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Day
1 - Tuesday: Arrival / Nauta / Embarkation / Marañon River
3:30 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 2382
In just an hour and 45 minutes you will be in the heart of the
Peruvian Amazon region.
5:15 p.m. Arrival
Your guides await you, as your flight from Lima glides in for landing
at Iquitos International Airport. After you’ve claimed your
luggage, you will board an air-conditioned bus for your journey
to the river.
5:40 p.m. Transfer to Nauta’s main wharf.
Enjoy a scenic one-and-a-half hour drive through the Peruvian countryside
to the small village of Nauta. You will be traveling along the only
road out of town . . . and it only goes as far as Nauta.
7:10 p.m. Check-In
From the moment you step on board, you will enjoy the M/V Aqua’s
atmosphere of low-key luxury. As you settle into your handsomely
appointed, over-sized suite, you will feel the vessel begin to move;
the beginning of one of the great adventures of your life. Stand
on the Upper Deck to take in the view, as the M/V Aqua leaves Iquitos
behind.
Over the next four days, you will also sail along the largest tributaries
of the Amazon, as well as the mighty Amazon itself. You are embarking
on a spectacular adventure, to a place visited by only a few of
the most experienced world travelers.
8:00 p.m. Safety Drill and Briefing on the Upper Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Then it’s
into the air-conditioned lounge, where you will learn about life
onboard, and will have the first of the nightly briefings about
your adventure to follow. You will meet the naturalist guides and
the cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to explain
the details of your journey into the Amazon.
8:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Sit down, relax, sample some fine South American wine, and enjoy
the truly world-class cuisine, created by Executive Chef Pedro Miguel
Schiaffino, whose restaurant, Malabar, is one of the best in all
of the Lima. Schiaffino’s recipes, with the imaginative use
of local products – fruit, fish, spices – make every meal
a delightful adventure. (The menu always offers choices, including
a vegetarian option.) Toast the beginning of a beautiful journey.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before
retiring. |
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Day
2 - Wednesday: Ucayali River / Magdalena Village / Puinahua Canal
6:30 a.m. Ucayali River Exploration
We will board our skiffs just as the giant sun rises above the
jungle. As we move down the Ucalyali River, the Amazon’s largest
tributary, your naturalist guides will point out an amazing variety
of wildlife, particularly active in the early hours of the day.
Keep your eyes out for three-toed sloth hanging from tree limbs,
for prehistoric-looking iguanas, and for a multitude of birds .
. . orioles, horned screams, the list is long and varied. Then it’s
back to the vessel, for a sumptuous breakfast.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Jungle Walk to Magdalena
After breakfast we stroll through the village of Madgalena, a small
community of just ten families. After you meet the people, including
lots of lively and curious children, your naturalist guides will
lead you through the jungle to a beautiful lake that is home to
the world famous Victoria Regia giant water lily. Have your cameras
ready to capture this once-in-a-lifetime sight.
12:00 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
Cool towels and chilled fruit juice await you, as you step out
of the skiffs.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
After lunch, why not enjoy a siesta in the air-conditioned comfort
of your suite.
4:00 p.m. Ucayali Exploration and Puinahua and Discovery Tour
You will continue along the majestic Ucayali River by skiff, enjoying
the opportunity to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen. They
will demonstrate their skill and let you see their catch—including
a type of “armored” catfish with a shell-like skin. You
will have at least one chance to sample this delicious local fish
at dinner aboard the M/V Aqua. We are also likely to spot, and have
an opportunity to photograph, the “banana balsero” rafts,
loaded with hundreds of clusters of bananas en route to market.
Keep your binoculars ready to get an up-close look at woodpeckers,
parrots, macaws, and toucans.
6:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:00 p.m. Dinner
Enjoy another gourmet meal. Afterwards, why not sit out on the
Upper Deck to study the vast canopy of stars, shining so brightly,
because there is virtually no electric light to compete with them.
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Day
3 - Thursday: Puinahua River / Hatum Posa Lake and Pacaya River
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Jungle Walk Near Hatum Posa Village
On this walk, your guides will introduce you to native people doing
subsistence farming, and will tell you how they learned to cultivate
wild plants and trees to earn farm income. As your adventure takes
you deep into the primary forest, your guides will also show you
the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle—and
will reveal some of their secrets.
11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
After lunch, it’s nice to just watch the world go by through
the over-sized windows in your suite.
3:30 p.m. Pacaya River Exploration, Plus Night Trip from Ranger
Station No. 1 to Yanayacu Lake
In the late afternoon, we will take our skiffs along the Pacaya
River, journeying toward the scenic Yanayacu Lake. There you can
view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest.
