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Macaws, monkeys and moai : 6 weeks in the Pantanal, Peru and Polynesia


Treepol

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@@Treepol

Hello again!

I have been re-reading your report as we think we will go to the Pantanal in next year (heavily inspired by you! - and other reports)

We have been doing serious planning looking at options - all of your Pantanal lodges look very inviting

 

A couple of practical questions following up your kind offer above

You flew from Baia das Piedras to Porto Jofre Hotel - I presume you chartered a plane from Lilito? I have seen that is common to fly from Baia das Piedras to Campo Grande, but your option looks appealing. Can I ask you how you organised it, and if you don't mind how much it cost? (PM if you don't want to put that in here). How long is the flight?

We would be travelling as just 2 people so would be interested in the practicality (and affordability!)

 

A second question - we are thinking of the Porto Jofre Hotel as the best option on the river (the Flotel is not as appealing). From your report I think you had a boat to yourselves with the boat driver and Julinho - is that right? What size boat did you get (seats rather than length)?

 

Hope you don't mind the detailed questions but you have inspired our imagination and now we are looking at practicalities!

many thanks

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@@TonyQ I am in Queensland for work at the moment so I don't have access to my bookings etc.

 

Yes all the lodges we used were very comfortable, with Jaguar Ecolodge being the most basic.

 

I booked the tour for my friend and I directly with Julinho who owns Pantanal Trackers and he is also a freelance pilot. Julinho arranged the plane with Lilito and he also flew the plane back to Porto Jofre. I can't remember how much the plane was but it has to come from Pocone to Baia das Pedras, drop us off at Porto Jofre and then return to Pocone. When I get home I'll check the price and PM you. The flight from Baia das Pedras to Porto Jofre was about an hour.

 

Julinho has his own very comfortable boat with shade canopy and runs out of the Porto Jofre Hotel landing. If you book with him you get exclusive use of his boat, which he drives himself. Over on the Paraguay River we had a boat and driver supplied by Hotel Baiazinha and Julinho was out guide/translator fot those 3 days.

 

Happy to keep answering questions.

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@@Treepol

Thank you very much for that - it is really helpful. Thanks for replying while you are away from home

A PM when you are at home would be very helpful.

I may well come back to you re further questions as our planning gets more detailed!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've just arrived in Peru with you. What day did you depart from home on this journey? How many other boats did you encounter on the river at PJ? How did you decide upon 3 nights at Fazenda Baia das Piedras?

You encountered many well fed birds by the number of birds-eating-fish photos. Very successful Pantanal trip!

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@@Atravelynn thanks for reading along with our travels. We departed Hobart on 12 July.

 

With regard to the boats at Porto Jofre this varied. There were about 12 at the first jaguar sighting of the mating pair, but we were the first and only boat at the second jaguar sighting. There was quite a bit of other boat traffic on the river, however when you are motoring I don't remember other boats being nearby and I can't think of any other time (apart from the first jaguar sighting) that I felt crowded. There was another time in the upper reaches of Black Channel that felt as though we were surrounded, however this is more to do with the narrowing of the channel than the number of boats around which was probably about 4.

 

Some boats carried fishing parties from the Hotel and nearby lodges. Sometimes these boats would come to see a jaguar or be stopped along the river but these are mostly along the Cuiaba and possibly Piquairi Rivers rather than on Black Channel and 3 Brothers River where the jaguar sightings occur most frequently.

Interestingly, I remember the people in the boats rather than the number of boats - a couple of Turkish photographers, a party of Belgians from the camp next door and an English couple with Paolo Boute were our most frequent jaguar watching companions and they each had their own boat. We were always one of the last boats to leave the Hotel at around 6.45-7 am so maybe the early flotilla had already left and dispersed before we arrived at Black Channel.

