Nature & Culture Tours
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| Condor in the Colca Canyon |
Tanager Tours also offers general tours for groups of 4-6 people, who want to combine bird watching and culture. This type of tour is more suitable for the interested but not absolutely dedicated birdwatcher.
Program
1. Southern Peru - 16 days
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Visit the tourist highlights like Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, Cusco and Machu Picchu and combine them with bird highlights like the Ballestas Isles, Condors and Flamingoes around Arequipa and the bird paradise of Manu. |
Price: $ 1890 per person (with 4 people) till $1690 (with 6 people)
Fixed departure (always on a thursday): August 23, 2007
Starting in Lima and ending in Cusco.
Includes: hotel in Lima on arrival, all accomodation in hotels and lodges,
the flight Lima-Arequipa, transport in private car, the train Puno-Cusco,
train to Machu Picchu, all entrance fees and excursions, meals (see under),
bird - and local guides on different places.
Does not include: the dinners on day 1-4 and the meals on day 7,8,14 and
15, guide in M.Picchu, hotel in Cusco on day 15, flight Cusco-Lima.
2. Short extensions
In contact with the client we can add extensiones before or after the main
tour of 16 days. The different options are:
a. leaving the train on day 15 at Ollantaytambo and doing on day
16 a birding trip of one day to the pass of Abra Malaga or starting a 2
day trip to Cancha Cancha. Both visits have the same target: seeing the
very specialized birds of Polylepis forst.
b. An 3 -day excursion to Bosque Ampay, starting and ending in Cusco.
c. Flying on day 16 to Lima and starting a 1.5 day excursion to Marcapomacochas,
the only place where it´s nearly sure to see Diademed Sandpiper-Plover.
d. pelagic trip from Lima - 1 day
e. Lomas de Lachay, 100 km north of Lima
3. Extensions to the lower rainforest
Flying to Puerto Maldonado. A stay of some days at one of the many lodges in the neighbourhood. For instance at Lake Sandoval lodge
Itinerary
1. Southern Peru - 16 days
day 1(thursday): Lima-Pisco: We will pick you up from your hotel and go to Pisco by private transport. We will making birding stops in order to see Great Grebe, White-tufted Grebe, Peruvian Thickknee and many, many more. . We stay in a hotel in Pisco, a friendly little town near Paracas Peninsula.
day 2: Paracas: We start with an excursion by boat to the Islas Ballestas, seeing a large amount of Peruvian Boobies, Pelicans, Cormorants and the Inca Tern, the most beautiful tern on earth. There are also a lot of Sea-lions. After the 2-hour boat trip we continue to the peninsula Paracas by car and on foot. We will see a strange looking desert landscape, nice coastal rock formations, more birds and a possible Sea Otter or Dolphin. In the afternoon we return to Lima.
day 3: Arequipa: After the morning flight from Lima to Arequipa you will spend this day to visit this attractive city of white stone buildings (sillar) surrounded by three volcanoes. You can visit itīs lovely Plaza and its Monasterio de Santa Catalina. Situated at 2300 m. Arequipa is also a good stay to begin to acclimatize for the next days when we are coming above the altitude of 4000 m. Only one important bird today: the endemic Peruvian Sheartail.
day 4: Lake Salinas: A day trip to this high altitude soda lake
with all three species flamingoes and a range of highland birds. The lake
is beautifully situated on the "altiplano" and it is surrounded
by colourful mountains. Herds of lamaīs and alpaca´s make your imagination
of the Andes complete. It´s a long drive to Salinas (on a dirt road)
but we make regular birding stops on the way. The main stop will be at Chiguata
for endemic birds like White-throated Earthcreeper and Black Metaltail.
It´s possible that there is no water at lake Salinas. We will know
that in advance. In that case we only bird the area of Chiguata and will
go afterwards already to the Colca Valley, spending there one day more.
day 5: to the Colca Canyon: Leaving Arequipa early, we will stop at the national reserve "Salinas y Aquada Blanca". Here we find vicuņas, one of the two wild members of South Americaīs camels. From now on we will look for high altitude species like Caracara´s, Earthcreepers, Canastero´s, Yellow-Finches amongst others. The marshy area of Tocra at 4200 m.a.s.l. has always a good range of birds (Crested Duck, Puna Ibis, different Ground-Tyrants and Andean Negrito for instance) Before the pass at 4800 m. above sea level is a very interesting birding area, but we will wait exploring that till tomorrow if we are better acclimatized.
From the pass it is a short trip to Chivay (at 3700 m.) where we spend the night in a hotel. Optional is a visit to the thermal hot springs.
day 6: Cruz del Condor: Every day are coming hundred of more people
to see the spectacle of huge condors flying nearby. At the same spot we
look for Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird,
Andean Swifts, Slender-billed Miner and Canyon Canastero. On our way back
to Chivay we will give attention to one of the Arequipa endemics, Dark-winged
Canastero. Passing the same high pass of yesterday we will stop hoping to
find the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, a rare wader of the highlands. It´s
often a difficult species to find. But there are more interesting species
to see here.
Back on the paved road we continue in the direction of Juliaca, making two
birding stops on the way. Giant Coot, Andean Avocet and Puna Plover are
the most wanted species.