We have chosen this time of day to give you the chance to see the
late afternoon activity of the rainforest animals, including fluffy
saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot howler monkeys.
As the sun sets, listen for the loud, ferocious-sounding warning
signals made by the howler monkeys, as they mark their territories.
When night falls, you will hear the second movement of the Amazon
rainforest symphony, as other nocturnal animals send their shrill
calls across the tree tops. We will use our special spotlight torches
to locate night creatures, including, perhaps, huge caimans.
7:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
Tonight the vessel will be docked by the No. 1 Ranger Station in
Pacaya Samiria National Park.
8:30 p.m. Dinner
After dinner, perhaps enjoy Peru’s famous Pisco sours on
the Upper Deck. |
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Day
4 - Friday: Pacaya River / Puinahua Village visit
6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration; Breakfast on the Skiffs
Back on the river as the sun rises, you will see a treasure trove
of wildlife, including parrots, macaws, toucans, and many kinds
of monkeys—as well as some “surprise” species that
you have never seen before. Enjoy a “bag breakfast” of
light sandwiches and fresh juice. Since we will stop near a popular
dolphin feeding spot, you will see quite a show as you enjoy your
meal.
After breakfast, armed with poles and bait, we will take you to
a special place on this fish-rich river, where you will catch some
of the more than 3,000 species of tropical fish that live in the
Amazon Basin. The key target will be piranhas, the small carnivorous
fish with a fearsome reputation—considered a good food source
by the locals.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
As our journey nears its end, your luxurious home away from home
starts to sail back down the river ward Iquitos. It isn’t over
yet, however. A new adventure awaits you this afternoon.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Native Village Visit
This pleasant optional afternoon excursion, will take you to a riverside
village – home to a friendly group of fishermen and farmers,
and their families. Your guide will translate for you, as you interact
with the local people.
5:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
We will sail downstream all night, as we make our way to Iquitos,
and your onward flight.
8:00 p.m. Farewell Dinner
Just minutes after being in the wilderness, surrounded by monkeys
and birds and the other wildlife of the rainforest, you will find
yourself sitting down to a final gourmet feast in the ship’s
dining room.
9:00 p.m. Crew Presentation
Tonight, the Cruise Director will introduce some of the crew members
you haven’t yet met on the trip, but who have worked behind
the scenes to give you an unforgettable experience. There may even
be a bit of musical entertainment! |
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Day
5 - Saturday: Arrive in Iquitos City / Check-out and Disembark
at the main wharf / City tour and trasfer to the airport
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Morning Excursion – The excursions today will
depend on the level of the river.
If weather and time permits, this will be the last opportunity to
see how people live along the Amazon, as we travel by skiff through
Iquitos’ lively riverside community of Belen. Here, where the
houses and shops actually float on the river during some months,
you will see the bustling food market for all the Peruvian Amazon.
All local inhabitants throughout the region sell and purchase goods
here.
Some groups may instead take a short skiff ride to visit the Boras
indigenous community, on the Momon River. The Bora tribe only emerged
from deep inside the rainforest more than 30 years ago. They have
a powerful commitment to maintaining their traditional culture.
We will see them perform some of their most colorful dances for
you.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
You have time to pack and prepare for the next stage of your journey.
12:00 p.m. Light Lunch
Please leave your packed luggage in your cabins, to be transferred
to the bus, before coming to lunch.
1:15 p.m. Disembarkation/City Tour/Manatee Rescue Center/Transfer
to the Airport
Your afternoon in the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by
river or air, will not disappoint. This bustling town, complete
with a house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich center of
the rubber industry. En route, we will visit the Manatee Rescue
Center, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon
manatees that conservation authorities have seized from local people
and fishermen. Biologists will give a presentation about the project
and its efforts to help these helpless mammals. You will also see
how the manatees are cared for and are prepared for re-introduction
into their natural habitat. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan
Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
4:30 p.m. Check-in at Iquitos International Airport
Your guides will help you with check-in, and will stay with
you until you board your flight back to Lima.
5:50 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 2383 |
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2012
Departures: Jan 3,10,17,24,31; Feb 7,14,21,28; Mar 6,13,20,27; Apr 3,10,17,24; May 1,8,15,22,29;
Jun 5,12,19,26; Jul 3,10,17,24,31; Aug 7,14,21; Sep 11,18,25; Oct 2,9,16,23,30; Nov 6,13,20,27;
Dec 4,25
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