Amazon Tours: Refugio & Tambopata Lodges

• Peru Tour package to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon
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The main gateway to the exotic Peruvian Amazon, Puerto Maldonado is located deep in the heart of the lush Madre de Dios region. Full of wild forests, sinuous rivers, and oxbow lakes Puerto Maldonado holds world records in biodiversity for its hundreds of species of ants, butterflies, birds, and other animals. Formerly a center for rubber, wood, gold, and petroleum trade, Puerto Maldonado now thrives on eco-tourism.

During this Amazon tour package, you’ll get to stay at two different Amazon jungle lodges: Refugio Amazonas and the Tambopata Research Center.

Refugio Amazonas is a modern lodge with a natural feel. It sits on 400 acres of private reserve next to the Tambopata National Reserve, about 3 hours away from Puerto Maldonado. Further down river is the Tambopata Research Center. Because of its remote location in uninhabited wilderness, the Tambopata Research Center is an excellent base for in-depth explorations of Amazonian nature and wildlife. 

Day 1 : Arrival to Puerto Maldonado & Transfer to Refugio Amazonas
Day 2 : Jungle Activities & Arrival to Tambopata Research Center
Day 3 : Select Jungle Activities
Day 4 : Select Jungle Activities
Day 5 : Return to Refugio Amazonas or Departure from Puerto Maldonado
Day 6 : Departure from Puerto Maldonado

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Day 1 : Arrival to Puerto Maldonado & Transfer to Refugio Amazonas

• Upon arrival to Puerto Maldonado, you will be met at the airport by a Peru For Less representative who will take you to the Rainforest Expeditions headquarters. There, you will have the chance to pack your bags for your Amazon tour. Luggage weight on boats is limited so only take necessary items for the length of your stay. The rest of your belongings will be kept safe at the Puerto Maldonado headquarters.
• From here you will begin a 2.5-hour boat ride to Refugio Amazonas. Along the way you’ll pass the native jungle community of Infierno and go through the checkpoint to enter the Tambopata National Reserve.
• Upon arrival to the lodge, you’ll receive a welcome and safety briefing then have time to settle into your room and rest before dinner.
• After dinner at the lodge, you will go down to the river’s edge for a nighttime caiman search. The caiman is a crocodile-like reptile. You find them at night by shining powerful flashlights along riverbanks, looking for the reflection of the caimans’ eyes.

Day 2 : Jungle Activities & Arrival to Tambopata Research Center

• Days start early in the jungle. Your morning will start with a short walk to a canopy tower that is over 80 feet (25 meters) high. This height gives you a great look at the jungle canopy, full of birds, monkeys, and other wildlife.
• On your way back to the lodge, you will visit an old-growth Brazil nut forest that is still harvested by local communities. You will see a demonstration of the whole harvesting process, including collection, transportation, and drying.
• Enjoy lunch at the lodge before you journey deeper into the Amazon toward the Tambopata Research Center. To get there, you’ll take a 4-hour boat ride, leaving all traces of human habitation behind.
• Depending on arrival time, you may enjoy a short hike to a lookout point over the Tambopata River from where you might spot howler monkeys and dusky titi monkeys.
• You will have dinner at the lodge and then have the opportunity to listen to a scientific lecture about macaws. The discussion will cover their biology, feeding habits, why they use the clay lick, breeding, and conservation.

Day 3 : Select Jungle Activities

• The Tambopata Research Center offers a variety of exciting jungle activities for your pleasure. A sample day itinerary is described here.
• If desired, you can start the morning early with a trip to a nearby clay lick. This is the best place to see colorful macaws and on some mornings, hundreds of birds congregate on this large river bank.
• Another activity option is a visit to the pond platform, located 10 minutes from the lodge. It is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, hoatzins, woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers, and parakeets.
• A favorite afternoon activity is the floodplain trail, a 3-mile (5-km) hike through the jungle. An expert guide will point out interesting plants and animals along the way.
• If you still have energy after dinner, you might enjoy going on a night hike. Nighttime is when many jungle animals are the most active.

Day 4 : Select Jungle Activities

• Today you’ll spend your time enjoying more activities and excursions offered by the lodge. Alternatively, you can choose to return to Refugio Amazonas and spend the day there.
• If you stay at the Tambopata Research Center, one option is to hike the 3-mile (5 km) Terra Firme Trail, which will take you to a different type of jungle habitat than what you have previously experienced. Here the trees are small and thinner. You’ll walk by swamp land, keeping an eye out for animal tracks.
• Additionally or alternatively, you can take a 30 minute walk to the Palm Swamp. Here, dead aguaje palms serve as nests to red-bellied and blue-and-gold macaws. An elevated boardwalk and scaffolding tower allow for eye level observation of the macaws as they fly in and out of their nests.

Day 5 : Return to Refugio Amazonas or Departure from Puerto Maldonado

Day 6 : Departure from Puerto Maldonado

• After breakfast, depart on the boat ride to Puerto Maldonado, where you will be able to pick up your belongings at the lodge’s headquarters before meeting your transfer to the airport for you journey home or on to your next destination.
• Browse our full range of Peru travel destinations and explore additional options for your vacation.

Occupancy	Price
Double / Triple	$ 1339
Single	$ 1699
Prices may vary according to the season, availability, and client preferences. Certain transport costs may not be included. Please contact one of our expert travel advisors for more information.

Occupancy	Price
Double / Triple	$ 1339
Single	$ 1699
Prices may vary according to the season, availability, and client preferences. Certain transport costs may not be included. Please contact one of our expert travel advisors for more information.

Refugio Amazonas 3*

Opened in 2005, Refugio Amazonas is conveniently located between the Posada Amazonas lodge, and the Tambopata Research Center. Built on a 400 acre (200 hectare) private reserve adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve, Refugio Amazonas offers the opportunity to fully experience and enjoy the Amazon environment and wildlife. Built using wood, wild canes, and palm fronds, each room uses thin canes to create a three-wall enclosure, ensuring privacy but still allowing fresh bouts of tropical air to waft in the rainforest decorated rooms. The fourth wall remains completely open to the lush forest which allows travelers to enjoy the natural beauty of the Peru jungle from up close. Refugio Amazonas blends into the natural surroundings while still offering elements of comfort to create a perfect combination for a tropical Peru vacation.

Restaurant

Refugio Amazonas Photos & Info »

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Tambopata Research Center 3*

The Tambopata Research Center is a simple but comfortable 13 bedroom lodge, built to provide accommodation for researchers and travelers, as well as protecting the adjacent macaw clay lick. It is located in a one acre clearing located in the Tambopata National Reserve, in Peru's southeastern Amazon and only 500 meters from the world's largest macaw clay lick. With its combination of a small-scale infrastructure and a remote location in the uninhabited wilderness, the Tambopata Research Center is an ideal headquarters for in-depth explorations of the Amazon's nature and wildlife. Designed using traditional native architecture to minimize impact on the environment, it still offers comfortable accommodation. All rooms feature three walls made from thin, bamboo-like straws to allow for a cooler night in the beautiful tropics of Peru, while the fourth side has no wall to introduce guests to the natural wonders of this region in a more personal manner.

Restaurant

Tambopata Research Center Photos & Info »

See all Puerto Maldonado Lodges

• 4 or 5 nights at Amazon jungle lodges (2 nights at Refugio Amazonas, 2 or 3 nights at Tambopata Research Center)
• All tours stated in the itinerary
• All meals at the lodge
• All transfers and entrance fees
• Expert English-speaking guides