Amazon Adventures

Brazil

Heart of Amazonia

This trip explores some of the most untouched rainforest in all of the Amazon. On our expedition vessel, the Motor Yacht Tucano we venture far up the least inhabited river in the Amazon Basin: The Rio Negro. We explore areas very rarely visited and seek out the mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest and in the heart of wild nature. Heart of Amazonia is the most thorough, detailed, and sophisticated trip offered in the entire Amazon.Our guides are accomplished naturalists and we see creatures almost never seen by other visitors. The trip is rather like being on a time machine in that we are able to visit places that have not changed for millions of years. Truly the trip of a lifetime.

There are still remote and unspoiled places in the world. This expedition cruise goes to a new reserve in the center of the Amazon. This reserve, the Corredor Ecológico Central da Amazônica encompasses several large river systems and tens of thousands of square miles of uninhabited wilderness. The Brasilian Institute for the Environment, (IBAMA) has created a reserve large enough to preserve the biological diversity of this still undeveloped part of the Amazon. Entrance to the area will be strictly for educational purposes. This vast area is so remote that it is still filled with the creatures that have made the Amazon the object of myth and legend. We go there!

Day 1 Passengers meet the guide at 7am in the reception area of the Hotel Tropical, then we will board the Amazon expedition boat . After settling in our cabins we will depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we will scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. Around midday we will have a presentation by our guides about the fascinating rainforest creatures that we will observe on the trip. By mid-afternoon we will be beyond settlement and enter wilderness area. Both shores will be covered by dense rainforest where all of the beasts for which the Amazon is famous still roam. The top Observation Deck is a great place to keep an eye out for wildlife. Though we never know what we will see, there is a good chance that we wil see pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon we will explore a small stream with our boat's launches, hunting for wildlife. We might also go for a swim is some of the world's most clean and refreshing water. (BLD)

Day 2 Early this morning we will explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and there should be a morning serenade of toucans along with a hundred other kinds of birds. After breakfast we will go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we will return to the boat and get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the early afternoon we will explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. This evening, after dinner,we may hunt for nocturnal wildlife and even catch a small caiman to examine closely. (BLD)

Day 3 This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. On our walk in the forest we will keep our eyes open for monkeys--with luck we may observe some bearded sakis or squirrel monkeys. We return for breakfast and a swim and travel during the middle of the day. Mid-afternoon we will excursion in our launches. Tonight we will make some headway on our course and stop at a good place to make a morning excursion. (BLD)

Day 4 After an early morning excursion we will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler's home carved out of the forest. The thatched hut and the kindness of the settlers disguise an amazingly complex way of life. The warmth of our reception will be evidence of a centuries old tradition of hospitality. These visits with families so far in the forest are often the high points of our trips. We should arrive in the early afternoon at an extraordinary river called the Rio Lauaperi. Here we will for the first time see a kind of forest known as the varzea-a type of forest very rich in wildlife and very different from what we have seen on the Rio Negro. There will be orchids on the tree branches and bromeliads in bloom. This area is known for the large groups of caiman (the Amazon's crocodiles), especially the largest in the Americas, the Black Caiman. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this kind of environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal wildlife. (BLD)

Day 5 Today we will depart the Rio Jauaperi and proceed down the southwestern bank of the Rio Negro. This side of the river has different wildlife than we've previously seen. We will scout along the wilderness shore in our boat's launches. We may also stop and visit the homes of some forest settlers and marvel at their tremendous pioneering skills. During the night we will continue to travel down the Rio Negro. (BLD)

Day 6 Today we will cross to the other side of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. Along with our several daily excursions in our launches we will make a stop at the substantial boat building village Novo Airao. We will walk through the streets and marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Travelling through the night we will arrive near the confluence of the Amazon and Negro Rivers. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the "Caipirinha" and listen to some Brazilian music. (BLD)

Day 7 This morning we will explore by launch the Lago Janauari Ecological Park where the thick brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest. This area is thick with life and we are almost guaranteed to see monkeys. We will certainly see large and beautiful birds and have a good chance of seeing other large mammals like anteaters or perhaps a sloth. During breakfast the boat will get underway and we will travel to the "Encontra das Aguas" the stark several mile long line where the world's two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon we will cruise along the Amazon River and visit some of the interesting channels that shoot off into the forest. We will have an afternoon excursion exploring a hidden stream to try to see more of the Amazon's beautiful and bizarre creatures. In the evening we will return to Manaus and overnight on the boat. (BLD)

Day 8 After breakfast passengers can disembark at 8am. The day is without planned activities, but guests may go on an optional prearranged city tour ($60) or visit some other points of interest in Manaus. Later we will go to the international airport for our return flight to the United States. (B)

Please note that the day to day schedule must be considered approximate. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational considerations.

