April 19-25, 2010

Expedition Summary 

Immerse yourself in the abundant wildlife of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve while on the voyage of a lifetime, cruising the earth's mightiest river - the Amazon. Start your trip in Lima, visiting the highlights of this cosmopolitan city. Next, embark on a 5-day luxury Amazon Cruise aboard the M/V Aqua, which caters to the most discerning and adventurous of world travelers, providing an unforgettable journey into areas visited by only a privileged few. As your ship ties up along the banks of the river, knowledgeable and experienced naturalists will take you via small launches, along myriad Amazon River tributaries into the remote reaches of the Peruvian Rainforest and the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Spanning more than five million acres and located at the headwaters of the Amazon Basin, this natural sanctuary is home to more than 70 percent of the world's species. Explore these pristine wilderness areas teeming with wildlife and amazing plant life, such as the colossal Victoria Regia water lilies. Venture into the rainforest on foot as well and encounter riberenos, local people living in villages as they have for centuries. Explore Amazonia during the "flooded season," giving you access to small tributaries not accessible during other times of the year. Discover the inhabitants and rich biodiversity of Amazonia and:

     -     spot rare gray and pink dolphins

     -     catch and release piranhas

     -     visit remote Amazon Basin villages,

           bringing much-needed school supplies

           to local people

     -     spy sloths, parrots, macaws, howler

           and capuchin monkeys, iguanas, giant

           river otters, caimans and capybaras in

           their natural habitat

     -     embark on night expeditions for

           nocturnal wildlife viewing and star

           gazing

When the day's sightseeing is over, the comforts of your luxurious floating hotel await you. Dining aboard the Aqua encompasses a menu of fresh, delicious world-class Peruvian fare. Paired with select wines from South America, dinner is a culinary feast for the senses. The menu was created with the assistance of Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru's top chefs.

Don't miss this chance to visit the magical

country of Peru, full of mystery, intrigue, the

ancient culture of the Incas and the rich diversity

of the Peruvian Amazon. For a detailed map of our

journey on the Amazon River, please click here.

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Experience Required

Visiting the Amazon involves excursions in small motorized skiffs and at times may include some wet landings. The daily nature excursions may include walking on irregular terrain, and getting in and out of the skiffs occasionally requires some physical effort. Walking excursions may last up to three hours, with options to take shorter excursions. The M/V Aqua has three decks, and passengers should be comfortable going up and down stairs to access the different areas of the vessel.

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Trip Registration

Space is limited. A non-refundable deposit of $750 will guarantee your reservation. Full payment is due by January 19, 2010. For itineraries, more information or to register, please contact:

William & Mary Alumni Journeys

Email: alumni.travel@wm.edu

Phone: 1-757-221-1165

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April 20: Lima City Tour. Fly to Iquitos. 

Embark on M/V Aqua at Nauta.

Enjoy a morning guided tour of colonial Lima visiting the following sites:

      -     Plaza Mayor: The main square is the site of

      -     La Catedral: The Cathedral was built in 1625 in

            the Spanish baroque style.

      -     Government Palace: The Government Palace has

            a traditional changing of the presidential guard.

     -     San Francisco Church and Catacombs:  San

           Francisco Church and Catacombs is Lima's largest

           religious complex with a convent, museum of

           colonial art, cloisters and catacombs.

     -     San Isidro and Miraflores:  The residential areas of

           San Isidro and Miraflores showcase the colonial

           architecture that pervades Lima's urban living.

     -     Pacific Ocean:  Enjoy a magnificent view of the

           Pacific from the coast.

End the tour in Miraflores, stopping at the harbor for lunch at El Senorio del Sulco, one of Lima's most respected restaurants. This restaurant recreates the history, from pre-Inca to the present, of Peruvian cuisine in all its diversity. Typical dishes from the coast, sierra and jungle areas of Peru include aji de gallina (spicy pepper chicken), papa a la huancaina (potatoes in a spicy cheese sauce) and lomo saltado (sauteed steak). Top the meal off, accompanied by gentle piano, with the traditional dessert suspiro a la limena, a port and cinnamon-kissed delicacy.

After lunch, transfer to Lima International Airport for the 1.5 hour flight to Iquitos. Arrive just as the sun is setting on the Amazon. Naturalist guides from our luxury Amazon riverboat, the M/V Aqua, will meet us at the baggage claim. Board an air-conditioned bus for the 1.5 hour ride, on well-paved roads, through the Peruvian countryside to the village of Nauta, where the Aqua lies at anchor.

En route, our naturalist guides give an introduction to the Amazon and answer questions about the journey ahead. With curious local children watching, board a skiff in Nauta for a five-minute ride on the Amazon to the Aqua. On arrival, take a few moments to settle into your over-sized suite before heading up to the main deck for an orientation briefing. Enjoy a 5-course welcome dinner accompanied by Chilean and Argentine wines and raise a glass to toast the beginning of your cruise. Watch the river go by as your first night aboard the Aqua draws to a close. After dinner, retire

to your cabin or get to know fellow passengers over a nightcap

at the top-deck bar. Overnight: M/V Aqua. (B, L, D)

April 21: Amazon Rainforest Cruise - Jungle Walk. Ucayali River Exploration.

