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Day
1 - Saturday: Iquitos / Amazon 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 Iquitos’ Main Wharf.
There the M/V Aqua awaits you.
6:00 p.m. Embarkation and 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 seven days, you will also sail along the two largest
tributaries of the Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon, as
well as the mighty Amazon itself. You are embarking on a spectacular
adventure, to a place visited by only a few of even the most experienced
world travelers.
7:30 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.
8:00 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 the one of the best in
all of 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 - Sunday: Amazon / Tahuayo River / Charo Lake / Yacapana Island
6:30 a.m. See the Sun Rise Over the River
Be up early to catch your first glimpse of the majestic Amazon
River, as you watch the sun rise over this green world filled with
wonderful wildlife. This initial contact with Amazonia is only a
brief sampling of what the rest of your journey will hold.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
Our sumptuous daily breakfast buffet features a wide choice of traditional
breakfast egg dishes, plus Peruvian specialties, and fresh-squeezed
juices, made from tropical fruits you’ve never tasted before.
9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo
Lake
This morning it’s back aboard our comfortable excursion skiffs
for your first adventure, traveling from the Amazon through the
Huaysi short-cut canal to explore the Tahuayo black water river.
Life jackets, ponchos, rubber boots, and plenty of cold potable
water will always be available for you on board the skiffs. As we
float down the Tahuayo, occasional fishermen paddling in their dug-out
canoes will give us a cheerful greeting. Keep your binoculars ready
to spot a vast variety of wildlife: terns, orioles, blackbirds,
black collared hawks, monkeys, and sloth share this wonderful environment
with us. Upon arrival at Charo Lake, you can bait your hooks to
try to catch one of Amazonia’s fearsome piranhas (and other
fish as well). As you fish, trained guides will also tell you the
story of the lake and its inhabitants.
11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
Icy cold towels and chilled fruit juice await you, as you transfer
from your skiffs into the M/V Aqua. As the vessel continues up the
Amazon River, you have some time to relax, or perhaps even take
a nap, before lunch.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
Enjoy a selection of lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned
dining room. Then catch up on your reading in the upstairs lounge,
do a little sunbathing on the observation deck, or watch the scenes
of the river pass by, framed by your suite’s oversized window.
4:00 p.m. Yacapana Islands Exploration, Dolphin Sighting, and
Night Excursion
Locals call the Yacapana Islands the “Iguana Islands,”
because of the huge population of these reptiles—like tiny
dinosaurs—crawling over the ground and resting in the tree
tops. We will pass by in the skiff, giving you a chance to snap
good photos. As the sun sets, you will have the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to see and photograph both gray and pink freshwater
dolphins. The people of the Amazon believe that these dolphins turn
into humans to steal handsome men or pretty women from their villages
during celebrations. Once the sun sets and the jungle is dark, we
begin our search for caiman, frogs, and different kinds of nightlife.
7:30 p.m. To the Headwaters
We will return to the M/V Aqua vessel and continue our journey upstream,
toward the headwaters of the Amazon River, where the Ucayali, Marañon,
and the Amazon Rivers merge.
Perhaps sip a pre-dinner camu-camu sour on the Upper Deck, while
you watch the sun set.
8:00 p.m. Dinner |
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Day
3 - Monday: Marañon River / Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
(Nauta Caño and Yanayacu-Yarina and Yanayacu-Pucate)
6:30 a.m. Breakfast.
Today you can choose between two options:
Option 1: Full day excursion with a Picnic Lunch at Ranger
Station No. 2
7:30 a.m. Travel by skiff from Yanayacu Creek all the way
to remote Yarina.
There you will arrive at Park Ranger Station No. 2. On this excursion,
you may see howler and capuchin monkeys, the squirrel-sized monkeys
called tamarins, pink and gray river dolphins, and a vast variety
of birds. We will also take you deep into the jungle, where you
will encounter wildlife and learn first-hand about the important
medical value of jungle plants. And we will show you famous kapok
trees (ceiba pentandra), the tallest trees in the Amazon Basin.
Enjoy a generous picnic lunch at the Park Ranger Station No. 2,
before we begin our journey back to our vessel.
5:30 p.m. Arrive at the M/V Aqua.
Option 2: Guided Jungle Walk/Siesta/Monkey and Dolphin
Expedition
8:30 a.m. Guided Jungle Walk at Ranger Station No. 1
This morning your Park Ranger will tell you all about sustainable
resource management projects in Amazonia. You will visit one of
the projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch, followed by a siesta
4:00 p.m. Monkey and Dolphin Expedition
On this late afternoon expedition, you are likely to have another
chance to see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including
the remarkable pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your
eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot several
kinds of primates—among the 13 species of monkeys resident
in the National Park. Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of tamarins
and howlers, dusky titi monkeys and pigmy marmoset monkeys. Watch
for alligators, and keep your binoculars at the ready, as you are
likely to see more than 200 species of birds.
6:00 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
7:00 p.m. Briefing - Time to share adventures and learn about
what tomorrow will bring.
8:00 p.m. Dinner. |
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Day
4 - Tuesday: Birthplace of the Amazon / Puerto Miguel Village /
Nauta Caño
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Birthplace of the Amazon
This morning, the M/V Aqua skirts the edges of the vast Pacaya-Samiria
Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters
of the Amazon basin. Rise early and be on your skiffs at 8:00 a.m.
to view one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere:
the sun rising over the birthplace of the Amazon River. Here—where
the union of two major tributaries, the Ucayali and the Marañon,
form the world’s greatest waterway—nature is at its most
dramatic. Your dawn excursion will be accompanied by abundant bird
song, as you glide in small boats past river banks populated by
large-billed terns, laughing falcons, gray tanagers, sandpipers,
five kinds of parakeets, the exotic short-tailed parrot, and dozens
of other birds.
