Accommodations Peru

Manu National Park

Birdtripper Travel Tip:  The vast majority of people going to Manu National Park do so with organized tour groups.   Self-driving in Peru is not recommended.   The road to Manu is very rough, and the drivers in Peru are some of the worst in the world. They often do not stop for stop signs or red lights and often pass when it is not safe to do so. Therefore, it is suggested that you go to one of these lodges with a tour company. You can check several companies to find out which lodges they use if you have a preference. Another option is to travel by bus to the lodge of your choice. But then you are limited to only one lodge.   Most people like to visit three areas or more. If you have been to Manu, let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Orientation:  This lodge is located on Manu Road, which runs from the city of Cusco to the town of Atalaya Pilcopata.   The lodge is about a seven or eight-hour drive along this road, including stops to see birds along the way. 165 km (102 miles). Elevation 1600m (5200 ft). 

Good news and bad.   The Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge is a birder’s paradise.   It is located near an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek, where it is easy to see these birds and watch them perform mating rituals. The Cock-of-the-Rock is the national bird of Peru.

The bad news is that the hotel is a little run down and in need of maintenance, according to recent reports.   Although the area is teeming with birds, there are few other types of wildlife. There is limited electricity for charging batteries and none in the rooms. Bring a flashlight.

Tip: Get a room away from the road, as truck traffic is very noisy. The rooms furthest from the dining room are the noisiest. 

How to get there: This lodge is used by several tour companies, including Amazon Wildlife Peru. Book your accommodations at Cock-of-the-Rock through one of the tour companies on the guides page.

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Orientation:  Bonanza Lodge is located far from the city of  Cusco in Manu National Park.   It will take you two days to get there.   You could stop for the first night at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge described above.   In the town of Atalaya Pilcopata, you will come to the end of Manu Road.   You travel the rest of the way by boat on the Madre de Dios River.

Just getting to Bonanza Lodge in the wilderness of Manu National Park is an adventure.   Staying there for a few days is another adventure. The accommodation is primitive.   Toilets are outhouses. Running cold water for showers.   Bedrooms are rustic but clean with mosquito nets, and the food is good. If you are looking for great accommodations, don’t go there.   But if you want an amazing experience in the tropical jungle and are able to handle the primitive conditions, this is the place to find it.

This location is not specifically for birders.   Although the forest is teeming with birds, the lodge is for anyone who wants to see all types of wildlife. There is a tapir lick nearby, and there is a chance to see a jaguar.   There are two 20-metre observation towers to view birds and monkeys in the treetops.

Getting there:  Tour companies that go to Bonanza Lodge include Amazon Wildlife Peru, Manu Nature Tours, and Bonanza Tours Peru.   Link to Bonanza Tours. Website

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Orientation:  Manu Wildlife Center is on the opposite side of Manu National Park from Cusco.

Although very remote, Manu Wildlife Center is very comfortable. It offers private bungalows with en-suite toilets and hot water showers. Unlike some of the more primitive lodges, here, you can have your jungle and your modern comforts as well. There is no electricity in the rooms, but the dining area has chargers and Wi-Fi at certain hours of the day.

It is located on the bank of the Madre de Dios River in a pristine rainforest.   The area is teeming with wildlife.   You might see Giant Otters, Caiman, Capybara, lots of monkeys and maybe even a jaguar. (Also, there are many spiders, so it’s not good if you have arachnophobia). Tapirs are common in warm weather.   You may not see them if it is cold. For the birders, lots of Parrots and 600 other species.  

Facilities include a tapir lick, 30 km of monkey and bird viewing trails and two 35-metre observation towers for treetop wildlife. There is also a nearby lake with lots of Hoatzins, Caimans and Giant Otters.    The Blanquillo clay lick is a 30-minute ride downriver (see birding hotspots for Peru).

Getting there:  The problem with Manu Wildlife Center is that it is more expensive than other lodges, and it is a very remote location means two full days of travel by road and boat just to get there.   There is the option of flying to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco (Airbus 320) and then a short trip by road from there.   This saves two days of travel each way but getting there is half the adventure. (Perhaps flying one way would be a good idea). Tour companies that go to the Manu Wildlife Centre include Amazon Wildlife Peru, Manu Expeditions, and Inkanature.  
Book your accommodations at Manu Wildlife Center through one of the tour companies on the guides page.

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Camping in a tent in the Amazon Jungle may not sound too appealing to most people.   However, the Manu Tented Camp is not your average campground.   The tents are inside wooden structures with a wooden floor on stilts (so you are not camping on the ground). They have a thatched roof. It is like a little cabin without walls. However, the walls are made of good mosquito netting and curtains. The camp even has hot showers and flush toilets, but not in the cabins.

Getting there:  The Manu Tented Camp is deep in Manu NP, so getting there is a bit of a challenge.   It is a two-day trip by road and boat or you can fly to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco (Airbus 320), and then a short trip by road from there.   The camp is located near Lake Salvador.    Most Peruvian tour companies do not stop at the Tented Camp.   One who does is Inkanature.    Several international compies have tours to the Tented Camp. These are Adventure Life (USA), Tour the Tropics (Australia), Wildland Adventures (USA), and Aracari Travel (which has offices in the UK, USA, and Peru). Website

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Tour Companies

Contact information for tour companies that go to these lodges can be found on the Guides page.

Ulcumano Ecolodge and Owlet Lodge

Information about these lodges can be found on the Hotspots of Peru page.

A Luxury Lodge in the Amazon Jungle

Pumarinri Amazon Lodge does not primarily cater to birders. It is mostly a holiday destination for the people of Peru; however, it does attract vacationers and birders from around the world.

White-fronted Nunbird, Grey-breasted Sabrewing, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Palm Tanager, the wing-barred sub-species of the Blue-grey Tanager, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Lettered Aracari, White-collared Swift, Double-Toothed Kite and Voloricious Jay are just a few of the species you can see at the lodge, as well as monkeys, sloths, lizards, snakes, Poison Dart Frogs and other wildlife.

The lodge offers boat tours down the Mayo River, where you can see more species, including the strange Hoatzen, which is common along the river banks.

However, there are a vast number of species in the jungle away from the lodge. With a guide, you can find many species on half-day or all-day trips from the lodge. I saw 113 species while I was there, including the Koepeck’s Hermit, many species of Tanagers, and much more.

The lodge has a nice swimming pool, a bar, a restaurant with great food, tours of the local area, and wonderful, friendly staff to make your birding trip a memorable one. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and highly recommend it for both birding and a relaxing vacation.

The closest town to the lodge is Tarapoto. There are direct flights to Tarapoto from Lima.

There are two guides based in Tarapoto. See the guides page.

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