Land Cost: 2008 departures = $2300 per person double occupancy
Single supplement: there is no single supplement if you are willing to share. If you want a cabin to yourself, there is a 40% supplement. The single cabins are not as large as the double cabins. Cabins are assigned by lottery. A $300 fee is required if you want to reserve a specific cabin. There are 5 twin cabins and 4 with upper/lower beds. A few of the cabins can accommodate a small 3rd bed, which makes it good for families

2008 - (Sunday to Sunday) (7 Nights) Rate: $2,300usd
May 18-25, Jun 01-08, Jun 15-22, Jul 06-13, Jul 20-27, Aug 03-10, Aug 17-24, Sep 07-14, Sep 21-28, Oct 05-12, Oct 19-26, Nov 09-16, Nov 23-30, Dec 07-14 , Dec 21-28

2009 - Jan 04-11, Jan 18-25, Feb 01-8, Feb 15-22 , Mar 08-15, Mar 22-29, Apr 05-12, Apr 19-26, May 03-10, May 17-24, May 31-Jun 07, Jun 14-21, Jun 28-Jul 05, Jul 12-19, Jul 26-Aug 02, Aug 09-16, Aug 23-30, Sep 20-27, Oct 04-11, Oct 18-25, Nov 01-08, Nov 15-22, Nov 29- Dec 06, Dec 20-27

On the family departures, some additional activities suitable for children are included and children 14 and under travel for 1/2 price. On regular departures, children 14 years and under who share a room with an adult are eligible for a 20% discount off of the normal price. An enhanced children's program features an insect zoo capture, a netted onboard zoo to house captured insects that kids will observe and feed during the cruise. Also offered are lessons on how to paddle native canoes, a visit to a local school, a specially designed jungle survival course, fishing for piranhas and swimming whenever possible

Group Size: Maximum of 18 passengers, minimum of 8

Private Charters: The boat can be chartered for a 6 day itinerary for private groups. The 2007 price would be US$1700 per person, with a minimum of 12, maximum of 18 passengers. The price will bee US$1850 per person in 2008. Groups smaller than 12 are allowed if the minimum revenue is met (12 x $1700 in 2007 or 12 x $1850 in 2008). See charter itinerary.
Possible charter dates will be:
2008 - May 26-31, Jun 09-14, Jun 23-28, Jun 30-Jul 05, Jul 14-19, Jul 28-Aug 02, Aug 11-16, Aug 25-30, Sep 01-06, Sep 15-20, Sep 29-Oct 04, Oct 13-18, Oct 27-Nov 01, Nov 03-08, Nov 17-22, Dec 01-06, Dec 15-20, Dec 29-Jan 03, (‘09)

Prices Include: All accommodations, transfers to and from the Hotel Tropical (if passengers arrive on Monday or Tuesday before the trip and if they depart on Thursday or Friday after the trip, meals as indicated in the itinerary (Codes: B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner). Bottled water and fruit juices are served on the boat Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages available at modest additional expense.
Other Transfers: If you arrive or depart on other days or want transfers to and from another hotel, add $25 per person

Prices Do Not Include: Any airfare, visa fees, gratuities, airport departure taxes, excess baggage fees, items of a personal nature, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages.

Degree of Difficulty: Good health is necessary. Though the trip does not include endurance hiking, passengers should be able to get in and out of launches and feel comfortable walking at a leisurely pace for 2 hours at a time.

About the boat...... The boat used is 80 feet long and probably the nicest excursion vessel on the Amazon. It has 9 large cabins with private bathrooms containing a shower, toilet and sink. All the cabins are air-conditioned, as is the enormous salon. There is a large observation deck with a sun canopy and a wide balcony around the entire front of the boat. For those of you who have had problems getting into top bunks on other cruises, we want to let you know that ladders are provided.

Brazil

Heart of Amazonia

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