Amazon Pacaya Samiria Cruise
(Iquitos upriver to National Reserve)Day 1, Friday or Saturday:
Upon arrival in Lima, Peru, you are met at the airport and the local staff personnel will assist with your luggage and then transfer you into town to the colonial-style Hotel Antigua Miraflores for the overnight.
(Note: We suggest you consider arriving a day early for a more leisurely start of the tour. We can add an extra overnight in Lima or Iquitos.)
Day 2:
An early morning flight across the snow-capped Andes Mountains and over the winding rivers of the Amazon, takes you from the urban jungle to the rainforest jungle. Upon arrival in the morning to the rubber-boom era, city of Iquitos, a representative meets and takes you to the dock to board the ship. En route is a short sight-seeing tour to view the Belen Market, Main Plaza, the Eiffel House, and boardwalk area. After settled onboard, your English-speaking, naturalist guide gives a general ship orientation, crew member introduction and ship's safety information while sailing along the city's riverfront commercial area. Departing a few miles downstream on the Itaya River, we soon meet up with the Amazon River viewing the islands, small villages, and farms.
A Peruvian-style, welcome buffet lunch is served in the dining room while the M/V Arapaima sails up stream. In the afternoon is a boating excursion into the rainforest to observe the immensity of the trees and the incredible amount of botanical diversity.
Mid-evening, we pass the juncture of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers whose waters form the Rio Amazonas. We continue up the Marañon River to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, which is shaped by this triangular area of river's confluence, located about 93 miles from Iquitos. (B, L, D)
We awake to the exotic sounds of the dawn chorus and join our naturalist guide for a bird-watching excursion along the Marañon's river edges. We are afforded excellent views and photo opportunities of different species we might see jacamars, Ibis, parrots, the spectacular red-and-green, blue-and-gold and Scarlet macaws among the other wildlife that reside within this virgin paradise.
After lunch, an optional lecture by the naturalist guide introduces you to this rainforest and water Reserve.
By early afternoon, the M/V Arapaima arrives at San Martin Lake, part of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. As the day begins to cool, we board the excursion boats to explore the jungle. Birds call sporadically to each other in shrill chirps shattering the silence, while our and the naturalist guide's eyes try to locate the noisy species. Dinner is served while the ship continues sailing up stream on the Samiria River. Sunsets are a special time in Amazonia as they can provide an unbelievable myriad of colors! Later, the dark Amazon sky becomes nature's own planetarium with its open expanse of brilliant stars, providing hours of delight! (B, L, D)
Day 4:
At daybreak, we continue exploring the Amazon flooded forest and a black water oxbow lake near Ranger Checkpoint #2. The lagoon there is often crowded with giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies, whose enormous leaves can exceed five feet in diameter. We also search the jungle surrounding the lake for primitive-looking birds called Hoatzins and a huge variety of colorful birds, Three-toed sloth, and numerous species of monkeys like Squirrel and Capuchin.
After breakfast, our guide teaches us how to catch piranhas and other fish species using cane poles. In these waters, we can see a great variety of the Amazon's edible fishes such as the huge Piache (Arapaima gigas), for which your ship is named. It is the world's largest, scaled freshwater fish. A primitive species that can grow over to over 800 lbs, it has scales so large and rough that Amazonian people use them as rasps and decoration.
Tonight, we board the launches and use our flashlights to pierce the darkness and catch the shining red eyes of the black Amazon caiman, frogs, snakes, and nocturnal birds. (B, L, D)
Day 5:
After breakfast, we have an introduction to Reserve's ecosystem. Your naturalist guide will translate for the park rangers and native guides. They will explain the significance of annual floods to the health of the river and rainforest, and how it effects the lives of the local people as they adapt to changes in water levels. As we slowly make our way upstream on the Samiria River and into even narrower waterways with walls of tropical vegetation, we are entertained by the tales our naturalist guides about the region's ecology.
The Reserve is called "La Selva de los Espejos" (the jungle of mirrors) for its mirrorlike reflections in the waters of the Reserve's lakes and lagoons. Its 10,800 square miles of seasonally flooded swamp forest is home to some of the most biologically diverse wildlife on earth. It provides for an enormous variety of wildlife and flora, such as 250 species of tree per hectare and 573 species of birds! Although we may literally trip over plants, the fauna is harder to locate and each find is a discovery in itself. (B, L, D)
Day 6:
We have another fascinating and full day of exploring in the Reserve. An outstanding feature of the Reserve's waters is the large population of both Gray and Pink Amazon River Dolphins, which are often seen cavorting near the ship and along the shoreline. During the day's outings, we will search for primates, such as Capuchins, Pygmy Marmosets, and spider monkeys, sloths, and colorful birds. We can expect to see trees in a mind-numbing variety of shapes, sizes, colors and configurations, with vines hanging and weaving amongst them, and hosting a wide variety of orchids and bromeliads.
After dinner is a another nighttime adventure for spotting Caiman and wildlife. The launch boats will take us into shallow marshy areas to look for the red eyes of the caimans along the riverbanks and to listen to the jungle's night sounds. During the night, we start our cruise out of the Reserve back to the Marañon River. In the darkness, the front decks provide an enchanting place to witness the navigation skills of the pilots as they maneuver the ship on the twisting jungle rivers. (B, L, D)
Day 7:
Today, we hope to reach another region of flooded forest and small jungle lakes where we have the chance to spot the prehistoric Hoatzin bird. We can also fish for armored catfish, sardines, and piranhas. If you catch your own, the chef will even cook them for you.
We later stop at the Nauta Caño tributary to hike into the forest. This gives us a chance to see additional things we might not see from the river. This area is famous for its high concentration of wildlife and with luck we may see many rare and endangered species.
During the afternoon, we visit a village at the Yarapa River to barter and shop for souvenirs and learn how the local people live in conjunction with their environment.
Tonight, we bid a good-bye to our captain and crew at the farewell dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 8, Friday, or Saturday:
We arrive into Iquitos mid-morning. Following breakfast and disembarkation, as your luggage is stored for later, you have time to browse around this exotic town at our own pace. You can explore the city's tourist sights, shop, relax at Ari's Burger cafe, and even ride on a motorized rickshaw. An array of activities like a city tour, visit to the local zoo, and meals at local restaurants, may also be arranged (at an additional cost).
Unless staying extra nights in Iquitos, the local staff personnel will assist with the late afternoon transfer to the airport and check-in for the flight to Lima. Connections to late night, USA return flights, arrive back into the USA early the next morning. (B)
You are welcome to call us anytime at 1-239-992-9660, or toll free at 800-446-9660 or email us at travel@GoExploring.com for a detailed Trip Brochure.
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