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Birdwatching Holiday Special

8 Days / 7 Nights

Day 1

Upon arrival in Iquitos, you will be met and transferred to the Garden House Hotel, a 5 star hotel in the very center of Iquitos. For early arrivals there will be time to walk to the banks of the Amazon to see your first Amazonian birds. In addition to the ubiquitous Greater Kiskadee and Black Vultures you are likely to see several of the more common seed finches. In the evening both the Plaza de Armas and the "Boulevard" are great places to watch people strolling along and imagine yourself as a great rubber baron.

(if flight arrival permits). (D)

Day 2

After breakfast a short bus ride takes you to the Explorama boat docks. A voyage down the Amazon (80 KM/50 mi/1½ hrs) takes you to Explorama Lodge where you will have your first exposure to Amazonian forest birds as you search the camp grounds for the Black-fronted Nunbird and the Thrush-like Wren. Near the stream you may also see Sun Bittern. After lunch you will hike along the "Lake Trail" looking for varzea (flood plain) specialists like the Silvered Antbird and Pale-legged Hornero.

Overnight Explorama Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Monday

​​Before sunrise, take an early morning walk on the Bushmaster Trail in terra firma forest where the highest diversity of tree species of any location in the world has been discovered. With luck, a mixed flock of birds feeding over an army ant column will be found. At times these flocks have over 40 species of birds. After breakfast, you will return to the Bushmaster to hopefully observe Golden-headed and Bearded Manakins on their display leks. During the afternoon, there will be an open boat trip on the Amazon looking for river edge species like the Black-collared Hawk, Capped Heron and three species of Kingfishers. We will also search for both pink and gray freshwater river dolphins commonly found where tributaries of the river meet.

Overnight Explorama Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Tuesday

After breakfast, you will board an Explorama boat for a trip on the Amazon and Napo Rivers (80 KM/50 mi/1½ hrs) to ExplorNapo Lodge. The trails in the rainforest reserve surrounding ExplorNapo are innumerable and offer an opportunity for birdwatching in almost every rainforest habitat. This is the best location in the world to see rarities like Nocturnal Currasow and the Black-necked Red Cotinga. This evening you will enjoy an open boat ride in search of caiman and frogs while listening to the night sounds and, if it is a clear night, viewing the overwhelming number of stars of the Southern sky.

Overnight ExplorNapo Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Wednesday

Early morning birding. Morning excursion in open boat and hiking to a black water oxbow lake formed when water from the Napo River became separated from the main flow of the river. These lakes are often covered with giant Victoria Regia water lilies and sometimes offer a glimpse of the elusive Hoatzin bird. Afternoon boating excursion along one of the Napo tributaries spotting for sloth, birding and having a try at fishing for piranha.

Overnight ExplorNapo Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Thursday

Early morning birding walk. Morning hike to Amazon Conservatory Field Station, and the Canopy Walkway, a suspended bridge spanning 500 meters (one-third of a mile), connected by tree platforms and reaching a height of over 36 meters (115 feet) above the ground. Here there is time to observe a part of the rainforest rarely seen by man. Afternoon excursion along the Medicinal and Useful Plants Trail where your guide will explain the uses of many of the rainforest plants. In the late afternoon you will be up at canopy level when the birds return to roost and to watch the sunset from the treetops. After dark there is the opportunity to rediscover the canopy dwellers at night and to find the phosphorescent fungi that grows on the forest leaf litter near the canopy walkway. When you turn off your flashlight, the forest floor glows like a starry sky.

Overnight Amazon Conservatory Field Station. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Friday

​Departure to the Canopy Walkway in time to welcome the day from high in the treetops, an unforgettable natural history experience, as mixed species flocks form and their morning chorus begins. Motmots, woodcreepers, antbirds, flycatchers, barbets, toucans and even Red-Throated Caracara add to the cacophony. After breakfast you hike out to the Sucusari Stream and board the boat to Ceiba Tops (120 KM/75 miles/2¼ hrs) where private air conditioned rooms and hot water showers gently ease your way back to civilization. At Ceiba Tops you may find a Great Potoo on the short walk between the boat dock and the main Ceiba Tops building. After lunch, you will visit islands that were formed at different times by the meandering Amazon River forming unique habitats where some species of birds spend their entire lives. Returning to Ceiba Tops you will travel close to the shore where both gray and pink dolphins are often seen, and, with luck, there will be a colorful sunset on the Amazon River.

Overnight Ceiba Tops. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Saturday

​Early morning birdwatching on a short walk to the huge Ceiba Tree for which the lodge is named. Many organisms spend their entire lives in this single rainforest giant. Depending on your departure flight from Iquitos, there may be time for an open boat ride on the channels of the Amazon in front of Ceiba Tops before lunch. Whatever your departure flight, a boat ride will return you to Iquitos (40 KM/25 mi/3/4 hrs) and then by bus you'll be at the airport in time for your departure flight to Lima.

(if departure flight permits) (B,L)

Due to the everchanging nature of the rainforest, day-by-day activities are subject to change due to weather, trail or river conditions. Bring rain gear and sunscreen as for all Explorama Rainforest programs

Departures: Saturday

Tour includes: All city and river transfers.

  • Experienced multilingual, local naturalist guides.
  • All meals in rainforest Lodges.
  • 24 hour self-service coffee, tea and potable water at all lodges.
  • All fully guided rainforest and river excursions.
  • Entrance fee to the Canopy Walkway on Explornapo, Explortambos & ACTS programs.

2023 Prices per person in US$ :
$2346 in double room. Single supplement: $220

CLIMATE AND SEASONS
A unique feature of the rainforest surrounding Iquitos is its lack of a specific rainy or dry season. There is a high water period from December through May which is caused by the melting of snow as the Andean summer begins and from the rainy season in the upper jungle. The low water period begins in June and ends with the rising waters in November. While the water level can fluctuate more then 45 feet, the warm and humid climate remains relatively constant throughout the year, giving this area its botanical category of "Everwet Tropical Forest". Normal daytime highs are 88° F and nighttime lows are 72°F.

WHAT TO PACK
Keep your baggage to a comfortable minimum Without fail, bring a valid passport. Pack light, drip-dry cotton or safari clothing, including one long-sleeved shirt and sweater. Hiking shoes or sneakers, (jungle trails are frequently muddy), plastic raincoat or poncho. Include insect repellent, toilet articles, sunglasses, sunscreen, a wide brimmed hat, binoculars and small flashlight. And finally, don't forget a camera with plenty of film to capture the memories of your Amazon Adventure.