Your journey begins in Puerto Maldonado, where you are welcomed at the airport, bus terminal or city hotel and transferred to the Chuncho Lodge office. After a short introduction and final arrangements, you set off along the Interoceanic Highway, crossing 48 kilometers of paved road before turning onto an 18-kilometer forest track that leads to the banks of the Tambopata River and the Filadelfia community. From here you will take a short boat ride downstream to the lodge.

Upon arrival at Chuncho Lodge, your home for the next couple of days in the heart of the Amazon, you will get welcomed and be shown your rooms. After lunch, your first exploration awaits: a short introductory walk through the forest leading to the canopy tower where you will be able to enjoy the forest from another perspective. Step by step, you rise above the trees until the rainforest stretches endlessly in every direction. From here, the forest canopy is alive with activity — macaws, toucans, and monkeys pass by at eye level.

On your way back, discover life at night during a night walk. The forest reveals a different rhythm after dark, with insects humming, frogs calling, and nocturnal creatures beginning their activities. It is a gentle but captivating introduction to life in the rainforest.

With the forest waking up around you, enjoy breakfast before boarding a boat further downstream the Tambopata River toward the El Gato Creek Parrot Clay Lick. As you arrive, watch the trees come alive with color and sound: parrots and parakeets gather in large flocks to feed on the mineral-rich clay. The walk to the site may also reveal monkeys and fascinating plants or insects.

Before returning to the lodge, the river invites you to pause. You may choose to swim along the riverbank or try your hand at catch-and-release piranha fishing, before enjoying lunch.

In the afternoon, take a guided walk on one of our trails deeper into the forest. This path leads you to our own mammal clay lick, a quiet area where animals are known to visit. It is a chance to experience the forest in greater depth and discover one of its hidden natural features. As night falls during your walk, get ready to see frogs flash their colours, spiders hide among the roots, and perhaps a snake glide silently across your path. Under the beam of a flashlight, the forest shows you its hidden side while going back to the lodge to have dinner.

The day begins early, with a 04:30 a.m. departure upriver. As your boat cuts through the mist at dawn, watch the riverbanks carefully: capybaras often graze here, tapirs leave their tracks, and sometimes even a jaguar appears.

At last, you arrive at the world’s largest Macaw Clay Lick. Chairs are set up along the riverbank as you wait in silence for the sky to erupt with wings: parrots and macaws circle above before descending to the clay lick. Scarlet, red-and-green, and blue-and-yellow macaws join smaller species such as blue-headed, orange-cheeked, and dusky-headed parrots. It is one of the most powerful wildlife spectacles in South America. You will be invited to enjoy a picnic breakfast while enjoying this show.

During the return to the lodge, the river again offers surprises, caimans resting on sandbanks, turtles basking on logs, or troops of monkeys crossing the canopy. Lunch is followed by time to rest in the hammocks or swim in our swimming pool.

In the afternoon your guide will take you on an ethnobotanical walk around the lodge. You will be introduced to the world of medicinal plants, hardwoods, and the mammals that rely on them. You will have the opportunity to learn how locals use these plants in their daily life and how it influences their life in the jungle.

To conclude your jungle stay in this part of the forest, embark on a boat trip to watch the sun set over the river and discover the jungle from yet another point of view. As night falls, lift your gaze to the sky: far from city lights, the Amazon night sky opens in all its brilliance. Spend time tracing constellations across the vast canopy of stars, a peaceful and unforgettable way to end the days activities before heading back to the lodge.

After breakfast, bid farewell to Chuncho Lodge. You will travel by boat and vehicle back to Puerto Maldonado, where you will embark on a trip on the Madre de Dios River and get deeper into the Tambopata National Reserve toward Sandoval Lake.

A 40-minute river journey and a 3 km forest walk bring you to the lake’s shore. Here, calm waters reflect the sky as you paddle across the lake in search of wildlife. Monkeys move through the canopy, while birds sweep across the lake. With luck, you may encounter the endangered giant otters, fishing and playing in family groups.

After settling into a partner lodge, return to the lake for a striking Amazon sunset. As daylight fades, remain on the water to search for black caimans, the largest crocodile species in the rainforest. Over 4 meters in length, their red eyes gleam in the dark under your flashlight beam.

Your final morning begins with a sunrise paddle on Sandoval Lake. Enjoy the sight, sounds and smell of the forest awaken with calls of howler monkeys and the flight of macaws overhead. This is the most active time for wildlife, and once again, the giant otters may appear, gliding across the mirrored surface.

Crossing the western side of the lake, towering aguaje palms — some over 30 meters high — reflect in the still waters, creating a serene farewell to the Amazon.

After breakfast, transfer by boat and vehicle back to our office in Puerto Maldonado, arriving in time for your return flight or bus journey.