Day 1: Iquitos, Amazon River
After your flight to the capital of the Peruvian Amazon, our guides will meet you at the Iquitos airport—waiting for you with a sign with the name of Jungle Experiences. We will then go to the Doubletree by Hilton Iquitos Hotel, the meeting point, to receive your first briefing about the trip and where you will enjoy a delicious welcome lunch. Then you will be transported by a private vehicle to the main dock of the city of Iquitos to board El Zafiro, your home for the following seven nights. While El Zafiro begins its initial navigation, you can enjoy the most fantastic panoramic views from the observation area that is elegantly equipped for your enjoyment and located on our third deck. Enjoy the fantastic panoramic view from our elegant indoor and outdoor lounge that is also located on the third deck. Our bartender will be waiting for you to serve you an exotic cocktail prepared with fruits from the region and pisco, the national liquor of Peru.
Before the welcome dinner, your naturalist guides will give you an overview of the travel program, activities, routes, important moments, wildlife and vegetation, the geographical and historical background, and other useful details. If you have any questions or doubts, our guides will always be readily available to help you. After dinner, we invite you to the third deck where you can a spectacular view of the stars as we enter the depths of the Amazon rainforest, or relax with live music by our band on board and enjoy a varied repertoire of Amazonian, national, and international music.
Day 2: Amazon River - Yanayacu de Yacapana - Birth of the Amazon - Nauta Creek - Puerto Prado Community - Maranon River
Before breakfast, we will take part in our first activity: Birdwatching. We will travel aboard our comfortable expedition boats to the native reserve of Kukama (Yanayacu de Yacapana): an exotic place with around 17 blackwater lakes, abundant wildlife and home to the indigenous communities of Ayacucho and San Juan. Life-jackets, rain ponchos, rubber boots, and lots of cold water are always available aboard the expedition boats. During this activity, you can observe all kinds of birds such as herons, swallows, macaws and more. On this excursion we will also have the opportunity to see another type of wildlife such as the monk monkey, lion monkey, iguanas, sloth, mama vieja and we will learn more about nature.
After breakfast, we will start to explore the Yanayacu area of Yacapana or Isla de Yacapana, better known as Isla de las Iguanas. We will be ready to identify different species of this area. We will continue the expedition aboard our comfortable boats to the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers; where these two rivers join giving rise to the birth of the great “Amazon River”, at this point we can see the famous pink dolphins. After lunch, we will have a talk on Amazonian philosophy. Our guides will present us with the idiosyncrasies, beliefs and deep thoughts of the Amazonian population. In the afternoon, we will leave in the expedition boats towards Nauta Creek inside the Pacaya Samiria reserve. We will discover the jungle of the mirrors and sharpen our senses to locate toucans, parrots, macaws, iguanas, sloths and monkeys on the top of the trees. We will go on a hike through the community of Puerto Prado, where we can admire the largest aquatic plant in the world, giant water lilies, or “Victoria Regias”.
Tonight, enjoy the colours of the sunset as they fall over the waters on the way back to El Zafiro. Once on the boat, we can enjoy a live music concert held by our local band accompanied by an exquisite cocktail. Later, opt to take a boat ride that will allow us to enjoy the constellations while the naturalist guides look for alligators, tarantulas and snakes.
Day 3: Yanayacu of Pucate, Laguna de Japon - Yanayaquillo - San Regis - Amazon National Park
Today we visit different lakes and lagoons aboard our expedition boats. The guide will use his expert eye to point out all the biodiversity of the region to reach the Laguna de Japón. There we will have our picnic breakfast and enjoy one of the best preserved and protected areas of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. This area is popular for watching pink dolphins. Before returning to El Zafiro, we will take a hike and continue the exploration towards the Yanaquillo Ravine, which crosses towards the Marañón River and we will search for toucans, camungos, blue-billed herons, kingfishers, gray herons, parrots and more. After lunch experience the waters of the Amazon up-close by swimming next to the pink dolphins.
In the afternoon, enjoy a small presentation about geographical orientation in our indoor air- conditioned lounge. Learn about the hydrography of the rivers to explore sustainable species according to the natural resources of the area. Later, enjoy a short walk through the forest and the hanging bridges of this beautiful park full of colorful birds, where you can admire the beautiful jungle from the canopy of the trees that make up the bridges.