 

We decided on 3 nights at Baia das Pedras because this is what we had at Barranco Alto in 2010 and thought it was adequate, although we did make sure we did 6 activities at Baia das Pedras and arranged transfers accordingly. This year, we stayed over in Sao Paulo at the Airport Marriott and took the early flight to Campo Grande so we arrived at Baia das Pedras in time for a late lunch and a short afternoon activity, whereas in 2010 we arrived at Barranco Alto late in the afternoon and didn't do an afternoon or evening activity. Having the charter flight meant that we could do a morning activity at Baia das Pedras before leaving for Porto Jofre.

 

Yes, it was a very successful trip throughout.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Back in Brazil:

“Roseate spoonbills are flying overhead and their pink feathers contrast with the blue sky.” That’s why they are my favorite South American flock bird. I see you photographed my fav single bird, the Capped Heron.

 

In Peru:

Glad the luggage troubles were solved.

 

I’d pray to Ekeko for more travel opportunities

 

The Manu road looks kind of scary. Probably moreso in the wet season. I see you mentioned improvements, especially around tight corners were being made. You traveled only in daylight, right?

 

Was the Manu transfer a scheduled one or a private one?

 

You got the cock of the rock!

 

Bullfight carcasses attracting the Andean Condors, where culture and nature combine. Fascinating, although I’m not a fan of bullfighting. What is the name of the place to see the condors? Do the condors just fly around above you or is there a viewing platform?

 

At the clay lick--

Is the hide on the ground, a boat?

 

How many people fit in the hide?

 

Did you do the clay lick one time?

 

Very impressive, abundant bird action at the lick!

Edited by Atravelynn
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@travelynn those roseates are the flamingos of Brazil! I think some of the reasons they look so good is that they contrast so beautifully against the green landscape and the bright blue sky.

 

The luggage troubles were resolved in around 12 hours, although this was an anxious time and I sure prayed hard to Ekeko for more travel.

 

Our Manu transfer was private, organised through Manu Expeditions. We certainily travelled in daylight, although our driver said it is safer by night because its possible to see the headlights of oncoming traffic. We heard a lot of vehicles travelling in both directions after dark. We were lucky again with the cock of the rock - they are so hard to photograph as they live under the canopy where good light is a problem. Such a strange shaped head and beautiful plumage that they have.

 

We saw the condors at Colca Canyon, although we learned that its sometimes possible to see them close to Cusco, can't remember the name of the valley. At Colca, the condors wheel up from their nesting site below the canyon rim and there are a number of viewing platforms spread about half a kilometre or more along the canyon rim.

 

The macaw hide that we visited in Manu was owned by Manu Safaris I think and was about 30 minutes by boat from Manu Wildlife Center. (They also own the facilities for paddling around the 2 oxbow lakes that we visited.) It was about a 25 minute walk from the boat station to the hide which is a large spacious scaffold or platform facing the cliffs where the macaws seek the clay. There were a couple of flights of stairs to climb before reaching the viewing deck.

 

The hide was built in 2 sections and each section would provide seating for up to 20 people - we shared briefly with a party of 6, and later a German couple but most of the time we had the hide to ourselves. We went to the clay lick twice, the second trip was 'insurance' just in case the birds didn't show the first morning.

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I thought I was going to Easter Island, but got waylaid in Manu and Tambopata. You were seeing jaguars everywhere. Those colors on the scarlet macaw are magnificent. Was there any mention of the 5 macaws raising their own chicks, assuming all 5 are not the same gender?

 

Can you list the Manu to Tambopata part of your trip itinerary?

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@@Atravelynn you need to negotiate the winsome spectacled bears before you can fly to Easter Island!

 

I don't recall any mention of los chicas raising their own young. Our guide did say that they all lived wild with their wild partners and that the wild partners never came into the lodge, preferring to wait nearby. We did see scarlet macaws perched in trees behind the lodge while los chicas visited and I assumed that these were the partners.