8:30 a.m. Puerto Miguel Village
We will travel by skiff to Puerto Miguel native village, where the
local people will extend you a very warm welcome. With your guide
acting as interpreter, you can talk with them about their way of
life along the river. And of course, no one has to interpret the
kids’ bright smiles. It is also a wonderful opportunity to
buy small handicrafts. On the way back to the Aqua, we will navigate
on a small connector canal between the Ucayali and Marañon
Rivers, where you will have a chance to see the world’s largest
aquatic plant, the giant water lilies or “Victoria Regias.”
Have your cameras at the ready.
11:40 p.m. Lunch
Share a farewell last lunch with your fellow passengers who have
taken the three-night journey.
3:30 p.m. Afternoon Excursion to Nauta Caño
Nauta Caño is also part of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. It
is known as the mirrored forest, due to its glistening black water
lagoons. Here you will enjoy observing different species, such as:
toucans,parrots, macaws, iguanas, and more. On the way back to the
M/V Aqua you will see a glorious sunset reflected in the waters
of the mirrored forest.
6:00 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:30 p.m. Dinner
Meet new passengers who have signed on for the four-night trip,
and enjoy your gourmet meal as we start our journey along the Ucayali
River. |
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Day
5 - Wednesday: Ucayali / Yanallpa / Dorado Rivers / Pacaya Samiria
National Reserve
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Yanallpa River Expedition
This morning we will board the skiffs to explore this amazing blackwater
stream, part of the vast Amazon flooded forest. Your guides will
tell you about the rainforest and its dynamic life, as we explore
what scientists call a “gallery forest,” because of its
narrow vegetation, creating a tunnel of leaves. As we float through
this tunnel, it is easy to spot parrots, macaws, and fluffy monk
saki monkeys, very close to the skiff.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Dorado River Exploration and Night Excursion
This afternoon we will take a magical journey through the “Mirrored
Forest,” seeing towering trees reflected in the black water
river, while spotting dozens of enchanting parrots, blue-yellow
macaws, and a great variety of primates and sloths enjoying nature
unperturbed by our presence. As we make our way back to our vessel,
you will also have the chance to see caimans and frogs and fishing
bats.
7:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:00 p.m. Dinner |
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Day
6 - Thursday: Puinahua River / Hatum Posa Lake / Pacaya
River
6:30 a.m. Hatum Posa Lake Expedition
This morning we will rise as early as the sun, to cruise this beautiful
and intricate ox-bow lake. As we follow its shore, we will almost
certainly surprise several kinds of monkeys and many types of birds,
including terns, neo-tropic cormorants, egrets, herons, hawks, and
our favorite horned screamers. We will also take the skiff into
other black water lakes linked to this huge lake in the flooded
forest.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Jungle Walk Near Hatum Posa or Village Visit
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 the plants’ secrets.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 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 from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake,
where you can see 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
monk 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 howler monkeys marking 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. As we take the skiffs back to the M/V
Aqua, 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
8:00 p.m. Dinner
After your gourmet meal, why not sit out on the top deck and
study the canopy of stars? They glisten like thousand-watt bulbs
here, in a world without electric lighting to diminish the impact.
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Day
7 - Tuesday: Puinahua / Pacaya Rivers and Carocurahuayte Lake
6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration and Breakfast Aboard 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.
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 toward Iquitos. It isn’t
over yet however. A new adventure awaits you this afternoon.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
3:30 p.m. Carocurahuayte Lake/Fishing Trip
This afternoon, we will travel to this splendid “hot spot”
lake, where you will be certain to catch some of the more than 3,000
species of tropical fish that live in the Amazon basin. Our key
focus will be on piranhas, those small, sharp-teethed carnivorous
fish with a big reputation for being scary. Catching one will make
for great cocktail conversation back home.
6:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
Once we are back onboard, the ship will continue its journey down
stream, sailing toward Iquitos through the night.
7:00 p.m. Briefing in the Top Lounge - Recap of Itinerary and
Sightings.
8:00 p.m. Farewell Dinner
Leaving the peace and beauty of the jungle behind, we will enjoy
our final dinner together, swapping stories about the wonderful
experiences shared on the river.
9:00 p.m. Crew Presentation
After dinner, your guides will introduce some of the crew members
that you have not yet met, but who have been busy with the “behind
the scenes” work that has helped to create a seamless experience.
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Day
8 - Saturday: Arrival in Iquitos / Check out and disembark at the
main wharf / City tour / Transfer to the airport
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Morning Excursion - The excursions today depend on
the level of the river.
Weather and time permitting, this will be the last opportunity to
see how people live along the Amazon—by floating in skiffs
through the lively riverside community of Belen, in Iquitos. Here,
where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some
months, you will see the bustling food market for the entire Peruvian
Amazon. All local inhabitants throughout the region sell and purchase
goods here.
10:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
Sadly, it’s time to finish packing. Please leave your packed
suitcases in your suite for pickup before going to lunch.
12.00 p.m. Light 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. Before we head for the airport, we will take
you to visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers
care for endangered Amazon manatees that conservation authorities
have seized from local people, including 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 have boarded your flight back to Lima.
5:50 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 2383 |
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2012
Departures: Every Saturday: Jan 7,14,21,28; Feb 4,11,18,25; Mar 3,10,17,24,31; Apr 7,14,21,28;
May 5,12,19,26; Jun 2,9,16,23,30; Jul 7,14,21,28; Aug 4,11,18; Sep 8,15,22,29; Oct 6,13,20,27; Nov 3,10,17,24;
Dec 1,8,15,22,29 |
