6-DAY JUNGLE & PAMPAS TOUR (MASHAQUIPE ECOLODGE)

Price
$520.00
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This is our jungle & pampas 6 day combo tour operated by Mashaquipe (Jaguar and Anaconda Program). Visit the fascinating Madidi National park Jungle and the animal rich pampas on a certified eco-tour and see the wonders of the Amazon rainforest. We work with "green action" certified operator Mashaquipe to offer quality eco-tours in Madidi and in the Yacuma pampas. Accommodation in dorms or private cabins with shared bathroom in the jungle and private bathroom in the pampas.

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

Madidi & Pampas 6 Day Combo Tour with Mashaquipe (Jaguar and Anaconda) - Amazon basin. Visit the fascinating Madidi National park Jungle and the animal rich pampas on a certified eco tour and see the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. We work with "green action" certified operator Mashaquipe to offer quality Eco Tours in Madidi. This tour consistently gets very good reports from our customers and is our most highly recommended option for the pampas and Madidi combo tours. Includes accomodation in dorms but an upgrade to private rooms is available. In the pampas the rooms have private bathrooms and in Madidi the bathrooms are shared. English-speaking guide for the tour.

ITINERARYITINERARY
DAY 1
You will get picked up from your accommodation at around 8.00 (or from the airport) and taken to Mashaquipe's office for the check-in - at 8.30 we leave Rurrenabaque. After an hour’s boat trip we will visit a local community to experience and learn a little about the lifestyle of locals in the jungle. We will then continue our boat ride and on the way along the rivers Beni and Tuichi you will have the chance enjoy wonderful surrounding landscapes such as the Bala Canyon. We will then reach we Eco-lodge, “Mashaquipe” - here you will be welcomed with some refreshing fruit juice as well as with a delicious lunch. You will be shown your accommodation and later in the afternoon we will go for a relaxing walk along trails that have been specifically designed for spotting animals (such as monkeys and peccaries) in their natural environment. You will then make your way to the lodge where we will have dinner and spend the night.
 
DAY 2
The second day is more adventurous and starts with an early breakfast at 7.30. Then we will start getting stuff ready for spending a night camping in the depths of the Madidi jungle. The campsite is called "Arenalito" and we will have to walk for about 4 hours to get there. Each person will have to carry the essential equipment (sleeping bags, sleeping mats, mosquito nets) during this walk. Once at the camp we will have lunch and some time to rest. Afternoon activities start at around 15.30, when we will make our way up to the top of a nearby mountain where we can see lots of animals such as macaws, parrots and other kinds of birds. From there we can watch these colourful birds, enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the rainforest and a wondferful sunset. At night you can also decide to take a short optional walk during which we have a great chance of spotting armadillos, snakes, monkeys, tapirs, nocturnal birds and other animals. At night time you can often hear the roar of the jaguar or puma.
 
DAY 3
On the third day we will wake up early (5.00 am) and then go out for a short walk near the camp where we will enjoy the sunrise and listen to noisy howler monkeys and a large variety of birds - this is their way of welcoming the new day. After breakfast we will set off towards the Tuichi river - there, we will build a log raft (traditional transport of the Amazonian Indians) and go rafting for about 2 hours until we reach the eco-lodge. There will also be a  boat for security with us, our backpacks and for people who do not want to take part in this activity. We will then have lunch at the “Mashaquipe” eco-lodge and in the afternoon the group can either relax or participate in an activity of its choice.
 
DAY 4
We will get up at 6.00 am and have breakfast before making our way back to Rurrenabaque where we will arrive at around 8.30 am. As soon as we arrive, we will immediately leave for Santa Rosa National Park, known as the pampas. On the way you will have great chances to spot sloths, anteaters, birds, and other animals. At around midday we will take a boat trip of about 15 minutes to our eco-lodge, “The Turtles”. You will be shown your accommodation and then have lunch. After some rest, in the afternoon we will go to the beautiful Lake Bravo where we can go piranha fishing, look for the typical toucans and watch a spectacular sunset. Back to the lodge, we will then have dinner, after which we will have time for a short boat trip to look for the eyes of animals by torchlight.
 
