Day 1 - Lima or Cuzco - Puerto Maldonado - Refugio Amazonas Lodge
On arrival of your local airline flight into to Puerto Maldonado the Refugio Amazonas staff will meet and transfer you to the general office to drop off excess baggage. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief survey of the town we will depart on the 2 hour boat trip by motorized canoe to Refugio Amazonas Lodge. ( Note: Depending on the arrival time of the plane we will have a boxed lunch aboard the boats or have lunch upon arrival at Refugio Amazonas Lodge. ) During your voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, a several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. When we arrive at Posada Amazonas we will unpack and unwind. Afterwards you will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing of the lodge. After dinner a evening excursion to search for nocturnal species of the area. Afterwards return to the lodge for the night. Overnight at Refugio Amazonas Lodge. (BB/L/D)

Day 2 - Refugio Lodge - Tambopata Research Center
The morning starts with a early trip at dawn for a visit to the Canopy Tower for easy observation of the Tambopata Reserve and the habitants such as parrots, toucans & raptors. After a some time to appreciate the area continue for a short hike to a Brazil nut forest. The nut known for it’s “high protein and vitamin E content has been harvested for generations. Here you will see the entire process of the rain forest's only sustainable harvested product from collection through transportation to drying. Later travel up the Tambopata River (4 hours) into the pristine heart of the reserve. After the first hour we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind as we cross the northern boundary of the 700,000 hectare, completely uninhabited, protected Tambopata National Park. Differences in wildlife abundance will be noted immediately: we will begin to sight macaws, herons, kingfishers and cormorants frequently and improve our chances of encounters with capybaras, caiman, storks, ducks and other wild life found in this region. Boxed lunch on the boat. When we will arrive at Tambopata Research Center in the early afternoon, we will be greeted by the Chicos, our flock of semi-wild, rescued macaws. After we have settled in our orientation session will be held to inform you of the program as well as answer any questions you may have. After this we will hike the 1.5 mile Bam o Trail, a trail that is famous for the abundance of rare birds that live exclusively in this habitat and are endemic to southern Peru. It is also will end our hike at the overlooks which are good places to observe, allowing the photo lovers to take incredibly beautiful macro shots. Overnight in Tambopata Research Center. (BB/L/D)

Day 3 - Tambopata Research Center
At dawn we will cross the river and enjoy the world's largest macaw clay lick where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily. The January 1994 issue of National Geographic features a article on Tambopata Research Center & the Tambopata Macaw Project. When the morning sun clears the Amazon tree line in southeastern Peru and strikes a gray-pink clay bank on the upper Tambopata River, one of the world's most dazzling wildlife gatherings is nearing its riotous peak. The steep bank has become a pulsing, 30-foot-high palette of red, blue, yellow and green as more than a thousand parrots squabble over choice perches to grab a beak full of clay, a vital but mysterious part of their diet. More than a dozen parrot species will visit the clay lick throughout the day, but this midmorning crush belongs to the giants of the parrot world, the macaws. You can expect to see ten to twelve of the following members of the parrot family: Red-and-green, Blue-and-gold, Scarlet, Red-bellied, Chestnut-fronted and Blue-headed Macaws; Mealy & Yellow-crowned Amazons; Blue-headed, Orange-cheeked and White-bellie Parrots; Dusky-headed, White-eyed, Cobalt-winged and Tui Parakeets and Dusky-billed Parrotlets. This show will continue until the macaws sense danger, usually in the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an explosion of sound & color. Around mid morning, we will return to TRC for breakfast. After breakfast we will hike the 1.5 mile Ocelot Trail, a trail which exemplifies the quintessential rainforest. Although it is general rain forest ecology. This forest, which is good for viewing monkeys and Collared peccary. This trail is the one which most often many swamp, a nesting colony and preferred roost for Blue and Gold and hen macaws will land on the nests and stand there for several minutes. After a lazy afternoon with the macaws we will hike back. Overnight at the T.R.C. (B/L/D)

Day 4 - Tambopata Research Center - Refugio Amazonas Lodge
We will wake up at dawn once again to visit the Macaw Clay Lick and then return for breakfast. At mid-morning we will depart for Posada Amazonas Lodge, having a boxed lunch on the boat. As soon as you arrive the Posada Amazonas Lodge, we will unpack and do our last activity: Wéll visit a native slash and burn farm. Slash and burn agriculture systems are often thought of as wasteful because the fields are burnt, cultivated for a few years, and then abandoned. Many resident studies, however, have shown that this is far from the truth. The secret of their success is mixed planting in small patch, so that the crops are not decimated by disease and pests spreading through monocultures, the use of a mixture of herbaceous and woody crops, and the genetic diversity of their crops. After our visit, we will be able to understand why the Eséeja cultiva on system is sustainable over the long term. Later we will return to Refugio Amazonas for dinner and overnight. Another video will be displayed this evening at the dining room. Overnight at the Refugio Amazona’s Lodge. (B/L/D)

Day 5 - Refugio Amazonas Lodge - Puerto Maldonado -
Early departure boat/bus to the Puerto Maldonado airport for the departing flight to ... ( Cuzco or Lima )(B)