Join us aboard the Aqua Expeditions Luxury Amazon Voyages M/V Aqua, the first luxury expedition vessel to ever sail the Amazon and its tributaries!

The Amazon River is arguably the largest river in the world rivaled only by the mighty Nile in Africa. The Amazon River's headwaters in South America originate in Peru with the Upper Amazon area in Peru consisting of a series of major river systems that flow North and South into the Marañón and Ucayali (major Amazon River tributaries) and the Amazon River.

At its widest point the Amazon River is 11 km/7 miles wide during the low water season, but during the high water season, when the Amazon floods the surrounding plains, the Amazon River can be up to 45km/28 miles in breadth.

You will start your luxury cruise floating down the Amazon River in Iquitos, a one hour twenty five minute flight from Lima, Peru. Iquitos is so remote that this charming Peruvian city can be reached only by air or water. Once a booming rubber town due to its location on the Amazon River, Iquitos now enjoys a slower pace. You will enjoy touring this lively city, which includes a building designed by Gustav Eiffel, among other highlights.

What you see along the Amazon River depends on the length of your stay. The heart of every visit, however, will be Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a protected wildlife area deep within the Amazon rainforest and jungle. The highlight of each day's journey on your luxury cruise down the Amazon will be experiencing by small ship, the pristine wilderness areas teeming with the Amazon's wildlife and amazing plant life, such as the colossal Victoria Regia water lilies. You will also encounter—and have the chance to interact with—local people living in villages along the Amazon River, as they have for centuries. When the day's sightseeing is over, the comforts of your luxurious floating hotel await you.

Your Luxury Ship - mv Aqua
The 130-foot-long, M/V Aqua is the first true luxury cruise ship on the northern Amazon River in Peru and was custom built for Aqua Expeditions by Peruvian architect Jordi Puig in 2007 to offer an extraordinary level of comfort for our guests.

The M/V Aqua can accommodate a maximum of 24 cruise ship guests plus crew. This luxury cruise ship is the perfect size to sail along the Amazon River, providing extremely comfortable lounge, dining and sleeping accommodations and modern navigation technologies and standards for cruise ship travel and safety on the water.

The M/V Aqua's twelve oversized cruise ship suites, including 4 Master suites, feature en suite sitting areas and generous outward-facing picture-windows with panoramic Amazon river views. Each of the handsomely decorated, air-conditioned cruise ship suites measure between 230 to 240 square feet. Four of these suites can be interconnected, to cater to families.

Luxury Cruise Amenities
The M/V Aqua, our luxury yacht, was custom designed in 2007 to the highest standards of modern small ship cruise lines. Our Amazon cruise ship is fully air conditioned throughout and all the suites on the M/V Aqua are comparable to a 5-star hotel with private baths, luxury toiletries and fine linen bedding to lull you to sleep under the stars of the Amazon. From our gourmet Peruvian cuisine to the crystal and china service at dinner, the amenities onboard the M/V Aqua will treat you to an intimate but luxurious Amazon River cruise.

If you need to contact your home or office for any emergency, the M/V Aqua is equipped with a satellite phone. We will inform you, prior to calling, of the current price of an international call and you can pay for these directly on board.

We do not have Internet connections onboard our cruise ship. For cellular phone contact you may need a special telephone that can operate on a foreign signal although, keep in mind that most areas outside Iquitos are so remote that you will be unable to get a signal. All cruise ship cabins also have safe deposit boxes for your valuables with instructions for their use.

Aqua Suites
All of the M/V Aqua's oversized suites measure a spacious 230 square feet, with 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.

The M/V Aqua's four master suites, at the front of the vessel, measure 240 square feet and contain all of the luxury features of the main suites, including natural fiber tapestry paneling over the bed. Large glass windows at the foot of the king-sized bed make it possible for you to pull back the curtains and count the constellations in a sky filled with brilliant stars. These suites have a totally separate seating area for optimum privacy.

