"The Tambopata tour was a very special experiance for me, not only stumble arround the forest looking for animals, but beeing able as well to take pictures of excellent quality. I enjoyed it very much to be with two very friendly and competent young men, you did a very good job, thank you so much.
I did not have the time yet to sort out my pictures and sent them to family and friends, but I am sure they will love the shots as I do. Thank you very much for your time and instructions, I can highly recommend the phototour to everybody who likes nature and good photos." - Isabella - Switzerland
NOTE: There is an additional $60 per person charge for entrance into the national park.
DAY 1
Arrival & Reception by Photography Guide
Because, photography in the rainforest requires a lot of patience and luck, our photography guides help with your equipment, provide subtle tips for improved use of blinds and maximize breaks with the weather and wildlife.
Transfer Airport to Puerto Maldonado Headquarters
Upon arrival from Lima or Cusco, we will welcome you at the airport and drive you ten minutes to our Puerto Maldonado headquarters. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in our gardens we will ask you to pack only the necessary gear for your next few days, and leave the rest at our safe deposit. This helps us keep the boats and cargo light.
Transfer Pto Maldonado Headquarters to Tambopata River Port
Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business.
Transfer Boat - Tambopata River Port to Posada Amazonas
The forty five minute boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Posada Amazonas will take us into the Community´s Primary Forest Private Reserve.
Boxed Lunch
Orientation
Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
Introduction to Photography Lecture
After lunch we will have a presentation about basic photography. Subjects such as aperture, ISO and shutter speed will be covered. We will also learn about some specialized photographic techniques and see some samples.
Dinner
Night PhotographyNight walks are great for photographing insects and frogs. We may be able to find praying mantis, cicadas, leaf mimicking grasshoppers as well as huge toads, shiny green tree frogs and bizarre horned frogs.
Overnight at Posada Amazonas
DAY 2
Breakfast
Photography at Tres Chimbadas oxbow lakeTres 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. The lake provides wonderful opportunities to photograph majestic trees, water reflections and, if we are very fortunate, animal life. Although otters are frequently seen, the distances at which they are sighted usually do not make for good photography.
Transfer Boat - Posada Amazonas to Tambopata Research Center
Six and a half hours by boat from Posada Amazonas, in the pristine heart of the reserve, lies the Tambopata Research Center. As we cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectare uninhabited nucleus of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws and other large species will become more frequent.
Boxed Lunch
Orientation
Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
Photography from OverlooksA 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. The overlooks provide excellent panoramic photo opportunities of the Tambopata winding its way down from the highlands. On a clear day, it will even be possible to view and photograph the snow capped Andean peaks in the distance. At each overlook we will have good chances of encounters at eyelevel at 30-50 yards with large turkey-like birds called guans and chachalacas, or toucans, or macaws roosting on the trees.
Dinner
After dinner we gather around to review and edit our photos.
Overnight at Tambopata Research Center
DAY 3
Macaw Clay Lick Photography from the BeachOn 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. If the river is not swollen, thereby reducing the effective beach area, photographers should have plenty of opportunities to shoot the typical clay lick photographs from distances of 50-100 meters.
Breakfast
Photography in the floodplain forestThis 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. Photo opportunities for all mammals and birds on this trail will be scant as visibility and lighting are poor and animals timid. Our principal focus will be general rain forest shots as well as portraits of the huge trees that are scattered throughout this forest.
Lunch
Photography on the Pond PlatformTen minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place for the late afternoon where we whiddle away the remains of the day as we spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that call this pond their home. Opportunities to photograph these beautiful birds will abound, as the lighting and visibility of the pond is excellent and these birds´ habits are predictable over short periods of time.
Dinner
Overnight at Tambopata Research Center
DAY 4Breakfast
Transfer Boat - TRC to Refugio Amazonas
A three and a half hour boat ride brings us to Refugio Amazonas.
Boxed Lunch
Brazil Nut Trail and Camp
A few minutes hike from the lodge is a beautiful old growth patch of Brazil Nut forest that has been harvested for decades (if not centuries) where the precarious remains of a camp used two months a year by Brazil Nut gatherers can still be experienced. We will be demonstrating the whole process of the rain forest's only sustainably harvested product from collection through transportation to drying.
