Upon arrival from Lima or Cuzco, reception and transfer to the Tambopata river port in Puerto Maldonado. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism.

After a brief survey of the town we will depart on the 2 hour boat trip by motorized canoe to a lodge on the Bajo Tambopata River. Depending on the arrival time of the plane we will have a boxed lunch aboard the boats or have lunch upon arrival at Posada Amazonas.

During our voyage we may see 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.

When we arrive at Posada Amazonas we will unpack and unwind and explore the lodge´s surroundings as we wait for dinner. Posada Amazonas is a luxurious yet unobtrusive 23 room lodge owned jointly by Rainforest Expeditions and the Ese'eja Native Community of Tambopata. We will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing of the lodge and the Ese'eja Ecotourism Project over dinner.

L, D

DAY 2: POSADA AMAZONAS

We will be up at dawn for a visit to the parrot clay lick a few minutes down river from the lodge. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of smaller Yellow crowned and Mealy Amazons and Blue Headed Parrots congregate here on clear mornings to ingest clay. This early morning congregation creates a riotous and colorful wildlife spectacle where the greens, yellows, reds and blues of the parrots dance around the bank as each individual parrot competes for the choice beakful of clay. At times this spectacle lasts for hours, and it usually ends wihen the macaws sense danger, sometimes in the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an explosion of sound and color.

After an early breakfast we will depart for a visit to the beautiful Tres Chimbadas Lake, fifteen minutes from Posada Amazonas. Upon arrival, we will hike a short trail to the lake and take a long, easy canoe ride around it. We will look for giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin, and wading birds. The giant river otters that are seen in Tres Chimbadas belong to a resident family of five. Then we will return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on our afternoon outing. In the afternoon we will walk to the nearest and most active of eight harpy eagle nests found within community territory and ascend a 30 meter tall tower with an internal wooden staircase located fifty yards from the nest for superb observation of these magnificent nests.

The harpy eagle is the world's most powerful bird of prey, reputedly having claws as powerful as a bear´s paws. Its name originates from its conspicuos bifurcated black crest and its enormously thick yellow tarsi. After a fulfilling day in which we will stand good chances of seeing two of the Amazons largest and most endangered predators we will return to Posada Amazonas for overnight.

B,L,D

DAY 3: POSADA AMAZONAS-PUERTO MALDONADO

We will wake up at dawn for an optional visit to the clay lick or Tres Chimbadas Lake. After breakfast, we will hike trails accompanied by an Ese'eja who will explain how the forest is used in their everyday life: food, medicine, construction material, fiber, etc. Then we will return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on our afternoon outing.

For the afternoon we will hike a different trail that crosses floodplain and bamboo forest, habitats with very different animal and plant communities. Bamboo forests in Tambopata are famous for the abundance of rare birds that live exclusively in this habitat and are endemic to southern Peru. They are also the home of the frequently found Dusky-headed titi monkeys. We will also visit a trails in primary floodplain forest - your stereotypical rainforest where we will talk about general rain forest ecology and hope to come across small primates: Squirrel and Brown Capuchin Monkeys and Saddleback Tamarins. We will have dinner at Posada Amazonas.

B,L,D

DAY 4: POSADA AMAZONAS-PUERTO MALDONADO

After an early breakfast we will return to Puerto Maldonado for our flight back to Lima.

Boat Transportation.All our boats are 20 foot long, roofed canoes with 55 hp outboard motors. Daily arrivals and departures from every port are scheduled to meet every airline´s arrival and departure with a maximum two hour wait.

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PER PERSON RATES AT POSADA AMAZONAS IN 2012

Program	Price per person	Single
3D/2N	US$335	US$435
4D/3N see details above	US$490	US$640
5D/4N	US$645	US$845

INCLUDES:	NOT INCLUDED:
Lodge accommodations based on double occupancy All scheduled land and river transportation All transfers All scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide services Meals as specified in the itinerary, B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner.	International or domestic airfares, Airport departure taxes or visa fees Excess baggage charges, Additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations Alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, Insurance of any kind, Extras such as: Laundry, Phone calls, Radio calls or messages, Reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature. Handling charge $10 per person

Longer stays can be arranged. Extra Night in double: US$155.00; extra night in single: US$205.00 per night

For further information and booking inquiries, contact Sacred Earth Travel