Aqua Master Suites
For the ultimate luxury aboard the M/V Aqua, book one of spacious master suites, measuring a generous 240 square feet and including a separate, intimate seating area for optimum privacy. These four fully air-conditioned suites, 105, 106, 205, and 206, face outward at the very front of the vessel, and are wrapped in panoramic glass windows.

Open the curtain at the foot of your California king-sized (or separate singles) bed at night and count the constellations in a sky filled with brilliant stars. The Master Suites, like all of our luxury suites, contain a private bath, complete with all necessities, plus a shower that has hot water around the clock, a hairdryer, and a basket of luxury toiletries. The fine Peruvian linens, with a thread count in the hundreds, sooth you to sleep with a sense of elegant luxury. And there is an internal communication system, to facilitate announcements. For the most luxurious Aqua Expeditions Experience, book a Master Suite.

Aqua Dining Room
Gaze out at the great wilderness from the elegant comfort of the ship's dining room. Fine china and crystal and superb service are part of the experience, matching what you would expect from a fine dining restaurant in Lima. Choose to dine a deux, or at a table accommodating your whole family or your new friends.

Menu & Description
Fine dining, deep in the Amazon jungle, may sound like unlikely—yet you will find it aboard the M/V Aqua. Executive chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Lima's culinary stars, has created a menu that draws on both Peruvian and European influence. Wine is included with meals, giving you the opportunity to experience a range of the finest South American vintages.

Special Requests
M/V Aqua will make every attempt to accommodate special requests, and to deal with dietary requirements. Because the M/V Aqua sails in such a remote area, all requests must be made at least 30 days in advance.

Gourmet Peru Recipes & Cuisine
We offer a world class dining experience about the M/V Aqua with specially selected unique Peru recipes and cuisine. Noted Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru's top ten chefs, has created our exclusive menus. Guests aboard the Aqua will enjoy a menu of fresh, delicious Peruvian cuisine (with a bit of continental influence), whether served on board in our elegant dining room or out and about on a luxury cruise excursion in the Amazon jungle. Dinner each evening promises to be a Peruvian culinary feast for the senses, paired with premium South American wines.

Please note... if you have special dietary needs, please contact us at least 30 days prior to embarkation. Every effort will be made to cater to your specific dietary requirements, and to accommodate special occasion cuisine requests.

Indoor Lounge
Relax between Amazon 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.

Observation Deck
You will find that you spend a lot of time on the generous top-level Observation Deck, sunbathing, reading a good book, enjoying some down time after an excursion, or simply watching the river go by.

Outdoor Lounge
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.

Shopping - On Board Boutique
Our on-board boutique offers a lovely small collection of indigenous arts and crafts from the Amazon region and the rest of Peru as well as other items to help you remember your adventure in Peru aboard the M/V Aqua once you have returned home.

Professional Amazon River Guides and Cruise Ship Staff
Aqua Expeditions has assembled a talented and experienced team of naturalist and interpretive Amazon River guides and professional crew who are the most important and essential ingredient in our luxury class cruise service on Peru's Amazon River. Their expert knowledge of the Aqua cruise ship, the Amazon's wildlife, plants and birdlife and the history of this part of Peru will be the difference between a visit to Peru and an unforgettable life experience on Peru's Amazon River.

Aqua Naturalist Guides
Three highly trained interpreter Amazon River guides, who know all the flora and fauna of the Amazon, will take you on as many as three expeditions a day, aboard comfortable motorized skiffs. Your English-speaking Amazon guides will give you both the big picture of life on the Amazon, and will point out the multitude of small details that make the region special--a howler monkey hidden in a tree, a vivid butterfly resting on a leaf, a bird, such as the endangered harpy eagle, enjoying the tranquility of the Amazon basin.

Safety on Board the Aqua
Our Amazon River luxury cruise ship is equipped with backup radio communication equipment, utilizing a separate battery pack and satellite telephone service. Our cruise ship is also fully outfitted with lifejackets, flares and signals, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors in each cabin. We have emergency lighting and signs in the passage ways.

