3-DAY JUNGLE TOUR (MASHAQUIPE ECOLODGE)

Price
$250.00
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This is our 3 day jungle tour operated by Mashaquipe (Madidi Nature & Culture Program). Visit Madidi National Park 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. Upgrade to private cabins available.

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

3 Days Madidi Nature & Culture Tour - Amazon Jungle. Madidi national park was established in 1995 and is one of the largest protected areas in the world covering an area of over 18000 square kilometers. Rurrenabaque is the principal gateway to the park and the starting point for this tour. We have chosen to work with the operator Mashaquipe for these tours as they offer a quality service and have been awarded the "Green Action" eco tourism certification.

ITINERARYITINERARY
DAY 1
You will be picked up from you accommodation or from the airport and taken to the office (pickup from the airport is also included if arriving the day before). After a short briefing in the office we will set off on a boat trip along the rivers Beni and Tuichi for approximately 3 hours until we reach a local community where the main economic activity is producing "miel de caña”, a type of honey made from sugar cane (a type of molasses). From here we will continue by boat to the eco-lodges where we will be met and greeted with a refreshing drink made from local fruits. After being shown to your rooms we will then have a lunch and a chance to rest in the hammocks away from the midday heat, listening to the sounds of the jungle. In the afteroon we will walk a nature trail inside the jungle where your guide will show you a variety of plants and explain how the local Tacana people use them. This includes medicinal purposes, food and construction uses. Along this trail there is the chance to see a number of different animals including spiders monkeys, howler monkeys, wild pigs and a number of different birds, plus a variety of insects and spiders. We return to the lodge and will have our evening meal as the night time darkness falls. After eating we can take a night time walk to try to find noctural animals and also search for caimans near the river bank using spotlights to reflect off their eyes.
 
DAY 2
We arise early to take another walk along one of the trails near the lodge to experience the sound of the rainforest awakening. Your guide will explain many of the sounds and hopefully we will witness the loud call of a howler monkey. After breakfast at the eco-lodge the group can participate in some workshops to learn about the local Tacana culture. The activities may include how to craft rings and necklaces from natural jungle materials, how to grind traditional rice (tacú) or learn to use a bow and arrow for hunting. After lunch we embark on a 2 to 3 hour hike deeper in the rain forest where will hopefully see more animals and interesting plants. Tonight instead of returning to the eco-lodge we will spend the night camping in a tent or under a mosquito net under a rain proof tarp. Dinner that night will be cooked on an open fire and eaten by candle night in the jungle after which we will explore the jungle by night in search of noctural wildlife. As this tour goes deeper in the jungle we might see some different animals such as tapir, giant armadillos and if we are very lucky a puma or a jaguar.
 
DAY 3
This morning we will hike to see the nesting cliff of the colorful macaws and we will see a panoramic view of the jungle all around and the rivers below. If you are feeling adventurous we can build a traditional raft out of local trees and raft down river to arrive back at the eco-lodge. For those wanting a more relaxing return we can take the motorboat back to the lodge. Once we arrive at the lodge we will eat lunch and after a short rest begin our boat journey back to Rurrenabaque - you will get dropped off at the airport if having a late flight on the same day.

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDEDINCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED
INCLUDED
  • Transportation in motor boat
  • Pickup from the airport and / or from your accommodation
  • Guide - english and spanish speaking
  • Cook and meals (veggie options available if pre requested)
  • Accommodation in a dorm or in private cabin lodges (single, double or triple) with shared bathrooms (depending on options)
  • Mosquito nets, beds, sheet/cover
  • Camping equipment for night 2
  • Dropoff at the airport if having a late flight the same day the tour finishes
 
NOT INCLUDED
  • Entrance fee to Madidi National Park - 200 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 you will need to arrive in time to be at the office by 9am 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 first night in a dorm with other people, or upgrade to a single/double/triple room (see below). In all cases bathroom will be shared and the second night will be camping.
  • Groups are usually from 2 to 6 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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