NOEL KEMPFF MERCADO NATIONAL PARK JOIN DR. DAN BROOKS ON A NATURAL HISTORY EXTRAVAGANZA IN BOLIVIA
9 day / 8 nights trip especially designed for natural history enthusiasts
October 9-17, 2004

Your base during the first part of this trip will be the comfortable Flor de Oro lodge, the center of ecotourism in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Easily accessible from the lodge are large expanses of cerrado vegetation, periodically inundated savannas, riverine forests, terra firme and igapo rainforests, and an extensive system of oxbow lakes and rivers.

Throughout the second half of the trip we use a more rustic camp, Los Fierros, as our base. Easily accessible from Los Fierros are large expanses of endangered cerrado habitat, periodically inundated savannas, terra firme and periodically flooded rainforests, semi-deciduous woodland, the savannas and gallery forests found on top of the Huanchaca Plateau, and the spectacular waterfall, El Encanto.

Dates:October 9th - October 17th 2004 Prices: 6 to 9 guests: $2,099 per person 10 to 12 guests: $1,899 per person Single Supplement: $175 Required Travel Insurance: $97 Tour Fees Include: Private transportation in Santa Cruz English speaking guide Charter aircraft (private service) Local guide, inside the park (guard) Entrance fee Accommodation in double rooms Full board during the trip (Noel Kempf) 1 Personal bottle of water, for each hike/excursion inside the park Not Included: Your flights from Houston to Bolivia and return. Please note we will negotiate group rates once the airlines advise the schedules and prices for October 2004 Alcoholic and soft drinks (coke) International departure tax at the airport (Currently U$ 25 - per person) Gratuities Any items of a personal nature   ITINERARY Day 1, Saturday October 9th 2004: Fly from Houston to Bolivia. Your flight will take you to Miami where you transfer to the direct flight into Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Meals aloft. Day 2, Sunday October 10 - Flight to Flor de Oro, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park You arrive early morning in Santa Cruz and after passing Immigration and Customs will be met and assisted with your transfer to to Km. 7, Carretera a Samaipata where your charter flight into the Kempff National Park awaits. Your destination is Flor de Oro, the center of ecotourism in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Flor de Oro is located right on the banks of the Iténez River in the extreme north-central section of the park. Therefore, en route to the park, you will fly over hundreds of kilometers of pristine rainforest, as well as the magnificent Caparú Plateau with its red cliffs and two very impressive waterfalls Ahlfeld and Arco Iris. The entire plateau along with the majority of the surrounding rainforests make Noel Kempff Mercado National Park exactly what it is - a large, well-protected area encompassing more than 3.8 million acres of wilderness. The afternoon will be spent exploring gallery forests found along the Iténez River and the large expanse of savanna located close to Flor de Oro, offering the opportunity to see Toco Toucan, White Woodpecker, and a variety of insects and mammal species including South American Coati Mundi´s and the beautiful Silvery Marmoset. An optional night hike will be offered. Overnight - Flor de Oro Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 3, Monday October 11 - Flor de Oro and Las Torres: Oxbow Lakes, Gallery Forests, and Periodically Inundated Savanna Your first full day in Noel Kempff will be spent exploring some of the oxbow lakes, gallery forests, and periodically inundated savannas located near Flor de Oro. The exploration of these three distinctly different habitat types should provide you with an excellent idea of the different vegetation types found in Noel Kempff along with some great chances to see the diversity of wildlife that make their home within the boundaries of the park. During the morning hours you will walk through savanna and some pristine riverine forests en route to one of the bays located close to Flor de Oro where motorized boats will be waiting to take you on an expedition of the black waters of the local system of lakes and rivers. During the trip you will have the opportunity to see the Rufescent Tiger-Heron, both Scarlet and Blue and Yellow Macaws, White-faced Whistling Duck, Sunbittern, and if you are lucky you may also spot a family of Giant Otters. The Giant Otter is just one example of the many endangered mammal species that thrive in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Following a return to Flor de Oro you will be served lunch and have a siesta to rest up. The afternoon will be spent traveling to Las Torres, a park