lima) subject to change due to bad weather conditions, especially during the months close to the rainy season. We make the flight reservations for you but have no control over the flights. The aircraft has to undergo regular maintenance checks every 125 hours which can cause flight cancellations. In case a flight cancellation occurs you will be booked for the following flight.  In rare cases with persistent bad weather conditions we may have to return overland. Therefore we strongly recommend to allow a spare day before flying back to Lima, especially if you have connection to an international flight. In case you do not use your flight No Show is charged (full flight price), in case you miss your flight (from Cusco to Manu) due to delays with your flight to Cusco the airline charges a 50 % penalty.

The luggage limit on the plane is 10 kg per person, there is a fee of 3 US $ per kilo for extra luggage. Also you have to pay a tax for Boca Manu´s airstrip which is 15 US $ per person (one way).

6. What is the maximum group size?

On Manu tours the maximum group size is 10 people per guide. That means if there are more than 10 participants on a tour we take one more guide to divide the group into two while walking on the trails. This secures that everybody can hear what the guide says and the group is not too big to see animals etc.

7. What about sleeping bags and binoculars?

You should bring a light sleeping bag to Manu for the observation platform at the mammal salt lick. In the months from may to july there can be cold fronts in the lowland forest, and temperatures may go down as far as 10 ° C, which feels colder due to the humidity in the rainforest. Binoculars are essential for a Manu tour: to spot and have a close view of the animals. Both sleeping bags and binoculars can be rented in Cusco. Just let us know.

If you have any further questions you are welcome to mail us!