Pantiacolla Lodge, Manu, Peru
Pantiacolla Lodge is set in beautiful rainforest on bluffs overlooking the turbulent Alto Madre de Dios river. Nestled in the Manu foothills at the base of the Pantiacolla Mountains, Pantiacolla Lodge invites you to share this very unique area of the Manu National Park. The mountains rise to 1200 m or more behind the lodge and are a contributing factor to the enormous variety of wildlife that inhabits the area.
Accommodation at the lodge is provided in bungalows with a total of 11 double (or triple) rooms giving a maximum capacity of 22 (or 33) persons. Paths lead from the bungalows to showers and flush toilets, and to a spacious and comfortable dining area and bar. Three rooms have their private bathrooms.
Pantiacolla Lodge is an ideal rainforest destination for all types of jungle enthusiasts. For birders, it offers an exceptionally high species density. For first time visitors, it offers a comprehensive trail system and great wildlife watching opportunities. For students of Spanish, you find yourself in a stimulating learning environment. And for families, it offers an almost mosquito free environment in which both adults and children can discover the secrets of the tropical rainforest. Moreover, it is especially suited to those who would prefer a more relaxed and comfortable rainforest experience.
General ecological interest & birdwatching
The 900 hectares of land around the lodge offer the enthusiastic explorer miles of gridded trails to walk, traversing a variety of different habitats and also providing access to hot, cold, and mineral oil springs. The forest in the area supports eight species of monkey and a healthy population of Manu´s least known and most elusive primate, the monk saki monkey. Coati, deer, peccary, and even tapir are frequent sightings and the area boasts a recorded a near 600 species of birds. A short, early morning boat trip to a clay lick also enables visitors to observe macaws and parakeets at close hand.
Birdwatching
When the Moscoso patriarch, Don Isaac, chose the land at the foot of the Pantiacolla Mountains as his home, he knew he had found a special piece of the rainforest: the Andean Bear and the monk saki, still unstudied by science, both roamed there, and he observed many types of birds for the first time in his long presence in Manu. Don Isaac´s intuition recently has been confirmed by entomologists and ornithologists assessing habitats from 400 to over 1200 m above sea level. The ornithologists, within the first month of study, found an astonishing approximate of 500 species! Many of the species are endemic to the area, very rare or found at altitudes different from their normal range. Pantiacolla keeps constructing new trails, platforms and hides: the highest campsite now is at 1250 m and a recent 10-day census at this altitude has given the lodge 12 new species of bird.
More information see Tours: Manu for Birdwatchers.
Children at Pantiacolla Lodge
Almost all kids, even very young ones, love the rainforest--at least most parts of it! The animals, vegetation, heat, and excess of water are all exciting, however, the mosquitos are not ? worse if it would be in combination with camping. Pantiacolla Lodge, located as it is at the Andean foothills, hardly has any level ground, and therefore hardly any mosquitos. The cool mountain breezes keep temperatures on the lower side of ‘tropical’ and the absence of mosquitos can have the kids running around without full-coverage clothes and without health-harming insect repellent! If asked for in advance, we can provide you with a reliable nanny to take care of your playing children while you concentrate on exploring the rainforest around the lodge.
Prices
Accommodation at Pantiacolla Lodge costs $65 US per person, per night in a double room, and includes three meals a day. Transport and guide service can be arranged separately by Pantiacolla Tours. Local transportation is also an option.