Add a homestay to your trip to Posada Amazonas or Refugio Amazonas

After spending 3 nights at one of Rainforest Expeditions’ ecotourism lodges, spend a couple more nights in Tambopata.  There are a variety of lodges and homestays in and around Puerto Maldonado that can give you a more thorough understanding of the people and culture in Madre de Dios.  All stays include food, lodging, and spanish-speaking hosts.  Interpreters are available upon request.  Here are a few great homestays in Tambopata:

 

 

●      Majosehue:  Majosehue is located within the Native Community of Infierno. Don José Mishaja, a shaman from the Community, is the leader of this initiative. The location of Majosehue allows access to different interesting natural attractions and an ethnobotanical garden. Majosehue give visitors a chance to get to know the fruit and plant species that are very important for the population.   know a

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●      Saona: Saona meaning “boa” in the Ese’Eja dialect, is located within the Native Community of Infierno. Saona is owned by the Durands, twelve siblings native to Madre de Dios. The property of all the Durand siblings accounts for approximately 600 hectares of well preserved forest. Saona show aspects of culture, as well as elements of nature. Saona offers Ayahuasca sessions led by a Shaman. by a

 

●      Casa Camping Sachavacayoc:The Casa Camping Sachavacayoc was formerly known as "Centro de la Interpretación de la Vida Silvestre El Castaño" offers a camping site which is next to the small farm. The activities are focused mainly on jungle walks and Brazil nut. The owner of The Casa Camping Sachavacayoc is Javier Huinga. For 8 years Javier was a park ranger for the Peruvian authority protecting national parks, reserves and other areas under public protection.

 

●      El Gato: Don Adrian Ramirez, Eduardo´s father, decided to start a new life with his family at the creek called El Gato.  The camp is built on a 45-hectare property situated adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve. It is located on the right bank of the Tambopata River, next to the creek called El Gato. Thanks to its location ideal location this homestay offers diverse interesting activities for its guests organized around the creek, the forest and the small family farm. The property has a series of trails that go across one of the best well-preserved forests in private hand of the region.  Today it is operated by Don Adrian’s sons Eduardo and Victor with their mother’s support.

 

●      For more information and to meet some of these lovely families visit: http://www.tambopataecotours.com

 

Travel to Peru: A 10-Day Itinerary Including the Inca Trail

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●      Day 1: Arrival in Lima

○      Depending on when you arrive, you may only have a night to spend in Lima.  If this is the case, you may choose to stay in the Costa Del Sol right next to the airport.  If you have more time take a safe taxi to Miraflores, Lima and spend the day sightseeing or walking along the waterfront.  There is a plethora of great restaurants in Lima to chose from where you can try authentic Peruvian cuisine.

 

●      Day 2: Cusco-City Tour

○      Catch a morning flight to Cusco and once you get settled in your hotel or hostel, take a walk to the Plaza de Armas.  Here you will find a plethora of Peruvian tour companies offering full and half day excursions in and around Cusco.  You can book a city tour through any of these companies or your hotel.  Afternoon tours begin around 1:30 and will take you to several ruins in and around the city.

 

●      Day 3 :Cusco-Sacred Vally Tour

○      The Sacred Valley tour will take you to several surrounding towns in the sacred vally including a visit to the market at Pisac, a lunch break in Urubamba, a tour of the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo and a visit to the Quechua village of Chinchero on the way back. 

 

●      Day 4-7: Inca Trail

○      The Inca Trail  will take you four days from start to finish with most of the last day spent at the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu.  Make sure to book your Inca Trail tour in advance as only 500 permits are given per day.  Expect to arrive at your hotel in the evening of the final day.

 

●      Day 8-10: Tambopata Homestay

○      The best way to truly appreciate the wildlife and culture in the Peruvian rainforest is by staying with a native family.  Fly to Tambopata in the morning and be greeted at the airport by your host.  You will be taken to a boat and travel along the Tambopata river to your hosts’ home.  Enjoy authentic Peruvian food, go on nature walks to see hundred of plant and animal species, and learn about the lives of native people in the Amazon.

 

●      Day 10: Return Home :(

○      Your host family in Tambopata will take you to the airport from which you will fly back to Lima, then to your home country with incredible photographs and beautiful memories from your time in Peru.  

 

Macaw Claylicks in Tambopata, Peru

Tambopata, Peru, often referred to as the “capital of biodiversity” is paradise to birdwatchers.  This region is home to 10% of the world’s parrot species.  A major feature is a series of exposed riverbanks along the Tambopata where Macaws go to eat clay. 

