M/V AQUA RIVER EXPEDITION

Destination Overview
Embark on the voyage of a lifetime, sailing the earth’s mightiest river — the Amazon. The first true luxury vessel in the region, the M/V Aqua caters to the most discriminating and adventurous of world travelers, providing an
unforgettable journey into areas penetrated by only a privileged few. As your ship docks along the river, knowledgeable and experienced naturalists will take you, via small launches, into remote estuaries in the Peruvian rain forest and the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. As you explore these pristine wilderness areas teeming
with wildlife, you will also encounter local people living in villages as they have for centuries. And when the day’s sightseeing is over, the comforts of your luxurious floating hotel will await you.
Accommodations
M/V Aqua is Aqua Expedition's 130-foot flagship. Its 12 luxury guest suites, designed by an internationally renowned Peruvian interior designer, measure a generous 230 to 240 square feet, and feature large, outward facing panoramic windows and en suite sitting areas. All suites are air conditioned, and four are interconnected, to cater to families. Guests can socialize in the dining room, bar, on the observation deck and in the outdoor lounge. There is also a small boutique. You'll be served by a crew of 14, plus three skilled guides. Rates
include all excursions, meals, and wine with meals.
Amenities /Attractions
Guests may choose three-, four-, or seven-night itineraries. Each day will bring amazing new wonders, as guests set out with guides in a fleet of three launches to float toward the source of the mighty Amazon. Each day, you will explore the small inlets and various winding river systems that make up the flooded forest. Pacaya Samiria Reserve, located on the headwaters of the Amazon basin, spans more than five million acres. Twice the size of Yellowstone Park, it teems with wildlife and aquatic life. Visitors will have the opportunity to see hundreds of species, including the endangered pink Amazon dolphin, black alligator, and giant river otter.
Dining
Explorers aboard the Aqua will enjoy a menu of fresh, delicious world-renowned Peruvian fare, whether served on board or on an adventure. Dinner each evening promises to be a culinary feast for the senses, paired with select wines from South America. The menu has been created with the assistance of Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru's top ten chefs.
Seasons
Aqua Expeditions operates year-round, and every voyage is uniquely appealing, based on the changing seasons. During the wet season, the river and estuaries grow, allowing launch boats to venture deeper into the flooded forest. During the dry season, the river recedes and beautiful sandy river beaches form.
Location
Amazon River voyages depart from the port city of Iquitos, Peru. Iquitos is served by numerous daily flights from Lima, Peru’s capital. The flights take one hour and twenty-five minutes.

M/V AQUA FACT SHEET
Built: 2007
Port of embarkation: Iquitos, Peru
Vessel’s Registry: Peru
Type of Vessel: River Expedition Vessel
Length: 130 feet / 39.80 m
Beam: 24 feet / 7.30 m
Draft: 7.3 feet / 2.25m
Gross Tonnage: 180 tons
Cruising Speed: 10 knots
Electricity: 220 volts
Engines: 2 new Cummins 380 HP Marine Engines
Generators: 1 x 95 KVA Cummins and 1 x 65 KVA Cummins (encapsulated for noise reduction)
Water: 7000-liter water treatment plant
Safety: Radio communication with separate battery pack, satellite phone, life jackets, flares and signals; fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in each cabin.
Launch Boats: Three auxiliary aluminum launch boats equipped with four-stroke low emission engines; constant radio communication with the main vessel. Each boat has a capacity of 8-10 passengers.
Crew: 15, plus 3 English-speaking naturalist guides.
Accommodation: Up to 24 passengers with private facilities
(Additional accommodation for one child in each cabin)
Cabins: 12 suites:
• 4 Master Suites measuring 240 sq. ft.
• 8 Suites measuring 230 sq. ft.
- All outside-facing with large panoramic windows
- All air conditioned with en suite sitting areas
- 4 interconnecting suites for families
Cabin features: Twin beds that can be converted to a California king-sized bed
En suite sitting area, Internal communications system, Well-appointed bathroom with shower, toilet, sink, cabinet, hairdryer, and a basket of
toiletries. Hot water around the clock.
Social Areas: Indoor Bar-Lounge
Dining Room
Outside Lounge
Observation Deck
Boutique

