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WEATHER CONDITIONS
The lowland rain forests of Tambopata lie far enough south of the Equator
to provide a cooler, drier winter season between May and October, which
also happens to be the major season for international travel. The general
weather conditions, are warm and humid. In Tambopata the average daytime
high temperature is between 82° and 93° F (25° and 31°C)
and the average nighttime low is between 62° and 73° F (16°
and 22°C). Nevertheless between May and September, cold fronts from
Argentina can sweep into southwestern Amazonia and push daytime highs
down to 50° F (9° C) and the nighttime lows to 43° F (5°
C). Thus, during that season always be potentially prepared for cold and
drizzle. During the rainy months of November through April, always be
prepared for heavy rain that can continue for hours or days. Around 80%
of the annual average 2000 mm rainfall occurs during this season.
WHAT
TO BRING
We recommend that each visitor limit gear to good binoculars, camera gear,
tight-weave, light weight, light colored, long cotton pants, long sleeved,
tight-weave, light colored cotton shirts, undergarments, absorbent socks,
ankle-high hiking boots, sneakers, a powerful flashlight with batteries,
a small toilet kit, a water bottle; sunblock lotion, sunglasses, a secure,
broad-brimmed hat, 100% waterproof, head-to-ankle rain suit, insect repellent,
yellow fever inoculation certificate, small denomination bills and a small
daypack.
LUGGAGE
IS HAND-CARRIED FROM THE BOATS TO YOUR ROOMS. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU
LIMIT THE WEIGHT OF YOUR LUGGAGE TO 15 KILOGRAMS (32 POUNDS) A PIECE.
If you
are visiting other destinations in Peru that require different kinds of
clothing, you can always pack separate bags and safely leave them at our
offices in Puerto Maldonado on the first day of the itinerary, so we won't
be carrying them around with no use. Your bag will be waiting for you
at the airport the day you leave.
MEDICAL
INFORMATION
Yellow fever inoculation is required for travel to Tambopata. It is necessary
that you bring your yellow fever inoculation certificate to prove to the
airport officials in Puerto Maldonado that you are vaccinated.
Leishmaniasis is present throughout the rain forests of southeastern Peru.
It is a skin lesion caused by a protozoan transmitted by a certain kind
of small biting fly. There is no vaccination against it but it is curable
in every case. The selected cure, injections of pentavalent antimony (Glucantime),
is uncomfortable. Leishmaniasis is also very easy to prevent by wearing
long-sleeved shirts, pants, and repellent on exposed skin at all times,
and sleeping under mosquito nets. If you are interested in receiving complete
information on leishmaniasis contact us before your trip. For precautions
against malaria consult your physician or a specialist in tropical medicine.It
is vital that persons with medical problems or special diet requirements
make them known to us well before departure.
COMMUNICATIONS
Posada Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center are in daily radio contact
with our offices in Puerto Maldonado and Lima. We have HF radios at these
four stations. From Lima and Puerto Maldonado we are able to communicate
by fax or phone with the rest of the world. In some cases, cellular phones
will have a signal when we´re standing on top of the canopy tower
at Posada Amazonas.
PASSPORTS,
MONEY, AIR TICKETS
You may need your passport upon arrival at Puerto Maldonado in the event
authorities want to spot check tourist entries, as the local airport is
officially an international airport. Upon arrival, a representative will
collect your domestic air tickets to confirm your return flights. At the
end of the trip, he/she will collect cash from you to pay for the airport
tax.
MEALS
We provide all meals during the trip. Meals consist of soup or appetizers,
salad, main course, dessert, and coffee or tea. All fresh fruits and salads
are thoroughly disinfected before serving. We also provide at all times
unlimited amounts of boiled, cooled drinking water. If any visitor has
special dietary requirements, we are happy to make individual arrangements,
but please notify us early. Upon request we will furnish a complete description
of our menus.
ACCOMMODATIONS
AT POSADA AMAZONAS
Posada Amazonas is located on the banks of the Tambopata River in the
grounds of the Community, adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve.
Posada Amazonas is built using a combination of traditional native materials
(wood, palm fronds, wild cane and clay) and architecture and modern day
eco-lodge technology. The lodge itself consists of a complex of four sections:
rooms, dining area and kitchen, relaxation area and internal support facilities.
The entire roof of the lodge is constructed using high quality crisneja
palm fronds, whereas the floors are of tropical mahogany. The rooms complex
is built of four 9 X 24 meter structures with six rooms per facility,
for a total of 24 double bedrooms. The rooms are 7 x 4 meters so they
can comfortably hold three beds, although they are set up for two. The
walls dividing each room are built using cane and clay, and extend from
the floor to about 2.5 meters height making each room private. The combination
of clay and cane achieves two important objectives: regulating heat and
providing a charming final appeareance. However, sounds can be heard from
room to room. The side that looks out to the forest does not have a wall
or screening of any kind, acting as a large window facing the forest.
