Madidi National Park - visiting

Hi, I would be grateful for any information how to organise a 7-10 day treck/trip to the forest in Madidi National Park (two people). How much would it cost? What is a usual way of such an trip - a boat, foot, or horses?
Marcin

Most all travel agencies in La Paz and better yet Rurrenabaque will fight for your business. We used a company called Bala tours in Rurr. and were very satisfied with our tour. We organized it a couple days in advance in town, very easy.

For a normal "Jungle Tour" out of Rurrenabaque, the price for 7 days may run anywhere between US$140 and US$245 per person. It may be really difficult to arrange such a long stay though, as most people stay only between 1 to 4 days in the jungle.

If you're thinking about a jungle lodge, I know San Miguel del Bala are charging US$240 for a 4 day program, that's the longest set program they have.

JonnyDakota: Yes, Bala Tours is a good tour operator. According to their web site: In addition to the normal jungle tours they have a tour "Adventure 9 Days" with trekking in Madidi PN.

Thrudur84: Yes, the normal set tours are max 4 days.

Marcin / Bamwandzara: Similar questions have been asked and replied in these 2 threads:
I want to visit the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco NP and Maididi, 22-Nov-2009. ("Maididi" is a misspelling of Madidi). I refer to my replies there (reply # 3 and 5).
Independent jungle guide from Rurrenbaque, 21-Mar-2010.

A trekking in the rain forest of Madidi goes by boat and foot, and Rurrenabaque is the starting point.
Instead of going to Rurre by plane or bus you can combine with a boat tour on the Beni River, normally from Guanay. See: Deep Rainforest or Andean Epics or Bala Tours (the tour called "Alto Beni Adventure").
Also see: Boating to Rurrenabaque.

About trekking in Madidi: I recommend that you also ask one of the community-run operators like San Miguel del Bala (mentioned above in # 2) and Chalalán about arranging a special trekking tour for 7 - 10 days.

Of course it is not necessary to say, but anyway: Trekking 7 days or more with a guide: Hopefully the operator can offer a guide matching you. And vice versa, that you are a good match for the guide. ¨Wavelength' and 'chemistry' is essential. If possible stay in Rurre for a couple of days and meet the operator and the guide before the trek itself.

Some information about flying to Rurre / Rurrenabaque: The TT thread Flight La Paz - Rurre schedules, 12-Apr-2010. (My reply # 7).

Please come back here and tell about your trek and experience, hopefully an adventure.

Hi, thank you for all your attempts to help. I will analyse these pieces of information. I am a biologist, that is why I would like to spend in the forest more time. I have a very good experience with visiting Amazon basin in Equador by boat (7 days), and I heared that madidi is a very diverse environment. How about malaria there. Is there a high malaria risk in the lowlands of Bolivia in July - August? Marcin

I agree with those who preceded me, but I want to add something else. To visit the Madidi National Park you should take an operator who has legal access to this protected area. In Rurrenabaque there are two types of operators: private and community ones, usually the community provides better service, Mapajo, Chalalan, San Miguel and Mashaquipe, in private I think also that the best is Bala Tours.

Can I get to Rurrenabaque by a local transport without problems (not necessarily by plane)? Do you think that I will need to wait a long time for the trip if I just show up in one of the offices in Rurrenabaque without a prior booking (it will be in July-August time)

Wilmar: Yes, also Mashaquipe should be mentioned.
I doubt that Mapajo has tours in the Madidi NP, as the Mapajo Lodge is on the Quiquibey River in the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve, adjacent to (neighbouring) the Madidi NP.

Marcin / Bamwandzara: July - August is the peak season in Rurre / Rurrenabaque. It is in the middle of the dry and "cold" time of the year, and when visitors from the northern hemisphere have their summer holidays. So for a 'special' tour, that is to say not the cheap mass tourism (like standard pampas tours), prior booking may be an advantage or even a necessity. This applies to the eco lodges that have a limited number of beds. And if you want to find a guide for a longer individual trek, it may be difficult to find a good guide who has many days available at short notice. So it would be better to go in June or September.

Considering your background (profession) and interest, and if you have the money, I suggest to you: 4 days with San Miguel del Bala followed by 4 days with Chalalán. You do not need to return to Rurre in between, as Chalalán can pick you up at San Miguel del Bala. Combining these 2 tours based in community-run eco lodges, you will experience the rain forest with 2 or more different guides, and you will meet the local people and visit their villages. If you have more than 8 days at disposal, you may during the tours be able to arrange an extension with a special trek.
Whether you go to Rurre by plane or bus, allow a day or two from expected arrival to the start of the tour.

About your other questions: Forgive me for offering you a "fishing rod" instead of a "fish": Try a search here at the Thorn Tree:

About Malaria: Search for: Malaria Rurre
Among the results is the thread Maleria Tablets, 10-Nov-2009.

Rurrenabaque is not a malaria area. But no guarantee can be given. Protection from mosquitoes is always essential. Use mosquito net at night, and when needed use repellent and sensible clothes. Some also recommend B1 vitamin and eating garlic.

About transport: Search for: bus Rurre
You will get 175 results, and you can narrow your search to for instance "Last 12 months".
Using the Thorn Tree Advanced search you can even search "By user", for instance me, Erik07, and narrow the search to the last 6 or 12 months.

I know that searching and reading is time-consuming, but please give it a chance. You are welcome back to ask again, also to ask for the "fish" direct.

To post #6

You can get to rurr by bus or car but can take up to 18hrs depending on the season (wet vs dry). Taking a boat is another long slow option. We found that the amount of money to time wasted en route ratio made it well worth flying.
You will have no problem just showing up and booking a trip, although some of the better companies may have certain days or tours full.