The Shipetiari community
The Shipetiari Community (2 nights)
Close to the shores of the Madre del Dios river and at the fringes of the Manu National-park lives the Machiguenga community of Shipetiari.
Since a few years, the Machiguenga have opened their homes to tourism. As a community collective they built a lodge with the help of some NGO, which offers simple and clean stay.
The community equally shares the activities between the families, like learning how to make and use bow and arrow, or brew their local beer, called Masato. From the village elders you can learn about their faith and vast knowledge on plant based medicine. The indigenous Machiguanga community consists of only about 7000 people, all living in the region of the Manu National park. They are kind and lighthearted and it is a wonderful experience to spend a day or two with them.
To reach the Amazon rainforest (2 days/1 night)
The journey from Cusco or sacred valley alone is an adventure. The initially tarred road takes you from the high altitude meadows into the lushness of the Amazon rainforests. Once you dive down into the cloud forests the road changes to gravel, a dusty and often gutsy experience. Steep ravines and gorges and a narrow road with never ending bends follow us most of the way. Many stops along the way to observe birds and amazing landscapes are the reward of the journey.
We suggest that you break the journey in the lower regions of the cloud forest, where there are a few small lodges. The second day takes us down to the Madre de Dios river, where we exchange the car with a boat. On the way stops to observe birds and marvel at the beautiful scenery.