 

There are two theories as to why Macaws eat clay:

1.     To neutralize the toxins they ingest by eating rainforest fruits, nuts, flowers and leaves.

2.     To get minerals such as sodium, which they may need in their diet.

 

Some guidelines when visiting a claylick along the Tambopata river:

●      Claylicks can be viewed by boat along the river, or the opposite river bank.

●      Get up early so that you can arrive at the claylick early in the morning when the Macaws are most active.

●      Wear neutral colors and try to blend in.  Bright colors can scare the birds away.

●      Try to be as quiet and still as possible so as to allow the birds to behave as they would without an “audience.”

●      Bring binoculars!  You will be able to better appreciate these birds miraculous colors.

●      Bring a guide from Tambopata, who can help you to identify each species.

 

Where to go to view Macaw Claylicks:

●      Tambopata Research Center: Home to the famous Macaw Research Project. This comfortable lodge takes 8 hours to get to by boat from Puerto Maldonado so it best if you have at least 4 nights to stay. Spend the first and last night at Rainforest Expeditions closer lodge Refugio Amazonas and the nights inbetween at the research center.

●      El Gato: Owned by a family native to Tambopata, this friendly homestay offers knowledgeable guides comfortable accomodations and a claylick a 40-minute walk from the lodge. 

●      Majosehue: This budget option is located within the Native Community of Infierno. Don José Mishaja, a shaman from the Community, is the leader of this initiative. The location of Majosehue allows access to different interesting natural attractions and ethnobotanical garden. The parrot clay lick can be reached after walking only 15 minutes from the lodging house.

●      Refugio Amazonas : As a charming 32 bedroom lodge, it is well placed immediately adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve. A comprehensive program includes a morning visit to the claylick, complete with guide.

 

Five Reasons to take part in a Tambopata, Peru Homestay

1. Feel right at home as part of a Peruvian family.  A Tambopata homestay is a unique experience in which guests choose to live with a family native to the area.  Visitors eat the same food the family eats and participate in their daily routines, enabling them to truly experience the culture of this beautiful part of the world.  Friendly hosts take their guests in as one of their own making them feel a part of the family from the moment they arrive.  They are proud of their culture and enthusiastic about sharing it with travelers.

2. Take a break from the tourist circuit.  Most visitors to Puerto Maldonado arrive at the airport and travel directly to an ecolodge where they are surrounded by other travelers.  A Tambopata homestay gives participants a more intimate view of life in the jungle.  Upon arrival at the airport, a family member picks up their guest and personally brings them to their home.  They will be surrounded by people who have lived their entire lives in Madre de Dios.

3. Try local food.  Have you ever heard of Copuazu?  Some describe this fruit as sweet and banana-like at first but with a delightfully tart aftertaste.  What about Guanabana?  In addition to its unique flavor, the fruit is thought to have health benefits, including the ability to help with insomnia and control the growth of cancer cells.  Due to its rich soil and tropical climate, Tambopata is host to a variety of exotic produce which local families use daily in their food preparation.

The Durand family is comprised of 12 siblings who have lived in Madre de Dios their entire lives.  They are experts in agriculture and have a large farm on their property.  Travelers who stay at Saona with the Durands learn all about cultivation of local crops and are given the opportunity to try fruits that are in season.

4. Support the local community.  Many families in Tambopata are continuing to develop their properties to give visitors the best possible experience.  Armando Mishajas, a descendant of the Ese’eja tribe, is a guide for a local ecotourism company.  His family has been working for years to develop their property, Majosehue, to host international travelers.  Due to his experience guiding tourists at the ecolodge, he has an understanding of what is required to host people from other countries, however the family does not have the means to build an entire lodge.

Armando explains that rather than take out large bank loans, they build up their property gradually.  Each time they earn money, they use it to build something new, or improve on the facilities that they already have.  Guests who come to stay with the Mishajas, leave feeling fulfilled, knowing that their money helped to make a difference and will go back into the family’s efforts.

5. Learn about the Amazon from the people who know it best.  Oscar Mishajas has lived his entire life in the Peruvian Amazon, and he has spent the last 10 years working as a guide for Rainforest Expeditions, one of the most well-known ecotourism companies in the area. All of this contributes to making him the expert that he is in birding.  He can identify a species by hearing nothing more than a flap of a wing. 

Oscar is soft spoken but his deep understanding and respect for the wildlife and diversity of Tambopata shines through as one explores the forest with him.  He walks quietly with an strong awareness of his surroundings and upon the slightest movement of a leaf, he quickly points into the canopy and whispers “black spider monkeys.”  He watches them with admiration in his eyes and proceeds to tell his guests about Tambopata’s largest monkey, sharing Ese’eja myths and legends about these majestic primates.