Travel to Peru: Ancient Lands & Native Spirits: Peru Photography Tour

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Ancient Lands & Native Spirits: Peru Photography Tour

			DAYS: 14 GRADE: I-II, Remote jungle lodge define PRICE: From $6295 per person (Includes Local Air) HIGHLIGHTS: Cusco Urubamba Valley Machu Picchu Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center. ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Join nature photographers, Diane Kelsay and Bob Harvey and native Peruvian guides on an exploration of the natural and cultural wonders of Peru, designed with the photographer in mind. See monumental Inca stone temples built among spectacular mountain landscapes of the Andes where native Quechua Indians maintain ancient traditions and lifestyles and learn to capture these wonders using digital or film. Explore the magnificent ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, the most important archaeological monument in South America. Accompanied by a native Peruvian guide specialized in archaeology, history, Andean culture and photography, we visit ancient sites, native villages, and Quechua Indian markets of Cusco and the Urubamba Valley. April is the ideal month for a photographic journey in Peru before the tourist high season when Spring-like weather assures blue skies with billowy clouds, the air is washed clear, landscapes are vibrant green, and native people are active sowing new crops. Traveling along the wildlife-rich Las Piedras River we reach the remote Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center (ARCC) situated on the shore of pristine Lake Soledad in the Tambopata region of southeast Peru. The ARCC is an undiscovered gem in nature travel and the focal point for important conservation initiatives in the region with exceptional bio-diversity of rainforest animals and plants. We encounter a spectacle of wildlife here including a resident family of giant river otters, eight species of monkey and hundreds of bird species. Join naturalist guides on hikes in pristine tropical forests and ascend up to the rainforest canopy to observe wildlife from 120 feet up in a huge Ironwood tree overlooking Lake Soledad. We paddle in small canoes around the lake, and stake out macaw licks behind hidden blinds.

For more information on Diane Kelsay and Bob Harvey's photography visit their site here. 

DAY 1 :  LIMA
Arrive in Lima. Overnight in the Costa del Sol Ramada Airport Hotel or transfer to overnight at Hotel Casa Andina in Miraflores.

DAY 2 :  CUSCO
Airport transfer for early morning one-hour flight to Cusco. Airport reception and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon half-day guided tour of the Temple of the Sun and a Catholic church. Once the Capital of the Inca Empire, this beautiful city is shrouded in rich history and archeological interests. Overnight at the Hotel Novotel Colonial. [B]

DAY 3 :  CUSCO
Full day guided tour of the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman. Overnight at the Hotel Novotel Colonial. The private tour will be optimally timed to take advantage of the best lighting conditions. [BL]

	Vivid colors and rich texture at the Traditional Textiles Center in Chinchero. photo:Diane Kelsay

DAY 4 :  URUBAMBA VALLEY
Full day private guided exploration through the Sacred Valley of the Incas including Chinchero. While we are in the village of Chinchero, you will see the colorful marketplace and visit the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco (CTTC). Here the practice of tapestry weaving is passed on to younger generations of Quechua women in order to preserve this ancient custom. For at least two thousand years Peruvian weavers have experimented with every technique known in the world. In Chinchero, they still apply the great variety of techniques and designs of their ancestors. Well spend as long as we like wandering among them, where we are free to photograph the artists, their works, and every step of the process from spinning, to color dyes and different weaving techniques. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the valley and then travel past small farms above the Urubamba Valley to Moray, where we visit three circular terraced formations, thought to have been used by the Incas as an open-air crop experimentation station. Overnight in the serene Urubamba Valley at the Hotel Pakaritampu (or similar). [BLD]