 

The transfer from Manu to Tambopata took one long and miserable day. We left Manu Wildlife Center around 5 am just as the sky began to grow light when there was barely enough light for the boatman to steer by. We went down river for about 4 to 5 hours in a cold, wet and windy weather, totally miserable to a desolate gold mining town called Colorado. We (David and Manuel accompanied us) left Colorado by car and drove for about another hour before coming to another river which was busy with boats and vehicles loading and unloading goods - sorry I don't know the name of this place. We crossed the river and then handed our life jackets to Manuel who was returning to the boat for the 2 day trip back to Atalya.

 

We drove for about an hour and a half to Puerto Maldonado where David took us to the Rainforest Expeditions office where our new guide Pedro was waiting. We said goodbye to David and took a Rainforest Expeditions bus to the Puerto Maldonando boat dock where we boarded a boat with a group of other people for a 4-5 trip upriver to Refugio Amazonas. We stopped on the way upriver to climb a perilous staircase to sign in at a Tambopata checkpoint and finally arrived at the lodge after dark about 7 pm. The office staff and our guides told us numerous times that usually the first 19 km of this trip is done by bus to a landing stage upriver, however the heavy rains the night before had washed out the road and we had to do the whole trip by boat. We certainly completed the return journey by boat and then a short bus trip.

 

 

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@@Atravelynn you need to negotiate the winsome spectacled bears before you can fly to Easter Island!

 

Yes, looking forward to that too. Easter Island will just have to wait.

 

I don't recall any mention of los chicas raising their own young. Our guide did say that they all lived wild with their wild partners and that the wild partners never came into the lodge, preferring to wait nearby. We did see scarlet macaws perched in trees behind the lodge while los chicas visited and I assumed that these were the partners.

Makes sense. I find it rather exciting and romantic that these habituated macaws have chosen wild partners, yet negotiate both worlds.

 

The transfer from Manu to Tambopata took one long and miserable day. We left Manu Wildlife Center around 5 am just as the sky began to grow light when there was barely enough light for the boatman to steer by. We went down river for about 4 to 5 hours in a cold, wet and windy weather, totally miserable to a desolate gold mining town called Colorado. We (David and Manuel accompanied us) left Colorado by car and drove for about another hour before coming to another river which was busy with boats and vehicles loading and unloading goods - sorry I don't know the name of this place. We crossed the river and then handed our life jackets to Manuel who was returning to the boat for the 2 day trip back to Atalya.

 

We drove for about an hour and a half to Puerto Maldonado where David took us to the Rainforest Expeditions office where our new guide Pedro was waiting. We said goodbye to David and took a Rainforest Expeditions bus to the Puerto Maldonando boat dock where we boarded a boat with a group of other people for a 4-5 trip upriver to Refugio Amazonas. We stopped on the way upriver to climb a perilous staircase to sign in at a Tambopata checkpoint and finally arrived at the lodge after dark about 7 pm. The office staff and our guides told us numerous times that usually the first 19 km of this trip is done by bus to a landing stage upriver, however the heavy rains the night before had washed out the road and we had to do the whole trip by boat. We certainly completed the return journey by boat and then a short bus trip.

 

Thanks!

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Loved the spectacled bears. What an improvement for them. Beautifully marked creatures.

 

Those sunrise shots at Easter Island are mystical. You had such nice weather and sunshine. I never though about 2/3 of the statues being underground. Any tales of the supernatural from Easter Island?

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  • 1 month later...

Lots more nice bear photos than what you've posted. I stumbled on to your album from a thumbnail in the row of thumbnails at the top of the page. Did you view all of these bears on foot with the ranger? How many people go with the ranger to see the bears, is there a max #? Kind of like gorilla tracking?

 

 

 

"A distinctive feature of travelling throughout the Pantanal is that there is always so much to look at - there is rarely a single sight at any stop." I remember on one of my first outings in the Pantanal I was getting a little exasperated by the many different animals and having to divide my attention.

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@@Atravelynn thanks for the comments on my photos. Sorry, I missed your December post.

 

I didn't hear about anything 'supernatural' although I did wonder several times how strange the backs of the moai must have looked to the early seafarers who sailed around Easter Island.