protection station that gives access to a rocky outcrop, providing amazing views of the Caparú Plateau and the humid tropical rainforests found in the northern section of the park. Jaguars have been spotted more than five times along the river to Las Torres so you will have to keep alert! Overnight - Flor de Oro Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 4, Tuesday October 12 - Flor de Oro and Mirador de los Monos: Periodically Inundated Savanna and Terra Firme Forests Your third day in Noel Kempff will be completely spent further exploring the periodically inundated savannas and tall humid tropical rainforests that lie between Flor de Oro and the Campamento Lago Caiman which is located further to the east. More than 300 bird species have been recorded within walking distance of Flor de Oro, and your transfer by tractor to the trail leading to Lago Caiman will provide you with numerous opportunities to see many exciting bird species such as the Horned Sungem, Black and Tawny Seedeater, Red-necked Aracari, and the Snow-capped Manakin. The opportunity to see all of these species combined with the chance to see Black Spider Monkey, Tapir, both White-lipped and Collared Peccaries, and Jaguar will definitely make this an unforgettable hike. There are two options for this day (1) exploring the trails during the early morning hours and then returning to Flor de Oro in time for lunch or (2) hiking all the way to Lago Caiman (an old scientific research station), which provides access to the Caparú Plateau. An evening return in the dark is possible, however for those that can handle it, the trip is definitely worth the effort! During the 1 hour hike up the plateau, you will pass through four different types of forest and eventually arrive to the Mirador de los Monos (Monkey Point), located on the ledge of the Caparú Plateau. From there you will be provided with innumerable breathtaking views of the forests and inundated savannas found below and if you are lucky will be able to spot the Black Spider Monkeys which were extensively studied during the mid 1990´s. It wasn't named Monkey Lookout Point without good reason! Following your hike back down the plateau and through the tall humid tropical forests, you will be taken back to Flor de Oro by tractor. For those choosing not to attempt the long hike, you will return to Flor de Oro and after lunch will be given the opportunity to further explore the periodically inundated savanna along a trail known as the Isla de Orquideas. The late afternoon may be spent once again on the rivers looking for fresh water dolphins, families of Giant Otters, or the endangered Black Caiman. Overnight - Flor de Oro Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 5, Wednesday October 13 - Transfer from Flor de Oro to Los Fierros Your final morning in Flor de Oro will take you in search for the species' that may have eluded you during the previous four days. That means you could be visiting any of the bays or trails found around Flor de Oro before your flight to the tall, wet rainforests located on the western side of the Caparú Plateau. Your base during the second part of this trip will be a converted park ranger station found in the heart of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park - Los Fierros. Easily accessible from the lodge are large expanses of cerrado vegetation, periodically inundated savannas, terra firme and igapo rainforests, semi-deciduous woodland, and the savannas found on top of the Caparú Plateau. Upon arrival to Los Fierros, you will spend the afternoon exploring the forests and expansive grasslands found close to the lodge. These forests have an Amazonian affinity and with regards to birds, are incredibly diverse - more than 350 bird species have been recorded within walking distance of Los Fierros alone! Throughout the afternoon, you can hope to see a good sample of some of the local bird specialties including Bare-faced Curassow, Channel-billed Toucan, and Red-throated Piping Guan. The chances of seeing these exciting species combined with common sightings of Black Spider Monkey and Puma will definitely make this an unforgettable hike. You will also have an opportunity to learn a little bit about the local cultures as you pass through the interpretive natural history trail that the ecotourism program and members of the local communities are currently developing. Plants have played an integral role in the history of the region and this trail, which explains some of the traditional uses, always proves to be one of the more interesting educational aspects of trips to Los Fierros. The afternoon hours will be spent exploring the large periodically inundated savanna that is located close to Los Fierros and an optional night