Cruise the upper
reaches of the amazon river on a luxury-class riverboat
8 days / 7 nights
From $2749 per person, double occupancy for 2007
Travel down the Amazon River in the comfort
and style of the luxury class M/V Turmalina. Cruising
the Ucayali, Maranon and the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Birds will soar overhead and monkeys play in the trees
above, so bring your binoculars and zoom lens.
Day 1: Lima
arrival
Most flights arrive in Lima late at night. Airport reception
and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the Hotel
Antigua Miraflores or similar.
Day 2: Lima
- iquitos
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Iquitos.
Upon arrival you are transferred directly
to the vessel, the M/V
La Turmalina, a classically-styled luxury-class riverboat,
your home for the coming week. We cast off soon afterward
and begin a journey into the greatest wilderness on Earth.
Tonight, as you cruise slowly up the Amazon, the stars
present an incredible spectacle of both northern and southern
constellations. (B,L,D)
Day 3: AMAZON
RIVER / RÍO UCAYALI
You awake this morning on the mighty Amazon, and as the
boat continues upriver, you are amazed at the ever-changing
panorama of jungle life. Small villages occasionally dot
the shoreline, and channels weaving through island mazes
provide close-up views of a variety of marsh birds, including
Oriole Blackbirds, Purple Gallinules and Yellow-headed
Caracaras. This morning you arrive at the junction of
the Río Marañón and Río Ucayali,
the place indicated on most maps as the inception of the
Amazon River, about 2,400 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean.
We turn up the left fork, the Ucayali. An outstanding
feature of this river is the large population of both
Gray and Pink Amazon River Dolphins, often seen cavorting
near the boat and along the shoreline. During the morning
you take your first excursion into the surrounding rainforest
in search of Giant Water Lilies and elusive wildlife such
as monkeys and sloths. You return to the boat for lunch.
This afternoon you may visit a small river village or,
perhaps, call on a local shaman. As dusk approaches, attention
will focus on the river as the fishing bats begin their
night’s foraging. (B,L,D) )
Day 4: RÍO
UCAYALI / REQUENA
This morning excursion takes you into a small tributary
of the Ucayali. Your guides help search for animals including
primates, sloths and an incredible variety of birds. After
returning to the big boat you continue upriver, heading
for the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. This afternoon an excursion
into the largest wetland reserve in the world provides
the opportunity to view a variety of primates including
Red Howler and Squirrel Monkeys, as well as Monk Sakis.
Tonight, a nocturnal visit to the reserve adds the chance
to view Caimans, Capybaras, Common Potoos, frogs and other
wildlife. (B,L,D)
Day 5: PACAYA
SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE
After an early breakfast, you board excursion boats (which
allow greater access to the vast wetlands of the reserve)
and spend the day exploring this flooded realm. Your outing
begins at an optimal time for wildlife observation. You
can expect to see numerous wading birds, such as White-necked
and Black-capped Herons, Wattled Jacanas and Sunbitterns.
In addition to wading birds, parrots are quite common,
you may observe the most conspicuous member of this family,
the endangered Scarlet Macaw, often seen flying in pairs
or small family groups. Along the river channel you hear
leaves rustle high in the trees as monkeys forage for
food. With a little luck, you may also encounter Monk
Sakis, unique primates that frequent seasonally flooded
forests. Higher in the canopy, Red Howler Monkeys may
be seen in small family groups feeding on leaves, a staple
of their folivorous diet. Midmorning you stop at higher
ground to take a leisurely hike through a varzea (seasonally
flooded forest). Surprisingly open, due to being periodically
inundated with water, this type of forest is likely to
reveal Three-toed Sloths in the upper canopy and a proliferation
of butterflies including spectacular brilliant-blue Morphos.
A picnic lunch is served at a ranger station before heading
back to the vessel, where you have the opportunity to
observe even more wildlife as you explore the river channels.
Afternoon departure for the Tapiche River. (B,L,D)
Day 6: RÍO
TAPICHE / RÍO MARAÑÓN
This morning the ship enters the Río Tapiche for
a short distance. Today’s activities include opportunities
to swim in the river, paddle a dugout canoe and visit
a river village. The villagers here present small handmade
crafts for sale, if you are interested. After a full morning,
you return to the ship and continue down the Ucayali toward
the Río Marañón. (B,L,D)
Day 7: RÍO
MARAÑÓN / SAN REGIS
Today you enter the Terra Firma, the type of forest envisioned
when one hears the word “jungle.” Large trees
festooned with epiphytes, palms, woody vines and a vaulted
canopy create the shadowed mystery of tropical rainforest.
The trail winds through the forest arriving at a canopy
walkway where we explore the world above the forest floor.
Throughout the morning you are in awe of Earth’s
most prolific life zone. Plants, invertebrates and animals
surround you as you become immersed in the forest. Returning
to the ship for lunch, your trip continues as you start
back toward Iquitos. This afternoon your excursion on
a blackwater river provides one last chance to enjoy the
beauty of the tropical rainforest. (B,L,D)
Day 8: IQUITOS
– LIMA – INT’L DEPARTURE
After breakfast you take a guided tour of Iquitos. Afterward,
transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima.
You will be met and assisted to the
international terminal for your departing flight. (B)
Contact
us for a customized itinerary of Peru .
