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Aqua, Amazon River Expedition (High Water) Cruise ex Iquitos Return
Aqua, Amazon River Expedition (High Water) Cruise ex Iquitos Return
[Ship: Aqua]
4 Night Amazon River Expedition Cruise operates December - May (High Water), departing roundrip from Iquitos onboard Aqua.
Duration & Cruise Type:
4 day
Package Departs::
Iquitos, Peru
4 Night Amazon River Expedition Cruise operates December - May (High Water), departing roundrip from Iquitos onboard Aqua.
Day 1:
Tuesday
ARRIVAL/NAUTA/EMBARKATION/MARAÑON RIVER
4:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
5:50 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.
6:00 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.
7:30 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/Manatee Rescue Center/Transfer to the Airport
Your afternoon in the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by river or air, will not disappoint. This bustling town, complete with a house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich center of the rubber industry. 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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
5:00 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.
6:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 371
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change.
Day 1:
Tuesday
ARRIVAL/NAUTA/EMBARKATION/MARAÑON RIVER
4:05 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 394
5:50 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.
6:00 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.
7:30 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/Manatee Rescue Center/Transfer to the Airport
Your afternoon in the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by river or air, will not disappoint. This bustling town, complete with a house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich center of the rubber industry. 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. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.
5:00 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.
6:20 p.m. Your Flight Departs for Lima LP 371
Note: All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. All times indicated are approximate, and are also subject to change.
For the ultimate luxury aboard the M/V Aqua, book one of spacious master suites, measuring a generous 240 square feet and including a separate, intimate seating area for optimum privacy. These four fully air-conditioned suites, 105, 106, 205, and 206, face outward at the very front of the vessel, and are wrapped in panoramic glass windows. Open the curtain at the foot of your California king-sized (or separate singles) bed at night and count the constellations in a sky filled with brilliant stars. The Master Suites, like all of our luxury suites, contain a private bath, complete with all necessities, plus a shower that has hot water around the clock, a hairdryer, and a basket of luxury toiletries. The fine Peruvian linens, with a thread count in the hundreds, sooth you to sleep with a sense of elegant luxury. And there is an internal communication system, to facilitate announcements. For the most luxurious Aqua Expeditions Experience, book a Master Suite.
All of the M/V Aqua's oversized suites measure a spacious 230 square feet, with a comfortable en suite seating area and extra-large windows that enable you to get the "big picture" of the rivers and their banks from the comfort of your air-conditioned room. All suites are decorated to create the feeling of a luxury lodge on the Amazon River, complete with Amazon photography by French photographer Jean Claude Constant. Sheet and bedspreads are 100% Peruvian cotton, with at least a 280-thread count.
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