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Puerto Maldonado, the secret jungle

Location
Peruvian southern jungle at 230 meters above sea level.

Climate
Tropical, warm and humid with an average annual temperature of 30°C and with intense rains between December and March.

Landscape
Rainforest with an amazing wildlife (many kinds of animals, birds and plants) which can be appreciated during guided excursions. You can access zones of the Manu and Tambopata-Candamo (”the last jungle without men”) national parks with guided groups with authorization. You can also travel through rivers and lagoons. This place is excellent for being in contact with nature.

Customs and Folklore
You can be in contact with native tribes and live together in special camps, like Valencia Lake. During the visits you can appreciate dances and traditional songs. You can also listen to stories and legends about the jungle.

Activities
You can explore the jungle with guides and go through the rivers in native floats. You must not forget to watch for different kinds of colorful birds and exotic animals.

Manu, one week living in the rainforest

The week I spent in the jungle was probably the best part of my trip in Peru. I went there with a group of 8, plus a guide, cooks and all sorts of people to look after us and make sure we were happy.

After one day traveling by bus, we transferred all the equipment into a canoe, and off we went down the upper “Madre de Dios” River for a wonderful day on the river. When we reached the camp at dusk, small candles had been lit to show us the way, and it looked like paradise. We couldn’t believe our eyes, there we were, in that amazing place, so far from civilization, and yet our camp was like a dream, with bamboo huts and platforms all made of natural material, looking so homely and beautiful.

From there we went for long walks around the camp, day and night, looking for wildlife, observing trees and plants, looking for tracks, feeling like kids playing scientists. We spent hours in a bamboo shed waiting and observing macaws and parrots and monkeys. We felt so close to nature, taking a bath in the river or among rocks in a hot spring, shampooing under the tropical rain… One afternoon we went fishing for piranhas, all of us standing on a log in the middle of the river, and we had some very exciting moments! We had a very tasty dinner that day!

Later, we settled on a small wooden raft and went cruising on a lake, and all we could hear was the sound of the water as we softly glided over the lake, birds singing, monkeys playing in the trees, caimans silently sneaking past us.

Everything was so incredibly peaceful. As we came back, we watched in
amazement the sun going down over the jungle, pinks and purples reflecting on the water. Manu is one of the most awesome and inspiring places that I have ever been to…

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our South America Insiders page.

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