DAY 5
Breakfast at 7.30 on the fifth day - we will then start today's acitivities with a boat trip on the River Yacuma where will look for animals such as caimen, capybara, turtles, dolphins, monkeys and a large variety of birds. Back to the ecolodge, we will then have lunch. In the afternoon, after some rest (there will be very comfortable hammocks you can use) we will go in search of a suitable place to swim with the typical pink dolphins (the location depends on the time of the year).
 
DAY 6
This is the last day of the tour. We will wake up early enough to go enjoy once again the sunrise and listen to the sounds of howler monkeys and birds which say hi to the new day in the pampas. We will then have breakfast and then go out on the River Yacuma looking for a good place to walk and search for anacondas, which we might be lucky enough to spot. Back to the eco-lodge lunch will be served and then, at about 14.00, we will take the car and return to Rurrenabaque, arriving at about 16.30 (you will get dropped off at the airport if having a late flight).

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDEDINCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED
INCLUDED
  • Transportation in jeep and motor boats
  • Pickup from the airport and / or from the accommodation
  • Guide - English and Spanish-speaking
  • Cook and meals (veggie options available if pre-requested)
  • 1 night camping (equipment included)
  • Accommodation in dorms or private cabin lodges (single, double or triple) with private bathrooms in Pampas, shared bathroom in Madidi - mosquito nets, beds, sheet/cover
  • Dropoff at the airport if having a late flight the day the tour finishes
 
NOT INCLUDED
  • Entrance fees to Madidi National Park - 200 Bs and Santa Rosa Protected Park - 150 Bs
  • Travel insurance - recommended 
  • Extra beverages
  • Breakfast on first day, dinner on last day
  • Sunglasses and sun cream 
  • Insect repellent 
  • Others not mentioned

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONIMPORTANT INFORMATION
  • This tour starts in Rurrenabaque and DOES NOT include the cost of transport for getting there. We can arrange flights for getting to Rurrenabaque. We cannot be responsible if you book a tour and then you cannot find a transport to Rurrenabaque on time - please make sure you know how to get to Rurrenabaque before booking this tour (you can also book flights through us together with the tour and we will confirm the tour only if flights are available too). There is a minimum group size of 2 people for this tour to be confirmed (you can make a booking of one person and we can check to see if there are others booked for that date).
  • You can choose to spend the night at the lodges in a dorm with other people, or upgrade to a single/double/triple room (see below). Bathroom in the jungle will always be shared and in the pampas it will be private (unless you choose the dorm option - in that case it could be shared also in the pampas depending on availability).
  • Groups are usually from 2 to 5 people in size and there may also be other groups in the lodges at the same time as you. There is a minimum of two people to get the tour confirmed. If you are a solo traveller please check availability with us first. We will need a second person at least even if you pay for the single room upgrade.
  • You should be in reasonable physical condition for a tour of this type and understand that some conditions are basic and are lacking in comforts - this is the jungle!
  • Malaria is extremely rare in the pampas and jungle near Rurrenabaque and there has not been any cases contracted locally for many years. That said, there are plenty of mosquitos in the area so it is considered a possibility. Other insect bourne diseases such as yellow fever and dengue are in the area so a good insect repellent and long sleeve shirt plus long trousers are essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through these common questions & answers - if you cant find what you want to know send us your questions using the Ask a Question button

How does rainy season affect the Pampas & Jungle Tours & Rurrenabaque Flights?

You will read various reports about how rainy season affects Bolivia and traveling there - many of these will contradict each other simply because Bolivia is a large country, with different conditions throughout and also people experiences with weather will vary from place to place and also from year to year. In general (although there are various opinions on this) rainy season is considered to be from Oct/Nov through to Mar/April. Rain can occur outside these months of course especially in lowland and jungle areas but the rainfall is definitely more during these months. Usually up until December there is not too much and we tend to get periods of a few days when it rains and periods of a few days when it does not. From Jan onwards until Mar/Apr there is more frequent and heavier rain and this can cause some problems  but it is still perfectly possible to visit Bolivia during this time as long as you take some possible delays into account (which you should do any time of year anyway due to the chance of protests and roadblocks!). 

