Amazon Adventures

Peru

M/V Aqua

The new M/V Aqua, the first luxury vessel ever to cruise the northern Amazon, has 12 oversized guest suites, including four 180° panoramic master suites, feature en suite sitting areas and generous outward-facing panoramic windows. Each of the handsomely decorated, air-conditioned suites measures between 230 to 240 (master suites)square feet and is designed by noted Peruvian architect Jordi Puig. Four suites can be interconnected to cater to families. You can socialize in the dining room, indoor lounge, on the observation deck, and in the outdoor lounge. The ship also has 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.

All of the M/V Aqua's oversized suites have 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.

Relax between adventures, or enjoy a pre- or post-dinner cocktail, in our air-conditioned Indoor Bar, a soothing oasis in an exotic location. The atmosphere is casual, the music is soft, and the conversation is good. Drinks and light snacks are available in our Outdoor Lounge, perfect any time, but especially lovely at night, when you can see stars glistening brighter than you have ever seen before. Fine dining, deep in the Amazon jungle, may sound unlikely, yet you will find it aboard the M/V Aqua. Gaze out at the great wilderness from the elegant comfort of the ship's dining room. Lima star chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino will oversee the M/V Aqua menus and restaurant operations, focusing on fresh, delicious Peruvian fare, paired with fine South American wines. Schiaffino is owner of Lima’s renowned Malabar Restaurant, and previously made his international reputation at La Huaca Pucllana, where his superb nouveau-Andean fare resulted in an invitation to become a featured chef at the James Beard House in New York. Schiaffino studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York, and did master’s level work at the Italian Culinary Institute. While in Italy, he also honed his skills at the Michelin three-star Ristorante dal Pescatore, under renowned chef Nadia Santini, and at Piero Bertinotti’s celebrated Ristorante Pinocchio.

As the M/V Aqua skirts the edges of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, located on the headwaters of the Amazon basin, you will become one of only a handful of seasoned world travelers ever to have reached this remote, remarkably beautiful destination. Pacaya Samiria spans more than five million acres, making it twice the size of Yellowstone Park—and it is rich with wildlife and aquatic life. In winter, when the river is high, visitors can explore the small inlets and various winding river systems that make up the Reserve’s flooded forest. In summer, the river recedes and beautiful sandy river beaches form. Only about 30,000 people live in this vast tract of land. You will have the chance to meet some of them. In addition, park rangers will show you some of the conservation and sustainability projects that are part of this vast reserve.

When you arrive at Pacaya Samiria Reserve, you will enter a world filled with birds in neon-brilliant colors, playful monkeys, graceful hawks and herons and millions of butterflies. You will have the opportunity to see hundreds of species, including the endangered pink Amazon dolphin, the rare giant river otter—and perhaps, if you are very lucky—a sleek, black jaguar. In this glorious environment, parrots and macaws perch in trees as though posing . . . fuzzy orange and chic black howler monkeys munch on the treetop leaves . . . pre-historic looking iguanas, like mini-dinosaurs, laze in the sun. You will have the chance to watch long-legged cormorants fish for their dinner, and will probably see alligators cooling themselves in the river, and possibly from a safe distance, the legendary boa constrictor.

When is Best Time to Visit the Amazon? - You've always dreamed of journeying along the Amazon, but you're not sure which season is the best season to visit. There is a simple answer . . . both seasons offer rich rewards . . . fabulous sites . . . amazing opportunities to view plant and animal life . . . and hot weather and some rainy days.

ABOUT THE FLOODED SEASON: Our flooded season runs from December through April--summer and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. It is our cooler and wet season, but keep in mind that we get only a little more than half (60%) of our total rainfall during the flooded season, and that it is hot in the Amazon any time of year. There are great benefits to traveling at this time of year. Perhaps most important, the rivers and streams are about 23 feet higher, meaning that every river, creek and lake is navigable. Also, that extra 23 feet puts travelers much closer to the jungle canopy, where monkeys play and our beautiful Amazon birds like to roost. Increased navigability by water has the flip side that areas to walk and hike are sometimes limited at this time, and if we do find usable hiking trails there will be more mosquitoes than in the dry season. Fishing is more limited during these months too, but you still have close to a 50% chance to get out your rod and reel and make a catch.

