David 40 years old was born in Lima but has lived almost all his life in Cusco. After studying at the Andean University in Cusco he worked in a Manu rainforest lodge and later started working as a field assistant on Giant Otter and Macaw projects as field assistant for Dr. Charles Munn Phd. From 1992 David started working as Rainforest guide in Manu and for the last 15 years and has been leading natural history tours exclusively to Manu. He is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable guides in Manu with an in depth knowledge of rainforest ecosystems.

Klaus Macedo was born and brought up on the Tambopata River, close to Puerto Maldonado. He first began working in tourism when he was 17 years old as a boat driver and navigator. Since then he has gained a degree in tourism and has worked as a guide and lodge manager at one of Manu’s most prestigious lodges Klaus has been guiding for 8 years. He has an intimate knowledge of the rainforest, the fauna, plants, changes in the seasons and how these changes affect the rivers and animals behaviour. He has led tours in the Tambopata – Candamo national Park, the Bahuaja Sonene National Park and the Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve and has an intimate knowledge of the Peruvian Amazon. Klaus has travelled extensively throughout Peru, but is always drawn back to the Manu National Park for its richness of life.

ABOUT OUR TREK AND RIDE GUIDES

Juan Carlos is a first class Mountain tour leader and Ride Guide and speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish & Quechua A former Eco Quechua Lodge & Canopy company manager, Juan Carlos Carlotto Born and raised in Santa Teresa Perú, Juan moved to Cusco where he graduated and began his extensive career in the Tourist Industry. He was picked by a leading travel tour operator as mountain guide in 1998. Since then Juan has guided numerous treks and horse riding tours throughout the Peruvian Andes. His pursuit of new experiences and challenges brought him to Germany, living in Leipzig, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil and finally settling in Santa Teresa. Juan also contributes towards his mountain community. He is founder member of Santa Teresa Boy Scouts. Mountain Lodges of Peru was so impressed by both his standard of guiding and his amicable and fun personality that in May 2006 they made him one of their Ride leaders and in 2008 he was selected by Manu Expeditions as their primary Horse Ride Leader and trekking guide.

ABOUT OUR BIRD WATCHING GUIDES

Barry Walker M.B.E, was born near Manchester, England and started bird watching at the age of 13. After birding extensively in Europe and the Middle East, Barry switched his attention to the neo-tropics and has extensive birding experience in Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and particularly Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. He has participated in many ornithological expeditions and contributed to many scientific and general publications concerning birds in Peru. Living in Cusco, Peru for 25 years, Barry has visited every corner of the country as a trekking guide, natural History guide and specifically as a bird tour leader, and he is the author of the well received books “A Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cuzco area, Peru” and “Peruvian Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide to the High Andes”. He has been leading bird tours for private groups and well known bird tour companies for the last 20 years. Having seen 1660 plus species in Peru alone he is well known for his field craft when leading tours. He is married with a 11 year daughter and with his wife Rosario, is owner of Manu Expeditions a pioneer eco-tour operator in Manu specializing in natural history, horse riding and cultural trips, as well as bird watching tours. Barry also occupies the post of British Consul in Cusco, and received an M.B.E in the Queens New Years Honors list 2004.

Eustace was born in southern England and after bird watching extensively in Europe has spent the last 7 years extensively birding in Peru and Bolivia, including a 9 month stint on the Tambopata river in Peru where he learned his ample knowledge of lowland birdsong. Eustace is a bird artist and has completed the plates for the forthcoming  "Cotingas and Manakins" and "Pigeons and Doves" monographs. He is the major artist for a new annotated and illustrated checklist of Peruvian birds and has completed plates for volume 5 of The Handbook of the Birds of the World. He has a particular interest in Bolivian birds. Eustace is constantly exploring new birding localities in Bolivia and has extensive experience within the Manu Biosphere Reserve and the Maraon. He spends his time between his base in Cusco, Peru and Kent in Southern England.

Fabrice Schmitt was born in the east of France, where he began to bird at the age of 12. After birding intensively Europe, North Africa and Middle East, he fell in love with the neotropical birds during his first trip in Peru in 1995. He then spent most of his free time in South and Central America, mostly looking for birds, but also wildlife in general. In 2002/2003, Fabrice (a teacher for 8 years), took a sabbatical year, to visit main birding destinations and look for and study the most localised species of south Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and south of Brazil. Fabrice participated in field expeditions in the Peruvian Andes, gaining knowledge about endangered, rare and even undescribed bird species. Since 2005 Fabrice has been living in Santiago de Chile where he is involved with the ROC non-governmental ornithologist organisation. He is editor of the electronic birding magazine La Chiricoca. He has been leading birding trips in Peru, Bolivia Argentina and Chile since 2005. Fabrice is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

Silverio was born in the Rainforests of Peru and comes from the Ese-Eja indigenous community on the Tambopata River where he has spent most of his life. He has worked for many years as a rainforest natural history guide in the Tambopata-Candamo National Park and has specialized in leading bird tours for the last few years. He has the eyes and ears of a true native of the rainforests and is incredibly adept at spotting quietly sitting birds. He has broadened his horizons and is now one of our top bird tour leaders in Manu and Machu Picchu and North Peru. He is re-knowned for his field carft and knowledge of all aspects of rainforest ecology.

Doris Valencia grew up in Cusco, Peru, and she has a degree in tourism administration. She has spent most of her childhood between the rainforest and Cusco, worked as a park ranger in the Manu National Park in 1998, where she deepened her passion for birds and nature. Since then she is been working as a naturalist tour guide in several natural areas of Peru. Doris has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to bird watching and bird tour leading, which is what she enjoys the most. She is also a very avid lecturer, and has a special dedication to the study of the rich cultural and archaeological content of her country. Doris has had the opportunity to show her skills and has worked and led tours for many international bird tour companies, Auduboan Society and American Birding Association, has worked as a general natural history guide and birding guide for the Explorer Crusie Ship doing Amazon River cruises between Manaus and Iquitos. She loves to share with our travelers intimate knowledge of regional customs, history, folklore, music and food. Her attention to detail, humor, knowledge of the local areas we visit is outstanding but is her skills as a bird tour leader that stand out.