Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake 4D/3N

Availability: Available now
Group size: 2-10
Tour Type: Peruvian jungle trip in Tambopata
Max. Elevation: 230 meters above sea level

500 USD Per person

Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake 4D/3N

One of the most biodiverse rainforests in the world is hidden in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. The Chuncho macaw clay lick & sandoval lake tour located in the Tambopata Candamo National Reserve is the perfect place to glimpse fantastic amazon wildlife. Here we find, more than 1300 species of birds; (including 32 species of parrots, which is 10% of all species on the planet). 200 varieties of mammals. 90 species of frogs. 1200 types of butterflies. 94 species of fish. 135 types of ants and 10,000 varieties of ferns are protected within Tambopata National Reserve. Scientists continue to discover new animal and plant species, day to day.

The first day you will enter the Tambopata River where you will be able to observe white alligators and turtles on the banks or on the barred logs in the river. In the afternoon you will explore the jungle of Tambopata and observe squirrel and capuchin monkeys jumping from tree to tree. The second day, a spectacle of colors will be waiting for you; You will visit one of the best places in the Peruvian jungle for the observation of macaws in clay licks. In the afternoon you will go to Lake Sandoval and at night you will see alligators on its shore. On the 3rd day, you will explore Lake Sandoval and look for giant river otters. At night, you will make an excursion to see nocturnal monkeys, bats, colorful frogs and snakes. Finally, on the 4th day, in the morning you will spot black caimans and river otters hunting for their breakfast, you will visit the monkey island and return to Puerto Maldonado.

Highlights of the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick & Sandoval Lake.

*In order to provide you a fantastic wildlife experience. We located our lodges in the best spots; and where there are more chances to see big mammals and macaws.
*Two nights of lodging, we will sleep very close to the Sandoval lake; which will give us a great advantage for the sighting of wildlife.
*We will visit the Chuncho Macaw clay lick; which is among the top 3 clay licks on the planet.
*We have very well educated guides who are passionate about their work and nature.
*All our food is served as buffet.
*Because we going to be in the Amazon jungle; we will surprise you with delicious typical dishes from this region.
* We include, telescope equipment; and books to facilitate the sighting of animals and birds.
*Be part of our social and environmental projects.
*We prepare food for our tourists and team with 100% organic vegetables purchased from local producers.

Trip Overview of the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick & Sandoval Lake.

- Trek Type: Connection with nature. Wildlife observation. Typical jungle food and walks in the jungle.
- Good for: Those in moderate shape or better.
- Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. You need to understand that it is not about comfort; but in exchange you get to leave everything behind and live an amazing experience in the Tambopata Amazon jungle.
- Consideration: There is not hot showers in most of the lodges; we’ll be in the jungle where temperatures are around 35 °C. And shower water is not cold. In the lodges electricity is only two to three hours; and it is usually at night. (basic accomodation but clean). Always keep in mind, that you are going to the jungle; and you will be in direct contact with many types of insects (thick presence of mosquitoes) and animals. The weather is hot and humid. The paths are usually muddy, due the humidity of the amazon forest; and to see animals we need a little bit of luck and to keep our eyes up. The short night walks; are done every day. Because every night there is a great possibility; to see a different animal species.

In addition to all of the above, we have a premium itinerary of just 4 days that will take you into the depths of the Tambopata Candamo National Reserve.

Season: April to October.

Day 1. Puerto Maldonado – Tambopata Candamo River – Forest Walk.

Activities: We will ride on a 4×4 truck. We hike in a primary forest, looking for monkeys. You’ll do also a night walk.
Lodge altitude: 230 meters above sea level
Considered: You will walk a path, that is usually muddy, “we will provide wellington boots”.
Weather: Humid and hot.

