Our Manu Short Trip 3 days will take you off the beaten path and on the trail of one of the richest wildlife reserves with spectacular views of waterfalls, caves, majestic rainforests, and deliciously authentic Peruvian cuisine. If you are traveling on a budget check out fixed departures
Posted By : jNd-s_Travels
This review relates specifically to Wild Watch Peru tour operators. Manu rainforest is undoubtably an amazing experiance which I would without hesitation highly recommend to anyone!
Our trip to Manu nature reserve started really well. Whilst the drive is quite long from Cusco there were plenty of stops along the way exploring local ruins, bakery and quaint little town. Our tours guides, Ricardo and Esau (Ronaldo) were very informative and super easy going.
After an approx 8hour drive we arrived at Guadalupe lodge. From here things sadly took an unnecessary turn downhill. We booked a double room as did 2 of other couples in our party. Upon arrival we were told that there would not a sufficient number of double rooms and that one couple would have to stay in single bed accommodation. We were asked by our tour guide Esau (Ronaldo) to choose between ourselves who would be staying in the single rooms. Obviously as all the couples had booked and paid double rooms we were all reluctant to volunteer. This resulted in an awkward and lengthy period of silence of around 15/20minutes until one of the couples yielded. We were bewildered how this situation could have occurred particularly as we were the only group staying at the lodge at the time. I did feel for Esau (Ronaldo) as this put him in an equally difficult situation and I got the impression he just wants to do the fun ‘nature’ bit.
After the room situation was resolved we were told to collect our wellingtons which would be required for all the following days activities. You will be walking through streams and disembarking at various locations from the river boat so are a must. The information provided stated that all boot sizes are available. However, we found that only 1 pair of wellingtons are available in each of the sizes. As the size 7 pair had already been taken I was left with wellingtons either too small or too large. After trying on multiple pairs (the sizes mean very little as the wellingtons are from a variety of suppliers all with variations on their sizes) I was unable to find a comfortable pair of wellingtons. I was left feeling like I was being a nuisance from our tour guide after he tried to convince me to accept uncomfortable footwear telling me they should be loose in one moment and then tight in the next. I’m sure he called me ‘difficult’ at one point under his breath. At the price point for the tour it was really disappointing that the lodge did not have multiple pairs of sizes of wellingtons, particularly the most commons sizes. Thankfully the following day the situation was resolved as our tour guide was able to obtain another size 7 wellington from the local town. I’m so grateful that he managed to do that as you are in the wellingtons all day, every day and walk a considerable amount over uneven, slippery and wet ground.
The third thing that was disappointing was no towels were provided for any of the guests. Towels are have meant to be provided as per the booking information. Due to the wet weather the towels could not be dried. The lodge does not have any drying facilities. OK, we get it, it’s a rain forest. However if we were told to bring our own towels we would have happily done this, no problems. To be told you will be provided such a basic item which you know you cannot provide if its rains for extended periods is poor management to put it kindly.
In any case some of the showers in the rooms didn’t even work (although ours were fine).
After the initial issues with the lodge, things really picked up. We had such an amazing time in Manu rainforest. The vastness, smell, sounds, seeing animals in their home environment everything was amazing. We were equally amazed with the delicious dishes the chef’s at the lodge can conjure up in such basic conditions! Bravo to them!
Esau (Ronaldo) was super knowledgable about the environment which he so effortlessly navigated. His passion for nature really came across.
The amazing experience of the jungle was unfortunately soured by our drop off back to Cusco. We were the last couple to be dropped off back to our hotel. Our tour guide Esau (Ronaldo) waved each of the couple off in turn with warm goodbye’s. We did not sadly receive such a send off. We felt that our initial show of unhappiness around the footwear and towel situations was the cause of the coldness. In honesty that was upsetting for us as we felt that the issues we experiences were all forgotten although should have never occurred at this price point.
In summary, plan to not be provided with the things they say you will be. Never the less Manu will not fail to disappoint!
