Scientific Research
Make a difference by recording animal activity, setting camera traps and tracking mammals.
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Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Travel to the front line of conservation, home to scientists and a small group of volunteers from all around the world, to stay in a research station turned eco-lodge and lend a hand in the regenerating rainforest.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
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Manu Reserve
Visit one of the most diverse reserves in the world and its regenerating rainforest.
Visit Qoricancha
Travel to Qoricancha, known as the “temple of the sun”, the political centre of Inca Cusco.
Machiguenga People
Join in with community-based projects in the Amazon, perhaps helping to harvest crops.
Why we like it
Aside from spending time in fascinating Cusco and exploring its nearby Inca ruins, this itinerary travels to an indescribable location that is home to more than 512 species of birds and mammals that include jaguars and pumas for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Manu Learning Centre. Travellers who embark on this unique journey are certain to gain a deeper understanding of the indigenous people and complex biosphere of the rainforest by becoming involved in research programmes and living amongst scientists.
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Day 1
Lima - Cusco
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Day 2
Cusco
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Day 3
Cusco - Manu Cloud Forest
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Day 4
Manu Cloud Forest - Manu Biosphere Reserve
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Day 5-7
Manu Biosphere Reserve
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Day 8
Manu Biosphere Reserve - Cusco
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Day 9
Cusco - Lima
Day 1
Lima - Cusco
Day 2
Cusco
Head to a hilltop artists’ studio to peruse delicately painted ceramics, photograph the friendly alpacas, and take a traditional cooking class.
Day 3
Cusco - Manu Cloud Forest
Day 4
Manu Cloud Forest - Manu Biosphere Reserve
Day 5-7
Manu Biosphere Reserve
Visit one of the most diverse reserves in the world, encompassed by regenerating rainforest.
Day 8
Manu Biosphere Reserve - Cusco
Day 9
Cusco - Lima
Travel to Qoricancha, known as the “temple of the sun”, the political centre of Cusco during the Inca era.
More details
Journey to the Amazon
Travel from the highlands of Cusco, crossing the Andean Mountains and journeying through the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Sacred Valley, to the Amazon Rainforest. Spend the night in a rustic lodge on the lush eastern slopes of the Manu Biosphere Reserve before descending further through the Cloud Forest and travelling by motorised canoe to the Manu Learning Centre.
Manu Learning Centre
Stay in a research station turned eco-lodge that is encompassed by regenerating rainforest, sleeping in simple accommodations that share a bathroom and a central dining area that doubles up as a place to eat and to discuss findings with the resident researchers. As captivating macaws squawk overhead, rascally monkeys dart through the canopy, and hummingbirds congregate around the trees, guests at Manu Learning Centre are able to experience indescribable wildlife encounters without even leaving the confines.
Work with Scientists
Become involved with the practical collection of scientific data, including attending night walks to record nocturnal birds, identifying butterflies and checking dung beetle traps. Participate in important ongoing conservation and research projects by setting camera traps that track jaguars and pumas, monitoring the clay licks that host endangered blue-headed macaws and investigating the science behind carbon sequestration.
Contribute to Communities
Operating with respect to the indigenous Machiguenga people that inhabit this region, the Manu Learning Centre routinely helps the local communities as they plant vegetables in their bio-gardens. In choosing to stay here as an eco-tourist, guests directly support the indigenous people of the area by providing sustainable livelihoods and improved living standards.
Discover Cusco
Spend time in the Inca capital of Cusco, a lively colonial city set around a main plaza to learn about the mysterious legends of the empire. Head to a hilltop artists’ studio to peruse delicately painted ceramics, photograph the friendly alpacas, and take a traditional cooking class inside the Pre-Columbian Art Museum of Cusco. Venture outside of the city with an expert guide to find the fascinating salt terraces or the “temple of the sun” Qoricancha to walk around the huge Inca structure of Sacsayhuaman.
Suggestion: Galapagos Islands Extension
Consider flying out to the remote and remarkable Galapagos Islands, the pristine archipelago that can be explored during eye-opening sailing voyages or through carefully planned island-hopping trips. For up close and personal encounters with fearless sea lions, penguins, tortoises, sharks, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas (to name very few), these islands are unmissable and combine beautifully with an adventure in Peru.