RATES
Accommodation:
All 12 suites are exterior, with large panoramic windows
• 4 Master Suites measuring 240 square feet, 2 on each deck
• 8 Suites measuring 230 square feet, 4 on each deck
All suites are air conditioned, with twin beds that can be converted to a California king-size bed
Interconnecting suites are available

2010 Rates per person: Suite Master Suite
3 Night Itinerary (double occupancy) Tue-Sat $2,250 $2,500

4 Night Itinerary (double occupancy) Sat-Tue $3,000 $3,400

7 Night Itinerary (double occupancy) Sat-Sat $5,250 $5,900

Single supplement: 1.5 times adult rate.
Child Policy:
7 year age minimum on all departures
Child aged 11 or under will receive a 20% discount
Third child under 11 in same cabin, US $350 per night

DEPARTURE DATES: Every Saturday and Tuesday

Included:
All meals while onboard
All excursions
Wine with meals
Transfers to/from vessel when arriving on recommended flights
Pacaya Samiria entrance fee

Not Included:
Air tickets to and from Iquitos
Guide and crew gratuities
Bar and Boutique purchases

7 Night arrival and departure information
IN Saturday PM Arrival
OUT Saturday PM Departure
D Transfer from airport to embarkation point in Iquitos. (30 minutes)
B/L Leave ship after lunch; Iquitos city tour and to airport for departure.
For full itineraries click: Seven night Itineraries

4 days/3 nights

IN Saturday PM Arrival
OUT Tuesday PM Departure
D Transfer from airport to embarkation point in Iquitos. (30 minutes)
B/L Leave ship after lunch; Transfer from Nauta city by van ( 1 1/2 hours)

For full itineraries click: Three night itineraries

5 days/4nights

IN Tuesday PM Arrival
OUT Saturday PM Departure
D Transfer from Iquitos airport to Nauta city by van (1 1/2 hour) for 4-night expedition
B/L Leave ship after lunch; Iquitos city tour and to airport for departure.
For full itineraries click: Four night itineraries

3 Night arrival and departure information
4 Night arrival and departure information
Recommended Flight:

Lima-Iquitos LP 394 (1:05 PM - 2:50 PM approximate times)

Iquitos-Lima LP 381 (3:20 PM - 5:00 PM approximate times)

Aqua Expeditions is not responsible for any activities or services for passengers arriving prior to the scheduled arrivals and departures.

Transfers
Transfers are only included if arriving or departing on the above recommended filghts.
All picks-ups and drop-offs will be to and from Iquitos' Francisco Secada airport.

Meals
B - Breakfast is served buffet style
L - Lunch is served buffet style
D - Dinner is served seated
Children's and vegetarian meals can be requested. Please request when making your booking.
Fresh fruit juices, soft drinks, water and wine with meals are included.

SEVEN-NIGHT ITINERARY (revised Mar.07, 2009)
HIGH WATER SEASON (December–May)
Day 1: Saturday
IQUITOS/AMAZON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394 (Cost of flights are not included)
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Iquitos’ main wharf. There the M/V Aqua awaits you.
5:30 p.m. Embarkation and check-in
As you settle into your over-sized suite, your vessel will start on its journey toward the Yanayacu River, deep in the heart of Amazonia. 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 on 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 Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: Sunday
AMAZON/TAHUAYO RIVER/CHARO LAKE/YACAPANA ISLAND
6:30 a.m. Early Morning Skiff Expedition on the Amazon 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 fruit juices.
9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo Lake
This morning you will board 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 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 lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned dining room.
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
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. Full-day excursion at Ranger Station No. 2
Travel by skiff from Yanayacu Creek all the way to remote Yarina – 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 see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including the unusual pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot at least 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 – Our Cruise Director and Guides recap the past few days for you and tell you about the following day’s adventure.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
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 you can meet and interact with local villagers from this most remote part of the world, and can learn a bit more about their culture, traditions, and folklore. You will also have the chance to purchase local 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.”
12:00 p.m. Lunch
Share a 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. You will certainly 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 meal as we start our journey along the Ucayali River.
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 black water 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
Day 6: Thursday
PUINAHUA RIVER/HATUM POSA LAKE/PACAYA RIVER
6:30 a.m. Hatum Posa Lake Expedition
This morning we will rise early 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. Deep in the primary
forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle.
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
Day 7: Friday
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
From this point, we will start sailing down river, toward Iquitos.
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, carnivorous fish with a big reputation for being scary.
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.
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 visiting the lively riverside community of Belen, in Iquitos, by skiff. 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/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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change.

