The Manu National Park is the place where you must go if you are a true animal naturist. With 9,700 species of birds found on earth, Manu National Park contains 1,000 of them. There are over 200 species of mammals that dwell in this preserved environment, which extends from the Andes Mountains Highlands to the Amazon forest lowlands. You can book a tour that takes you from the mountains to the jungles all in one big trip. Keep in mind the variations in climate as you travel from the mountain region, where you will need some clothing for cool evenings, to the jungle region, where ‘hot and steamy’ is not just referring to a day at the spa. This national park is found in the Madre de Dios and Cusco departments, and is protected from development. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and recognized as a biosphere reserve.
There are only a few licensed companies that provide Manu tours, most starting and ending in Cusco. One such tour company will take you from Cusco to Boca Manu by way of a 12 passenger Cessna plane. Other tours offer buses or boats through Puerto Maldonado. For accommodations in the Manu National Park there are some main lodges to choose from. The Manu Wildlife Center can be reached by taking a 35 minute flight, which is followed by a 90 minute ride down the Manu River. Everything is taken care of by the tour company and provides you with transportation, meals and jungle visits. These tour packages are a little more expensive than your normal Amazon Jungle tour, but the experience far outweighs the cost.