The M/V Aqua has three aluminum launch boats on board, which double as life boats in an emergency and which are equipped with four-stroke low emission engines. These outboards can remain in constant communication with the main cruise ship. Each boat can accommodate 8 passengers. Life vests are provided for use while onboard these boats and you are required to wear them.

The M/V Aqua has a paramedic on board at all times available to assist guests when necessary. Our professional Amazon River guides and certain crew members are first-aid trained. A crew member is assigned on our navigation deck to keep watch around the clock, 24/7, whether the vessel is sailing or docked.

Amazon River Cruise - Travel Packing list
Life is casual aboard the Aqua so you can feel free to pack light for your Amazon River luxury cruise vacation.

Your Amazon cruise vacation includes excursions into the Amazon rainforest and Amazon jungle. Therefore, you will want to put comfortable walking shoes, light-weight long pants and long-sleeved tops on your luxury cruise packing list. Also useful to bring with you: a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, extra socks, mosquito repellant with DEET, and of course, your camera, with charger and extra batteries and a converter. We provide rubber boots for wetland excursions. We also provide waterproof ponchos with hoods to protect against rain.

During meals on board our luxury cruise ship in the dining room, we ask our guests to wear casual clothing and shoes. There are hairdryers available in every suite on the Aqua. Our vessel has 220-volt outlets in the staterooms so you should be able to use your shaver with a converter if necessary.

Don't forget to include some items that you can give away to the locals (t-shirts, pens and paper are especially prized). In case you do not have enough space to bring those, you can always buy our special kits at our boutique on board.

We suggest the use of soft suitcases/bags for easy storage on board the Aqua. We allow you to bring as much luggage as you like but, please note, there are international airline limits on both checked and carry-on baggage. LAN PERU for example, allows 20 kilos (44 pounds) of checked luggage and 8 kilos (18 pounds) of carry-on baggage. Porters are available at both the airport and pier. As soon as you have identified your luggage, porters will ensure that your bags arrive at the embarkation point and will take your suitcases to your suite.

Day 1 - Saturday, October, 27, 2012
Iquitos / Amazon River

3:30 p.m.
LAN PERU Flight from Lima LA 2382 In just an hour and 45 minutes you will be in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon region.

5:15 p.m. Arrival
Your guides await you, as your flight from Lima glides in for landing at Iquitos International Airport. After you've claimed your luggage, you will board an air-conditioned bus for your journey to the river.

5:40 p.m. Transfer to Iquitos' main wharf
There the luxurious M/V Aqua, your home for the next three nights, awaits you.

6:00 p.m. Embarkation and check-in
From the moment you step on board, you will enjoy the Aqua's atmosphere of low-key luxury. As you settle into your handsomely appointed over-sized suite, you will feel the vessel begin to move; the beginning of one of the great adventures of your life. Stand on the Upper Deck to take in the view, as the Aqua leaves Iquitos behind.

Over the next three days, you will also sail along the two largest tributaries of the Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon, as well as on the mighty Amazon itself. You are embarking on a spectacular adventure, to a place visited by only a few of even the most experienced world travelers.

7:30 p.m. Safety Drill and Briefing on the Top Deck
Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Then it's into the air-conditioned lounge, where you will learn about life onboard, and will have the first of the nightly briefings about your adventure to follow. You will meet the naturalist guides and the cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to explain the details of your adventure to follow.

8:00 p.m. Welcome Dinner
Sit down, relax, sample some fine South American wine, and enjoy the truly world-class cuisine created by Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, whose restaurant, Malabar, is one of the best in all of Lima. Schiaffino's recipes, with their imaginative use of local products – fruit, fish, spices – make every meal a delightful adventure. (The menu always offers choices, including a vegetarian option.) Toast the beginning of a beautiful journey.

Perhaps enjoy a nightcap on the Upper Deck, under the stars, before retiring.

