Day 1 - Lima or Cuzco - Puerto Maldonado - Tambopata Research Center
On arrival of your local airline flight into to Puerto Maldonado the Tambopata Research Center staff will meet and transfer you to the general office to drop off excess baggage. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief survey of the town we will depart by bus for 1 hour then by boat on 2 1/2 hour journey until we arrive the Tambopata Research Center. During your voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, a several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips. After we get settled in we will take a three to five kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey. After dinner a evening excursion to search for nocturnal species of the area. Afterwards return to the lodge for the night. Overnight at Tambopata Research Center. (L/D)

Day 2 - Tambopata Research Center
On most clear mornings of the year dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle which inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located fifty meters from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active. Afterwards we will hike on a five kilometer trail covers the prototypical rain forest with immense trees criss-crossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat. We will return to the lodge for lunch and later take a ten minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that call this pond their home. Evening Night hiking in the area where most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories. Afterwards return to the lodge to relax before dinner. After dinner a on site scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation. After dinner on site scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation. Overnight at the T.R.C. (B/L/D)

You can expect to see ten to twelve of the following members of the parrot family: Red-and-green, Blue-and-gold, Scarlet, Red-bellied, Chestnut-fronted and Blue-headed Macaws; Mealy & Yellow-crowned Amazons; Blue-headed, Orange-cheeked and White-bellie Parrots; Dusky-headed, White-eyed, Cobalt-winged and Tui Parakeets and Dusky-billed Parrotlets.

Day 3 - Tambopata Research Center
Today your guide will take you on the trails in search of the many hidden species that only the trained eye can see. Stepping carefully over the winding “highways” of peaceful leaf-cutter ants, the Rainforest Master Hike will leave you with unforgettable memories and a profound sense of accomplishment. Due to their years of local experience, our Tambopata Research Center guides know everything about the forest. They’ll spot the tiniest bird hiding in the canopy, the most elusive monkey, and the most spectacular plant life. This evening take a Sunset Cruise floating down the wide river, countless oranges and pinks reflecting off the water in lovely patterns. Overnight at the T.R.C. (B/L/D)

Day 4 - Tambopata Research Center - Puerto Maldonado -
We retrace our river and road journey back to Puerto Maldonado, our office and the airport. Depending on airline schedules, this may require dawn departures.Transfer to airport for the flight to ... ( Cuzco or Lima )(B)