 

There are only 2 bears in the photos and they were in a very large compound, maybe 1-2 acres, its hard to say. We walked for about 30 minutes to reach the compound with our guide and translator and there was just the 2 of us. Visitors can walk around two sides of the compound and the bears usually come to the fence. Our visits coincided with feeding time so the bears were always around although they could 'hide' along the fenceline if they chose and then viewing would not be so easy. Sometimes, the bears had been fed before our visit and were less active.

 

There were other bears housed further from the lodge. Pierre who cannot be released as he is habituated and the authorities fear that he could harm villagers. There was a more isolated compound that housed 3 bears, these guys had no contact with visitors and only limited contact with staff. Two other guests went out walking in the reserve hoping to see wild bears - don't know if they were successful as we left before they arrived back at the lodge.

 

I would highly recommend a visit to Chaparri Lodge.

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  • 1 year later...
kavitachoudhary89

Excellent trip report.Thanks for making so much effort. Any recommendations between Piuval or Pousada Alegre? Which one was better and more comfortable? Please can you share details of driver/company you used for Colca Canyon, if you still have them.

Thanks

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@@kavitachoudhary89 I liked both Piuval and Pousada Alegre (PA) and would recommend including both in your itinerary if you have time. Here are a few of the differences between the 2 places that I recall:

 

  • PA has fruit trees close to the accommodation that attract the birds.
  • The food and accommodation is much better at Piuval than at PA
  • I wouldn't go to PA without a guide. We met a family at PA who arranged activities such as horse-riding, can't remember anything else. However I do remember that for an 'activity' the father was driven out the access road by Luis and left to walk back alone. We passed him, walking by the light of his head torch as we left for a night drive with Fabricio and Julinho.
  • We saw more on our walks at Piuval than at PA, but this may have been luck. We saw giant anteater at PA but not at Piuval but we saw a tamandua at Piuval and not at PA.

 

We booked Colca Canyon through Barry Walker at Manu Expeditions and were contracted out to a local company - sorry, I can't remember their name. The guide was very old-fashioned and big on facts, figures and dates. If I were going again I would get a quote from Metropolitan Touring or contact Peru Birding Tours and ask for a guide called Cesar Bollaty.

 

Colca Canyon is a long way from Cusco and chews up 3-4 days in travel to Arequipa and then a further long drive to the canyon itself. I have heard it is possible to see the condors closer to Cusco so it may be worthwhile checking with Peru Birding as I don't know how reliable these sightings are. Manu Expeditions are very efficient and very expensive, they also don't communicate on a regular basis and don't always respond to emails, although when we arrived everything had been organised according to my initial emails with Barry.

 

Both the Pantanal and Peru are wonderful destinations.

 

 

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kavitachoudhary89

Thanks so much Treepol for all the details. Any idea which is more expensive PA or Piuval? I've negotiated a cost for 2 nights at Pantanal Norte and 1 night at PA with an independent guide. I was wondering if the guide would increase cost, if I ask for a change.
I tried to contact Fabricio many times, but he didn't reply. Sent wassap him as well, he said I will get look today and let you know. But still didn't reply. Looks he is not interested.

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@@kavitachoudhary89 I believe that PA is the most expensive, although this is based on pricing from 2013.

 

Sorry you have not been able to successfully contact Fabricio and I'm afraid that I don't know any other guides to recommend if he and Julinho are both already booked.

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kavitachoudhary89

Hi Treepol,

Thanks so much for all the help.
I just contacted PA, and to the surprise she replied within 10 minutes!! PA is just 20 BRL more than Piuval!
I was considering Piuval for better accommodation. I'm too fussy about bathrooms, and don't know how will it be at PA as can't find any pics. Have asked her to send some pics if possible.

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  • 2 years later...

@Treepol I'm late to this party, but I just wanted to thank you for all the stories and pictures. We'll be in Manu at the end of August and I hope we'll have as good sightings as you did. Pantanal...some other time :-)

 

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