Ara 05
Pacaya Samiria Natural Reserve
7 days / 6 nights cruise
Departures: Saturday
(Rates expressed in US$)

A journey by river into the Amazon rainforest….Immense buttressed trees loom overhead hanging with vines and alive with over 500 species of birds and many more…this region has been identified as having one of highest bio-diversity on the planet 

DAY 1 – Saturday – Arrive IQUITOS Our early morning flight takes us from Lima, across the snow-capped Andes Mountain range to the tropical forest and winding rivers of the Amazon, to the exotic city of Iquitos. After collecting our luggage, we are met by our English-speaking naturalist guide and make our way by a 45 minute bus ride, with a short sightseeing tour en route visiting Belen Market, Main Square, Plazas, the Eiffel or Iron House, and the Boulevard area, to our dock in downtown Iquitos. We board the M/V ARAPAIMA and after settling in our cabins, guides provide a general orientation, staff introduction, safety procedures, amenities and excursions to be held for this day. We depart a few miles downstream on the Itaya River to meet and up the Amazon River passing by islands of different sizes, small villages and farms lined along the river shore. A Peruvian welcome buffet lunch is served in the dining room while the M/V ARAPAIMA sails during the middle of the day stopping in the afternoon for a motorized boat excursion into the rainforest to observe the immensity of the trees and the incredible amount of different types of vegetation that surrounds us. At mid-evening we pass the juncture of the Ucayali & Marañon Rivers, both major tributaries of the Amazon, where the Mighty River begins its flow down to the Atlantic Ocean, then upstream the Marañon River to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. (L, D) DAY 2 – Sunday – PACAYA/SAMIRIA We awake to the exotic sounds of the dawn chorus and join our naturalist guides 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 here including jacamars, Ibis, parrots, the spectacular red-and-green, blue-and-gold and Scarlet macaws among other wildlife that reside within this virgin paradise. A lavish buffet lunch is served on board followed by a further optional lecture. Early afternoon, the M/V Arapaima arrives at San Martin Lake, part of the Pacaya/Samiria National Reserve. When the day again starts to cool it gives us time to get back into our motorized aluminum boats to head into the jungle once more for exploration. Invisible birds call sporadically to each other in shrill chirps shattering the silence, like distant gunshots, while ours and naturalist guides’ eyes dart in all directions trying to locate the sources of these occasional noises. Dinner is served aboard while the ship continues sailing up and deep into the Samiria River. (B, L, D) DAY 03 – Monday – Pacaya/Samiria At daybreak, we continue our fascinating cruise program by exploring an Amazon flooded forest and a black water oxbow lake at Ranger’s check point #2. The Lake is often crowded with giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies; their enormous leaves can exceed five feet in diameter. We also search the jungle surrounding the lake for primitive-looking birds called Hoatzins and also have chances to see a huge variety of colorful birds, Three-toed Sloth and numerous species of monkeys like Squirrel and Capuchin. Guides teach us how to catch piranhas and other species with just using a wooden stick, fishing line, a hook and a cube of beef or chicken. Here, we can see the true variety of the Amazon’s edible fishes such as the huge Paiche or ARAPAIMA GIGAS, which is a primitive 60 – 80 pound fish that has scales so large and rough that Amazonian people use them as a rasp or for decoration. Tonight, we board our motorized canoes and use our flashlights to pierce the darkness and perhaps catch the shining red eye of the black Amazon caiman, frogs, snakes and birds. (B, L, D) DAY 04 – Tueday – Pacaya/Samiria After breakfast we get an introduction to the daily life of the river people. Naturalist guides, educated in biology and ecology, translate, for park rangers and native guides, and compliment your Amazon expedition cruise with explanations of the significance of annual rainy season floods to the health of the rainforest. As we slowly make our way upstream on the Samiria River and then into even narrower waterways, a wall of tropical vegetation line each side of the river, we are fascinated by the tales our naturalist guides tell about the region’s ecology. We are barely glimpsed at the enormous variety of wildlife and flora found in this unique environment – try to imagine 250 species of tree per hectare and 573 species of birds! Although we are literally tripping over plants, the fauna is much harder to locate as each find is a discovery in itself, and usually the result of hours of patient searching. (B, L, D) DAY 05 – Wednesday – Pacaya/Samiria We have another fascinating full day exploring many areas around the Samiria’s reserve. An outstanding feature of this river is the large population of both Gray and Pink Amazon River Dolphins, often seen cavorting near the ship and along the shoreline. Search for primates, such as Capuchins, Pygmy Mormosets, and black monkeys, sloth and colorful birds. We can expect to see trees in a mind-numbing variety of shapes, sizes, colors and configurations, vines weaving themselves amongst the trees, creepers hanging from the vines, and orchids and bromeliads. We return to the ship just in time to take a quick shower and eat an early dinner before our next adventure – Cayman spotting. We board aluminum skiffs to go with our naturalist guide into marshy areas looking for the red eyes of the caymans along the riverbanks. When night falls, we start our cruise back to the Marañon River. (B, L, D) DAY 06 – Thursday – Pacaya/Samiria/YARAPA Today, we hope to reach a region of flooded forest and small jungle lakes where we have the chance to spot the pre-historic Hoatzin bird. We also get to fish for giant armored catfish, sardines, and piranhas – if you do catch your own, these fish make an outstanding lunch or dinner (the chef will be happy to cook them for you). We stop at Nauta Caño to hike into the forest to stretch our legs. This also gives us a chance to see 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 shop some souvenirs and learn how people in this part of the world live in conjunction with their surroundings. Tonight, we bid a goodbye to our captain and crew at a farewell dinner. (B, L, D) DAY 07 – Friday – Depart IQUITOS We arrive in Iquitos this morning and after disembarkation you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. (B) Please note: This itinerary is a guideline – it is important to allow room for the unpredictable and unexpected surprises that make each trip unique. We will find it is more satisfying to let the jungle, the weather and our naturalist guides lead the way. Trust the expert guides if they find the need to modify the itinerary for the best interest and safety of the group. Transfers from / to hotel or airport are not included and are charged as additional services. Also at additional cost, an array of activities like city tour, visit to local zoo, meals at local restaurants, jungle lodges before or after cruise program, suited to every interest, may also be scheduled.

Ship: M/V Arapaima Tourist class Rates in US$ per person in double room Program Days/Nights Departure days     Ara 05 7D/6N Saturday to Friday 1,730.00 Download PDF