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 Tour
Description: The Amazon River Journey gives
travelers a great insight on the flora and fauna of the rain
forest, life in typical small Amazon River towns and
cultures of its natives who still inhabit villages close to
the shores of the mighty river. You will travel onboard a
comfortable river vessel down the Amazon towards the border
with Brazil and Colombia. Meals will all be served on board
and accommodations are provided in air conditioned cabins.
During the entire Journey you will disembark in several
occasions each day to explore the river, lakes, the forest
and life along the Amazon, always accompanied by bi-lingual
Naturalist guides who will show and teach you.
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Day 1
- Saturday
- IQUITOS
 AM or PM - Upon arrival at the airport of
Iquitos you will be welcomed by our local guide who will provide
the transfer to your hotel. Check in and the remainder of the
morning / afternoon at leisure in this friendly Amazon city.
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EVE - Pick up from the hotel and transfer to a local
restaurant for a great dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
(D)
Day 2 - Sunday
- IQUITOS / AMAZON RIVER
AM - Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy the morning hours in the city
on your own. Take a stroll alongside the river or visit the floating
city of Belen. You may also want to observe the weekly parade at the
main square with participation of schools, companies, army, navy,
police and other governments agencies. Be prepared for a late
morning pick up from the hotel for the transfer to the dock. Here
you will board the "Rio
Amazonas", your exploration vessel that will be your home for the next 6
nights. The cruise director will give a briefing on the safety
procedures on board and the program for the next few days.
PM - Check
into your air conditioned cabin while the ship departs down the
Amazon River towards the border with Colombia and Brazil. The
landscape will soon turn from buildings and shipyards to water and a
shoreline of vast jungle and an occasional settlement on both sides
of the vessel. Time and weather permitting we will make a stop at
Yanamono to visit a sugar cane rum still, followed by a short walk
at Chameleon Island to observe the Victoria Regia water Lilies.
EVE - Dinner will be served and the crew may get together for
some singing and story telling on the moon deck.
(B, L, D)
 Day 3 - Monday - AMAZON RIVER
AM - Our guides will wake us up early in the morning for the
first excursion of the day. After a fresh cup of coffee or tea we
will board the skiffs and navigate away from the vessel up the
Ampiyacu River for bird watching. Don't forget your cameras and
binoculars. The early morning hours are the best time to observe
birds preparing for their day. The guides will point out the many
species of birds that find their habitat in this area. The guides
will have the engines turned off at a remote site. Sit back and
absorb the beauty of the area and the sounds of the surrounding rain
forest. Times like this will remain in our memories forever. Return
to the vessel for breakfast and maybe a shower.
Later in the morning we will visit two native settlements at the
Bora and Huitoto villages. Natives from both tribes have been in
contact with westerners for several years but still retain their
culture and practice their rituals. The woman of both tribes are
involved with making handicrafts and will offer these to us on our
visit. Later we will visit the town of Pebas,
which is the oldest Peruvian town on the Amazon.
PM - Return back to the vessel for refreshments and lunch.
After a morning full of activity we have some time to lean back and
relax in a lounge chair or hammock on the sun deck, read a book or
take a nap in our cabin. Later in the afternoon the crew will gather
travelers for a jungle hike in the dense rain forest of the Shishita
River area. Small groups, each with their naturalist guide, will
head out into the forest to take advantage of the area where we have
great opportunities to view wildlife.
EVE - Other than dinner on board, no activities are scheduled
for the evening. A normal night on board consists of a get together
at the area around the bar. We socialize with our fellow travelers
and crew. People from around the world join on this trip and each
individual has their own story. Travelers normally retire to their
cabins rather early in preparation for the next day. The vessel will
continue its voyage down the Amazon River.
(B, L, D)
 Day 4 - Tuesday
- AMAZON RIVER
AM - After a healthy breakfast we prepare to disembark at
Paranaquiro village from where we explore the forest. Regularly we
will observe primates and macaws in the area. Our guides will
explain about the trees and vines of the jungle and their use to
locals and modern medicine. Several universities and study groups
visit the region every year to set up research centers in the
forest. On our way back to the vessel we will stop at a backwater
lake for some Piranha fishing "Amazon style". With just a line, a
hook and some meat we will catch this legendary fish just over the
side of the skiffs.
