Voyage to the pristine heart of the Amazon on a specialist expedition cruise

Day 1

Travel to Manaus via Sao Paulo

Depart London Heathrow Airport on the TAM flight to Sao Paulo or TAP Air Portugal flight to Belem. There connect with the flight to Manaus. On arrival, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your chosen hotel for a 2 night stay. 

Day 2

Tour of cultural and historical Manaus

Enjoy a guided tour of Manaus today. First we will make a short stop at the Manaus Zoo. Then we visit the Rio Negro Palace, the house of one of the old rubber barons for an insight into their wealth, tastes and history. We will then walk through Manaus Municipal Market where the produce from the Amazon rainforest is traded, exotic fruits and vegetables as well as the fresh water fish, such as Tucunare and Pirarucu.

Day 3

Rio Negro

Early this morning embark the Motor Yacht Tucano for our 6 night cruise on a full board basis including all excursions. Set sail upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we observe the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though we cannot predict what we will see, we have a good chance of spotting pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world's most clean and refreshing water. 

Day 4

See monkeys and toucans

Early this morning we explore a remote part of this UNESCO protected rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear and see howler monkeys and a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast  walk in the forest where we will get a good introduction to Amazon ecology. Around midday we return for lunch and the vessel will get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon we will again explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. 

Day 5

Walk in the forest

This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys... on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches. M/Y Tucano will travel during the middle of the day and we stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel sails gently on the river as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars. 

Day 6

Settler's home

After our two morning excursions The M/Y Tucano will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We stop for a visit at a settler's home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jaueperi. Here we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will have a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. 

Day 7

Explore remote areas by launch

Today we will voyage to the west side of the Rio Negro and continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest. We will explore according to the weather and water depth areas rarely visited by anyone else. Tonight the M/Y Tucano goes downstream to arrive by morning near the confluence with the Amazon River. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the "Caipirinha" and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck. 

Day 8

Explore the Lago Janauari Ecological Park

This morning we explore the Lago Janauari Ecological Park where the thick brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest. This area is usually a very good place to observe wildlife. Around midday the vessel will travel to the "Encontra das Aguas", a stark several mile long line where two of the world's largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon we scout one of the hidden streams in the area to try to see more of the Amazon's beautiful and bizarre creatures. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning. 

Day 9

Disembark and return home

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano. You will be collected from the pier and taken to the airport for your journey to London via Sao Paulo or Belem.

Day 10

Arrive in the UK

Arrive in the UK in the morning.