DAY 5 :  OLLANTAYTAMBO VILLAGE
Drive to the small village of Ollantaytambo, the most architecturally preserved Quechua village reminiscent of Inca days. Here we can see Inca canchas, enclosures of multi-family living quarters that share just one exit to the street, ingenious stonework, cobblestone streets, and an extensive communal water delivery system that survives to this day. Spend time exploring the narrow streets and capturing the character and culture of this town in photographs. Following a picnic lunch, when light is soft and warm, we photograph the fortress ruins of Ollantaytambo, one of the last Inca strongholds against the Spanish conquest. Return to overnight at your Urubamba Valley hotel. [BLD]

The ruins of Machu Picchu are a photographer's playground. photo:Diane Kelsay

DAY 6 :  MACHU PICCHU
Transfer to the Ollanta station and board the train to Machu Picchu. After checking into our hotel, our expert guide orients us around the site, explaining many of is architectural details and design. You will have some time to photograph and explore before catching the shuttle bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Dinner in town and overnight at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. [BLD]

DAY 7 :  MACHU PICCHU
Take the early shuttle bus back up to the mountain to capture the citadel in the morning light. Your guide will accompany you throughout the day as you explore the entire site searching for your next image. Optional hike back up the Inca Trail to the Intipunku, Gate of the Sun We have allowed additional time at Machu Picchu in hopes of having ample time with favorable lighting and weather conditions. Dinner in town and overnight at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. [BLD]

DAY 8 :  MACHU PICCHU
Take the early shuttle bus back up the mountain to be among the first to enter Machu Picchu when the light is best and before the tourists arrive on the morning train. Enjoy the morning to contemplate and photograph the mysterious maze of streets and stone buildings of this magnificent citadel.. Leisurely mid-afternoon return to Cusco on the Pullman train. Transfer to overnight at the Hotel Novotel Colonial. [BLD]

	A fiery sunset over the Amazon Basin. photo:Diane Kelsay

DAY 9 :  AMAZON RESOURCES CONSERVATION CENTER [ARCC]
Morning airport transfer for flight to Puerto Maldonado. Meet your rainforest naturalist guide and depart on a 15 minute drive through lush tropical farmland to the mouth of the Las Piedras River. Board a comfortable motorized canoe for a 7-8 hour journey upriver to the Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center. Sit back and relax in reclining seats and enjoy the beautiful Las Piedras scenery of huge cliffs, river beaches, tumbling waterfalls and green walls of pristine rainforest. Watch for spectacular birds such as Horned Screamers, Amazon Kingfishers, Black Skimmers or Red and Green Macaw flying overhead. Monkeys are often seen from the forested banks as are capybaras, caiman and lines of Side-necked turtles basking in the sun. Lunch, snacks and chilled drinks are served on board, arriving at ARCC in the evening. Settle into your comfortable thatched bungalow before dinner. ARCC is a comfortable lodge just steps from Lake Soledad. Guests are accommodated in 8 charming chalets adorned with ceramic tiles and local hardwoods with lights, fans, electrical outlets, a balcony, and private bath with hot water. Enjoy fresh 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 between jungle excursions. [BLD]

	Return to the lodge for breakfast then join walk the island trail following the inside edge of the forest and lake for more photographic opportunities with the local wildlife.

DAY 10 :  LAKE SOLEDAD
Rise at dawn to the roaring calls of Red-Howler Monkeys. Paddle along the shoreline of Lake Soledad, a classic ox-bow lake rich in wildlife activity. Our stable catamaran is the perfect platform to observe and photograph the resident family of Giant River Otters and monkeys such as Red Howler, Brown Capuchin, Squirrel and the large Black Spider performing acrobatics in the nearby trees. Fishing birds like Capped Heron, Amazon Kingfisher, Anhinga, Sungrebe and Osprey abound and the pre-historic looking Hoatzin birds clamber around overhanging branches while Jacana carefully tread over floating vegetation. In the tree-tops you may spot noisy Cuviers Toucans, Scarlet Macaws and Mealy Parrots or the dazzling Paradise Tanager and equally colorful Purple-throated Cotinga and Blue-crowned Trogan. Return to the lodge for breakfast then join walk the island trail following the inside edge of the forest and lake. Here you can see monkeys and occasional herds of White-lipped Peccaries. The bird diversity within the forest is extensive and sightings may include Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Pied Puffbird, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Blue-crowned Motmot or Pale-winged Trumpeter. Track animals in the soft soils which give an indication of the presence of mammal species such as tapir, jaguar, red or grey brocket deer, armadillo and paca. After lunch and a brief siesta we head for the rainforest canopy tower. You are harnessed in and hauled up to a viewing platform 120 ft up in the boughs of an Ironwood tree. From this secure platform you look out to beautiful views of the Amazon rainforest and observe many canopy birds including Blue and Yellow Macaw, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Blue Dacnis, Bat Falcon, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Blue-headed Parrot and Purple Honeycreeper. After dinner take a starlit catamaran tour of Lake Soledad looking for the elusive Black Caiman. [BLD]