hike will be offered. Overnight - Los Fierros Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 6, Thursday October 14 - Los Fierros: Periodically Inundated Savanna, Terra Firme Forests, and the Caparú Plateau The early morning will be spent traveling to the lush, hilly forests that are found on the way to the Caparú Plateau. This trip will provide you with some of the most incredible natural history and scenery that the park has to offer. By traveling through the open savannas in the morning, you will have excellent opportunities to see groups of Blue and Yellow Macaws, White-rumped Tanager, Horned Sungem, and the rare Black and Tawny Seedeater. As you enter the forests found on the eastern side of the large expansive savanna you will be presented with a plethora of opportunities to see some more of the exciting bird and mammal species that make Noel Kempff their home. The hike will take you through some excellent pristine forest and after negotiating a gradual climb, you will reach the foot of the Caparú Plateau. Visitor´s in excellent physical condition will have the option to continue the hike in search of the ultimate view of the surrounding forests, while those that stay back will relax while enjoying an incredible view and the sounds of a small waterfall close by. The return trip to campamento Los Fierros will be equally exciting as the area supports an abundance of large mammals. You will have a very good chance of seeing a large cat (Jaguar and Puma are surprisingly numerous in the area!), Tapir, or Crab-eating Fox. This day promises to be one to remember! Overnight - Los Fierros Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 7, Friday October 15 - Los Fierros: the El Encanto Waterfall and Periodically Inundated Savannas Your final full day at Los Fierros will be spent traveling through the periodically inundated savannas on way to the El Encanto waterfall. The early morning trip should give you a chance to see some species that you may not have seen during the previous days trip through the savanna and will also allow you to see some of the best tropical rainforests found in the park. A full morning traveling throughout them will provide you with an excellent chance to see the Harpy Eagle (which is surprisingly common in this area of the park), and both White-lipped and Collared Peccaries. The goal of the day, however, will be El Encanto; an 80-meter waterfall that spills over the side of the Caparú Plateau into a very inviting pool of water that has formed at its base. We can guarantee that the cool refreshing swim will definitely be a welcome treat after the hot hike up to the waterfall! The late afternoon will be spent returning to Los Fierros with a planned night time arrival giving you another opportunity to see a large cat, tapir, or the very rare Maned Wolf - an example of the many rare and endangered mammal species that thrive in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Overnight - Los Fierros Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 8, Saturday October 16 - Return flight from Noel Kempff Mercado National Park to Santa Cruz Your final morning in Noel Kempff will take you in search for the species' that may have eluded you during the previous three days spent at Los Fierros. That means that you could be visiting any of the trails located around Los Fierros in search of monkeys or the beautiful Crimson-bellied Parakeet for example, before your flight back to Santa Cruz. Following an early lunch, you will depart for the city of Santa Cruz with the balance of the day for relaxing or preparing for departures later this evening. Breakfast,lunch and meals aloft Day 9, Sunday October 17 - Arrive in Houston Meals aloft Your Tour Leader Dr. Dan Brooks has been Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science since 1999. His Ph.D. was based on community ecology of Neotropical birds. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998, after spending several years in South America studying birds, especially in the Peruvian Amazon. Dan has led more than 20 trips and is recognized as being a first class guide and a fun addition to any party. Dr. Brooks has served as Chair of the WPA/Birdlife/IUCN Cracid Specialist Group since 1996, and is currently an Associate Faculty Member in the Biology Department at Sam Houston State University. He has written extensively on ecology and conservation of birds and mammals of Texas and the Neotropics. Please contact Graham Farebrother, 713 807 9620, graham@absoluteadventuretravel.com, or Dan Brooks 713 639 4776, dbrooks@hmns.org, for additional information. Print this Itinerary You can download a print-friendly version of this itinerary in PDF format by clicking here. Click here for your Reservation Form