Day 2 - Sunday, October, 28, 2012
Amazon / Tahuayo Rivers and Charo Lake

6:30 a.m.
Early Morning Skiff Expedition on the Amazon River Be up early to catch your first glimpse of the majestic Amazon River, as you watch the sun rise over this green world filled with wonderful wildlife. This initial contact with Amazonia is only a brief sampling of what the rest of your journey will hold.

8:00 a.m. Breakfast
Our sumptuous daily breakfast buffet features a wide choice of traditional breakfast egg dishes, plus Peruvian specialties, and fresh-squeezed fruit juices.

9:15 a.m Tahuayo River Exploration and Fishing Trip at Charo Lake
This morning you will board our comfortable excursion skiffs for your first adventure, traveling from the Amazon through the Huaysi short-cut canal to explore the Tahuayo black water river. Life jackets, ponchos, rubber boots, and plenty of cold potable water will always be available for you on board the skiffs. As we float down the Tahuayo, occasional fishermen paddling in their dug-out canoes will give us a cheerful greeting. Keep your binoculars ready to spot a vast variety of wildlife: terns, orioles, blackbirds, black collared hawks, monkeys, and sloth share this wonderful environment with us.

Upon arrival at Charo Lake, you can bait your hooks to try to catch one of Amazonia's fearsome piranhas (and other fish as well). As you fish, trained guides will also tell you the story of the lake and its inhabitants.

11:30 a.m. Return to the Aqua
Icy cold towels await you, as you transfer from your skiffs into the Aqua. As the vessel continues up the Amazon River, you have some time to relax, or perhaps even take a nap, before lunch.

12:30 p.m. Lunch
Enjoy lighter mid-day fare in our air-conditioned dining room.

4:00 p.m. Yacapana Islands Exploration and Dolphin Sighting
Locals call the Yacapana Islands the "Iguana Islands," because of the huge population of these reptiles—like tiny dinosaurs—crawling over the ground and resting in the tree tops. We will pass by in the skiff, giving you a chance to snap good photos. As the sun sets, you will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see and photograph both gray and pink freshwater dolphins. The people of the Amazon believe that these dolphins turn into humans to steal handsome men or pretty women from their villages during celebrations.

6:30 p.m. To the Headwaters
We will return to the Aqua vessel and continue our journey upstream, toward the headwaters of the Amazon River, where the Ucayali, Marañon, and the Amazon Rivers merge.

Perhaps sip a pre-dinner pisco sour on the Upper Deck, while you watch the sun set.

8:00 p.m. Dinner

Day 3 - Monday, October, 29, 2012
Marañon River/Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (Yanayacu-Pucate)

6:30 a.m. Breakfast

7:30 a.m. Guided Jungle Walk in the Primary Forest
This morning your Naturalist Guide will tell you all about sustainable resource management projects in Amazonia. You will visit one of these projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil. Your Guide may also show you the artificial nests created on the sand to protect turtle eggs. Then we will take you deep into the jungle, where you will encounter wildlife and learn first-hand about the important medical value of jungle plants. And we will show you famous Kapok Trees (ceiba pentandra), the tallest trees in the Amazon Basin.

12:00 p.m. Return to the Aqua

12:30 p.m. Lunch, followed by a Siesta

3:30 p.m. Monkey / Dolphin and Caiman Expedition
In this late afternoon skiff excursion, you are likely to see howler and capuchin monkeys, the squirrel-sized monkeys called tamarins, and a vast variety of birds. You are also apt to see the two different kinds of freshwater dolphins—including the unusual pink ones—found in the Amazon. Later, keep your eyes directed toward the jungle canopy, where you can spot at least several kinds of primates—among the 13 species of monkeys resident in the National Park. Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of tamarins and dusky titi monkeys and pigmy marmoset monkeys. Watch for alligators, and keep your binoculars at the ready, as you are likely to see more than 200 species of birds. As the sun sets and our searchlight comes on, keep your eyes out for caimans, tree boas, tarantulas, and frogs. After this night adventure, the Aqua will start sailing downstream on the Marañon River, back toward the headwaters of the Amazon.