Dinner
Photoshop and Bookmaking WorkshopWe again review and upload our best photos for a photo review session and are introduced to book making software and Photoshop.
During the Photoshop part of the lecture we learn about levels, saturation, image sharpening, resizing, transforming and RAW processing. We also get the chance to enhance some of our favorite images.
We are also introduced to bookmaking software which comes with a large variety of pre-designed and customizable layouts, a huge selection of fonts, and all the tools you need to make sophisticated bookstore quality photography books. The software is connected to a print on demand service allowing you to print your book when you are finished.
Overnight at Refugio Amazonas
DAY 5Breakfast
Transfer Boat - Refugio Amazonas to Tambopata River Port
Transfer Tambopata River Port to Pto Maldonado Headquarters
Transfer Puerto Maldonado Headquarters to Airport
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.
NOTESIncludedProgrammes based on double occupancy. Includes all meal, accommodations, and services, all river transportation, and transfer from and to the airport of Puerto Maldonado.
Not IncludedInternational or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature.
Boat TransportationAll our boats are 20 foot long, roofed canoes with 55 hp outboard motors.
- Transfer-in (From Puerto Maldonado to Lodge): we have two departures daily at 13:00 and 14:30
- Transfer-out (Lodge to Puerto Maldonado) : Two daily departures at 07:00 and 08:00
For other schedule possibilities please consult us
Spanish:
- Traslado de llegada (Puerto Maldonado – Albergue): Tenemos dos traslados diarios a las 13:00 hrs. y 14:00 hrs.
- Traslado de salida (Albergue – Puerto Maldonado) : Dos salidas diarias a las 07:00 hrs. y 8:00 hrs.
Para otras alternativas de traslados por favor consúltenos.
We reserve the right to change the order of activities.
Although not valid for the rainforest part of Peru, we recommend that all foreign travelers bring their original passports in order to avoid the payment of national taxes (IGV 18%) at Hotels.
IncludedPrograms based on double occupancy. Includes all meal, accommodations, and services, all river transportation, and transfer from and to the airport of Puerto Maldonado.
Not IncludedInternational or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature.
Notes:
Programs to Refugio Amazonas : There is an additional $13 per person charge for entrance into the national park. This applies for tours to Refugio Amazonas Lodge
Programs to Tambopata Research Center : There is an additional $60 per person charge for entrance into the national park. This applies for tours to Tambopata Research Center Lodge
Lodge Transfers
- Transfer-in (From Puerto Maldonado to Lodge): we have two departures daily at 13:00 and 14:30
- Transfer-out (Lodge to Puerto Maldonado) : Two daily departures at 07:00 and 08:00 For other schedule possibilities please consult us
ESPAÑOLIncluido
Programas en base acomodación en habitación doble. Todos los transportes terrestres y acuáticos de acuerdo al itinerario. Traslados Aeropuerto – Albergue - Aeropuerto. Todas las excursiones con guía bilingüe. Re-confirmación de vuelos nacionales desde Puerto Maldonado. Comidas especificadas en el itinerario.
No Incluido
Vuelos internacionales o nacionales, impuestos aeroportuarios, exceso de equipaje, noches adicionales por mal tiempo o cancelación de vuelos, bebidas alcohólicas, gaseosas o agua mineral embotellada, snacks, seguro de cualquier tipo, lavandería, llamadas telefónicas nacionales o internacionales, reconfirmación de vuelos internacionales.
Notas:Programas a Refugio Amazonas : Hay un pago adicional de $13 por persona por la entrada al parque Nacional que aplica a los visitantes a Refugio Amazonas Lodge
Programas a Tambopata Research Center : Hay un pago adicional de $60 por persona por la entrada al parque Nacional que aplica a los visitantes a Tambopata Research Center
Transfer a los Albergues:
- Traslado de llegada (Puerto Maldonado – Albergue): Tenemos dos traslados diarios a las 13:00 hrs. y 14:00 hrs.
- Traslado de salida (Albergue – Puerto Maldonado) : Dos salidas diarias a las 07:00 hrs. y 8:00 hrs. Para otras alternativas de traslados por favor consúltenos.
Espanol