Upon your arrival in the morning by bus or plane to Puerto Maldonado, you will be met by our tour guide and taken to our office. There you can leave your big and main luggage. You have to carry with you only a backpack with the essentials you will use in this 4-day tour in the Tambopata Sandoval lake. If you arrive one day prior to Puerto Maldonado, we can also pick you up from your hotel at 9:00 am. Once we have our Tambopata Candamo Sandoval lake entry tickets in hands, you will start your adventure in this jungle of the Peruvian amazon.

You will be driven in a 4×4 truck for 2 hours; the first leg to the Tambopata Candamo river will be on a paved road and the second stretch will be on a dirt soil road. Upon arrival, a motorized boat will be waiting to take you to the lodge, called “Hacienda Tambopata”. Once you arrive there, a welcoming cold drink awaits you. The manager will explain you everything you need to know about the lodge and its surroundings. After lunch, you will make an introduction walk in a secondary forest and then in a primary forest of Tambopata jungle. On this hike you’ll seek for medicinal flowers, trees and shrubs and also you will learn about the importance of them in the local economy of the native communities located in the Tambopata national reserve and in Puerto Maldonado.

Following with this premium tour in the Chuncho Macaw Clay lick and Sandoval Lake, you will look with your expert tour guide, for black capuchin and squirrel monkeys; in addition of other creatures such as: peccaries, agouties and bush turkeys. Once it gets dark, you will come back to the lodge to look for your flashlight and go to our motorized boat and perform one of the most exciting activities at night. You’ll walk in the forest, exploring and discovering the mysteries of the Tambopata jungle in the dark. On this night walk you can spot amazing creatures of the Tambopata jungle. Among them are frogs, owls, tarantulas, scorpions and snakes. Then you will come back to the lodge to have a delicious dinner.

** The Peruvian Tambopata jungle and its beauty will give you a fantastic welcoming.

Day 2. Macaw Clay Lick – Caiman Spotting.

Activities: Macaw clay lick concert; and black caiman spotting.
Lodge altitude: 183 meters above sea level.
Considered: Be ready to be astonished by the colors of the Tambopata jungle.
Weather: Hot and humid.

You will start this amazing day in the Chuncho macaw clay lick very early. After drinking an organic fruit juice, you’ll navigate upstream the Tambopata Candamo river for 1 hour and 30 minutes to one of the most stunning macaw clay licks in the Peruvian jungle. Once you cross the Tambopata Candamo checkpoint you will have a beautiful sunrise over the horizon of the Amazonian plain. From the boat you will have extraordinary chances of watching: shorebirds, herons, capybaras, white alligators and why not mention a jaguar or an anaconda. We want to tell you that we have 25% chances of seeing one of these guys, close to the river. Arriving to our destination, you will watch one of the most amazing and colorful shows on the planet, the Chuncho clay lick hosts all mornings parrots, parakeets and macaws of green, yellow, blue and red colors.

You’ll have a box breakfast observing this incredible macaw show in the Tambopata jungle. Then you will make your way down the river, to the lodge. After having a delicious lunch, you will leave the Tambopata Candamo jungle and you’ll be driven for 2 hours in a 4 × 4 truck to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, you will board a motor boat for 45 minutes to the Sandoval lake reserve checkpoint. At this point your tour guide will explain you the importance of the jungle you will visit. Then you will hike for 2 hours through a tropical forest to Lake Sandoval. As you move forward the forest is changing from secondary to primary jungle, also in this section you will be able to spot capuchin monkeys, bush turkeys and Amazonian guans. Once you arrive to the lake port, you will paddle a canoe for 15 minutes to the lodge called Tocon. The Sandoval lake is beautifully surrounded by Aguajes palms and big timber trees.

You can take a refreshing cold shower and rest for a bit. In the afternoon you will paddle a canoe around the Sandoval lake. The sunset over this place of the Peruvian jungle is magical; you must come and see by yourself. At night you and your expert tour guide will spot black caimans in the shores of the Sandoval lake. You will also watch night monkeys and bats. Let’s close this amazing second day tour in the Sandoval lake, with a charming tea time and a delicious and nutritious dinner.