7:30 p.m. Arrive at the Aqua.

8:30 p.m. Dinner

Day 4 - Tuesday, October, 30, 2012
Yucuruche Lake / Birthplace of the Amazon / Puerto Prado Village visit and Nauta Town

6:30 a.m. Ucayali River and Yucuruche Lake Rise early and be on your skiff at 6:30 AM. This morning we will travel by skiff along the Ucayali River to Yucuruche Lake, where we will walk a little way into the jungle to see the world's largest aquatic plant, the giant water lilies or "Victoria Regias". You will be one of a very small number of people who have ever seen these plants bloom.

8:30 a.m. Breakfast

9:15 a.m. Birthplace of the Amazon / Puerto Prado Village
This morning, the Aqua skirts the edges of the vast Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin. We board the skiffs to view one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: the birthplace of the Amazon River. Here—where the union of two major tributaries, the Ucayali and the Marañon, form the world's greatest waterway—nature is at its most dramatic. Your morning excursion will be accompanied by abundant bird song, as you glide in small boats past river banks populated by large-billed terns, laughing falcons, gray tanagers, sandpipers, five kinds of parakeets, the exotic short-tailed parrot, and dozens of other birds.

We will then travel by skiff to Puerto Prado native village, where you will meet and interact with the hospitable native Cocama Indians. They will share their culture, traditions, and folklore with you, and you will have the opportunity to purchase some of their handicrafts and delightful folk art.

11:30 a.m. Return to the Aqua

12:30 p.m. Lunch
Share a last lunch with your fellow passengers who have taken the three-night journey.

4:00 p.m Nauta Town Visit
This afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit the Town of Nauta, the oldest town in the state of Loreto. This village, founded in the 1930's, is our only access point to Iquitos during our expedition. Nauta is very important to the local river communities, as it is the port where they come to sell their produce. We will take a leisurely walk through town, to experience what life in a large river community is like.

6:00 p.m. Return to the Aqua

8:30 p.m. Dinner

Day 5 - Wednesday, October, 31, 2012
Ucayali River / Magdalena Village / Puinahua Canal

6:30 a.m. Ucayali River Exploration
We will set out early this morning to explore the Ucayali River, the Amazon's largest tributary. Sightings will include the slow-moving three-toed sloths, iguanas, orioles, and horned screamers, as well as many other birds.

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Jungle Walk to Magdalena
After breakfast we will walk through the village of Madgalena, a small community of ten families. After meeting the people, including lots of lively and curious children, your naturalist guides will lead you through the jungle to a beautiful lake that is home to the world famous Victoria Regia giant water lily.

12:00 p.m. Return to the Aqua

12:30 p.m. Lunch

4:00 p.m. Ucayali Exploration and Puinahua and Discovery Tour
This afternoon we will cruise the majestic Ucayali River, giving you a chance to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen, who will demonstrate their skill and let you see their catch—including a type of "armored" catfish with a shell-like skin. You will have at least one chance to sample this delicious local fish at dinner aboard the Aqua. We are also likely to spot, and have an opportunity to photograph, the "banana balsero" rafts, loaded with hundreds of clusters of bananas, drifting down the river to market. Other highlights include the viewing of woodpeckers, parrots, macaws, and toucans.

6:30 p.m. Return to the Aqua

8:00 p.m. Dinner

Day 6 - Thursday, November, 1, 2012
Puinahua River / Hatum Posa Lake and Pacaya River

7:30 a.m. Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Jungle Walk Near Hatum Posa Village
On this walk, your guides will introduce you to native people doing subsistence farming, and will tell you how they learned to cultivate wild plants and trees to earn farm income. Deep in the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle—the source of many of the world's pharmaceutical products.

