PERU Info Sheet MANU TOUR.
TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS.
General.
Please do not drink the tap water.
Please do not put toilet paper in the toilet – use the waste bin provided.
Daily activities: Generally birding is best early morning and late afternoon in the forests so we take early breakfasts with birding until about an hour before lunch. Some days dictate pre-breakfast departures (cock-of-the-rock lek and macaw lick) however. A post-lunch siesta until about 15.00 is normal as there is little bird activity.
Hotel check-in: This tends to take a little longer in Latin America! Please be patient and relax in the reception area while I take care of this. You will usually be asked to fill in some forms on arrival so please have your passport handy.
Passports: Some hotels like to photocopy pages from your passport. Please also hand over your immigration form (see below) at the same time. Your leader will collect the passports once the reception staff completes this.
Travel: On the bus please leave the front passenger seat vacant for the leader so he can communicate with the driver. If you’d like to stop for photos or the toilet please contact the leader. On the Manu road (Cusco – Atalaya) the bus will be with us and at hand.
Tips: Gratuities to hotel staff, waiters, waitresses, drivers and guides are not included in your tour price. Please also see “Photography” below.
Photography: Peru is a photographer’s dream! Please ask permission if you wish to take a photo of someone. They will often request a “propina” (tip) so please respect their wishes. One Sole should be OK as a tip. Please see “Telescope” section regarding digiscoping.
Drinks: Not included in the price of the tour. If you order a drink in the hotel restaurant please tell the waiter your room number and he will put it on your bill. You’ll be able to fill your water bottles for free from the supply on the bus once we stop for breakfast on the Manu road on the day we travel out of Cusco on the Manu road. Drinking water is also available free at the lodges from containers. Please settle any bills for drinks or laundry the night before we depart any location since doing this in the morning can cause considerable delays.
Clothing: Once we get on the east side of the Andes we can expect rain at any time. Have a poncho, rain jacket or umbrella handy at all times. At times (depending on recent rains) rubber boots are suitable for some trails. You can bring your own, but they can also be purchased in Cusco prior to departure into Manu. However, larger sizes (> UK size 10) are difficult to find in Peru and are best brought from home.
“Nasties”: Manu is not bad for mosquitoes but have your repellent handy once we get to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Please do not spray repellent inside the bus. Chiggers can be a problem for some – possibly at Pantiacolla and Manu lodges. Sand fly can be a nuisance in Manu and at Machu Picchu. To avoid bites whilst sitting around after dark, we recommend that you wear long-sleeve shirts and long trousers, as well as socks and shoes, or that you apply repellent to all exposed areas.
Telescope: The leader will have one at all appropriate time. Please note that it will not be available for digiscoping by members of the group. If you wish to digiscope please bring your own ‘scope and tripod.
Cusco: Our hotel is close to the main square. Cusco is not a dangerous place but please take care with your valuables when out and about in the city. Be especially wary of small innocent-looking children – if they run off with something, nobody can catch up with them despite their size!
Arrival in Lima, Peru.
On arrival in Peru you will find yourselves in Passport Control after a short walk. They will inspect your passport and your immigration form. A portion of this will be handed back to you. It is important to retain this until the end of the tour, as you will be asked to present it on exiting Peru.
Luggage claim.
There are some currency exchange desks in the luggage claim area. It is a good idea to get some local currency (Peruvian Soles), although US Dollars are accepted almost everywhere. You will also be able to change money in Cusco. Please wait until everyone in the group has collected their luggage before heading for customs.
Customs.
You will join a queue for an exit with what looks like a set of “traffic lights”. The operative here will collect your customs form and you will be asked to press a button. If the light is green please proceed and wait until the whole group has cleared. If the light is red they will inspect your bags. I will be the last through and assist in this eventuality but the searches are rather superficial and tend to be completed quickly.
Reception by ground agents.
Once through the glass doors you’ll notice a crowd on the other side waiting to greet people off the plane. Please look for a sign with “Toucan Birding Tours” or your name on it. Once you have found your driver you’ll be escorted into the car park and the luggage will be loaded. Our hotel is about 20 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic.
There will be a rendezvous for dinner after a break for “freshening up” and a briefing on the following day’s activities.
Lima – Cusco.
