The Amazon Voyage

Aboard La Amatista

November 11 – 20, 2011

From the sky, the Amazon looks like a lush, green blanket stretching as far as the eye can see, with silver ribbons snaking across it. But on the ground, the world’s largest rain forest, and its rivers comprise a complex realm where even the teeniest insect, seemingly invasive vine and inhibited bird all serve important roles.

• Cruise aboard a small, classic teak riverboat that feels very much "of the place."
• Travel with naturalist guides who grew up in the Amazon.
• Take daily outings by small boats to observe birds, primates, sloths, dolphins and other animals.
• Go ashore to interact with the ribereño people living in riverside villages.

Trip Itinerary

Friday, November 11, 2011: U.S. / Lima, Peru
Fly to Lima, the nation’s capital. Transfer to our hotel to spend the night. Swissotel (D aloft)

Saturday, November 12: Lima / Iquitos / Nauta / Embark
Tour historic Lima, seeing the cathedral and Plaza Mayor. Fly over the Andes Mountains to Iquitos and drive to the port city of Nauta to board La Amatista. Enjoy a welcome dinner as we start a slow cruise up the mighty Amazon. (B,L,D)

Sunday, November 13: Marañón River / Amazon River / Ucayali River
The ship continues upriver, passing small villages and channels that wind around small islands. Look for such marsh birds as oriole black birds, white-necked herons and yellow-headed caracaras. Through your binoculars you may even spot three-toed sloths hanging high in the canopy or green iguanas clinging to trunks. Come upon the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón rivers – a well-known spot considered the beginning of the Amazon River and approximately 2,400 miles from the meeting of the Amazon and the Atlantic Ocean. Stop at a village along the river and meet the Ribereño people and schoolchildren who live there. On the Ucayali River, look for gray and pink dolphins cavorting near the riverboat. Later, take your first outing into the rain forest to see the giant water lilies that float atop oxbow lakes and look for monkeys and sloths. As dusk approaches, sac-winged bats begin foraging. (B,L,D)

Monday, November 14: Ucayali River / Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
Explore a small tributary in search of piranha, which are common in slow-moving water. Look for monkeys, sloths and an enormous variety of birds. Continue upriver to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the largest wetland reserve in the world. Monk sakis, squirrel monkeys and saddle-backed tamarins are often seen here. A nighttime boat outing may reveal capybaras, common potoos and other nocturnal wildlife. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, November 15: Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
Spend the day exploring the flooded realm, looking for such wading birds as herons, wattled jacanas and horned screamers. Parrots – including festive, yellow-headed and orange-winged – are common too. Enter an igapó (seasonally flooded forest), where plants differ from those along the main course of the Amazon. A forest walk is a possibility. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, November 16: Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
Board the motorboats and head even deeper into the heart of the vast wetlands. Look for such birds as canary-winged and dusky-headed parakeets and scarlet macaws. Squirrel monkeys are common throughout this region as well. At a ranger station, go on a short hike to explore the forest (conditions permitting). After a picnic lunch, venture back to the riverboat through a maze of interconnected waterways. (B,L,D)

Thursday, November 17: Ucayali River / Marañón River
Head downriver this morning, with opportunities to go on wildlife excursions, including a special nocturnal outing. In the darkness, with spotlights leading the way, listen to the sounds of the rain forest and look for nocturnal animals at their most active. Caimans are often seen, and with any luck, you might spot a colorful poison dart frog. (B,L,D)

Friday, November 18: Marañón River
Journey into the forest today. Large trees festooned with epiphytes, palms and woody vines and covered with a vaulted canopy add to the shadowed mystery of the tropical rain forest. (B,L,D)

Saturday, November 19: Nauta / Iquitos / Lima / Depart
Disembark in Nauta and drive to Iquitos to board a flight to Lima. Enjoy lunch at a distinctive restaurant popular with locals. The rest of the afternoon is free, with dayrooms available and dinner on your own before returning to the airport for overnight flights to the United States. Dayrooms at the Swissotel (B,L)

Sunday, November 20: U.S.
Arrive in the United States and connect with flights home. (Meals aloft)