Seven night Itinerary

Low Water Season (June to November)

Day 1: Saturday
IQUITOS/AMAZON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Iquitos’ main wharf. There the M/V Aqua awaits you.
5:30 p.m. Embarkation and check-in
As you settle into your over-sized suite, your vessel will start on its journey toward the Yanayacu River, deep in the heart of Amazonia. 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 on 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 Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: Sunday
AMAZON/TAHUAYO/RIVERS AND CHARO LAKE
6:30 a.m. Early Morning Skiff Expedition on the Amazon 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 fruit juices.
9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo Lake
This morning you will board 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 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 lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned dining room.
4:00 p.m. Yacapana Islands Exploration and Dolphin Sighting
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.
6:30 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 pisco sour on the Upper Deck, while you watch the sun set.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
Day 3: Monday
MARAÑON RIVER/PACAYA-SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE (YANAYACU-PUCATE)
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Guided Jungle Walk in the Primary Forest
This morning your Naturalist Guide will tell you all about sustainable resource management projects in Amazonia. You will visit one of these projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil. Your Guide may also show you the artificial nests created on the sand to protect turtle eggs. Then we will 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.
12:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch, followed by a Siesta
3:30 a.m. Monkey / Dolphin and Caiman Expedition
In this late afternoon skiff excursion, you are likely to see howler and capuchin monkeys, the squirrel-sized monkeys called tamarins, and a vast variety of birds. You are also apt to see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including the unusual pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your
eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot at least several kinds of primates—among the 13 species of monkeys resident in the National Park. Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of tamarins and 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. As the sun sets and our searchlight comes on, keep your eyes out for caimans, tree boas, tarantulas, and frogs. After this night adventure, the M/V Aqua will start sailing downstream on the Marañon River, back toward the headwaters of the Amazon.
7:30 p.m. Arrive at the M/V Aqua.
8:30 p.m. Dinner
Day 4: Tuesday
YUCURUCHE LAKE / BIRTHPLACE OF THE AMAZON / PUERTO PRADO VILLAGE VISIT AND NAUTA TOWN
6:30 a.m. Ucayali River and Yucuruche Lake
Rise early and be on your skiff at 6:30 AM. This morning we will travel by skiff along the Ucayali River to Yucuruche Lake, where we will walk a little way into the jungle to see the world’s largest aquatic plant, the giant water lilies or “Victoria Regias”. You will be one of a very small number of people who have ever seen these plants bloom.
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:15 a.m. Birthplace of the Amazon/Puerto Prado Village
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. We board the skiffs to view one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: 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 morning 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.
We will then travel by skiff to Puerto Prado native village, where you will meet and interact with the hospitable native Cocama Indians. They will share their culture, traditions, and folklore with you, and you will have the opportunity to purchase some of their handicrafts and delightful folk art.
11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
Share a last lunch with your fellow passengers who have taken the three-night journey.
4:00 p.m Nauta Town Visit
This afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit the Town of Nauta, the oldest town in the state of Loreto. This village, founded in the 1930’s, is our only access point to Iquitos during our expedition. Nauta is very important to the local river communities, as it is the port where they come to sell their produce. We will take a leisurely walk through town, to experience what life in a large river community is like.
6:00 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:30 p.m. Dinner
Meet new friends—those taking the four-night journey—over dinner.
Day 5: Wednesday
UCAYALI RIVER/MAGDALENA VILLAGE/PUINAHUA CANAL
6:30 a.m. Ucayali River Exploration
We will set out early this morning to explore the Ucayali River, the Amazon’s largest tributary. Sightings will include the slow-moving three-toed sloths, iguanas, orioles, and horned screamers, as well as many other birds.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Jungle Walk to Magdalena
After breakfast we will walk through the village of Madgalena, a small community of ten families. After meeting 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.
12:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Ucayali Exploration and Puinahua and Discovery Tour
This afternoon we will cruise the majestic Ucayali River, giving you a chance to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen, who 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, drifting down the river to market. Other highlights include the viewing of woodpeckers, parrots, macaws, and toucans.
6:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:00 p.m. Dinner
Day 6: 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. Deep in the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle—the source of many of the world’s pharmaceutical products.
11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
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 from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake, where you can view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. You may see saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot heavy howler monkeys, leaping long distances from tree to tree. As the sun sets, you will hear 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
Day 7: Friday
PACAYA RIVER / PUINAHUA VILLAGE VISIT
6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration; Breakfast on the Skiffs
In the bright morning light, your Guides will show you parrots, macaws, toucans, and many different types of monkeys. We will also go to the dolphin feeding spots along Pacaya River, where you will be delightfully surrounded by these creatures while enjoying a light breakfast and fresh juice.
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
We will begin our homeward journey, sailing downstream toward Iquitos.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Native Village Visit
This optional afternoon excursion is a short informational walk into a riverside village. Your guide will show you way of life in these communities of fishermen and farmers.
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!
Day 8: Saturday
ARRIVE IN IQUITOS CITY/CHECK-OUT AND DISEMBARK AT THE MAIN WHARF/CITY TOUR AND 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 visiting the lively riverside community of Belen by skiff, in Iquitos. Here, where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some months, you will see the bustling food
market of the entire 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 has made every effort to maintain its traditional culture since arriving from deep inside the rainforest more than 30 years ago. Today they will 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 the dining room for lunch.
1:15 p.m. Disembarkation/City Tour/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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change.