The reason we have been able to incorporate this "luxurious"
design into our lodge is because mosquitos are not really a problem around
the lodge clearing and the open section allows for an intimate contact
with the rain forest. A second small window on the opposite side, set
up very high, keeps the rooms well ventilated. Beds are sized for Americans
or Europeans (1.05m X 2.05m) with mosquito nets. Each room has a private
bathroom with cold water only. Rooms and bathrooms are separated by drapes.
The dining room and lounge is spacy and offers ample area for resting
and socializing.
ACCOMODATIONS
AT THE TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER
Tambopata Research Center is located in a half hectare clearing 50 meters
from the Tambopata River and 300 meters from the macaw clay lick. It is
composed of four interconnected, thatch-roofed buildings designed after
traditional low-impact native architecture. All buildings and interconnecting
passageways are raised on four-foot stilts built from palm trunks. The
main building is a 33 foot by 100 foot platform divided into 13 double
rooms. Each bedroom is furnished with two beds draped in mosquito nets,
a chair, a night table with a kerosene windlamp, and a table for luggage
and clothing. Each room does not have a wall on the side that looks into
the forest: it is also designed to have an optional, permanent, unobstacled
view of the forest surrounding the clearing in order to maximize wildlife
observation time. To the left of the main building a 20 foot-long, roofed
passageway connects to the bathrooms containing flush toilets and shower
stalls. To the right of the main building a 15 foot-long, roofed passageway
connects to the dining room and meeting room which in turn is connected
to the kitchen.
ELECTRICITY
Neither Posada Amazonas nor Tambopata Research Center have electricity.
Light is provided by numerous kerosene lamps and candles. A generator
is turned on once a day to recharge batteries for tourists or lodge facilities.
At night it is very dark, so we recommend good flashlights.
TRAVEL
BY BOAT
Our boats are 20 foot canoes with foldable couched seats and a roof. They
are powered by 65 hp outboard motors which allow for a travel time of
two hours from Puerto Maldonado to Posada Amazonas and four to five hours
from Posada Amazonas to TRC. Passengers are protected by the sun and rain
by the roof but we suggest keeping your rain gear and sunblock handy in
case the sun's rays or rain drops come in slanted. There are life vests
in every seat.
EMERGENCIES
In case of emergencies we have a first aid kit that is equipped to deal
with most cases that may reasonably arise in the area. For snake bites,
an unheard of at Tambopata so far, we have a stun gun, extractors and
an anti-venom at the lodges. In case of evacuation, we are three and a
half hours from Puerto Maldonado and medical attention, in case we´re
at TRC.
WILDLIFE
OBSERVATION IN THE RAIN FOREST
Tambopata is one of the world´s most diverse wildernesses. It is
also one of the best preserved. However, the vast majority of the rain
forest´s diversity is in the form of insects. The world record diversities
of birds and mammals, are mostly in the form of small, unspectacular species.
Large spectacular species are rare, shy, unpredictable and very difficult
to see, with few notable exceptions. So don´t come expecting the
wildlife densities of the African savannahs or the Antarctic peninsula.
We aren´t in Jurassic Park or Disneyland, either.
Nevertheless, Tambopata is diverse and it is well preserved and exciting
encounters do occur on a regular basis. At Tambopata Research Center,
you will have some of the Amazon´s best chances of seeing jaguar,
tapir, giant river otters, harpy eagles, macaws, etc. However, the Amazon´s
best chances for some of these species are very slim, but they do occur.
In the year 2000 for example we have seen 16 jaguars, perhaps the most
difficult to see of the aforementioned species. For detailed descriptions
of these and other species and our encounter rates, please check out the
section on miscellanous information.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that when you do encounter
wildlife, you will not have the clear, ample field of view of the African
savannahs or Antarctica, nor the reposed exhibits of a zoo. In all likelihood
you will see the wildlife through branches, leaves, vine tangles and dense
vegetation, scampering, stampeding, flying or leaping away from you, at
heights of up to 40 meters for less than a minute. But wonderful encounters
do happen. Of the 16 jaguar encounters mentioned above, one was of a jaguar
eating a dead tapir, at 20 yards seen for 15 minutes by 8 people. Another
one was of a jaguar sleeping on the beach in front of the TRC. Our driver
did three return trips to show everyone at the lodge, including staff,
the sleeping jaguar. It was even filmed by a crew from the BBC! The next
day, it was there again.
