We departed early in the morning to fly to Puerto Maldonado, the airport/gateway city for the Madre Dios, Manu Rainforest Area. We would be staying at the Manu Wildlife Center. Getting there was definitely part of the experience. Our guide Enrique picked us up. He was excellent throughout. His degree was in zoology from a British university, so his English was excellent. He had lived in the U.S., had a relatively worldly view of things.
We drove for a few hours down the 'new paved road'. This is the new coast to coast highway that the environmentalists are understandably so concerned about. I share and understand the concern. . . but it's not that easy. Don't the people need and deserve a paved road ? (It was the only one.)
Notes of what I see along the way: cattle in the road; every little community had a school, and many had a health clinic; much effort has been put into giving them electricity; many bikes, motorcycles, and variations thereof. There's a gold mine operation with a 'town' of blue tarp dwellings full of migrant workers. I worry about the social impacts. . .the 'girlie bars' and surely sex trafficking, and the devastating environmental impact.
We leave the good road for a lousy one to get to the first river. We boarded the boat on a 2 x 6 plank. I was pleased that the boat was clean, seemed in good condition, and had life preservers. We cross the river, meet a new transport vehicle. The road is dirt/rocks, and gets worse. They do have electricity which enables a small settlement to have a 'video bar' (and ice cream!) The young women wear spike heels on miserable sidewalks. There are more cows, goats and a pig in the road. Laundry is being done in a creek. More than one shanty has a satellite dish. We see farms, lumbering. It's against the law to cut Brazil nut trees. There are offices of the 'Agriculture Ministry'.
We were very fascinated by the atmosphere at these river ports, the economic activity going on. We thought it was reminiscent of what American ferry points must have been like two hundred years ago, with the exception of the boat engines.
We cross a wide mudflat shore to get to the second boat for 4 hrs going up the Madre de Dios River... as the sun sets, which is quite beautiful. We see a capybara and birds. It feels so remote and then we're out there in the dark ! It's a little scary, as the assistant boatman uses a large flashlight as a 'headlight' to see. I have to assume that the driver 'knows the road'. Enrique assures me that the driver lives across the river from the lodge, so that makes me feel better. (I was wondering why the boat departs so late in the afternoon, and could we have scheduled an earlier one? but Enrique says they're all that way.)
Finally we arrive at the Manu Wildlife Center. Julian, the manager, meets us at the boat. I couldn't see the wet rocks, slip and fall, (which was more embarrassing than painful), but quickly overwhelmed by the exotic, candlelight atmosphere of the facility. The dining room was very appealing and welcoming. Dinner was semolina soup, some kind of meat, with excellent mashed potatoes from scratch (as they were the entire trip). Dessert was trying to be lemon meringue pie. Overall it was very pleasant. . . and wonderfully peaceful.
The cottage was just what I wanted it to be. It was very clean, comfortable, and cozy. I had chosen this jungle option because it was remote, while also having hot water and private facilities (saving the camping for later.). We slept well, before the very early wake up, which we would get used to. (4:30 am wake-up is not usually my idea of vacation)
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.