FOUR-NIGHT ITINERARY
HIGH WATER SEASON (December–May)
Day 1: Tuesday
ARRIVAL/NAUTA/EMBARKATION/MARAÑON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Nauta’ main wharf.
A scenic one-and-a-half hour drive through the Peruvian countryside to the small village of Nauta.
6:30 p.m. Check-In
Take a few moments to settle into your over-sized suite before dinner. Over the next four days, you will sail along several tributaries of the Amazon, as well as on the mighty river itself. You are embarking on a spectacular adventure, to a place visited by only a few of even the most experienced world travelers.
8:00 p.m. Safety Drill and Briefing on the Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Meet your fellow travelers at your first onboard dinner. Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: 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 black water 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
Day 3: Thursday
PUINAHUA RIVER/HATUM POSA LAKE/PACAYA RIVER
6:30 a.m. Hatum Posa Lake Expedition
This morning we will rise early 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. Deep in the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle.
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
Day 4: Friday
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
From this point, we will start sailing down river, toward Iquitos.
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, carnivorous fish with a big reputation for being scary.
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.
Day 5: 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 visiting the lively riverside community of Belen, in Iquitos, by skiff. 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/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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: Itinerary subject to change.

FOUR-NIGHT ITINERARY
LOW WATER SEASON (June-November)
Day 1: Tuesday
ARRIVAL/NAUTA/EMBARKATION/MARAÑON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Nauta’ main wharf.
A scenic one-and-a-half hour drive through the Peruvian countryside to the small village of Nauta.
6:30 p.m. Check-In
Take a few moments to settle into your over-sized suite before dinner. Over the next four days, you will sail along several tributaries of the Amazon, as well as on the mighty river itself. You are embarking on a spectacular adventure, to a place visited by only a few of even the most experienced world travelers.
8:00 p.m. Safety Drill and Briefing on the Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Meet your fellow travelers at your first onboard dinner. Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: Wednesday
UCAYALI RIVER/MAGDALENA VILLAGE/PUINAHUA CANAL
6:30 a.m. Ucayali River Exploration
We will set out early this morning to explore the Ucayali River, the Amazon’s largest tributary. Sightings will include the slow-moving three-toed sloths, iguanas, orioles, and horned screamers, as well as many other birds.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Jungle Walk to Magdalena
After breakfast we will walk through the village of Madgalena, a small community of ten families. After meeting 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.
12:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Ucayali Exploration and Puinahua and Discovery Tour
This afternoon we will cruise the majestic Ucayali River, giving you a chance to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen, who 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, drifting down the river to market. Other highlights include the viewing of woodpeckers, parrots, macaws, and toucans.
6:30 p.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
8:00 p.m. Dinner
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. Deep in the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle—the source of many of the world’s pharmaceutical products.
11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch
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 from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake, where you can view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. You may see saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot heavy howler monkeys, leaping long distances from tree to tree. As the sun sets, you will hear 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
