Immersive Amazon Experience

Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.

Day 1 : Puerto Maldonado – Tambopata Research Center

Upon arrival in Puerto Maldonado you will be met and transferred to the Tambopata Research Center administrative office in town. Here you will have the opportunity to leave excess luggage before heading into the jungle. You are encouraged to travel light.

Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism.

Once ready the group will transfer by vehicle to the Filadelfia River Port (1 hour) followed by a 2 1/2-hour boat ride to Tambopata Research Center Lodge. As you cross the confluence with the Malinowski River you will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectare uninhabited area of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws and other large species will become more frequent, this boat ride is one of the highlights of the trip!

During the voyage look out for bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Horned Screamer, Bat Falcon, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers.

Upon arrival, unpack, unwind and explore the lodge’s surroundings while waiting for dinner. Refugio Amazonas is a comfortable, unobtrusive 24-room lodge owned jointly by Rainforest Expeditions and the Ese’eja native Community of Tambopata.  All rooms have private bathrooms with hot water showers. You will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing of the lodge and the Ese’eja Ecotourism Project over lunch.

The Tambopata Research Center is the only lodge located within the Tambopata National Reserve.  Tambopata Research Center is located in a one acre clearing 50 meters from the Tambopata River and 300 meters from the macaw clay lick.

Night Lectures subjects include the Macaw Project. After dinner scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.

Overnight at the Tambopata Research Center – 3 nights.

Optional 4- and 5-night programs.

Day 2 – 3: Tambopata Research Center

At dawn cross the river and enjoy the world’s largest macaw clay lick where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily. During this spectacle, described by National Geographic as “one of the world’s most dazzling wildlife gatherings,” look out for Red-and-green, Blue-and-gold, Scarlet and Red-bellied Macaws; Mealy and Yellow-crowned Amazons; Blue-headed, Orange-cheeked and White-bellied Parrots; and many other species.

This show will continue until the macaws sense danger, usually in the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an explosion of sound and color. Around mid-morning, when the most intense clay lick activity is over for the day, return to TRC for breakfast.

The trails around the center offer easy access to explore the rain forest surrounding Tambopata Research Center, which offers a mosaic of seven distinct rain forest habitats, including floodplain forest, terra firme forest, bamboo forest, and palm swamps.

Overlook Trail: A three to five kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat.

Ceiba Trail: The highlight during this hike is the encounter with largest tree in the vicinity: a giant ceiba.

Palm Swamp Trail: Growing on the remains of an oxbow lake and providing both arboreal as well as terrestrial mammals with fruits throughout the year, the aguaje palms are one of the most important food sources in the rainforest.

Bamboo Trail: This trail is particularly attractive for bird lovers since this is home to highly specialize species of birds, including some endemics.

Amazon Creek Trail: Terra Firme forest winds way towards the Tambopata River. The main focus on this trail is an in-depth understanding of the surrounding forest and creek ecology.

The Rainforest Master Hike: The perfect outing for the hardcore hiker and nature lover. Crisscrossing through an array of ecosystems and an endless network of trails, this hike will take around 6 hours and maximize your opportunities for wildlife.

After lunch set off on for the Pond Platform. Ten minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that call this pond their home.

Other activities include:  birdwatching, monkey search, Giants of the Amazon,

After dinner, you will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

Click here for a menu of optional excursions.

Day 4: Tambopata Research Center – Puerto Maldonado

After breakfast you depart the lodge for the return trip to Puerto Maldonado for your departing flight.