The ARCC's diverse bird and wildlife are excellent photgraphic subjects. photo:Bob Harvey

DAY 11 :  MACAW AND MAMMAL CLAY-LICKS
Early departure at dawn for a 20 minute motor-canoe up river to visit a macaw and parrot clay-lick. Up to hundreds of parrots and macaws congregate in flocks to eat the mineral-rich clay of the river bank which cleanses them of toxins from rain forest seeds they have eaten. Bird activity at the clay lick continues (unless it is raining) until the parrots have had their fill or otherwise sense danger from a raptor at which point they fly off in an explosion of sound and color. After lunch at the lodge we cross the river by boat to a long trail which takes us to a large mammal clay-lick where huge groups of White-lipped Peccaries come to feed on the minerals along with tapirs, monkeys, pacas, deer and birds. Continue walking through the terra firma forest as our guide explains the ecology of this rich flood-plain area. After dinner at the lodge join a night walk to explore the nocturnal world of the tropical rainforest.

DAY 12 :  BAMBOO TRAIL
Rise before dawn and ascend to the canopy platform to see the sunrise, or view the sunrise on Lake Soledad if you prefer. This is the best time for viewing colorful canopy birds such as Orange-cheeked Parrot, Spangled Cotinga, Crimson-crested Tanager or Curl-crested Aracari. From this high vantage point you can sometimes see the giant river otters in the lake below and macaws flying by in large numbers on their way to the clay licks. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast and then walk the bamboo trail. The hollow Guadua bamboo is a breeding ground for insect larvae which in turn support a number of rare endemic bird species including Peruvian Recurvebill, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, White-lined Antbird and Goeldis Antbird. The dense bamboo forest is also preferred by the reclusive Dusky-Titi Monkey. This afternoon is open to walk trails or take the boat on the river or the lake for your last exploration of ARCC.

DAY 13 :  LAKE TIPISHCA
Return to the lake this morning before breakfast to see the giant otters one last time, or join your guide for optional early morning bird watching if you prefer. After breakfast a native Machiguenga guide will share their traditional bush-craft, hunting and fishing techniques. Or enjoy a relaxing morning at the ARCC lodge, a great place for bird watching and spotting Saddle-backed Tamarin monkeys. Depart ARCC after an early lunch and journey downriver passing a large clay-lick which may still have macaw activity continuing until early afternoon to overnight at Tipishca Camp. This permanent camp is run by a native Piro family who still maintain their strong cultural traditions. If time permits canoe on Lake Tipishca which also has a family of giant otters and walk along lakeside trails looking for a troop of amazing Emperor Tamarin.

DAY 14 :  LIMA
Transfer by boat to Puerto Maldonado airport for a morning flight to Lima. Airport reception and transfer in to Hotel Casa Andina in Miraflores (or similar) to use as a day room until your evening flight or overnight and transfer out for next morning departure. [B] Add-on: Lima city and museum tour available on request.

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Kurt Kutay 1(800)345-4453 C o n t a c t Gregg Burke 1(800)345-4453