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EMERGENCIES

In case of emergencies there are first aid kits equipped to deal with most cases that may reasonably arise in the area. For snake bites, unheard of in the Tambopata so far, we have a stun gun, extractors and an anti-venom at the lodges.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

In case of an emergency back home, friends or family may contact you through our office in Cuzco 7 days a week.
• Telephone: + 51 84 262720,
• Fax: + 51 84 247226
• Mobile phone, Operations Department, Carla Nue: (+51) 084-9766344
• Address : Av. Tullumayo 213, Cuzco.

ABOUT PUERTO MALDONADO

Puerto Maldonado is a small jungle town of approximately 50,000 people where life slowly ebbs by but with few attractions.

Good restaurants include: Pizzeria Chez Maggy (pizzas) on the Main Square, La Casa Nostra (sandwiches and snacks) on Leon Velarde 515, El Califa (local food) on Piura 266.

For tourism information Ministerio de Industria y Tourismo (phone: 57-1413, 57-1164, 57-1421, Fitzcarrald 411) offers information. There is also a desk at the airport.

Taxis are three wheeled motorcycles with a back seat. They charge half a dollar for most rides ($2 to the airport.).

The post office, Serpost, is located at Av León Velarde 6th block. The Telefónica office is on the 7th block of Puno. Internet access is available at Compunet or Data System, both of which can be found on Leon Velarde.

Banco de Crédito has a Visa ATM and will change US cash without a commission. Banco de la Nación gives cash on MasterCard and reasonable rates for traveler's cheques. Both banks are located on the Plaza de Armas. There are money exchange houses on Calle Puno.

For medical emergencies, Hospital Santa Rosa (phone: 57-1019/57-1046) is located at Cajamarca 171 and Essalud is located at Cajamarca 341, Tel 571440. Pharmacies are found throughout the town.

WILDLIFE OBSERVATION IN THE RAIN FOREST

The Tambopata Candamo is one of the world’s most diverse wildlife areas and one of the best preserved. However, the vast majority of the rain forest’s diversity is in the form of insects. The world record diversities of birds and mammals, are mostly in the form of small species. Larger species are rare, shy, unpredictable and very difficult to see, with a few notable exceptions. So do not expect the wildlife of the African savannah.
(A group who came with us last year observed a puma swimming in the river for a few minutes before gracefully emerging onto the bank. A spectacular but rare sight).
Nevertheless, these exciting encounters do occur on a regular basis. At the Tambopata Research Center, you will also have some of the Amazon’s best chances of seeing jaguar, tapir, giant river otters, harpy eagles, macaws, etc For detailed descriptions species and encounter rates, please contact us for further information.

Another important factor to bear in mind is that when you do encounter wildlife, you will not always have a clear, ample field of view. Perhaps your vision will be limited to observing wildlife through branches, leaves, and dense vegetation, flying or leaping away from you. Another extraordinary encounters was of a jaguar eating a dead tapir, and only 20 metres away. This was witnessed for 15 minutes by 8 people. Another one was of a jaguar sleeping on the beach in front of the Tambopata Research Centre. This incident was even filmed by a BBC film crew.

Do not expect wildlife to be encountered everyday. Come with your mind and your eyes open. You will be in a place where every horizontal and vertical meter of forest probably has hundreds of species of organisms, different from one metre to the next.

BIRDWATCHING AND TAMBOPATA

A typical week long trip to Tambopata, with a good birding guide, should yield around two-three hundred species. When travelling with an interest in birdwatching, i.e. when you want to dedicate most of your day to actively seeking and identifying birds, please let us know beforehand so that we can assign an appropriate guide. The Tambopata Research Center is a superior area for bird watching as it offers a greater variety of habitat at accessible distances, and more importantly, it is located in forests that have been un-hunted for decades, thus harboring substantial populations of large birds such as guan, currasow, macaws, etc. If you do not have the minimum five days required for a solid Tambopata Research Center itinerary, then many lodges offer good three or four day substitute programmes. From lake birds, a canopy tower and parrot clay licks.

PHOTOGRAPHY IN TAMBOPATA

The Amazon, with its magnificent scenery and diversity of fauna and flora is a photographer's paradise. However it is a challenging environment for nature and wildlife photography. The first challenge photographers will face is with their camera equipment. Even before the first wildlife encounter, you will have to deal with elements that can cause havoc with your camera equipment. The high level of humidity, the ever changing weather conditions and even plastic-melting insect repellent will be a challenge to even the most reliable equipment.
The second challenge comes in the form of the wildlife. Even though many tourists/photographers have left the lodges with some very good images of macaws and river otters, this is because of good luck and being at the right place at the right time. Photography in the rain forest is a difficult process and requires patience. It is an unrealistic reaction to believe that a person with a good camera and some powerful zoom lenses can achieve excellent results in a visit of a few days. In general, you will require lenses above 300 mm to produce good wildlife photography. ASA 200 film or above is recommended for the rain forest where it tends to be dark. For macro-photography, a flash will normally be required. To make sure your equipment is protected from the elements, we recommend the use of river bags and/or waterproof camera cases. The use of dry bags and silicon gel are highly recommended to alleviate the problem with humidity, rain and the occasional water splashing in the canoe during the trips on the river. The use of a tripod at the clay lick is recommended and lenses ranging from 500mm to 1000mm are necessary for the clay lick. The use of flash is not permitted when photographing the macaws at close range.