Amazon: Discovering the Ultimate Jungle (4 Days)

$4,050.00

Start Location: Iquitos, Peru; End Location: Iquitos, Peru

Duration: 4 Days

Travel Season: Year round (Best: May to June, high water)

Ship: Aqua Expeditions - Aqua Nera

Venture deep into the emerald heart of the Amazon to encounter elusive jaguars, vibrant macaws, and primordial flooded forests. Navigate mirror-like tributaries aboard nimble skiffs, past dense canopies echoing with exotic birds and playful river otters, and watch for pink river dolphins breaking the dark, reflective surface of the water.

Highlights at a Glance

• Mammals: Pink river dolphin - ten or more a day, and calves that follow the skiff.

• Birds: Toucan and toco toucan - scarlet and blue-and-gold macaws over the boat at dawn and dusk - hoatzin, the prehistoric blue-faced bird, in thousands.

• Reptiles and amphibians: Black caiman - red eyes in the spotlight at night, over five metres at their largest - spectacled caiman by the dozen - anaconda, three to five.

Itinerary

5°S4.5°S4°S3.5°S74°W73.5°W73°WIquitosTahuayo RiverNautaUcayali River12·53450 km

1 Iquitos · 2·5 Nauta · 3 Tahuayo River · 4 Ucayali River

Day 1Iquitos / Nauta — Embarkation

Guests arrive on the recommended midday flight into Iquitos, the largest city on earth unreachable by road, and are met for the group transfer. A short city tour and welcome lunch precede the roughly ninety-minute drive south to the river port of Nauta, with boarding of Aqua Nera by around 5.30pm. The evening covers suite orientation, the safety briefing and the first dinner of Amazonian cuisine developed with consulting chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

Day 2Amazonas and Tahuayo Rivers

An early skiff excursion at sunrise on the Amazonas goes after the region's extraordinary birdlife, from hoatzins and macaws to horned screamers, before returning for breakfast. The day's main outing explores the Tahuayo tributary with the naturalist guides, with chances to spot pink and grey river dolphins, sloths and monkeys, and to fish for Amazonia's notorious piranhas. A night skiff searches for caimans and nocturnal wildlife, followed by stargazing from the observation deck.

Day 3Clavero Lake and the Ucayali River

The morning is spent on the magnificent black waters of Clavero Lake, with kayaking, canoeing and — where conditions allow — swimming, plus a visit to a riverside community. In the afternoon a guided jungle walk through the forest at San Jose de Paranapura takes in towering hardwoods and the giant Victoria amazonica water lilies. The day closes with a crew appreciation gathering and a skiff exploration of the flooded floodplain forest.

Day 4Nauta — Disembarkation

An early guided walk through the local market showcases Amazonian produce, fish and fruit, with an optional visit to a local beekeeper. After breakfast and packing, the group disembarks at Nauta at around 9.00am and transfers by road towards Iquitos. The final stop is the Manatee Rescue Center, a sanctuary for orphaned Amazonian manatees, before the airport transfer for afternoon flights.

Ship

Aqua Expeditions - Aqua Nera. Design Suite - First Deck; Design Suite - Second Deck; Interconnecting Design Suites (105 & 107, 106 & 108, 205 & 207, 206 & 208); Dining Room; Indoor Lounge and Bar; Outdoor Lounge; Plunge Pool; Observation Deck; Games Room; Movie Screening Room; Spa and Massage Room; Gym; Boutique; Skiff fleet and kayaks.

All-Inclusive Package

• Gathering and dismissal in Iquitos, Peru, with complimentary group airport transfers on Aqua's recommended flights

• Road transfers between Iquitos and the port of Nauta, including the Iquitos city tour and welcome lunch

• Design suite accommodation aboard Aqua Nera with river-facing panoramic windows

• All meals, including Amazonian tasting menus designed with consulting chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino

• All non-alcoholic drinks, plus selected wines and beer

• Twice-daily small-group excursions - skiff rides, guided jungle walks, kayaking and canoeing, community visits - in groups of no more than twelve

• Expert English-speaking naturalist guides throughout

• Entrance fee to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve

• Daily laundry service

• High-speed satellite Wi-Fi throughout the vessel

• Use of kayaks, fishing tackle, binoculars and rubber boots

Not Included

• International and domestic airfare to and from Iquitos

• Peruvian visa where required, and travel insurance

• Private transfers for guests arriving outside the recommended flight windows

• Spa and massage treatments, and boutique purchases

• Premium spirits, satellite phone calls and gratuities for crew and guides