Manu National Park is one of the largest national parks in Peru. It is about a five-hour drive from Cusco in the northeast direction. It is part of the Amazon rain forest.
It is a fantastic place for watching wildlife and tropical flora and fauna. You can see different species of monkeys, birds, jaguars, tapirs, anteaters, and many other species of plants and animals. You should bring binoculars with you, as some animals are impossible to see from afar.
During our trip to Peru we wanted to combine adventure and nature, visiting the Manu National Park. To do this, we booked ourselves onto a 4 day trip with a specialized agency whose office is in Cuzco. Getting from Cuzco to the park was a long and complicated adventure. Once in the park, the first day we started early with wellies in hand. Before leaving, we had had a hearty breakfast. We walked with a guide to the nearby waterfall, along the way we saw monkeys. We also stopped in Pilcopata and reached the town of Atalaya, in the high channel Madre de Dios River. There we took a boat (one of the most adventurous and exciting moments on the trip) and crossed the river for about 20 minutes, then we disembarked and did a walking tour for about two hours, where the guide was showing us the different types of trees and plants.