Hotel in Puno.
day 7: lake Titicaca Different options today. The guide can take you early to a place nearby Puno where we often encounter the Short-winged (or Flightless Titcaca) Grebe. Afterwards is possible a short visit by boat to the floating islands of the Uros Indians and/or a excursion by bus to Sillustani. Another option that takes a whole day is vsiting the Uros and go on to the island of Taquile. The people of Taquile have their own special culture.
day 8 (thursday): train to Cusco: On yourself you will go by train to Cusco. This is a very scenery drive through high altitude country. At the train station in Cusco the driver and guide for thre coming are waiting for you and will bring you to your hotel.
day 9 (friday): to the Cloud Forest : Leaving Cusco early we have a nice stop at Lake Huacarpay. Here you will see Plumbeous Rail, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant, the endemic Bearded Mountaineer , a big hummingbird, lots of waterfowl and much more.Continuing, we cross first the dry part of the Andes, arrive in the lovely Andes village Paucartambo before we climb again to the Acjanaco pass, where the Manu N.P. starts. The vegetation changes dramatically on these eastern slopes of the Andes. The whole afternoon we spend bird watching crossing the elfin - and cloud forest arriving before dinner in the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge at 1500 m.
day 10: the surroundings of the Cock-lodge We stay in this lovely area in a lodge run by Selva Sur. One of the aims of this conservation organisation is to buy land to avoid deforestation. The eastern Andes slopes belong to the most diverse habitat systems in the world. In a lot places in Peru and Ecuador this habitat is disappearing. Here it is conserved within the Manu Nat.Park.
The unpaved road and some lodges are the only signs of human activity. We start before light with a visit to the place where the Cocks-of-the-Rocks have their display and we will use the best birding hours after a quick breakfast. In the afternoon there is again the possibility for a walk and in between you can relaxe in the lodge, looking at the colourfull birds that visit the garden.
day 11: to Amazonia Lodge: Slowly descending we spend the whole morning bird watching till we arrive in Pilcopata for lunch. We are now in the real tropics. We continue with a 40-minute drive to Atalaya, where we cross the river to Amazonia Lodge.
day 12: Amazonia Lodge: Situated in the transition zone of the Andean foothills and lowland rainforest Amazonia lodge combines a nice place to stay (not too hot) and a lot of birds. In their lovely garden you will see different species of hummingbirds, the noisy Oropendolas and the beautiful Masked Crimson Tanager among others. The Hoatzin is a very common bird here. You have a splendid opportunity -like in the Cock-of-the-Rock-lodge - to take pictures of these birds. We will also see monkeys and a possible Peccary.
day 13(tuesday): back to Cusco: After breakfast we have to go back , a long trip back to Cusco, where we will arrive late in the afternoon.
day 14: to Machu Pichu: We travel by train to Aqua Calientes, the village beneath Machu Picchu. There you stay in a hotel . You can take your time to see this strange village built along the railway and we can do some birdwatching in the vicinity.
day15: Machu Pichu: Before 7 a.m. we go to the ruins of Machu Picchu, because this is the best time to visit; it is relatively quiet and seeing the sunrise here is spectacular. On our way back to Aqua Calientes we bird the area near the river in the hope to see some nice tanagers, Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper. In the afternoon we go back by train to Ollantaytambo, situated halfway Machu Picchu and Cusco.
day16 and following: the main program ends on day 15 in Cusco or Ollantaytambo. You have different options. For the people with no much time, the only option is to fly today to Lima taking the evening flight back home. Others can choose for one of the shorter birding trips with us around Cusco or flying to Lima doing a short birding trip there.
3. extension Sandoval Lake Lodge - 4 days
Day 1: Cusco-Puerto Maldonado-Sandoval: An early morning flight from Cusco brings you within 30 minutes to Puerto Maldonado. From there it is a 40-minute boat trip on the river Madre de Dios to the entrance trail of the lodge. While they carry our luggage, we walk this 2,5 km trail to the lake, bird watching. Crossing the lake by canoe we arrive in time in the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon we take our first canoe ride on this wonderful lake.
Day 2,3: Sandoval Lodge: Early morning there is a lot of bird activity along the lake as well as in the forest. Sandoval is an excellent place to see different members of the Toucan family and to see raptors, like Laughing Falcon and Slate-coloured Hawk. The parrot family is also well represented. During the afternoon kingfishers, herons, the Long-billed Woodcreeper, the Point-tailed Palmcreeper, the Giant Cowbird and a big colony of Red-bellied Macaws among others are visible in the extensive Mauritia Palm swamp. Another highlight is the endangered Giant Otter, always present on the lake. At dawn you can see caymen.
Day 4: Return to Cusco or Lima: Nearly no bird watching today: it is the system in all lodges that you leave the lodge early the last day. From Puerto Maldonado there are daily flights to Cusco and Lima.
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TANAGER TOURS | |
| Las Magnolias 515, dpe. 402 | ||
| California | ||
| Trujillo - Perú | ||
| Phone: | +51 44 423752 | |
| e-mail: | info@tanagertours.com | |
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