First
of all, we are Peru specialists. No other large birding
tour company offers Peru as the sole destination. We consider
Peru an all-inclusive destination and are specialized
in offering the best of Peru.
Our
main features:
Experience:
GranPeru Bird Tours has the full operational support of
InkaNatura, Peru’s
leading agency for specialized nature travel. InkaNatura
has offices all over Peru, and is the leading operator
of tours to Manu National Park. InkaNatura is the only
operator with outstanding rainforest lodges in Manu, Tambopata
and Heath.
Leaders:
Renowned Peruvian ornithologist Thomas
Valqui will personally guide all our tours for
2005. His broad experience studying Peruvian birds, guiding
bird tours is a guarantee for the best use of your time
while visiting Peru, the land of the birds. His academic
background, fluent English and German and his easy going
personality make him a fun travel companion as well as
a perfect guide.
For coming years, other three committed Peruvian ornithologists
that have become experts on their fields are preparing
hard to join the company. Fernando Angulo, an Tumbesian
forest expert is helping to prepare the northern Peru
trips. Juan Diaz, an expert on White-Sand forests in the
Iquitos area, will lead trips to the department of Loreto,
and José (Pepe) Rojas will be joining the Southeastern
Peru trips.
What we make sure for each trip we offer is that your
leader will know about all the birds heard, seen, and
expected. And each leader has to have extensive general
knowledge of the region and its natural history, and make
an excellent traveling companion for your experience in
this remarkable country.
Itineraries:
All itineraries have been planed by Thomas Valqui, author
of the acclaimed book “Where
to watch Birds in Peru” . GranPeru offers
a carefully prepared selection of fixed tours designed
for you to experience the best of birding in Peru. If
it is your first time in Peru, you can rest assured that
any of the tours you choose will truly show you Peru’s
bird-diversity. Your choice of tour will be based on personal
factors: which region you like best, how much time you
have, your budget, etc. We will ensure that you will find
all the birds you should see. We will always let you know
in advance what to expect.
Budget:
GranPeru Bird Tours operates only within Peru, reducing
many of the costs that equivalent high-standard foreign
companies have. Being based within Peru also gives great
flexibility throughout the year. Nevertheless (and unfortunately)
GranPeru’s trips are not low cost. Most of the areas
we visit are in remote corners, where nature has been
left alone. Understandably traveling to these sites is
expensive. GranPeru has not only to bring comfort to those
remote sites, it laso has to have contingency plans for
unforseens, making sure that there is really little that
can upset our trips. You really do not have to worry about
anything, but seeing the birds.
Conservation:
GranPeru Bird Tours and InkaNatura Travel take responsible
ecotourism seriously. Most, if not all, of your expenses
stay in Peru. The profits of InkaNatura go to conservation
programs. The lodges we use are partly or totally owned
by local people, and local services are provided as far
as possible by local people as well. On our tours, we
make sure our presence does not disturb the environment
or the birds out of respect and because we plan to return
to these sites for many, many years.
Comfort.
For GranPeru Bird Tours, the birds are the main objective
and therefore we know that all the logistics must work
smoothly and be managed with responsibility. You will
be more awake and alert if you slept on a large comfortable
bed, had a quick but healthy and tasty breakfast, if you
know that after “chasing” birds for hours
you will enjoy a good meal and a shower (hot in most places),
and in general, if you do not have to think about anything
but nature and the birds.