4-DAY JUNGLE TOUR (MADIDI JUNGLE ECOLODGE)

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

This is our 4 day jungle tour operated by Madidi Jungle Ecolodge (Wabu Program). We have chosen to work with the operator Madidi Jungle Ecolodge for these tours as they offer a high quality service. Madidi Jungle Ecolodge is a new venture of Community Ecotourism totally created and managed by indigenous families from San Jose de Uchupiamonas. English-speaking guide for the tour. The standard accommodation is in cabin lodges (twin, double or triple available) with shared bathrooms but it is possible to upgrade to an exclusive cabin with private bathroom (twin, double or triple available).

ITINERARYITINERARY

DAY 1 – Rurrenabaque – Madidi National Park 

You will get picked from your accommodation or from the airport and taken to the office for a short briefing (pickup from the airport is included also if arriving the day before). The departure time is around 08:30 and you will travel by a motorized boat from Rurrenabaque to the Madidi National Park. Boats are equipped with comfortable seats, life vests, rain ponchos and roof. The trip up through the Beni and Tuichi Rivers offers stunning landscapes, you will be able to see the Bala Canyon on the way and the boat trip itself will takes around 3 hours. Once you arrive at Caquiahuara you will be able to observe the nesting wall used by the red and green macaws and other species of parrots. The best season to see more bird species is between July and October. The trip then continues to the Madidi Jungle Ecolodge.

After lunch a 3-4 hour guided walk along the Tareche Trail to the Aguapolo Creek will start. This is a really good opportunity to observe a variety of bird species, mainly macaws and parrots, and appreciated the surrounding tropical rainforest besides the chance to observe many different species of primate and mammal such as the white lipped peccary, the black spider monkey and the red howler monkey. After watching the landscape and the surrounding tropical rainforest, we return to the Ecolodge. At the end of the day it is possible to do a short nocturnal walk after dinner and before resting for the night.

 

DAY 2  Madidi National Park

After breakfast, at around 08.00 a 4 hour guided walk along the Mapajo Trail will take place. You will be able to appreciate the giant trees of the Amazon jungle and the guide will provide an in-depth explanation of the diverse species of plants used for ancestral medicinal purposes and it is actually a great opportunity to appreciate and learn about the ecosystems in the jungle area.

You will get back to the lodge in order to have lunch. After that you will be taken through the Biwa Trail -a 3-4 hour walk. On this area you will be able to see the black spider monkey which is often encountered on this trail and a hugh variety of wildlife such as the white lipped peccary, red howler monkey, toucans, guans and many more birds. Before returning to the lodge there will be a stop at the Natural Aguapolo scenic viewpoint, which is ideal to observe the rainforest. There is a nocturnal walk through the jungle after dinner.

 

DAY 3  Madidi National Park

This day after breakfast you will be walking through the Pava Cullpana Trail (which is considered to be the longest Trail). In this area you will be able to observe a large Salt Lick where various animals gather to obtain important mineral salt from the substrata and you can also see many mammal prints. After seeing the variety of animals you will return to the Ecolodge. When you are back in the lodge lunch will be served. During rainy season it is possible to swim in the Tuichi River.

At around 15.30 you will be taken up through river Tuichi by boat. Along the river trip, you will have a chance to do some fishing and see which the most common species are. After fishing you will experience an exciting ride in rubber inner tubes, combining the fast-paced rapids of the Tuichi River, with calmer periods where you will have a chance to relax and enjoy the authentic natural environment. A life jacket will be provided for your safety. This activity is commonly available between April and October. Once you are back in the Ecolodge and after tasting a delicious traditional dinner people from the Uchupiamonas Indigenous Community will relate their history.

**On day 3 there is an optional activity that consists on spending a full day by the Santa Rosa Lake. The boat trip to get to this area takes about 2 hours and the visit includes a short walk to view this spectacular Lake, the area is a fantastic place for canoeing and piranha fishing and you will have the chance to see the wildlife. Lunch is served before heading back to the lodge on the bank of the lake -this alternative activity has an additional cost of 50.00usd per group.

 

DAY 4  Madidi National Park – Rurrenabaque

Early in the morning after breakfast you will be taken through the Wabu Trail towards Cullpana which is one of the main areas where various animals gather to obtain important mineral salt from the substrata and also use the mud pools as a bathing area. On this trail you will be able to observe many animals such as the white lipped peccary, the brown capuchin monkey, tapirs, toucan, guans, and many other different birds. And before returning to the Ecolodge there will be a stop at the natural Tuichi scenic viewpoint. After lunch on this last day you will have the chance to learn how to make handicrafts with local materials.

At aroung 13.30 you will start the return to Rurrenabaque, unfortunately the tour ends here but on the way back you will have the opportunity to see exotic species such as the black caiman, capybara, tapir or the giant river otter. The return trip by boat takes two hours - you will be back on time if having a late flight back to La Paz.

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDEDINCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED

INCLUDED

  • Airport and / or accommodation pick up
  • Transportation in jeep and motor boats
  • Guide - English and Spanish-speaking
  • Cook and meals (veggie options available if pre-requested)
  • Mineral water
  • Accommodation in cabin lodges (twin, double or triple available) with shared bathroom - exclusive cabin with private bathroom available as upgrade

 

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 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).
  • 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.
  • 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 Amazon!
  • Malaria is extremely rare in 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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