ABOUT THE DRY SEASON: The Dry Season in Amazonia coincides with our winter in the Southern Hemisphere (from June to November). This is the warmer season, with temperature averaging 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and, despite its name, the dry season still gets some heavy rains. A key difference is that trails and jungle paths that are flooded from December to May are now easily accessible, allowing groups to explore deep in the jungle (accompanied by fewer mosquitoes than during the flooded season). The flip side of that, however, is that water levels are lower, which means that some of the creeks and lakes that we visit during the flooded season are inaccessible. However, during these months fishing is 100 percent guaranteed . . . you even stand a fair chance to catch a piranha. And while the lower river levels mean that you are farther from the birds that roost in the jungle canopy, you will have the change to see dozens of species of migratory birds in flight.

Itineraries

Deck Plan

Fact Sheet

Brochure

2008 Departures Dates

2008 Rates per person double occupancy(US$):
7 Night Itinerary (Sat.-Sat.) $4,550 for suite, $4,900 for master suite
4 Night Itinerary (Tue.-Sat.) $2,600 for suite, $2,800 for master suite
3 Night Itinerary (Sat.-Tue.) $1,950 for suite, $2,100 for master suite
Single supplement: 2 times adult rate.

2009 Rates per person double occupancy(US$):
7 Night Itinerary (Sat.-Sat.) $4,900 for suite, $5,250 for master suite
4 Night Itinerary (Tue.-Sat.) $2,800 for suite, $3,000 for master suite
3 Night Itinerary (Sat.-Tue.) $2,100 for suite, $2,250 for master suite
Single supplement: 2 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

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

At Aqua Expeditions we believe that responsible operations play a crucial role in protecting the health of people, wildlife and the rainforest. We are genuinely committed to keeping our rivers clean and beautiful, for today and for generations to come. As a result, our environmentally responsible tourism operates at a world-class level that is above the requirements of local regulations.

Meticulous waste management represents a major step towards ensuring conservation of the environment. All waste is treated onboard in fully-contained storage tanks. The result is 100% clean, sterile water that can safely be discharged into the rivers of the Amazon Basin. In fact we are the only vessel operating on the Amazon to have a sophisticated sewage treatment plant. Our waste storage tanks comply fully with IMO and U.S. Coast Guard standards.

Water is a scarce commodity and an essential resource vital for human health. Natural water is contaminated by undesirable substances or microorganisms that can be harmful. We collect and treat river water on board by using our 7,000 liter purification system in order to provide water fit for human consumption.

Our M/V AQUA's new Cummins NT 855 2007 model engines are fuel efficient, quieter, virtually smoke free and with a marked reduction in emissions. Furthermore, in order to minimize noise and vibration on board, our Marine Generators have been encapsulated. All these measures comply with the latest IMO and EPA standards. The three expedition skiffs come equipped with new 40 HP Mercury Outboard engines providing Three-Star Ultra-Low Emissions, as certified by the California Air Resource Board, and producing 65% lower emissions than engines meeting U.S. EPA's 2006 standards.

Ecolab provides the most effective and efficient cleaning, food safety and infection control programs available worldwide. Our use of their cleaning and sanitation products increases safety, lowers consumption of water and energy and reduces the chemicals and waste released into the environment.

The M/V AQUA is the only Amazon vessel to be certified by Shipowners, which is a private Protection and Indemnity Club that certifies vessels for safety and responsible operations. The vessel has undergone rigorous inspection in order to comply with their surveyor's levels of safety.

At Aqua Expeditions we are truly dedicated to preserving the glorious, but environmentally threatened, Amazon Basin and will continue seeking new initiatives to further improve our performance.

"Travel to Peru's northern jungles has finally received an upgrade from the basic river tours and lodges that were previously a traveler's choice. Aqua Expeditions has launched three, four and seven-day luxury tours to the remote Pacaya Samiria Reserve on the M/V Aqua."
Centurion Magazine, an American Express Publication, Spring 2008.

"The Amazon Queen. Taking high-end upstream. Exploring the headwaters of the Amazon has never been a pleasure cruise. Enter the new M/V Aqua, a 130-foot, 12-suite expedition ship now navigating the flooded rainforest of northern Peru in style."
National Geographic Adventure, March 2008.

"Now is the time for messing about on a river, five-star style. At the end of this month, the Aqua -an intimate vessel that sleeps 24- will make its maiden voyage into the Peruvian rainforest on the Amazon."
Condé Nast Traveller UK, March 2008.

"Trips of the Year 2008. Best way to see the Amazon. The Aqua elevates Amazonian river travel to hedonistic levels. The brand-new, 130-foot pleasure cruiser has 12 air-conditioned cabins, ample windows for watching howler monkeys, river dolphins and almost 300 bird species; and a chef who knows how to turn fresh-caught bass into delectable ceviche."
Outside, April 2008.