GRAND AMAZON ADVENTURE CRUISE FROM IQUITOS TO BELEM, 17 days/ 16 nights by Andean Origins

during the Caucho boom, and this city can be visited booking an optional tour. The exploratory Amazon River cruise travels the Upper Amazon River by an expedition vessel from Iquitos, Peru to Tabatinga at the Brazilian border. Along this first part of this exciting journey, you will do several excursions on Amazon river tributaries by Zodiac or even local canoes, and you will be able to spot exotic wildlife (pink dolphins, monkeys in the forest, many birds, and if you are lucky, caimans and different mammals); you will search the many kinds of trees and exotic vegetation in the forest and enjoy the view of water lilies, and visiting communities and small villages you will contact a vast array of indigenous people; you will also visit ports like Pebas (the oldest city in the Peruvian Amazonas) and Santa Rosa in Peru, Leticia in Colombia and Tabatinga, Manaus, Santarem and Belem in Brazil. From Tabatinga on you will get immersed in the 21st century real life and culture along the Amazon. You will have to use ships operating as local passenger and cargo vessels. There will be not real stops for tourism, except a very nice local excursion in Santarem on the way from Manaus to Belem. The ships in Brazil will stop at several villages along the river to embark and disembark local passengers and cargo, which will be quite interesting to watch. Most local passengers and backpacker tourists travel sleeping every night on hammocks and use common facilities. You will be able to contact locals and other tourists, and exchange ideas and experiences with them. A great, fascinating trip in a totally different world like yoursduring the Caucho boom, and this city can be visited booking an optional tour. The exploratory Amazon River cruise travels the Upper Amazon River by an expedition vessel from Iquitos, Peru to Tabatinga at the Brazilian border. Along this first part of this exciting journey, you will do several excursions on Amazon river tributaries by Zodiac or even local canoes, and you will be able to spot exotic wildlife (pink dolphins, monkeys in the forest, many birds, and if you are lucky, caimans and different mammals); you will search the many kinds of trees and exotic vegetation in the forest and enjoy the view of water lilies, and visiting communities and small villages you will contact a vast array of indigenous people; you will also visit ports like Pebas (the oldest city in the Peruvian Amazonas) and Santa Rosa in Peru, Leticia in Colombia and Tabatinga, Manaus, Santarem and Belem in Brazil. From Tabatinga on you will get immersed in the 21st century real life and culture along the Amazon. You will have to use ships operating as local passenger and cargo vessels. There will be not real stops for tourism, except a very nice local excursion in Santarem on the way from Manaus to Belem.

The ships in Brazil will stop at several villages along the river to embark and disembark local passengers and cargo, which will be quite interesting to watch. Most local passengers and backpacker tourists travel sleeping every night on hammocks and use common facilities. You will be able to contact locals and other tourists, and exchange ideas and experiences with them. A great, fascinating trip in a totally different world like yours.

TRIP ITINERARY Day 1 (Sat): Lima - Iquitos Flight to Iquitos. Reception and transfer to hotel in Iquitos. Afternoon City tour.

Eiffel iron house

Malecón Iquitos Day 2. (Sun) Iquitos Depart 12:00 noon. Transfer from the airport/hotel to dock. Board the tourist cruise MV Rio Amazonas. While sailing down the Amazon River, you will be able to appreciate the landscapes along the river. Afternoon we have a stop at Yanamono to visit a sugar cane still, then a short walk at Chameleon Island to observe water lilies. Overnight. Lunch and dinner.

MV Rio Amazonas

Water Lilies

Toucan Day 3. (Mon) PEVAS Early wake up, we call you for morning bird watching at the Ampiyacu River. Visit the Bora village. Later, stop at the town of Pevas, considered oldest Peruvian town on the Amazon. In the afternoon, a jungle hike through the dense rainforest at the Shishita River with chances to see wildlife. