A brightly coloured jungle New Year - Full itinerary and inclusions

7 days/ 6 nights
Features:
Amazon jungle at Puerto Maldonado
New Year in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco
Day 1 - 27th December
Cusco - Puerto Maldonado – Posada Amazonas
You will take a flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado where you will be met and transferred to the port. The forty five minute boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Posada Amazonas will take us into the Community´s Primary Forest Private Reserve. After settling in,  a twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas leads to the 30 meter scaffolding canopy tower. A bannistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. From atop you obtain spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle. Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or mixed species canopy flocks land in the treetop next to you.
Accommodation: Posada Amazonas
Day 2 - 28th December
Oxbow Lake & Ethnobotanical Tour
Tres Chimbadas is thirty minutes by boat and forty five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there you will paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. Otters are most active from dawn to eight or nine AM.

After lunch, a  twenty minute boat drive downriver leads you to a trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape. The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic. They have produced a trail which explains the different medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants.
Day 3 - 29th December
Parrot Clay Lick/ Ceiba Trail Hike/ Farm Visit
The Parrot Clay Lick lick is only a twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas. From a blind located about twenty meters away you will see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a river bank. Species such as Mealy and Yellow- headed Amazon, Blue-headed Parrot and Dusky headed Parakeet descend at this clay lick. The clay lick is active at dawn, during the late mornings and mid-afternoons.

After lunch we will have jungle hike and a visit to to the most complete farm in the community of Infierno. The owner grows a diverse variety of popular and unknown Amazon crops. In his garden, just about every plant and tree serves a purpose.
Day 4 - 30th December
Posada Amazonas/ Puerto Maldonado/Cusco
Today you will return by boat to Puerto Maldonado and then return via a short flight to Cusco.
In the afternoon you will have time to rest, and wander Cusco’s fascinating cobblestone streets.
Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo
Standard Plus: Novotel or Casa San Blas.
Day 5 - 31st December
Cusco/South Valley Experience/ New Year’s Eve Celebrations (Peru style)
Today we are going to celebrate the end of the year with a number of unique Peruvian traditions.  We will take our South Valley Cultural Experience to have our coca leaves read (to know more about the coming year) and also to eat cuy (guinea pig).
** Note, if you wanted to spend longer in the jungle you would be able to visit more remote lodges.  Please ask us about the 4 night options, which would have you returning to Cusco on the day of the 31st.
Like all parts of the world, the party in the Plaza de Armas in Cusco is a big one…  get a spot on a balcony to watch the fireworks, or perhaps join the melee in the plaza. Its quite an impressive cultural spectacle, and one not forgotten quickly!
http://www.apus-peru.com/trip-planning/new_years_eve.htm
Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo
Standard Plus: Novotel or Casa San Blas.
Day 6 - 1st January
Cusco/ Ollantaytambo (El Sinkuy)/ Cusco
Depending on the degree of celebration you had the night before, we will have a late start. (Your Option).
If you feel inspired to see a unique, once a year Peruvian festival, we will leave around 10am to take a trip to Ollantaytambo to see El Sinkuy
http://www.apus-peru.com/trip-planning/ollantaytambo_january_events.html
Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo
Standard Plus: Novotel or Casa San Blas.
Day 7 - 2nd January
Cusco/Lima/ Home
You will be transferred to the Cusco airport for your return flight to Lima
(Lima flight at your own cost)

AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS (these discounts are not cumulative)

• 5% discount on treks only for members of South American Explorers Club (SAE)
• Students: US$ 30.00 (students require a valid International Student Identity Card. Please beware that Youth Travel Cards are not valid)
• Teenagers: US$ 20.00 (up to 15 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)
• Children: US$ 45.00 (up to 10 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)

TO MAKE A BOOKING

Please visit our Make a Booking page.

You will need to email us to check availability, receive booking forms and then make your deposit. For our payment conditions and booking please refer to our Make a Booking page. * For organisational reasons, we require one week to organise your booking, prior to departure.