Peru: Rainforest Lodges of the Madre de Dios

The rainforests of southeastern Peru have long been known as the most species-rich in the world. Starting in the mountainous regions of Cusco and Puno, several rivers drain off the Andes into the river called Madre de Dios—Mother of God—before joining waters flowing northeast out of Bolivia and eventually making their way down to the Amazon River.

On their way to the Amazon, these rivers pass through Manu National Park and the Los Amigos Conservation Concession, huge areas of protected forest that abut even larger areas of wild, if at present unprotected, land. We’ll visit two lodges in this watershed, both on the Madre de Dios itself. We’ll cover an amazing variety of habitats, from open riverbanks to closed oxbow lakes and from seasonally flooded forest to tall upland forest well above the rivers. We’ll also sample the area’s high concentration of bamboo-dominated forest, which has a whole host of its own specialists. Topping off the list will be visits to a dirt bank used by hundreds of parrots and macaws each morning as well as a canopy platform to see the world from a unique angle. Besides birds, we’ll have a chance to look for several exciting mammals, such as Giant Otter, while also taking time to observe the myriad reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, and other invertebrates, enriching the entire natural history experience.