Pampas and Jungle Tours - These tours run year round and in general rain does not stop tours from going. The exception is when there has been very heavy sustained rainfall and the Rurrenabaque area becomes flooded (the pampas, the jungle floor, the local roads and even the town itself). This is not common but has happened some years and you just have to check local news prior to departure times or ask us for latest info.
Rurrenabaque Flights
The main issued caused by rainy season for Rurrenabque is delays to the flights between La Paz - Rurre and Rurre - La Paz which can regularly be delayed due to weather. We advise flying the day before your tour and flying back early am the day after you tour in order to give yourself some time for delays. Also if you have something you have to be back for such as an international flight we recommended having one more buffer day before to make sure. Delays of a whole day are possible. The way it works when there are delays is that your flight reservation can be looked at like a number in a queue, so if there was a flight or flights scheduled earlier than yours delayed then the passengers booked on those flights are first "in the queue" to get the next avaialble flight out. This is why we recommend not relying on getting the first early morning flight to start a tour or the last flight of the day to return to La Paz as during rainy season you are often bumped forward due to delays on previous flights.
Most people fly to Rurrenabaque but there is also a bus service that takes about 18 hours in dry season. In rainy season this journey time can rise to as much as 40 hours as the road is washed away, blocked with landslides and becomes a river of mud. We strongly recommend against trying to take this bus in rainy season (we don't really recommend it in dry season!).
How often are the Rurrenabaque flights cancelled?
We can't say how often exactly because this is mostly dependent on weather conditions but we can say that cancellations happen more often in the rainy season than in dry season, in particular from January to April but they can happen at any time of the year. All you can do is check the weather forecasts, ask us what the recent situation has been like and be flexible.
We advise that you always try to book the earlier flights though as this gives you the best chance of getting on a flight that day. Whenever the first flight is cancelled then the people booked on that flight will be first in the queue to get the next flight that goes out (and all the following flights will after) so if you are on the later flights they can be pushed over until the next day. This is just an example and of course everything depends on the conditions clearing up meaning flights can safely leave.
The airline informs us of cancellations usually the day before the flight - we will let you know as soon as we get the information. This is why we strongly recommend you check your e-mails the day before your flight (or even the same morning if having a late flight) so that you can check if there have been any changes. We inform you of any changes via e-mail and you must also be aware that changes can be last minute and too late for us to inform you before leaving for the airport sometimes.
Do you pick me up at the airport for flights to Rurrenabaque?
Depending on the individual tour this might be included with the tour or a chargeable extra. Please ask at the time of booking with us or check the tour description in the Included/Not Included  or product FAQ section. For example if you book a tour at the MashaquipeChalalan or Madidi Jungle Ecolodges, then yes a pickup will be arranged for no extra price (whenever you arrive, even if it's the day before). Also, these companies will provide a transfer back to the airport at the end of the tour. Other operators such as Indigena Tours or Bala Tours can provide a transfer to/from the airport only if you book a private tour or by special arrangement.
If you do not have a pickup arranged it is easy to get from the airport to Rurrenabaque as there is always transport waiting to meet the flights arriving. Sometimes there is an Amaszonas bus and sometimes just local taxis. The fare should cost around 15 to 20 Bs and the journey is about 20 minutes.
Is there malaria in Rurrenabaque and in the areas where pampas and jungle tours take place?
Whilst it is feasible that malaria could exist in Rurrenabaque, the pampas and the jungle areas nearby because there are plenty of mosquitoes, there have not been any reported instances of malaria. We do not consider it necessary to take malaria tablets for our tours but if you wish to do so then you should bring them with you as you might not be able to get the brand/type you want in Bolivia. There is the possibility of Dengue fever and yellow fever also, so you must protect yourself from insect bites as much as possible. You should bring a good insect repellent with you as there are not many good options available to purchase in Bolivia.

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IMPORTANT

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