Day 4: Friday
PACAYA RIVER / PUINAHUA VILLAGE VISIT
6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration; Breakfast on the Skiffs
In the bright morning light, your Guides will show you parrots, macaws, toucans, and many different types of monkeys. We will also go to the dolphin feeding spots along Pacaya River, where you will be delightfully surrounded by these creatures while enjoying a light breakfast and fresh juice.
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
We will begin our homeward journey, sailing downstream toward Iquitos.
12:30 p.m. Lunch
4:00 p.m. Native Village Visit
This optional afternoon excursion is a short informational walk into a riverside village. Your guide will show you way of life in these communities of fishermen and farmers.
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!
Day 5: Saturday
ARRIVE IN IQUITOS CITY/CHECK-OUT AND DISEMBARK AT THE MAIN WHARF/CITY TOUR AND 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 visiting the lively riverside community of Belen by skiff, in Iquitos. Here, where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some months, you will see the bustling food market of the entire 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 has made every effort to maintain its traditional culture since arriving from deep inside the rainforest more than 30 years ago. Today they will 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 the dining room for lunch.
1:15 p.m. Disembarkation/City Tour/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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: itineraries subject to change.

THREE-NIGHT ITINERARY
HIGH WATER SEASON (December–May)
Day 1: Saturday
IQUITOS/AMAZON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Iquitos’ main wharf. There the M/V Aqua awaits you.
5:30 p.m. Embarkation and check-in
As you settle into your over-sized suite, your vessel will start on its journey toward the Yanayacu River, deep in the heart of Amazonia. Over the next three days, you will also sail along the two largest tributaries of the Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon, as well as on 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 Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: Sunday
AMAZON/TAHUAYO RIVER/CHARO LAKE/YACAPANA ISLAND
6:30 a.m. Early Morning Skiff Expedition on the Amazon 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 fruit juices.
9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo Lake
This morning you will board 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 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 lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned dining room.
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
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. Full-day excursion at Ranger Station No. 2
Travel by skiff from Yanayacu Creek all the way to remote Yarina – 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 see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including the unusual pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot at least 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 – Our Cruise Director and Guides recap the past few days for you and tell you about the following day’s adventure.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
Day 4: Tuesday
BIRTHPLACE OF THE AMAZON/PUERTO MIGUEL VILLAGE/NAUTA CAÑO/IQUITOS
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 you can meet and interact with local villagers from this most remote part of the world, and can learn a bit more about their culture, traditions, and folklore. You will also have the chance to purchase local 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.”
11:40 p.m. Lunch
Share a last lunch with your fellow passengers.
12:30 p.m. Disembark/Depart to Iquitos
Step off the M/V Aqua in the small city of Nauta, where your air-conditioned bus awaits you. Enjoy a 1 1/2-hour drive through the Peruvian countryside. When arriving at Iquitos International airport, your guides will assist you with your baggage and check-in, and will wait with you until you are ready to board your flight to Lima.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change