We have an early flight to Cusco this morning leaving at 06.35. The ground agents will confirm this but we’ll probably have to be at the airport by 04.30. Once we arrive at the airport the porters will load our luggage onto carts. Please only give them your bags to be checked in and keep your hand luggage with you. We’ll follow the carts to the LAN Peru desk. We have e-tickets so all you have to do is show your passport at check-in. Once checked in please wait for the remainder of the group before proceeding to departures. Once we are all congregated your leader will collect your boarding passes in order to pay your departure tax (not included in price of tour).
Arrival in Cusco.
A porter will be instructed to collect our luggage and you’ll meet our Cusco ground agents. The transfer to the hotel takes about 20 minutes. On arrival you’ll check-in and have some time to prepare for our visit to Huacarpay Lakes. To counter the effects of altitude, drink plenty of liquids such as water or Coca Tea, and try not to overexert yourself soon after arrival. Many people suffer from a headache on their first day at altitude, but nothing more. The lakes are about 45 minutes from the city. We’ll have the bus with us all day and have a picnic lunch there. Please bring a hat (wide-brimmed is best) and sun block for protection. The wind picks up in the afternoon here.
The Manu Road.
This is a travel day but we’ll be stopping along the route for birding. It’s birding from the road so walking shoes are OK and we’ll stop for a first birding stop at a place called Huancarani and look for Chestnut-breasted Mountain-finch. Expect cold conditions (ground frost maybe) and hat, gloves, fleece, etc recommended for this day. As the day warms up you can shed the layers. Lunch will probably be taken on the east side of the Andes in the cloud forest and we’ll make our way to our lodge for the evening. On arrival rooms will be allocated and you’ll meet for bird list and dinner.
Pillahuata – San Pedro.
In the morning please be quiet when leaving your rooms – other guests may be sleeping.
One visit to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek is included. This excursion involves a walk of 10 minutes or so up the road. We do not have exclusive rights to the blind there so other birders may be present. Please approach the blind quietly.
On the final night at the lodge please make sure all bills have been paid to ensure a prompt departure the following morning.
San Pedro – Amazonia Lodge.
Our bus will take us to Atalaya, thereafter our transport is by boat on the river. Our bus will be returning to Cusco after dropping us at Atalaya.
All beds have mosquito nets. Candles are used in the rooms, and once again, please ensure that you put these out before leaving your room.
Don’t use the tap water to clean your teeth – there is usually boiled or iodine-treated water available in the rooms for this purpose.
Each room should have an airtight plastic container – this is the best place to keep any snacks that you might be carrying.
We recommend bringing dark clothing with long-sleeves for birding in the forest down in the lowlands. When you move, pale clothing is more likely to be noticed by birds.
There is an extensive trail network that starts from the clearing. We will be birding these trails during our stay. Please, however, do not wander along these trials yourself without informing your guide in advance in case you get lost. Whilst most of the trails are expected to be dry at the time of our visit, if we have any period of heavy rain some of the trails are liable to collect shallow water and wellies are recommended wear for those days.
Always use a flashlight when crossing any dark areas at night, including near your accommodation and around the dining room.
Blanquillo Macaw Lick.
Early departure with box-breakfast. The boatmen will carry this and we’ll eat breakfast (usually pancakes) in the hide. The hide may not be afloat as this depends on water levels.
It is unlikely we’ll be the only ones in the hide. Please enter quietly and sit on the chairs as instructed by the staff. We will have to rotate for front seats. The usual sequence of events is that the parrots arrive at the lick early – mostly Blue-headed Parrots, sometimes several hundreds. Some Red & Green Macaws will start to gather in the trees above the lick and once the parrots are gone they will start to come down to feed on the clay. There is usually a break in activity between parrots departing and the arrival of the macaws – this is when we’ll have breakfast.
Please keep voices at a low level at all times, sit as still as possible and do not scrape the plastic chairs on the floor. If the birds are scared off they rarely return. There is a latrine on the blind.
Oxbow Lakes
We’ll coast around the lakes on catamarans. Please ensure that you wear the life jackets provided for these trips.
Instructions regarding the end of the tour will be sent separately as some party members are extending their stay in Peru.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Toucan Birding Tours office should you have any questions.
Toucan Birding Tours Nov 2007.
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