Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Inkaterra office
B2
6
Libertador Tambopata Lodge Office
B3
C2
Transport
8
LAN
B3
9
Madre de Dios Ferry Dock
D2
BUTTERFLY FARM
(Av Aeropuerto Km 6; admission S20)
Peru boasts the greatest number of butterfly species in the
world (some 3700) and you can see many of them at this well-run butterfly conservation
project, initiated in 1996. There are also displays on rain forest conservation. If you're
staying at one of the Inkaterra jungle lodges, admission is free.
| Farm
INFIERNO
About an hour southeast of Puerto Maldonado is the village of Infierno (translation:
Hell!), home of the Ese'eja tribespeople. It's a lively, spread-out settlement, which is es-
tablishing a reputation for its ayahuasca rituals. There may not be a lot on offer, but at
least you can say you've been…
| Village
Warning: Ayahuasca
Throughout the Peruvian Amazon, countless places offer the chance to partake of ayahuasca, a derivative of a hallu-
cinogenic jungle vine consumed for ceremonial purposes. Traditionally, it is taken as part of a ritual ceremony that
can last for hours or days under the guidance of a shaman. But as its profile has increased among travelers, many
lodges and other tourist outfits have begun staging their own ceremonies.
Be wary and do your research. Not only can ayahuasca have serious medical side effects (convulsions, dramatic
rises in blood pressure - even death), there are charlatans out there who have been known to rob and, on occasion,
rape unsuspecting gringos under the influence. In 2012 a US traveller died during an ayahuasca ceremony. Accord-
ing to newspaper reports, the shaman and his accomplices, who tried to cover up the death, have been arrested for
murder.
Lonely Planet does not recommend taking ayahuasca and those who do, do it at their own risk.