THREE-NIGHT ITINERARY
LOW WATER SEASON (June-November)
Day 1: Saturday
IQUITOS/AMAZON RIVER
1:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
2:50 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.
3:45 p.m. Visit to the Manatee Rescue Center
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.
5:00 p.m. Transfer to Iquitos’ main wharf. There the M/V Aqua awaits you.
5:30 p.m. Embarkation and check-in
As you settle into your over-sized suite, your vessel will start on its journey toward the Yanayacu River, deep in the heart of Amazonia. Over the next three days, you will also sail along the two largest tributaries of the Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon, as well as on 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 Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Following that, your Cruise Director and Guides will give a brief orientation talk about life on board, where you will go and what you will see on your Amazon journey.
8:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the world’s best. Here it is presented with a touch of European flair, and a vegetarian dish is always available. Raise a glass of fine South American wine to toast the beginning of a beautiful journey, then look out the window and watch the river go by as you experience your first wonderful meal aboard the M/V Aqua.
Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.
Day 2: Sunday
AMAZON/TAHUAYO/RIVERS AND CHARO LAKE
6:30 a.m. Early Morning Skiff Expedition on the Amazon 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 fruit juices.
9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo Lake
This morning you will board 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 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 lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned dining room.
4:00 p.m. Yacapana Islands Exploration and Dolphin Sighting
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.
6:30 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 pisco sour on the Upper Deck, while you watch the sun set.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
Day 3: Monday
MARAÑON RIVER/PACAYA-SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE (YANAYACU-PUCATE)
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Guided Jungle Walk in the Primary Forest
This morning your Naturalist Guide will tell you all about sustainable resource management projects in Amazonia. You will visit one of these projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil. Your Guide may also show you the artificial nests created on the sand to protect turtle eggs. Then we will 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.
12:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
12:30 p.m. Lunch, followed by a Siesta
3:30 a.m. Monkey / Dolphin and Caiman Expedition
In this late afternoon skiff excursion, you are likely to see howler and capuchin monkeys, the squirrel-sized monkeys called tamarins, and a vast variety of birds. You are also apt to see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including the unusual pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot at least several kinds of primates—among the 13 species of monkeys resident in the National Park. Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of tamarins and 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. As the sun sets and our searchlight comes on, keep your eyes out for caimans, tree boas, tarantulas, and frogs. After this night adventure, the M/V Aqua will start sailing downstream on the Marañon River, back toward the headwaters of the Amazon.
7:30 p.m. Arrive at the M/V Aqua.
8:30 p.m. Dinner
Day 4: Tuesday
YUCURUCHE LAKE / BIRTHPLACE OF THE AMAZON / PUERTO PRADO VILLAGE VISIT / IQUITOS
6:30 a.m. Ucayali River and Yucuruche Lake
Rise early and be on your skiff at 6:30 AM. This morning we will travel by skiff along the Ucayali River to Yucuruche Lake, where we will walk a little way into the jungle to see the world’s largest aquatic plant, the giant water lilies or “Victoria Regias”. You will be one of a very small number of people who have ever seen these plants bloom.
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:15 a.m. Birthplace of the Amazon/Puerto Prado Village
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. We board the skiffs to view one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: 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 morning 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.
We will then travel by skiff to Puerto Prado native village, where you will meet and interact with the hospitable native Cocama Indians. They will share their culture, traditions, and folklore with you, and you will have the opportunity to purchase some of their handicrafts and delightful folk art.
11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua
11:40 p.m. Lunch
Share a final onboard lunch with the friends you have made on your Amazon journey.
12:30 p.m. Disembark/Depart to Iquitos
Step off the M/V Aqua in the small city of Nauta, where your air-conditioned bus awaits you. Enjoy a 1 1/2-hour drive through the Peruvian countryside. When arriving at Iquitos International airport, your guides will assist you with your baggage and check-in, and will wait with you until you are ready to board your flight to Lima.
2:00 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.
3:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 381
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change. Flights are not included in price.

For further information about these programs have your Travel Agent call Tara Tours

1-800-327-0080 or send mail to: tara@taratours.com

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