Five days and four nights exploring the wonderful Amazon, the Marañón and Ucayali rivers and their tributaries. The Pacaya Samiria Reserve will be the perfect scenario for a trip into the most exotic areas nature has to offer. As we enter the world’s largest flooded forest, we will admire the extraordinary wildlife, the immense number of primate species, the hundreds of colorful exotic birds, the close-up view of the gray and pink dolphins, visit to local villages, nocturnal wildlife safaris, visit to the Manatee Rescue Center and many additional activities that will allow you to get to know and fall in love with the incredible Amazon.
You’ll be picked up at the airport and brought to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels Iquitos where you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch before being transferred by private vehicle to the main dock of the city of Iquitos to board the cruise ship. Our staff will show you to your suite, which will be equipped with comfortable beds, 100% Peruvian Pima cotton sheets, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning and a private bathroom with a shower and amenities.
Before setting sail, our bartender will serve you a cocktail prepared with local fruit and pisco, the most popular liquor in Peru. You can sip it while enjoying 360° views from the observation deck or a panoramic view from the indoor or outdoor lounge. After setting sail, our naturalist guides will offer an overview of the travel itinerary, including activities, routes, information about wildlife and vegetation, geographical and historical context, as well as other useful info.
If you have any doubts or concerns, our guides are always available to answer your questions. We’ll then enjoy the welcome dinner. Start your journey by dining Peruvian cuisine with an Amazon flare. There are many options on our menu, including vegetarian alternatives. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary needs. After dinner, you’ll be able to take in stunning views of the starry night sky while we start our journey to the to the depth of the Amazon rainforest.
Before breakfast, we’ll go out for a boating expedition on the Amazon River to explore the local flora and fauna. When you get back, enjoy our breakfast buffet, which offers a daily selection of traditional dishes, Peruvian specialties, freshly baked goods and a range of freshly squeezed juices. After breakfast, we’ll head out to see the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón rivers, which give rise to the Amazon River.
Here we’ll observe pink and gray river dolphins. We’ll go back to the boat for lunch by midday and then have time to rest. Make sure you attend the talk about the source of the Amazon and the hydrography of the river so that you’ll be up to speed for our walk to Puerto Prado, where we’ll see the Victoria Amazonica, the largest water lily in the world. We’ll then head back to the boat for dinner and live music. After dinner, we’ll enjoy a nighttime outing in search of caimans, tarantulas, frogs and other nocturnal species.
Breakfast and outing on skiff to different lakes and lagoons, until we reach the Japanese Lagoon. There, we’ll enjoy a picnic and one of the best conserved and protected areas of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. It’s also a popular spot to view pink river dolphins from the skiff. Before heading back to the Zafiro, we’ll take a trip to the Yanaquillo. Once we’re back on the cruise ship, we’ll get ready to go kayaking and take a dip in the black waters. Head back for lunch aboard the Zafiro.
Before starting the afternoon activity, our guides will give a talk about the Amazon philosophy. Afterward, we’ll take a walk through the rainforest over hanging bridges, where you can admire the riches of the rainforest from the treetops. Once we’re back on the Zafiro, our bartender will give a demonstration of how to make Peruvian cocktails, and we’ll then enjoy live music while we await the gala dinner with the captain.
Breakfast and visit to the community of San Regis, where we’ll learn about the local people’s way of life and traditions. We’ll also learn about their ancestral traditions from the community’s shaman. With our guides as interpreters, we’ll be able to ask questions about spiritual connections and curing the soul. We’ll then continue the ceremony by planting a tree as a positive contribution to the environment. There, we’ll also see a market set up by women from the community to sell their handmade crafts. Head back for lunch aboard the Zafiro.
After resting, the guides will tell us about the myths and legends of the Amazon. In the afternoon, we’ll head out on a skiff to the Shiriyacu stream. There, we’ll find a good spot to do some piranha fishing using local techniques and equipment. Back on the boat, we’ll enjoy the stunning colors of the sunset. Return to the Zafiro, live music and dinner.
Before breakfast, we’ll visit Nauta, the second most important city in the region. Upon arriving, we’ll take a motorcycle taxi to the local market where we’ll see what business in the city is like firsthand. After, we’ll head back to Zafiro cruise for breakfast. After breakfast we will proceed to disembark. On the way to the airport, we will visit the Manatee Rescue Center (Amazon Forever Organization) where biologists and volunteers care for manatees, an endangered species that authorities have rescued. We will learn how manatees are treated and prepared for their return to their Activities on board natural habitat.
Likewise, we will be able to see other animals that have also been rescued from their captors with the intention of turning them into pets or because they have been in threatening conditions. We will invite you to make a donation to this dedicated organization and study center. Afterwards, you’ll be transferred to the airport.
