Puerto Maldonado Lodge: Tambopata Research Center

The Tambopata Research Center is the most remote Amazon jungle lodge included in Peru For Less selected itineraries. Its isolated location makes it the perfect choice for travelers looking for an in-depth, authentic Amazon experience. As one of 3 lodges operated by the award-winning Rainforest Expeditions, quality here is assured.

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Description

Located half a day journey from Puerto Maldonado by boat, the Tambopata Research Center sits on 1 acre (half a hectare) of land in the Tambopata National Reserve, adjacent to Bahuaja Sonene National Park. It is 4 hours upriver from its sister lodge, Refugio Amazonas. It is also only 1,640 feet (500 meters) from the largest macaw clay lick in the world.

Tambopata Research Center is the perfect Amazon lodge for travelers who want to spend several nights in the jungle. The lodge’s main attraction is the macaw clay lick, 165 feet (50 meters) high and 1,640 feet (500 meters) long, situated along the west bank of the Tambopata River. Most mornings, depending on the season, dozens and sometimes even hundreds of macaws and parrots flock to this site. Along with 6 species of macaws and 9 species of parrots, guana, tapirs, capybaras, and howler monkeys also come to this clay lick to consume its minerals.

Within a short walk from the lodge, visitors can experience several different types of Amazon environments including terraced floodplain forest, terra firme forest, and palm swamps, as well as the cleared areas around the Tambopata Research Center. These environments and what animals call them home will be explained by the center’s staff, which is full of nature experts. Interacting with on-site scientists is a great way to further your knowledge of the rainforest. Many of the scientists here are conducting studies and on-site research projects.

Room Amenities

The lodge has 18 basic rooms built out of native materials using eco-lodge technology. The cozy rooms all have two beds with mosquito netting, a small table, and clothes hangers. There is no electricity, so the rooms are lit by kerosene lamps, candles, or flashlights. They are divided from each other by a thin wall made from native materials (wool, palm, wild cane, and clay) and all feature a full open wall that looks out into the jungle, so there are no barriers between you and the lush Amazon. Keeping with the open design, curtains are used instead of doors. Bathrooms are shared and do not have hot water.

Lodge Services & Facilities

This intimate lodge features 18 rooms, 8 shared bathrooms (no hot water), research rooms, and a dining room with a bar. All the areas are connected by raised boardwalks. Visitors should be aware that the Tambopata Research Center is a rustic lodge, open to the environment and with few modern amenities. The lodge does not have electricity, though it does have a generator that is turned on for several hours each day.

Visitors enjoy self-serve three-course meals of a starter, main, and desert during their stay. If informed in advance, the center can accommodate vegetarian diets. Drinking water is also always available. In addition to included activities, guests can choose to add on additional excursions, such as kayaking.

The lodge also comprises a research center where scientists and their assistants study macaws.