PM - We will catch up with the our exploration vessel, the
Rio Amazonas, further down the river where lunch will be ready to be
served. After our meal we will have some time to relax on board. The
ship will turn up a tributary of the Amazon and through a narrow
canal to the village of Caballococha. We will disembark for a brief
visit of the village followed by a late afternoon boat excursion up
the canal. Sunset is an amazing time of the day in the Amazon and
many of our great photographs will be taken at this time. When the
night sets we will cross a large lake to
look for the Amazon
caiman in the reedy shallows and listen to the sounds of the forest.
EVE - Return to the Rio Amazonas for dinner and a night at
leisure.
(B, L, D)
Day 5 - Wednesday
- AMAZON RIVER / THREE
FRONTIERS (Peru - Brazil - Colombia)
AM - During the overnight hours the vessel has arrived at
the "Three Frontiers". This is the point where Peru,
Brazil and
Colombia meet on the Amazon River. We will dock on the
Peruvian side of the river at the island of Santa Rosa, opposite the
small cities of
Leticia (Colombia) and Tabatinga (Brazil). After breakfast there
will be a boat transfer to the city of Leticia for a morning at
leisure. Here we have a chance to visit the local zoo, the ethnic
museum or shop for emeralds and local handicrafts in the many stores
in both the Colombian and Brazilian side of the border (no visas
required). At around noon we gather at a set place for the transfer
back to our vessel where lunch is ready.
PM - From
this point on our vessel will now head upstream , back towards
Iquitos. After lunch the cruise director will give a briefing on the
upcoming activities during the next few days. Enjoy a well deserved
afternoon at leisure onboard after a busy morning. Time permitting,
the guides will organize a late afternoon or early evening shore
excursion in the Cayaru river area.
EVE - Dinner on board and evening at leisure.
(B, L, D)
Day 6 - Thursday
- AMAZON RIVER
AM - You may want to wake up early and observe a unique
sunrise over the Amazon, an always incredible spectacle of colors.
The sun deck is an ideal place to observe the changes between night
and day. Breakfast will be served while the ship arrives at Chimbote
for a document check. While the crew takes care of the formalities
we board the shore boats to cross the river into an area where
tributaries and lakes are covered with vegetation. This is a great
place to observe the flora and fauna of the Amazon and our guides
will take us up small tributaries and remote lakes for the best
photo opportunities. After the vessel has cleared its routine
document check it will slowly continue up the Amazon River where we
will rendezvous with it.
PM - After lunch the vessel will dock at the small port of
the village of San Pablo. We disembark for a short visit of the
village where we get a chance to observe the friendly locals and
their customs or maybe purchase some of their handicrafts. By mid
afternoon we get back on board and leave the village behind us. The
Rio Amazonas will head back upriver now in direction of the Peruate
River.
EVE - Dinner will be served, followed by a
night exploration by launch up the Peruate River to listen to the
sounds of the jungle and spot Amazon caiman. The remainder of the
night can be enjoyed on board.
(B, L, D.)
Day 7 - Friday
- AMAZON RIVER
 AM - In the morning hours, just after breakfast, the Rio
Amazonas will arrive at a Yagua Indian village. We will disembark
here and visit the village. Our guides will teach us about the
customs, traditions and beliefs of this tribe. The men still hunt in
the jungle while the woman stay in the village with the children.
You may want to trade some of your manufactured goods for native
handicrafts produced by the tribe.
PM - Lunch on board while the vessel sails upriver.
Late afternoon
we arrive at the Apayacu River where we will explore this beautiful
black water river and its lakes. Like in many places of the Amazon
River and its tributaries we can observe fresh water dolphins
hunting for their prey in spots where two rivers meet.
EVE - Farewell dinner on board. Enjoy the evening with the
guides and fellow travelers. The crew will join us for our last
evening on board with some music.
(B, L, D.)
Day 8 - Saturday
- AMAZON RIVER / IQUITOS
AM - Early morning arrival in the city of Iquitos. Say
goodbye to new found friends and transfer to your local hotel or to
the airport for your flight back to the big cities.
(B.)
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