11:30 a.m. Return to the Aqua

12:30 p.m. Lunch

3:30 p.m. Pacaya River Exploration, Plus Night Trip from Ranger Station No. 1 to Yanayacu Lake
In the late afternoon, we will take our skiffs along the Pacaya River, journeying from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake, where you can view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. You may see saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot heavy howler monkeys, leaping long distances from tree to tree. As the sun sets, you will hear the loud, ferocious sounding warning signals made by the howler monkeys as they mark their territories. When night falls, you will hear the second movement of the Amazon rainforest symphony, as other nocturnal animals send their shrill calls across the tree tops. We will use our special spotlight torches to locate night creatures, including, perhaps, huge caimans.

7:30 p.m. Return to the Aqua
Tonight the vessel will be docked by the No. 1 Ranger Station in Pacaya Samiria National Park.

8:30 p.m. Dinner

Day 7 - Friday, November, 2, 2012
Pacaya River / Puinahua Village Visit

6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration; Breakfast on the Skiffs
In the bright morning light, your Guides will show you parrots, macaws, toucans, and many different types of monkeys. We will also go to the dolphin feeding spots along Pacaya River, where you will be delightfully surrounded by these creatures while enjoying a light breakfast and fresh juice. After breakfast, armed with poles and bait, we will take you to a special place on this fish-rich river, where you will catch some of the more than 3,000 species of tropical fish that live in the Amazon Basin. The key target will be piranhas, the small carnivorous fish with a fearsome reputation—considered a good food source by the locals.

11:00 a.m. Return to the Aqua
We will begin our homeward journey, sailing downstream toward Iquitos.

12:30 p.m. Lunch

4:00 p.m. Native Village Visit
This optional afternoon excursion is a short informational walk into a riverside village. Your guide will show you way of life in these communities of fishermen and farmers.

5:30 p.m. Return to the Aqua
We will sail downstream all night, as we make our way to Iquitos, and your onward flight.

8:00 p.m. Farewell Dinner
Just minutes after being in the wilderness, surrounded by monkeys and birds and the other wildlife of the rainforest, you will find yourself sitting down to a final gourmet feast in the ship's dining room.

9:00 p.m. Crew Presentation
Tonight, the Cruise Director will introduce some of the crew members you haven't yet met on the trip, but who have worked behind the scenes to give you an unforgettable experience. There may even be a bit of musical entertainment!

Day 8 - Saturday, November, 3, 2012
Arrive in Iquitos City / Check-Out & Disembark at the Main Wharf / City Tour & Transfer to the Airport

7:30 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Morning Excursion – The excursions today depend on the level of the river.
Weather and time permitting, this will be the last opportunity to see how people live along the Amazon—by visiting the lively riverside community of Belen by skiff, in Iquitos. Here, where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some months, you will see the bustling food market of the entire Peruvian Amazon. All local inhabitants throughout the region sell and purchase goods here. Some groups may instead take a short skiff ride to visit the Boras indigenous community, on the Momon River. The Bora tribe has made every effort to maintain its traditional culture since arriving from deep inside the rainforest more than 30 years ago. Today they will perform some of their most colorful dances for you.

11:00 a.m. Return to the Aqua
You have time to pack and prepare for the next stage of your journey.

12:00 p.m. Light Lunch
Please leave your packed luggage in your cabins, to be transferred to the bus, before coming to the dining room for lunch.

1:15 p.m. Disembarkation / City Tour / Manatee Rescue Center / Transfer to the Airport
Your afternoon in the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by river or air, will not disappoint. This bustling town, complete with a house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich center of the rubber industry. En route, we will visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon manatees that conservation authorities have seized from local people and fishermen. Biologists will give a presentation about the project and its efforts to help these helpless mammals. You will also see how the manatees are cared for and are prepared for re-introduction into their natural habitat. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.

4:30 p.m. Check in at Iquitos International Airport
Your guides will help you with check-in, and will stay with you until you have boarded your flight back to Lima.

5:50 p.m. Your LAN PERU Flight Departs for Lima LA 2383