Going to this clay lick was possibly one of my favorite things I have ever done. It seemed like the whole sky was made of rainbow feathers. Flocks of red and green, yellow and blue macaws soared past–like a living prism. A gang of toucans came through chirping loudly. I was the first to spot a cuckoo bird and we found a woodpecker. Giant weaver birds sang their enchanting call from their tidy nests while a family of monkeys leapt through the trees. Four kinds of parrots decorated the trees like living Christmas ornaments. It was like the world’s best animal show, all presented before me. All my childhood dreams of visiting the Amazon Rainforest = fulfilled.
Tip: Make sure everyone has their own pair of binoculars. There’s so much to see, you’ll miss it if you’re passing around binoculars.
Visiting the Tambopata Clay Lick with Kids
This site is extremely remote and took some time to get to, but was completely worth the effort. The lodge we stayed at made it easy to have this experience. They took care of all the transportation and food, which took a great deal of stress off our shoulders.
Tip: It was over an hour boat ride up the river, which was highly enjoyable and the kids would love it as you scan the trees and water for wildlife. We saw a capybara with her baby and an owl on our way up.
Tip: Go with a lodge. I don’t think you can reach this site on your own.
Tip: We left very early to get here (4:30am or so) and it was a bit chilly at that time of day.
Tip: Practice with binoculars before going! There are many animals and birds to see and it’s made much easier with some basic binocular skills.
Walkabout 