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Posted On : 2024-06-17 17:21:27 
Posted By : Kincso_K
The walk in the rainforest was amazing also with the little boats and we saw a lot of animals.The lodge is great in the middle of the rainforest, such a unique experience. Our tour guide Esau was also friendly, had knowledge and was really funny.
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Posted On : 2024-05-31 18:45:04 
Posted By : Michelle H
We had a great time! Our guide (Edwin) was amazing, kind, and knowledgeable. The hikes were great, we saw a lot of wildlife, and learned a lot about the jungle. The food was delicious and we enjoyed all of our meals and snacks. I would definitely recommend this tour. This tour was one of the highlights of our Peru vacation.
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Posted On : 2024-05-17 20:22:34
Posted By : lauranU1073WP
We had an amazing trip. Thanks to our amazing guide Anibal saw we way more animals than we had expected to see. Our guide Anibal was very passionate and had a lot of knowledge about all the animals we saw. The lodge was a wonderful place to stay and we loved that we lived in the middle of the rainforest.
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Posted On : 2024-05-15 23:52:35
Posted By : Jürgen H
Had to be hospitalized due to acute altitude sickness. Unfortunately, the 24 hours were barely there. The provider was relentless. Deducted the full amount for 2 people. But that's what it says in the terms and conditions. Unfortunately, no exceptions. We were hoping for at least goodwill.
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Posted On : 2024-05-10 20:29:18
Posted By : brookepQ735HN
We had a fantastic time on our 3 night trip to Manu with Wild Watch Peru. Our guide Carlos was a lovely person and incredibly knowledgeable. He went above and beyond to ensure my family and I enjoyed our trip. We especially enjoyed the boat ride and stop at the animal sanctuary. We were also blown away by the food prepared by our chef, who made a great effort to cater for 1 person who was vegan. 100% recommend this trip and big thank you to Carlos and the team.
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Posted On : 2024-04-28 14:47:37
Posted By : C8218SBdustinw
Hola, we just wanted to say what an amazing experience we had. My son (15) and I had a great time and made so many memories on this trip. It was only 3 days but it was jam packed with activity and adventure. The tour and our guide Charlie (Carlos) exceeded all expectations. His knowledge of the jungle was awesome and his English was very good. Thank you for a wonderful trip!
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Posted On : 2024-04-03 07:01:23
Posted By : Z7118MUhelenaf
It was a magical ride, guided by Ricardo :) We were super impressed by Ricardo’s fun positive attitude while he was explaining us all these amazing facts about the biodiverse paradise of Manu! I definitely recommend this trip for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time and still wants to have a taste of the Amazon. I hope to return for a much longer trip, deeper into the jungle 🦋
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Posted On : 2024-01-12 17:14:31
Posted By : 646alannag
Me and my friend chose to do the Short trip - 3 days in Manu National Park.
How can you not go into the Amazon when you're in South America and this was our perfect tour.
We got collected from our hostel on the morning by Edwin and driver and they stayed with us the whole trip. Edwin was our guide and he was fabulous - he had great energy and nothing seemed to be too much trouble.
On our way into the Amazon we made many stops where Edwin spoke about the culture and history of the area as well as making stops to look at the tropical birds. He was very knowledgable and took photos on a professional camera with a zoom lense which he was happy to send to us once the trip was over. This was we had amazing photos of birds that we specifically saw on our tour.
We staying in Guatalope lodge which was run by a small family who again were very friendly and the food was delicious.
The night walk was one of our favourite activities as we got to see lots of wildlife living in their natural habitat - monkeys, spiders, snakes, frogs. It was truly magical.
Overall I would highly recommend this Amazon trip if you are short on time or unsure if jungle life is for you. It offers so much natural wild life as well as a visit to a sanctuary where you can see some of the animals a lot closer.
Thank you Edwin and team you made of experience amazing!
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Posted On : 2023-12-09 08:31:50
Posted By : Trail57951372813
Loved our time! Such amazing tour guides Isaul and Caesar, they were so passionate about the jungle and excited to share with us. We had so much fun and such a great experience, definitely a highlight on our trip to Peru!
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Posted On : 2023-12-04 22:09:08