** What a combo, macaw show in Chuncho clay lick and black caiman spotting in the Sandoval lake.

Day 3. Sandoval Lake- Giant Otters Spotting- Night Excursion.

Activities: Wonderful animal spotting in the Sandoval Lake.
Lodge altitude: 183 meters above sea level
Considered: A lot of walking to observe the mentioned activities; “ paths are going to be muddy”.
Weather: Hot and humid.

One of the most marvelous sunrises on the planet can be observed from the Sandoval oxbow lake. After a nutritious breakfast you will paddle a canoe in the oxbow lake in search of a giant otter family that lives in the Sandoval lake and that are very active in the morning, as they start their daily feeding labor. You will be able to see them from very close, because they are animals that are not easily scared. You can also see caimans, paiches, monkeys and endless colorful birds. Then you will hike for around 4 hours in a huge primary forest seeking giant 800 years old trees, among the trees you can see are: The kapok trees, Brazilian chestnut trees and Mahogany. Your guide will share interesting facts about the medicinal importance of this trees and its economical use in Peru.

Afterwards you will come back to the lodge for a yummy lunch and rest for a bit. Following this amazing third day in the Sandoval lake, you will go to safe place in the oxbow lake to take a refreshing shower. Then you’ll search for alligators and you’ll spend a spectacular sunset in the Sandoval lake; while enjoying the whistle of the birds and the sounds of mother nature. You can also observe up to 5 species of monkeys that lives at edge of the lake. Among those we have: The howler monkey, that is usually found, in the tallest trees taking a break. While the monk’s friars, black spiders and stump-tailed macaque, are seen very closely. You will be able to observe the famous Arapaima or Paiche, that in sunset hours, they usually go out to the surface of the lake to take air while produce a great rumble with their big fins. At night and after dinner, you will do a night walk to look for a wide variety of insects, tarantulas and with good luck you can observe endemic anacondas of the Sandoval lake.

** Once more, the Sandoval lake trip is giving you unforgettable memories for you and your loved ones.

Day 4. Madre de Dios River – Monkey Island – Puerto Maldonado.

Considered: Breakfast only.

You wake up very early to take a canoe and paddle around the lake Sandoval seeking for giant otters, caimans and capybaras. Then you return to the lodge to have a delicious breakfast and pack your backpacks. You paddle for 20-minutes to then hike for 2 hours to the bank of the Madre de Dios River. You’ll be driven for 45 minutes back to Puerto Maldonado airport. Where you arrive at noon. You come back early to Puerto Maldonado because most of the tourists have flights around 14:00 pm. If you will take the a bus at night to leave Puerto Maldonado; so then, you have free afternoon to visit a snake zoo or the butterfly house.

** The Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick & Lake Sandoval service, is door to door.

Included on the Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Lake Sandoval

Professional local english speaker Guides: all our super tour guides grewp up in Puerto Maldonado region and studied tourism for five years at university, they are friendly, funny charming, knowledgeable, professional and will care your safety into our Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake tour

Permits: As soon as we get your details and deposit, we will purchase your permits for the Tambopata Reserve and Sandoval Lake.

Lodge: This Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake tour includes three night in a lodge in the Sandoval Lake Reserve and the bank of the Tambopata Candamo river; the lodge we book will be listed on your invoice. Be aware that there is not hot showers in the lodge and electricity just works for two hours at night if you want charge any device.

Transportation: Incas Path will be providing all transportation for this Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake tour. You will be picked up from the airport or bus station in the morning and after leaving your main luggage in our office we will bring you to the Sandoval lake; all motorized boat rides are included and also the transfer of the last day to the airport or bus station.

Food: Our Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake tour includes expert chefs who will cook delicious meals that many previous tourist have loved. We honor all food restrictions, so be sure to add any that you have on your booking form and let us know. Food is typically all served as buffet.

