Manu National Park

UNESCO World Heritage Site And Biosphere Reserve: Manu National Park (1987). One Of The Most Biodiverse Protected Areas On Earth, From Andean Cloud Forest At 4,000 M To Amazon Lowland, With Jaguars, Giant Otters, Macaws And Uncontacted Indigenous Groups In The Reserved Zone. · Manu, Madre de Dios

Manu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve in southeast Peru, and one of the most biodiverse protected areas on Earth. It drops from Andean cloud forest above 4,000 m down to lowland Amazon rainforest, and shelters jaguars, giant otters, tapirs, caimans, monkeys and well over a thousand bird species. Getting there is a commitment. Most visitors take a 3 to 9 day package with a licensed operator, drive 7 to 10 hours from Cusco over the Acjanaco pass, then continue by boat. The core Reserved Zone is closed to casual visitors, and uncontacted peoples live inside it, so contact is never sought. The trip is expensive and remote. Wildlife viewing is a probability, not a guarantee, and you may see macaws and monkeys but no jaguar. Go for the forest itself and the birds, book a licensed operator months ahead, and carry yellow fever proof and insect repellent. Nights at the lodges are simple, with no phone signal, so tell family before you go and expect to be unreachable. Come ready to be patient, since boat and road days run slow.

Lowland and cloud-forest reserve east of Cusco, entered by road to Atalaya and then river boat, with lodges and macaw clay licks on the Manu river, Manu, Madre de Dios, Peru

The park has no gate hours; access is only through a licensed operator on a set itinerary, and boats and lodges run on daylight schedules. The Reserved Zone is CLOSED to tourists, and a special permit is needed even for the Cultural Zone. It is never free to enter, and rain in the wet season can cut roads and trails, so confirm the trip with your operator.

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