It’s hard to imagine a travel wish list that doesn’t include cruising down the Amazon, the mighty waterway that carves its way across South America, from the foothills of the Andes in Peru to the Atlantic Ocean at the Brazilian town of Belem. Epic adventures of this kind deserve to be done in style, but few can spare the time to follow the course of the 6,500-kilometre river in its entirety.
Enter Aqua Expeditions, whose Aria Amazon boutique cruiser has been plying the waters around Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve from the port of Iquitos since 2007. This October, the company will launch its second Amazonian explorer: Aqua Nera. The sleek vessel takes design cues from life on the Amazon and the lush landscape around it, with details in the 20 river-facing Design Suites and public areas inspired by the rubber boom of the late 19th Century and the history of colonial and indigenous culture in Peru.
During three-, four- and seven-night cruises, passengers will explore the river’s smaller tributaries by canoe or kayak, visit indigenous villages and markets, explore the backwaters by motorised skiff and learn about the secrets of the jungle and its colourful inhabitants from expert naturalist guides. Meanwhile, guests will be on the look-out for the Amazon’s abundant bird-life, including parrots, macaws, heron and stork, and keeping an eye out for capuchin, howler and squirrel monkeys and the elusive pink river dolphin.
When the sun goes down, visitors will trade stories while dining on local, sustainable dishes created by award-winning Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, and raise a glass to the never-ending flow of the world’s greatest river. Journeys start from approx. US $3,750 for the three-night voyage.