Details: we profess that it is the attention to small details that separates us from other travel agencies. Each tourist receives wellington boots

First Aid: Every guide has got training in first aid from a clinic and firemen. We elaborate mandatory training sessions every February on the Manu and Tambopata peruvian jungle, which every Incas Path tour guide must attend. Your tour leader is going to have always a first-aid kit for basic medical problems.

Not Included on the Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Lake Sandoval

Due to the location of the Tambopata National Reserve and Sandoval Lake Reserve and the lodges some ítems listed below are not included:

Daypack: We suggest you to use a daypack that not exceed 25L to carry passport, water, sunhat, sunglasses, suncream, bug spray, rain jacket and a warm jacket
Binocular
Water bottles: you can buy at the lodges, however be aware that they will be more expensive than Puerto Maldonado city.
Snacks
Flight tickets or bus tickets
Gratuities for our staff: Incas Path ensures all staff are fairly paid and therefore gratuities are optional and at your own discretion
Travel Insurance: Highly recommended for all tourist

Prices

We would love to tour this tambopata jungle tour with you and your loved ones and take care of immortalizing your visit to the peruvian jungle. We can leave any day from January to December as the Chuncho Macaw Clay lick & Sandoval Lake tour is always available.

Group Price (2020):

$500 per person

Private Tour:

Private tours are available and priced by party size.

2 Tourist: $560 per person
3 Tourist: $550 per person
4 Tourist: $540 per person
5 Tourist: $530 per person
6 Tourist: $520 per person
7 Tourist: $510 per person
8 or more Tourist: $500 per person

Please send everything to info@cuscodigital.com

Packing list

We suggest you to carry lightweight backpack that the is key to feeling good during this tambopata jungle tour.

Essentials:

Original Passport ,
Bug spray; 100 DEET
Good daypack
Comfortable hiking shoes (lightweight with good soles)

** we provide wellington boots

Inside Your Backpacks:

Take a look at your itinerary to see what size backpack you may need, keeping in mind that if you are flying to remote areas in small planes there will be a luggage limit.

In Latam company the maximum weight, in general, is 23 kilograms and only 1 bag is allowed to be carried on flights within Peru. Customers who acquired benefits such as LATAM Pass or LATAM Fidelidade may have a higher limit ( see our blog to know more about the weight limit on airplanes in Peru)

04 long-sleeved shirts: (al least for the days you will be in the excursion and avoid black colors as they atract easily the flyes and mosquitoes)
03 tank top, for the nights as there is not air conditiong but there is mosquito nets in the beds.
02 quick dry full-length pants
04 Socks: you should have comfortable hiking style socks that are mid to long length.
Sunhat
Rain jacket and plastic poncho
Fleece
Rain jacket
Camera
Power bank
Headlamp
Binoculars
Swimming suit
Flip flops or sandals
Music (IPhone)
Handsanitizer
Extra Money for Souvenirs, Drinks & Tips
Personal medication
Sunscreen
Face Wipes: the humidity will cause you to sweat
Deodorant, you will use more than normal due to the sweat
ziplocks or resealable plastic storage bags
Anti-Itch Cream

Journey Info

Arriving to Cusco

The airport in Puerto Maldonado at the present time is only for domestic flights, so all international travelers by plane must disembark in Lima and go through Customs. Even if your flight to Puerto Maldonado is the same day by the same airline carrier, you must grab your bags in Lima and then check them back in.

The best way to arrive to Puerto Maldonado is by air and there are several options in airlines. LATAM tends to be the most expensive, but has the most options and flights.

Expect delays or flight cancellations; due to the high altitude of the andes, it tends to be difficult to land and any weather inconvenience will stop air traffic.

Bus travel is always available and while the trip can be long, especially from Lima, the buses company such Cruz del Sur is very well maintained and comfortable; this option is strongly encouraged if coming from a city closer to Puerto Maldonado like Cusco.

