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Home > Destinations > South
America > Peru
> Accommodations >
Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center
Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center
The Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center [ARCC] is situated
is SE Peru on the shore of the pristine, wildlife-rich Lake
Soledad, 110miles by motorized dugout (8 hours) up the remote
Las Piedras River from Puerto Maldonado. Although the journey
to get here is long, it is a comfortable and relaxing trip
in large motorized dugouts equipped with reclining airline
seats for sleeping or watching the scenery go by.
The lodge and research center provide a base in the jungle
wilderness for enjoying close up observation and photography
of rainforest wildlife in comfort and style. Guests are accommodated
in 8 charming, hexagonal chalets, each containing a comfortable
double room with lights, fans and electrical outlets, a balcony,
and private bath with hot water and lined in ceramic tiles
and polished hardwoods. Enjoy delicious local cuisine in the
spacious and airy dining area including fresh fish dishes,
exotic fruit juices, and delicious vegetarian options. Relax
and refresh at the bar or lounge in hammocks.
The ARCC is the focal point for important conservation initiatives
in the region with world record bio-diversity of rainforest
animals and plants. A spectacle of wildlife is found here
including a resident family of giant river otters, eight species
of monkey, hundreds of bird species, huge groups of peccaries,
15’ caimans, possible jaguar and anaconda sightings
too. Activities include hikes on an extensive trail system
through pristine forests, an ascent up to the rain forest
canopy wildlife observation platform 120’ up in a huge
ironwood tree overlooking Lake Soledad, paddling in small
canoes around the lake, and excursions to visit any one of
the six local macaw licks in the area.
Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center Field Report
- Aug 2003
The ARCC is open now and operating a small number of groups
with absolute success. Wildlife sightings have increased since,
1. construction was finished two years ago, 2. protection
of wildlife in our reserve has taken hold, 3. the extensive
trail system is complete, and 4. our new paddle catamaran
allows hours of extended lake touring in comfortable chairs
to view otters, caiman, birds, monkeys and other wildlife
from the water.
A recent group this summer recorded incredible statistics:
41 separate mammal sightings including 13 different species.
Among them we saw 7species of monkey including 13 black spider
monkey sightings! The otters too are guaranteed on a daily
basis. With the catamaran we can watch them for literally
hours a day, every day. We have 4 groups of white-lipped peccaries
in the vicinity of the lodge, a group of 30, 100, 300+ and
400+!!! We are having problems with them eating our garden
when they swarm through and under the lodge!! We find fresh
jaguar tracks on the trails almost every day. We have a male
and female that use our new trail system! We have had sightings
in the forest and just last week a group watched a jaguar
on the river at night for 10 minutes at 10 metres! We have
good clay lick viewing now with special blinds set up including
groups of up to 20 blue-headed macaws, a rarity in Tambopata
and Manu. We also have an excellent bamboo habitat trail where
we recently saw the rufous-headed woodpecker and red-billed
scythebill. Venemos snakes are rare (thanks to the huge peccary
population) and we have seen tapir, sloths, anteaters etc.
like everywhere else too.
See the Audubon Magazine feature story about the ARCC:
Last Resort
You can join boatloads of tourists on the Tambopata River. Or you can take an eight-hour boat
ride deeper into the jungle to a unique ecolodge, where you'll be dazzled by a chorus of howler
monkeys and waves of brilliant red-and-green macaws-and by the man striving to protect their
homes.
By Alex Shoumatoff
Read more.......
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