This visit to the Tambopata National Reserve allows us to look in Sandoval Lake, chuncho clay lick and the surrounding area where we will see a wealth of wildlife in the reserve and learn about the Amazon rainforest. Our program includes walks through the forest trails by day, night, and through boat excursions around the edges of this extraordinarily beautiful lake.

Sandoval Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Peru; a great body of water protected in the Tambopata National Reserve. It is home of a family of Giant Otters in danger of extinction, but we do have an excellent chance to see them during our stay. The banks of the lake are populated by jungle and flooded Mauritia Palm forests, which are home to monkeys from six different species, as well as with a huge variety of colorful birds combine whit Chuncho Clay Lick the largest in the world, with the three major species of macaws getting together at the same time, and many varieties of parrots, hundreds of parakeets come together to eat clay, a special and unique show that is only found in this part of the planet.

Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Finca Sachavacayoc.

Our staff will welcome you at the airport in Puerto Maldonado and drive you through the city to our office; we recommend to re-pack and bring with you what you going to need for this trip, leave at our office your belongings; we will take care of them.

We navigate up the Tambopata River for about 3 hours until Finca Sachavacayoc, on the way, we have the option of watching birds, caimans, capybaras, and monkeys if we are lucky.

Box lunch on board, we can customize your box lunch with a vegetarian option, we also provide cold bottled drinks in the boat.

In full company and orientation of our guide, we get to Finca Sachavacayoc; accommodation and a little rest.

After a little rest, we will go for a jungle walk, as an introduction to nature and get familiarized with the forest interior, wait until it gets dark to do a night walk looking for the elusive nocturnal creatures and critters, like the impressive ground bird eating Tarantula (as big as your hand)

Dinner at the lodge.

Day 2: Finca Sachavacayoc - Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick - Condenado Lake:

We will visit One of the Nature worlds wonder, the spectacular Chuncho clay- lick, the largest in the world, with the three major species of macaws getting together at the same time, and many varieties of parrots, hundreds of parrots come together to eat clay, a special and unique behavior that is only found in this part of the planet.

Early departure at 4 am, then 2 hours on our boat upstream of the Tambopata River; in order to enjoy the best of the parrot show, is important to arrive early before the birds

We will take breakfast on the boat, along the journey to the clay-lick we have great chances of seeing Capybaras, Caymans and maybe if lucky Jaguar or Tapirs (the two most special terrestrial mammals of the amazon). We stay in the clay lick area, if necessary until we get to see the macaws eating clay

Return to the lodge for lunch.

After a good rest, we get packed and ready for the pristine Condenado lake Condenado (condemned) lake is 1 hour away from the lodge (walking slowly watching things), Condenado Lake has very good wildlife such as monkeys, caimans, a lot of Hoatzin, lots of macaws fly by going to roost, we also have very good chances to see the elusive and shy Anaconda, this place gives us a unique Jungle experience, with no other people rather than us in this pristine lake.

We get there by afternoon and right away we take a paddle canoe and leisurely enjoy the deepest and wildest jungle, watching monkeys and macaws being loud.

On the way back, we return to the lodge to do a night walk looking for wildlife or just enjoy the spooky- romantic- intense, silent, and loud jungle.

Dinner at the lodge

Day 3: Finca Sachavacayoc - Sandoval Lake:

After breakfast, we take our boat back to Sandoval Lake, we navigate the Tambopata River (we pass by the city of Pto. Maldonado for 2 hours until the entrance trail to Sandoval Lake. The Trail takes you on 1.6 miles walk (2.5 kilometers) walk through a successional forest, a former Giant natural bamboo forest, a habitat for monkeys, sloths and macaws, until we reach a small canal where we board our paddle canoes, we paddle for 100 meters (nearly the same in yards) through a palm-forest swamp, with an abundance of “aguajes” (mauritia Palms) those palms provide the most popular fruit of the Peruvian Rainforest, highly consumed by locals as a drinks and ice-creams.