Luggage Storage

Any extra luggage you have with you, can be left safely in Puerto Maldonado at our deposit while you enjoy your tambopata jungle tour: We will grab the extra luggage from you the morning of your tour and return once you are back in Puerto Maldonado.

Make sure your suitcase have some kind of identification on them so they are easy to locate.

Weather

Of course weather is unpredictable. Typically the dry season in Puerto maldonado is from April through October, but this does not stop rain from falling in June or the sun from coming out in December, just be prepared; no matter what month you are doing the tambopata jungle tour, please make sure that you have rain gear that includes a waterproof jacket, pants and plastic ponchos.

Travel Insurance

To protect your journey investment, we highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance; acquiring travel insurance before you leave home, is strongly encouraged and very easy.

These are the most used vaccines to travel to the Jungle

In this post we cite the vaccines to travel to the Peruvian jungle, according to the activity that the traveler will perform in these jungle areas. In addition, the information was consulted from important sources such as the websites of the Ministry of Health of Peru and also of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States. Keep informing yourself!

Although at the Jorge Chavez Airport you will not be asked about your vaccination status; in some countries they do require a vaccination certificate, therefore it is better to be prevented and to inform yourself in the authorized International Vaccination Center of your country about what you should apply before traveling.

Remember that vaccines avoid possible infectious problems during the trip and also to keep your immunizations up to date.

What animal could infect it in the jungle?

Well, mosquitoes are the bearers of the fearsome diseases causing deaths on the planet. We are talking about insect bites infected with Malaria, Yellow Fever and even Dengue.

It is probably the most dangerous animal in the Amazon rainforest, even more so than piranhas, anacondas or fierce jaguars.

Without vaccination even the bite of an infected mosquito could ruin your vacation.

What do the authorities tell us about getting vaccinated?

According to the website of the Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA), the risks of contracting Malaria is latent in many areas of Peru, with the exception of the departments of Arequipa, Moquegua, Puno, Tacna and Lima in its surroundings, nor in the coastal area South of Lima, also in the high tourist areas: Cuzco, Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca. Likewise, Puerto Maldonado and the Manu National Park and other endemic geographical areas of Peru are mentioned as a risk zone.

If you travel to the Peruvian jungle it is better to consult the doctor who keeps your health history, at least 4 weeks before making the trip. So that the doctor explains you about the type of vaccine that you should apply and with enough anticipation for them to take effect in the body.

In the case of the Peruvian Ministry of Health, the Yellow Fever vaccine and Malaria prophylaxis in risk areas is recommended.

On the other hand, on the website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (or CDC), it recommends to travelers that they will visit Peru, some important vaccines depending on particular cases.

For example, considering the type of tourism to be made, travel time or direct contact with animals or people due to visits for study or scientific purposes.

THESE ARE THE VACCINES TO TRAVEL TO THE JUNGLE OF PERU

Under this order of ideas, these are the vaccines referred by the CDC:

Hepatitis A: Vaccination is recommended to all travelers to Peru.

Hepatitis B: Vaccination is recommended to all people traveling to Peru, especially those who may have exposure to blood or body fluids through the granting or receipt of medical care, drug injections, tattoos or sexual contact with the local population.

Typhoid Fever: Vaccination is recommended to all visitors to tropical areas of South America. Especially for those who remain in rural areas where exposure could occur due to the consumption of contaminated food or water.

Yellow Fever: The vaccine against this viral infection is highly recommended for trips to the Amazon and the southern Amazon basin. The vaccination should be administered at least 10 days before your arrival and at 10-year intervals, if you decide to stay.

Rabies: Vaccination is only recommended for individuals with a higher risk of exposure in the performance of their work, which often develops for prolonged periods in areas considered high risk for this disease.

Let us mention the case of veterinarians or wildlife researchers, whose occupation requires them to have direct contact with bats, dogs, stray cats, or other mammals.

Where to get vaccinated in Lima?

The International Vaccination Center, located in the city of Lima, Avenida del ejército, block 17, San Isidro district.