Manu National Park

By far the richest, most extraordinary biological transect in the Peruvian Amazon, or the world, starts in Cusco and runs northeast by road and river to the great Manu Wilderness.
Manu offers by far the greatest quantity and diversity of animals and plants in the world. No other destination in Peru or beyond can compare with Manu Nowhere else can you enjoy a superbly intact transect of tropical habitats from Andean grasslands and cloud forests down to foothill and lowland forests

Manu boasts the highest bird, mammal, and plant diversity of any park on Earth, including 1,000 of the world's 9,700 bird species, 200 species of mammals, and 15,000 species of flowering plants. The most photogenic spectacles are frolicking Giant Otters, 1,000 parrots and macaws at a riverbank clay lick, dancing Cocks-of-the-Rock, habituated monkeys, and huge Lowland Tapirs at a forest clay lick.

One of our lodges, Manu Wildlife Center, currently offers the world's finest viewing of this elusive animal, which elsewhere is harder to see even than the Jaguar, which also is a frequent sight in Manu.

In terms of wildlife for your money, our Manu itineraries offer the greatest payoff of wildlife per dollar of any rain forest site in Peru and Latin America. Other New World rain forests may be somewhat less expensive than Manu, but NONE of them offer Manu's tremendous wildlife diversity. For travelers who want the finest rain forest experiences in the world, Manu offers the ultimate “bio-trip” from the Andes to the Amazon or programs to the Manu National Park, a world Heritage Site.a wolrd Heritage Site.

All Manu trips described here start and end in Cusco and include all air and ground transport, food, lodging, and guided rain forest outings. 

Manu-the very word has become synonymous with the best rain forest in the world. The protected areas of the great Manu wilderness have become world famous because of their unspoiled rain forest and amazing wildlife. Manu protects more species of animals and plants than any other park on Earth.

The Manu National Park contains 1,000 species of birds, or one out of every nine on Earth, and 200 more than the U.S. and Canada combined. Approximately 550 bird species occur within a few square miles of lowland forest. Try a short visit to the spectacular lowland forest of Manu to see the world's best rain forest wildlife, including the world's most approachable, photographable macaw clay lick.

Also featured are the biggest clay lick of South America's largest land animal--the 600-pound (250 kilos) Lowland Tapir, playful Giant Otters, Jaguars, and ten species of monkeys, including the amazing mustachioed Emperor Tamarin. Or lengthen your stay to include the incomparable two-day road entry from Cusco to Manu through the world's most intact and accessible tropical cloud forest, which features exotic tree ferns, orchids, and the world's largest known display ground of the blazing red Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Rainfall in the Manu Lowlands is around 2500 - 3500 millimeters per year, with most rainfall occurring in the rainy season months from November to April. The average temperature in the Manu 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 (freajes) occur once every month or so, with daily temperatures dropping to 15°C (59°F) and nightly temperatures to 13°F (55°F).

In the Manu Cloud Forest there is an annual rainfall of approximately 5000 millimeters per year. The average temperature is 24°C (75°F), with daily highs of up to 29°C (84°F) and nightly lows of 11°C (52°F).