Once onto the glass-like surface of the lake, we continue leisurely around the lake to the lodge. A briefing of the lodge at the reception area, accommodation and a little rest, at rooms or hummocks

Before dinner depending on arrival time, we set off to explore part of the lake, looking for monkeys or black Cayman (black caimans are the biggest of the Cayman and alligator family, the biggest one seen at the lake 6 meters long/20 feet s) in the flooded palm forest we can see hundreds of Red-bellied macaws as they return to roost. One of the few species of macaws that lives in flocks and mauritia palm swamps such the one at Sandoval Lake.

We also have the option of a night walk into the forest behind the lodge.

Dinner at the lodge.

Day 4: Sandoval Lake to Puerto Maldonado. After breakfast we make a final paddle through palm swamps on the west end of the lake. On the clearer mornings a glorious sunrise and its reflection can be seen in the lake. We return to the Madre de Dios River and head towards Puerto Maldonado and from there on to the airport. (B)

Please note that itineraries may vary slightly to maximize wildlife viewing, depending on the reports of our local researchers and experienced naturalist guides.

PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION

The Tambopata National Reserve is 274,690 hectares (1,061 square miles) of preserved land in Southeastern Peru. The Reserve has many diverse habitats, including lowland Amazon rainforest, riverine forest, and oxbow lakes. It’s crossed by three rivers: the Malinowski, the Tambopata, and the Madre de Dios rivers.

Because of the Reserve’s protected status and secluded location, it’s incredibly biodiverse. The reserve plays host to over 1,200 species of butterflies, 169 species of mammals, 180 species of fish, 103 species of amphibians, 100 species of reptiles, around 632 species of birds, and hundreds of species of trees and plants. ¡In fact, this reserve and surrounding region are one of the most biodiverse places on the planet!

The Reserve and the surrounding area also have their own cultural background. Originally home to the Ese Eja People, many indigenous families still make their homes in the buffer zone of the Reserve itself. Within the boundaries of the reserve, the only human settlements are a few ranger stations.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Rainfall in the Tambopata Lowlands is around 2500-3500 millimeters/98-138 inches per year, with most rainfall occurring in the rainy season months from November to April. The average temperature in the Tambopata lowlands is 28°C (82°F), with daily highs of 34°C (93°F) and nightly lows of 22°C (72°F). During the dry season cold fronts from the South Atlantic (friajes) occur once every month or so, with daily temperatures dropping to 15°C (59°F) and nightly temperatures to 13°F (55°F).

ABOUT LODGES

The Sandoval Lake Lodge is jointly owned by a non-profit company and some local families. and it is partially built with reclaimed mahogany wood and consists of a structure, with a central community area with dining room, livingroom, bar and hammocks to relax in Sandoval Lake Lodge and 25 fully equipped double rooms, no other accommodation in the Tambopata National Reserve offers such accessibility to giant otters. Sandoval Lake is the only full-service lodge located in the Tambopata National Reserve, rich in wildlife. With the variety of lake and forest fauna. This particular lake has one of the largest and most accessible populations of Giant Otters in danger of extinction in Peru, huge Black Cayman and Paiche 10 feet long, the largest freshwater fish in the world. Guests have the opportunity to see these powerful predators while fishing and having fun in the lake, as well as a lot of Colorful birds.

Sandoval lake lodge has 24-hour electricity by solar panels.

Finca Sachavacayoc located in the Tambopata river, near to Tambopata National Reserve. The exclusive lodge offers full comfort cabañas, doble cabaña have quenn and King beds, the twin have two full size bed and family cabañas have 3-4 full size bed, electricity 24 hours, ceiling ventilator, hot wáter, in-suite bathroom, outlets to recharge batteries,safety box, hammock and balcony.

Finca sachjacavayoc have 10 bungallows and fantastic garden with a lot of trails to explore with two lakes near by.