Watch the sunrise from the comfort of your cabin or sleep in before enjoying a sumptuous buffet breakfast featuring Peruvian specialties, made-to-order egg dishes and fresh-squeezed juices. After breakfast, don rubber boots and board the skiffs for a ride along the Ucayali River. Disembark for a river expedition to Yanallpa Lake. Go in search of the bizarre-looking birds called "hoatzins," which live in huge colonies in a very strange "Jurassic Park"-like lake. Look for the elusive and endangered giant river otters. See the buttressed roots of huge, primary growth ceiba or kapok trees and learn about other rainforest plants and trees as the guides explain the dynamic life of the "gallery forest."

After a buffet lunch back on the Aqua, take a siesta before heading out in the skiffs for an exploration and discovery tour of the majestic Ucayali River. 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, which they take to the market in the small village of Requena. Look for a "banana balsero" raft, loaded with hundreds of clusters of bananas, drifting down the river to market. After dinner back on the Aqua, enjoy a night cruise exploring the "Mirrored Forest" on the Dorado River in search of caimans and other nocturnal creatures.

April 22: Amazon Rainforest Cruise -

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

After another delicious buffet breakfast, take the skiffs to shore for a jungle walk near Hatum Posa Village. Meet native subsistence farmers, and learn how they cultivate wild plants and trees to earn farm income. Deep in the primary forest, guides will point out the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle.  

After returning to the Aqua for lunch, head back out for a late afternoon skiff ride along the Pacaya River, journeying from Ranger Station No. 1 toward Yanayacu Lake, viewing the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. Look for saki and capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot heavy howler monkeys. As the sun sets, listen for the loud, ferocious-sounding warning signals made by howler monkeys marking their territory. As night falls, hear the second movement of the Amazon rainforest symphony as the shrill

calls of nocturnal animals echo across the tree tops. Special

spotlight torches are used to locate night creatures, including

huge caimans. Overnight: M/V Aqua. (B, L, D)

April 23: Amazon Rainforest Cruise - Yanayacu Lake. 

Village Visit. Jungle Walk.

Set out in the morning light, boarding the skiffs for an exhilarating sunrise ride along the Pacaya River, seeking out parrots, macaws, toucans, and many different types of monkeys. Enjoy a delicious picnic breakfast along the river bank while you look for gray and pink Amazon River dolphins in the Yanayacu Lake. Next, armed with bamboo poles and bait, drop a line into this fish-rich river. The key target will be piranhas, the small carnivorous fish with a fearsome reputation-considered a good food source by the locals. Use catch and release fishing to help with aquatic conservation

After lunch back on the Aqua, enjoy a siesta before heading out for an optional afternoon excursion to a local village. Local children greet you as you walk along the path to the village. Visit the primary school and purchase local handicrafts. A short walk into the jungle will take you to see the world's largest aquatic plant, the giant water lilies or Victoria Regia. You may even be amongst the few people to see these beautiful plants in bloom. 

Just minutes after being in the wilderness, surrounded by monkeys, birds and the other wildlife of the rainforest, head to the top-deck lounge for a cocktail reception, followed by a final gourmet feast in the ship's dining room. Sail downstream all night, and return to the bustling port of Iquitos. Overnight: M/V Aqua. (B, L, D)

April 24: Amazon Rainforest Cruise - Morning Excursion. Disembark.  Iquitos Tour. Manatee Rescue Center. Transfer to Airport. Fly to Lima. Depart for Home.

With the hustle and bustle of the busy Iquitos port in the background, enjoy one last buffet breakfast in the Aqua dining room. Next, head out on an excursion by skiff to the Belen floating market. The colorful floating bazaar of Belen is known for being the principal food market of the entire Peruvian Amazon. View

the market from the comfort of the skiffs.

Return to the Aqua to pack your bags and enjoy a final meal. After lunch, say farewell to the Aqua and its crew and take a bus tour of the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by

river or air. This bustling town, complete with a

house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich

center of the rubber industry. 

After that, visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers take care of endangered Amazon manatees that have been seized by conservation authorities from locals or fishermen. Biologists give a presentation on the project and its efforts to help these helpless mammals, and you have the opportunity to observe how these animals are taken care of and prepared for future re-introduction into their natural habitat. 

Finally, stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market for a last chance to shop for local crafts before transferring to the Iquitos International Airport for the flight to Lima. Reclaim your luggage from the domestic terminal and check-in for your international flights home in the evening. (B, L)

April 25: Arrive Home.

Fly home. All meals aloft.

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Accommodations

Melia Lima

Melia Lima is located in one of the most prestigious residential areas in Lima, San Isidro.  This 185-room, 5-star hotel is near the International Pacific Exhibition Center, the historical city center of Lima and the commercial and residential district of Miraflores.

M/V Aqua

M/V Aqua is Aqua Expeditions' 130-foot flagship. Its 12 luxury guest suites, designed by an internationally renowned Peruvian interior designer, measure a generous 230 to 240 square feet, and feature large, outward facing panoramic windows and en suite sitting areas. All suites are air-conditioned, and four are interconnected to cater to families. Guests can socialize in the dining room, bar, on the observation deck and in the outdoor lounge. There is also a small boutique on board. You'll be served by a crew of 14, plus three skilled guides. All excursions, meals, and wine with

meals are included.

Photographer Credits:

M/V Aqua

Andrea Gappell

Meredith Mason

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