Two Ecosystems 5 Days and 4 Nights Tours

Departures only Mondays and Thursdays
Price per person

Only four hours by river from Puerto Maldonado airport, Heath River Wildlife Center is the gateway to the largest uninhabited and unhunted rainforest in the Amazon. An immensely photogenic macaw clay lick, capybaras, oxbow lakes
with Giant Otters, hundreds of birds and mammal species and a lodge 100%-owned by the Ese'eja Indians of Sonene make the Heath the best combination of nature and culture in the entire Amazon. No other lodge in Tambopata is 100% owned and operated by a community of lowland Indians.  Every person in Sonene speaks the original indigenous language, with Spanish being a distant second used mostly in school and to trade with outsiders and, now, to chat with pampered guests. Women from Sonene hold daily crafts workshops at the lodge, teaching visitors tribal traditions handed down through the millennia.

Day 1 - Puerto Maldonado to Heath River Wildlife Center
We meet at the Puerto Maldonado airport and drive through town to the Tambopata River port. After boarding motorized canoes, we travel downriver
to the mighty Madre de Dios, which we follow for approximately four hours to the Heath River. We then travel up this wild and intimate river, which forms
the wilderness border between Peru and Bolivia, and arrive at the Heath River Wildlife Center. Note that the Lodge is located on the Bolivian side of the Heath River so passports are required to clear Bolivian passport
control. (L, D).

Day 2 - Heath River Wildlife Center
We rise early in the morning to board a motorized canoe for the 10-minute
journey up the Heath River to the macaw and parrot clay lick.
Brightly-colored parrots and macaws fly in by the hundreds to feed on the
clay that detoxifies certain seeds and nuts they eat. Marvel at the
cacophony of sound and color as Red-and-green macaws vie for the best
clay-eating position. A specially-designed floating blind allows for
proximity and complete concealment -- so you can even have breakfast and
coffee while the birds are performing their morning ritual.
When we return to the lodge, the guide leads us on an ethno-botanical walk
through the forest, pointing out flora used in the daily lives of rainforest
people. The guide explains how certain plants are used for medicinal or
healing purposes, which ones can be made into the best bows and arrows, and
how to select trees and leaves for home construction.
After lunch and a short rest, we hike through the rainforest to the Pampas
del Heath, the largest remaining undisturbed savanna in the Amazon. The
contrast is striking as we emerge from the mature rainforest onto the
grassland plain of the Pampas. (B, L, D)

Day 3 - Heath River Wildlife Center
We breakfast in the floating blind at the macaw and parrot clay lick for a
last round of looks and photos. Then we return to the lodge to explore some
trails.
After lunch we could visit the Ese'Eja native community of Sonene, where
there will be an opportunity to interact with the community and purchase
local handicrafts or explore the trails.
After dinner we'll explore the forest by flashlight, including a visit to a
small mammal clay lick if it is active. (B,L,D)

Day 4- Heath River Wildlife Center
During the morning We explore different trails searching birds and monkeys.
At the end we will visit a mammal lick. After lunch we travel upriver to
explore different areas close the Madidi National park. Optional night walk
through the forest. (B/L/D).

Day 5- Heath River Wildlife Center
Early morning departure to Puerto Maldonado. During the river trip back
downstream, families of Capybaras are often spotted on the banks of the
river. Weighing up to 120 pounds (55 kilograms), this giant, three-toed
relative of the guinea pig is the largest rodent in the world. If time
permits If time permits we will also Upon arrival, reception and transfer to
the airport for the flight back to Cusco or Lima. (B).
Please note that the program may vary slightly so as to maximize your
wildlife sightings, depending on the reports of our researchers and
experienced naturalist guides based at the lodge.

Otters