Hi,
I have recently been looking into going into Manu for much cheaper than the ~$1000 tours. Some people on here gave me some good advice for getting a good price on a tour but I now have a new idea. Is it possible to fly to Puerto Maldonado and hire your own local guides for a reasonable price and go from there? Will you see what you would in Manu itself? Would this be a good idea for a lone traveler (assuming I can't convince anybody in Cuzco to come with me :)).
I think this idea seems plausable but would like to know if anybody has done this/ if it sounds like a good idea...
I was also thinking about the possibility of flying into Boca Manu. I could maybe hitch a ride on one of the chartered flights with one of the tour groups for a reasonable price (no idea what...)? Would there be anywhere to stay in Boca Manu? Such as with a local family? Could you hire out local guides from there? Is there anywhere to buy food/water etc.?
I have no idea if this idea is plausable at all so if anybody has any experience with the town of Boca Manu please let me know what I can expect.
Thanks for the help!
i've never actually ended up at boca manu but cycled down to the 'end of the road' on the other side of the river...
you can get boats from the port of atalaya up to boca manu.
There is a hostel in Boca Manu, run by the community, which charges 15 soles pp for basic accommodation. From Boca Manu you can get boats (maybe 2 a week?) to Boca Colorado, from where it’s 9 hours on a daily boat to Laberinto. And then Laberinto is only a few hours from Puerto Maldonado… (We didn’t do this section so I am relying on what several people told us)
i've got more info on buses etc to this area (eg. pilcopata which is only about 10km from atalaya) if you are interested, pm me.
don't rely on tourist buses, or charter flights taking you out to boca manu, as the tourist companies closely guard the area and would much prefer you to going on a group tour. (i base that comment with a few conversations with tourist company guides when we were out there.) nor can you expect to get a lift on a charter boat up river from atalaya, though at times there are also public boats.
you would see more in a shorter time on a group tour.
if you are more interested in the "travel" ie the journey than photo opps in manu then this is plausible, it would be a wonderful adventure.
i doubt you will get into the reserved zone of manu without an official, licencsed guide (they are supposed to have a biology degree to be a guide for manu). I doubt that kind of person will be hanging around in boca manu.
yes, you could also fly to P.Maldonado and then backtrack via Laberinto (described above).
anything that you are proposing will be time consuming but an enormous adventure and one that I would love to do someday!
the main problem will be to find a guide in Puerto Maldonado or Boca Manu with a valid guiding licence for the Manu National Reserve / Cultural Zone (there is no way to get into the National Park), and you can´t get in without a guide. But still, protected area or not, the whole area is pretty pristine. To get on a charter flight just like this, forget it, unless you pay the full price. Cheaper are the flights to Puerto Maldonado, but then its a long way by boat up to Manu (A boat will cost you at least 50 US$ a day, except you find one going upriver anyway, but there are just a few!). Alternatively, you could do a trip from Puerto Maldonado into the Tambopata area, much cheaper, easier, and pretty the same in wildlife... I traveled quite a bit both in Manu and Tambopata and I always recommend one tour operator in Puerto Maldonado: Tropical Nature Tours & Travel (tropicalnaturemj@yahoo.es). Owner Joselin is fantastic, she knows everybody and everything in both areas and can arrange the impossible.
you don't need a guide to get into the cultural zone - there is no entry fee either. well we certainly didnt pay, nor did we have a guide.
however, you need a guide for the reserved zone and the entry fee is also $100 US or thereabouts. (never paid it!)
you DO NOT need to charter a boat from puerto maldonado to Boca manu - do what I said in reverse above. there are public boats until boca colorado... from there you may need to charter (?)
I was in Puerto Maldonado and booked a 3 day jungle trip through Inotawa Expeditions. It was US$160 for 3 days including guide, transport into the Tambopata reserve, boat rides and jungle walks, very nice lodge with good food. I was happy with all the service. I saw plenty of animals but I heard you can see more in Manu.
I happened to be the only one who booked at that time but the tour was still continued, so I had my private guide. At the lodge I was joined with another group (and their guide) for some of the boat trips and walks, but not all.
A one way flight Puerto Maldonado cost me US$69 (Aerocondor - service & flight was fine). Flights are supposed to cost anywhere from $49 - 149 one way, so shop around. I booked 3 days in advance, but even on the day itself the flight was not fully booked (this was in April 2006).
Hope this answers part of your question...
Cécile
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