Manu Blanquillo 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 Blanquillo 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 Blanquillo and Maquisapayoj base camps you have more chances to observe macaws and mammals.

Blanquillo view of Camungo lake from the tower

Blanquillo on the platform in Maquisapayoj

Facilities at Blanquillo include: double rooms with beds and moquito nets, shared bathrooms, showers and a dining room; for people who like to camp there is camping platform (large roofed building where tents are set within) with bathroom . In Maquisapayoj you 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. There are also double rooms with beds and mosquito nets, shared bathrooms and showers, together with the dining room, close to the river. Our 8 day tour to Manu Blanquillo costs 616 € (all inclusive). » Manu Blanquillo Itinerary Details

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Frequent Asked Questions - Manu

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

On the Manu tour you spend some time on the boat - depending on the itinerary ( 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. The nightwalks are optional. Due to the moistness and heat some people might feel a bit weak but there is always a 'siesta' at midday and the possibility to stay at the camp or lodge instead of participating in a walk.

A rainforest tour is no comfortable tour, but if you bring appropriate gear (see packing list) you will have an uncomparable experience.

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

the Manu Blanquillo Tour visits 2 oxbow lakes ( to observe Giant Otters), the Mammal Salt Lick at Maquisapayoj and the Macaw Clay Lick at Blanquillo private Reserves, both situated 30km south of Boca Manu. The Macaw Clay Lick is situated outside the National Park, thus you need more time/ travelling if you want to go into the National Park AND visit the Macaw Clay Lick With the Manu Blanquillo itinerary you have more time for walking on the trails and the itinerary has one day ( day 5 ) to choose which animals you would like to observe again, e.g. Macaw Lick, which is usefull especially in case of bad weather conditions. On the National Park Tour you spend more time on the boat – driving up 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 traveling by boat) and on the Manu Blanquillo tour you are more flexible and have more options to see a bigger variety of animals ( species).

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

The Malaria risk in Manu is extremely low. We recommend to bring insect repellent and protect you with long sleeves instead of taking heavy malaria prophylaxis ( please check for the side effects of the medicaments!!) which is not very secure either. If you want you can bring a medicine in case you get Malaria (which can be detected by blood analysis), but you can also get this medication here. In Manu there is ´Plasmodium vivax` which is curable.
The risk to get Leishmaniasis is also very low, the best form of protection is to wear long sleeves.
You should have a Yellowfever vaccination for the rainforest, and of course a Tetanus vaccination.

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 nacionality. To secure your booking we require a deposit of minimum 100 US $ per person.
The deposit can be made to our bank account in Cusco / Peru or via Western Union. We confirm reception of the deposit and your tour booking .

5. If I fly back from Boca Manu to Cusco at what time is the flight?

The flights from and to Boca Manu are in small aircrafts ( Beechcraft 90 and Twin Otter) and the schedule varies according to flight demand and thus is not very exact. Usually the flights are between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. We can give you the approximate flight time a few days before your flight. Please also consider that flights to/ from Manu are more likely ( than flights like Cusco - Lima) subject to changes due to bad weather conditions, especially during the months december to march ( rainy season).
We make the flight reservations for you but have no control over the flights. We therefore strongly recommend to have a spare day before flying back to Lima and - more important - before your international flight back home.

6. What is the maximum group size?

On Manu tours the maximum 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 in 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 sleeping bag to Manu, especially for the night(s) in the cloudforst ( tours going in by bus). In the month from May to July there can be coldfronts in the lowland forest, where temperatures go down as far as 8 ° 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!