Pampas and Piranhas

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Rurrenabaque - Pampas - Rurrenabaque
Duration:
5 days / 4 nights (flexible)
Price:
From £ 418.- per person (excluding flights)

At the edge of the Bolivian Amazon you'll find the lush tropical wetlands known as the pampas. Although less famous than the Pantanal of Brazil, you'll find a wide range of amazing wildlife here. Starting from the rainforest town of Rurrenabaque, you'll travel deeper into the pampas region by jeep and boat until you reach your camp. This will be your base for wildlife spotting excursions, and your place to rest under the stars.

Day 1 – Arrival in Rurrenabaque

Your jungle adventure kicks off in the town of Rurrenabaque,in the heart of the Bolivian rainforest. It’s a two hour flight from La Paz, across the Andes peaks to the tropical climes of Rurrenabaque, where you’ll be picked up at the airstrip and taken to your hotel. In dry season it’s very dusty and in wet season it’s sticky, but it’s always tropically warm.

Day 2 – Rurrenabaque – the Pampas

This morning you’ll climb into your 4×4 and set off along the main road into the jungle. For the next four hours you’ll drive along the bumpy sandy tracks through the tropical and subtropical rainforest. Gradually, the palm trees and dense banana plantations open out into a green outstretched plain, with cows languidly grazing in the sun. On the way, you’ll pass real-life cowboys riding their horses.

After a picnic lunch on the banks of the Yacuma River, you’ll step into a motorised canoe which will take you further into the dense tropical jungle. After three hours you’ll arrive at your campsite. The bedroom is not much more than a piece of tarpaulin stretched across a couple of poles with mattresses and mosquito nets. There are basic sanitary facilities, but only cold water. With the sun setting in the sky, you’ll walk across the pampas with torches at the ready in search of caimans which more than makes up for the lack of comfort.

Day 3 – The Pampas

This morning, you’ll go on a four hour walk across the open pampas. Wellies, or at the very least hiking boots, are strongly recommended because it’s going to be muddy. Today, you’ll be meeting the Pampa natives; cranes poised gracefully, ospreys, parrots, pampa condors and turtles basking in the sun. Towards the end of the afternoon, you’ll sail on to an open lake where you can catch a spectacular sunset from the boat before returning to the camp.

Days 4-5 – The Pampas – Rurrenabaque

You’ll be up before dawn today to see the sunrise and listen to the rainforest slowly waking up. You can go on a boat trip or walk across the pampa where the guide will be able to tell you all about the medicinal herbs and plants. After your last camp lunch you’ll start the journey back to Rurrenabaque, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.

Departure from Rurrenabaque

Today you’ll be transferred from your hotel in Rurrenabaque to the airstrip where this Bolivia trip comes to an end and you’ll carry on your adventure in Bolivia.