Day 4: Maranon River - San Regis - Shiriyacu
After breakfast we will visit the community of San Regis. We will meet the genuine and welcoming inhabitants of this Amazonian community through our guides, who will act as interpreters. After an opportunity to buy homemade crafts, we walk through the jungle to meet the shaman of the community and learn about the complementary medicine of the Amazon and the ancestral traditions. After this experience we will participate in the tree planting ceremony and contribute to the environment. This is followed by a talk about the Amazon, learn where the name of the Amazon comes from, and about the flora and flora that inhabit it. In the afternoon, we will explore the Shiriyacu stream. We will discover this hundred-year old lake that houses an ample supply of good fish, including red-bellies and freshwater sardines. We will look for a space to fish for the famous piranhas while using local equipment and techniques.
Day 5: Nauta - Laguna Sapi Sapi - Casual
Early this morning we head towards the city of Nauta, the second most important city in the region.
Upon reaching Nauta, you will board the most common local transportation in the area ¨the motorcycle taxis¨ which will take you on a tour of the entire city until you reach the most important market in the city. Together with the guides, we will visit the market and learn how to trade in the area, as well as learn about the different important foods and ingredients we use in the Amazon.\
After breakfast, we will visit the Laguna de Sapi Sapi where paiche is cultivated, the second largest freshwater fish in the world. You will be able to observe a different habitat, surrounded by banana palms and seasonal fruit tree.s There we can also see charapita turtles, butterflies, different birds and different fish that live in this lagoon. We will enjoy a typical landscape of a jungle city and a warm and pleasant climate.
In the evening we head towards the Casual area in search of wildlife such as poison dart frogs, colorful frogs and more. We will walk on dry land until we reach the area of giant trees known as avatar. At nightfall, hear the impressive symphony in the Amazon forest, while nocturnal animals emit their piercing ¨sounds and calls¨ along the canopies of trees.
Day 6: Birth of the Amazon - Vista Alegre - Yarapa - Pirana Creek
Before breakfast we will head towards the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. At this union is the birth of the majestic Amazon River—the perfect place to see different types of birds and the famous pink dolphins. After breakfast, we will visit the community of Vista Alegre, where we will meet the inhabitants of this Amazonian community through our guides, who will act as interpreters. We will have a culinary demonstration by a local inhabitant, who will expand his knowledge about the local cooking techniques of this community. Before returning to El Zafiro, we will visit the Vista Alegre butterfly farm project, where you will learn about butterflies in the Amazon and their importance to the environment.
After lunch, we will continue exploring the waterways in the expedition boats— sailing towards the place where the pink and gray freshwater dolphins swim. We will take a walk in Yarapa, where you will have an unforgettable experience looking for wild life enjoying the incredible panorama that the jungle has to offer. We will continue exploring until we reach Piraña Creek,one of the first tributaries of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. This area is excellent for piranha fishing. Later, we will make a nocturnal excursion in search of black caimans, fireflies, tarantulas, snakes and countless specimens that I have never seen before.
Day 7: Yanacu De Yacaoana - Amazon River - Zona Tamishacu
After breakfast we will continue exploring the water paths in the expedition boats in search of monkeys such as the capuchin monkey, choros monkeys, marmosets and other primates. We will enjoy a unique landscape of the tropical humid forest, in which we will explain the arboreal species in the riverbanks and aquatic plants and their function within the environment. Also, during the expedition, the guides will sharpen their senses to locate the sloths in the trees, macaws that fly over the area, the curious dolphins that gather near the confluences, and whirlpools of fish formed by the river currents. Upon returning to the boat, we will have a cooking demonstration by our Chef where we will learn first-hand about the local cuisine and taste the Amazonian culinary art.
Overnight the ship continues it's course downstream towards Iquitos. We will have a small information session in the interior lounge and recapitulation of the itinerary.
Day 8: Check Out - Iquitos - Manati Rescue Centre - Airport
Before breakfast you will have your last boat trip to the Bellavista Market. During the tour we will admire the houseboats and taste local products. On the way to the airport, you will visit the Amazon Rescue Center (CREA), where biologists and volunteers take care of the endangered species of manatees that the authorities have rescued. See how the manatees are cared for, and prepared for their reintroduction to their natural habitat. There are also other animals that have been rescued from captures with the intention of turning them into pets and other dangerous conditions.
At the airport your guides will assist you with the Check-in and the departure formalities to board your return flight.