So, do not expect wildlife to be encountered as it is found in North American
parks. Come relaxed, with your eyes open and lots of curiosity. You will
be in a place where every horizontal and vertical meter of forest probably
has hundreds of species of organisms, different from one meter to the
next. Just that thought should keep your sense of wonder alive throughout
the trip. Then, all of a sudden, you will see that jaguar.
BIRDWATCHING
AT TAMBOPATA:
A typical week long trip to Tambopata, with a good birding guide, should
yield around two-three hundred species. When travelling with an interest
in birdwatching, i.e. when you want to dedicate most of your day to actively
seeking and identifying birds, please let us know beforehand so that we
can assign an appropriate guide. Also, keep in mind that although Posada
Amazonas is a good birding location, Tambopata Research Center is superior
because it offers a greater habitat variety at very accessible distances,
and more importantly, it is located in forests that have been unhunted
for decades, thus harboring carrying capacity population of large "game"
birds: guan, currasow, macaws, etc. If you do not have the minimum five
days required for a solid Tambopata Research Center itinerary, then Posada
Amazonas is a good three or four day substitute: it offers lake birds,
a canopy tower and parrot clay licks. Also remember all programs to Tambopata
Research Center, spend at least two nights at Posada Amazonas, giving
you a chance to bird the lake and climb the canopy tower.
PHOTOGRAPHY
IN TAMBOPATA
The Amazon, with its magnificent scenery and diversity of fauna and flora
is a photographer's paradise. However it is a challenging environment
for natura and wildlife photography.
The first challenge photographers will face is with their camera equipment.
Even before the first wildlife encounter, you will have to deal with elements
that can cause havoc with your camera equipment. The high level of humidity,
the ever changing weather conditions and even plastic-melting insect repellent
will be a challenge to even the most reliable equipment.
The second challenge comes in the form of the wildlife. Even though many
tourists/photographers have left the lodges with some very good images
of macaws, river otters and even the extremely rare jaguar, we feel that
it was because of good luck and being at the right place on the right
time. Photography in the rain forest is a painstaking process and a game
of long waits and Zen-like patience. Most people arrive at Posada Amazonas
and the Tambopata Research Center after having viewed documentaries of
the Tambopata area produced by the Discovery Channel or the BBC and have
seen the pictures taken by famous professional photographers like Tui
De Roy, Franz Lanting, Andre Bartschi or Heinz Plenge. These photographers
visit the area on many occasions and spend months working to capture their
images relying on climbing gear, tons of scaffolding, laser sensitive
devices to detect movement. It is a natural but unrealistic reaction to
believe that a person with a good camera and some powerful zoom lenses
can achieve the same results in a visit of a few days. In general, you
will require lenses above 300 mm to produce good wildlife photography.
ASA 200 film or above is recommended for the rain forest where it tends
to be dark. For macrophotography, a flash will be required often. To make
sure your equipment is protected from the elements, we recommend the use
of river bags or waterproof camera cases. The use of dry bags and silicon
gel are highly recommended to alleviate the problem with humidity, rain
and the occasional water splashing in the canoe during the trips on the
river. The use of a tripod at the clay lick is recommended and lenses
ranging from 500mm to 1000mm are necessary for the clay lick. The use
of flash is not recommended when photographing the macaws at close range.
With the large amount of visitors trying to photograph the "chicos"
at the lodge, the strong light from the flash will damage their vision.
READINGS
ON POSADA AMAZONAS
· MY TREETOP BRUSH WITH A HARPY. INTERNATIONAL WIDLIFE (USA). July/August
1998.
· LEARNING BOTH WAYS: LESSONS FROM A CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY ECOTOURISM
COLLABORATION. CULTURAL SURVIVAL. (USA). Summer, 1999.
· THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE OUTPOSTS. AUDUBON (USA). September - October,
1999.
· CONDE NAST TRAVELER. Winner. ECOTOURISM AWARD. July 2000.
READINGS
ON TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER
· MACAWS WINGED RAINBOWS. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (USA). January, 1994.
· THE MACAWS OF TAMBOPATA. BIRD TALK (USA). June, 1994.
· HOMELESS MACAWS. INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE (USA). September, 1994.
· ONE OF NATURE'S GREATEST SPECTACLES. WILD BIRD (USA). December,
1994.
· DIE ENGEL DES GRUNEN HIMMELS. TERRA (Germany). April-May-June,
1999.
· CONDE NAST TRAVELER. Winner. ECOTOURISM AWARD. July 2000.
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