Manu Biosphere Reserve

No other rainforest can compare with Manu for the diversity of its life forms. It is one of the world's great wilderness experiences, with the best birdwatching as well as offering the best chance of seeing giant otters, jaguars, ocelots and several of the 13 species of primate that abound in this pristine tropical wilderness. The more remote areas of the reserve are home to uncontacted indigenous tribes and many other indigenous groups with very little knowledge of the outside world. Covering an area of 2,041,137 ha, Manu Biosphere Reserve is also one of the largest conservation units on Earth, encompassing the complete drainage of the Manu river, with an altitudinal range of 200-4100 m above sea level.

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The biosphere reserve is divided into the (1,692,137 ha), where only government-sponsored biologists and anthropologists may visit with permits from the Ministry of Agriculture in Lima, the (257,000 ha) (within the Manu National Park), set aside for applied scientific research and ecotourism, and the (92,000 ha), containing acculturated native groups and colonists, where the locals still employ their traditional way of life. To enter these tourism and recreational areas visitors may only go under the auspices of an authorized operator with an authorized guide. Permits are limited and reservations should be made well in advance, though it is possible to book a place on a trip at the last minute in Cuzco. In the former Reserved Zone there are two lodges, the rustic run by the Machiguenga communities of Tayakome and Yomibato with the help of a German NGO, and the upmarket . In the Cocha Salvador area, several companies have tented safari camp infrastructures, some with shower and dining facilities, but all visitors sleep in tents. Some companies have installed walk-in tents with cots and bedding.