Amazon Rainforest Conservation Centre
Day 1: From Cuzco/ Lima to Maldonado and on to Tipishca Lodge
After the arrival in Puerto Maldonado of your morning flight from Cusco or Lima, we drive 20 minutes to the Madre de Dios river, where our motor-canoe awaits us.
Initially we pass the lush farmland bordering the Madre de Dios river, soon reaching the Las Piedras confluence where we begin our adventure up the Las Piedras river. As we go further from town, we begin to leave the farmland behind us until soon there is only the occasional sign of human colonisation with small scale subsistence farms bordering the river in places.
The 80 km river journey to the Tipishca Lodge will take 3 ½ -5 hours, depending on river conditions, so just sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery; huge river-cliffs, tight meanders with river beaches, tumbling waterfalls and green canyons. Keep your binoculars to hand, because during the journey there are excellent opportunities for seeing wildlife on the river and forest edge. On the river, frequently seen species include turtles, caiman, capybara (the world’s largest rodent!) and many riverside birds. In the trees at the forest edge we pass monkeys, macaws and toucans.
We have lunch on the journey and when we arrive at the Tipishca Lodge you have time to relax on the lakeside veranda whilst dinner is prepared, and perhaps get your first sighting of the wildlife stars of lake Tipishca- the resident family of giant otters.
If you feel energetic after dinner, you can go on a night walk through the forest to look for night monkeys, armadillos, tree frogs and other nocturnal wildlife and to listen to the sounds of the jungle at night.
Day 2: From Tipishca Lodge to ARCC
After breakfast we continue our journey to ARCC by boat, for around 4-5 hours, but up to 6 hours in the dry season (June – September) when the river is more shallow. On the way to see a macaw clay lick which attracts parrots and red and green macaws who come to eat the clay. The spectacle may include up to 200 parrots and a dozen or more red and green macaws, especially in the months of September and October.
On arrival at ARCC’s river dock, we follow a short trail through tall rainforest to the lodge itself. ARCC is set amongst natural tropical gardens hidden in clearings amongst giant rainforest trees and just steps from Lake Soledad. Conveniently, we arrive in time for lunch and then have the afternoon for our first activities at ARCC.
A popular first activity is a boat tour of Lake Soledad where we keep an eye out for giant otters. Most visitors to ARCC witness the lake’s resident giant otters, fishing, playing, grooming or resting. Bird life on the lake is plentiful; the lake attracts many species, including blue and yellow macaws and hoatzins. And maybe you’ll spot a black caiman, too.
Alternatively you can go on a guided forest walk; with your naturalist guide and often accompanied by a native Piro indian, you explore the trails around Lake Soledad and the forest surrounding ARCC, learning about medicinal plants, ecology, conservation, and spotting birds, mammals, butterflies and other wildlife. Trails cover a variety of habitats from rich floodplain to stands of bamboo, giving you a broad introduction to the diversity of wildlife in the rainforest. Black spider monkeys can be spotted, a species sensitive to human disturbance and absent from destinations closer to more populated areas. At ARCC, they are often seen in the forest immediately surrounding the eco-lodge clearing or on a short walk from the lodge.
Other monkey species at ARCC are howler monkeys, brown capuchins, white fronted capuchins, squirrel monkeys, night monkeys, dusky titi monkeys and saddle-backed tamarinds. The rich fruit-laden floodplain forests surrounding Lake Soledad support high mammal densities. Other mammals in the forest include white-lipped peccaries, sometimes in huge groups passing through the forest, and anteaters.
Animal tracks give an indication of the existence of harder-to-see species such as tapirs and jaguars – and you might be among the lucky ones to spot them! If you like to bird-watch, you have come to the right place – the forest in a perfect spot for a huge variety of exotic species. And in the evening there is the opportunity for a night walk once again, or a nightly boat journey on the lake.
Day 3 & 4 at the ARCC
Two full days at the Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center to continue the activities; in addition to the above activities you can select from the various options below – or of course opt for some unprogrammed time to relax, too!
Night time excursion of Lake Soledad to spot caiman:
A catamaran tour at night after dinner is a good opportunity to experience the lake and forest at night. Flashlights can pick out the eyeshine of the otherwise difficult to see black caiman, and other nocturnal species. Night tours typically last an hour.
Ascend to the tree platform:
The ARCC tree platform is a sturdily built wooden structure, 35m (120 ft) up an ironwood tree at the edge of Lake Soledad, giving impressive views of the forest canopy and the lake below. All ascents are carefully supervised and safety harnesses are used, allowing any guest with a head for heights to enjoy this rarely seen view of the rainforest canopy. Once up on the platform, you have the chance to see the tree top wildlife at eye-level. In addition to a colourful variety of birds, monkeys can be seen high in the canopy in search for fruit; Looking down from the platform you are undetected by the lake wildlife- the otters are regularly seen from the platform, and sometimes you spot the rare and elusive black caiman, an impressive sight if it surfaces and reveals its full size of 5m before subsiding into the water moments later.
Macaw clay lick excursion:
There are 4 clay licks accessible from ARCC, the most impressive is a macaw and parrot clay lick just 20 minutes by boat up river from the center. A hide (blind) on top of the cliff just 25m (80 ft) from the clay lick affords excellent opportunities for observations and photography. Macaw clay licks are best experienced early in the morning; hence tours usually leave the lodge pre-dawn to catch the best of the day with a few hours of high quality bird watching. The species regularly visiting this clay lick include red and green macaws, blue and yellow macaws and several parrots species, sometimes in flocks of up to 200!
Conservation activities:
Las Piedras Amazon Tours encourages guests to actively participate in conservation. ARCC has a mahogany reforestation project in which young mahogany trees are grown, transplanted and maintained to augment the numbers of this species which has suffered from the attentions of illegal logging in the past. ARCC guests can help with planting and caring for these trees, hence you are directly contributing to the conservation of the forest.
Fishing demonstrations:
Fishing is not a major activity for visitors at ARCC- we prefer to leave the fish for the giant otters! But our native staff can give a demonstration of their traditional fishing technique with bow and arrow, and if you want to see the pirahna, the guides can try and catch one- returning the live fish after the demonstration.
Day 5; Returning from ARCC to Tipishca Lodge
A last morning of activities at ARCC before taking our departure down river to Tipishca Lodge. On the way there is the opportunity to stop at a refreshing waterfall to bathe and relax.
Day 6: Return to Cusco/ Lima
After a good breakfast we will leave Tipischa for our final boat journey, speeding down-river to Puerto Maldonado. En route we will see a clay-lick located just 20 minutes down river from the lodge.
We arrive in Puerto Maldonado in good time to catch onward flights to Cusco or Lima.
NOTE: The described itinerary many vary according to the weather, season, flight times or personal choice.
You could extend your trip by trekking the Inca Trail. Check out our Peru group trips, or our many tailor made Peru options. You can always contact the office for more information on tailor made and group options.
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