Amazon Travel: Amazon Odyssey

Itinerary

Day 1: Manaus, Rio Negro

This afternoon you will embark in Manaus and head upstream on the Rio Negro. As the vessel glides upstream, you will have your first talk about Amazon environments. By late afternoon, you enter one of the world's largest river island systems, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. The boat will weave along a winding channel with rainforest on both sides in a riot of brilliant vegetation. If weather permits, you will go for an excursion in the gnarled and densely-flooded forest known as the Igapó. Along the river bank you may see some Squirrel Monkeys and hear the other-worldly growls of Howler Monkeys echoing through the primitive rainforest. The Amazon has one of the greatest collections of birds in the world and you are sure to see some of these brightly-colored jewels perched in the treetops. You return to the Tucano for hors d'oeuvres on the observation deck and a toast to the rainforest sunset. Following dinner you will embark in the launches in search of nocturnal creatures such as the Caiman, the Amazon's crocodilians. You may also see one of the large night birds, such as a Potoo with its bulging eyes and large mouth adapted to swallow the huge Mariposa Moths. Later this evening the vessel will weigh anchor and you will voyage downstream through the night to the Xiborena Peninsula that divides the two of the world's most storied rivers: the Rio Negro and the Amazon River.

Day 2: Lago Janauari Ecological Park / Encontra das Aguas

Rising early, you will travel to Lago Janauari Ecological Park, a dense forest that is flooded with the coffee-colored water of the Amazon River. Explore a labyrinth of small channels overhung with gargantuan trees and vines. By mid-morning, you return to the Tucano for a hearty breakfast and some time to relax. Near mid-day, after lunch, navigate downstream to the "Encontra das Aguas," the several-mile-long joining of two of the world's greatest rivers, the Rio Negro and The Amazon. The dark and light waters run side by side for several miles without mixing. Often Pink River Dolphins and Grey River Dolphins leap and cavort along this stark line of contrasting currents. You will travel upstream on the Amazon River into the late afternoon when you should reach a channel on the south bank of the Amazon, where conditions permitting, you can access a large lake called Lago Janauacá. Here you encounter a new and fascinating environment known as the Varzea. In your launches you glide down narrow channels where you expect to see creatures found only on the south side of the Amazon River. Tonight you will foray out in the launches to hunt for nocturnal life. In the beam of powerful spotlights you should see the glowing eyes of Caiman, the Amazon's crocodiles.

Day 3: Amazon River Exploring

Begin the day with an early launch excursion. For your mid-morning excursion, go for a walk in a small village. You will appreciate the slow pace of life that follows the rhythms of the seasons and river cycles. By about mid-day, the Tucano will return to the deep brown and forceful current of the Amazon River. Your destination this afternoon depends on the vessel's Captain. You will go either to the north or south side of the Amazon River depending on the season and the weather. Your choice will be whichever offers the best chance of observing wildlife. Late in afternoon you will further explore the wilds of this tropical paradise.

Day 4: Amazon River / Rio Negro

This morning scout for more of the unique creatures of the Amazon. On your mid-morning excursion, you will visit local homesteaders, walk through their gardens and learn how traditions help families survive in the remote interior. Time permitting you will also visit one of the river towns where trade still thrives in goods that have been grown, caught, or collected in this vast rainforest. During lunch you turn the bows of the Tucano downstream on the Amazon River and you will navigate east with the swift current. Through the afternoon you weave in and out of islands that dot the North bank of the river and enjoy vistas of forest and homesteads along the river banks. In the late afternoon you should be near the Rio Negro. You will venture out for one more excursion along a narrow channel called Parana Xiborena or return to Lago Janauari Ecological Park. At sunset slowly ascend the Rio Negro, passing along, but not stopping at the Porto de Manaus, one of the world's great ports. More than a thousand miles from the sea, Manaus is the major port for much of the entire Amazon. You will see boats of every imaginable shape and purpose that serve this continent-sized forest. Tonight you will sample the national drink of Brasil, the Caipirinha and have a farewell dinner.

Day 5: Disembark

Early this morning travelers will disembark the vessel at the riverside dock of the Hotel Tropical.