Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata Research Center Review

Eight hours upriver by boat from Puerto Maldonado, in the heart of the Tambopata National Reserve, this rustic lodge is one of the best places in Peru to spot wildlife. Expert guides lead you down miles of trails to see dozens of bird species, several kinds of monkeys and, perhaps, peccaries (wild pigs), a giant armadillo, or a jaguar. Hundreds of parrots and dozens of macaws visit the nearby Collpa Colorado each morning. Rooms are small, open on one end, but clean; a separate building connected by an elevated walkway has bathrooms with hot-water showers. Kerosene lanterns light rooms, but common spaces have electricity at night. Buffet meals are served in an open-air restaurant. Due to the distance, stays here are combined with overnights at the Refugio Amazonas on tours with a four-night minimum.