We are going to bus into Puerto Maldonado from Cusco toward the end of July (flying out to Lima then on to Iguassu Falls, Brazil). Our kids (7 and 9) love wildlife but wouldn't hike more than an hour (slowly!). We're thinking of staying at one of the lodges at the outskirts of town versus one of the river lodges two to four hours away. Any thoughts or suggestions based on your experiences? Thanks!
Puerto Maldonado with kids
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Is the Puerto Maldonado part of the trip definite? That bus trip is going to take 10-12 hours one way. Are your kids up to that? Are you up to that? That seems like a long way to go to get to a destination where you aren't even sure what you want to do.
Thanks for your questions, Jeff. We are up for a long bus ride, and in Peru for a month so excited to see a bit of jungle. We've heard Wasai lodge is good, for instance, but wondered what other parents have done in terms of staying closer to town or two to four hours away. There may be some merit in a spot with more a la carte trek/activity options rather than a three-day stay with constant adult-paced excursions?
I always thought that is was required to travel extended distances from an urban area to see iconic Amazon animals. This made sense to me as the forest is more disturbed the closer you get to a city or town and the wildlife is either absent or very skittish. This is true for places like Iquitos and Manu but it doesn't seem to hold true for some places near Puerto Maldonado and especially the Posada Amazonas Lodge - http://thinkjungle.com/amazon-jungle-tours/posada-amazonas-lodge/ - operated by Rainforest Expeditions. Because the lodge is so close to the town you can stay for as little as 2 nights and still stand a good chance of seeing lots of wildlife.
I think this is probably because the lodge is built near a clay lick so they can almost guarantee guests the sighting of macaws and maybe some toucans. The lodge is owned by a local community, which is a reflection of a true ecotourism operation.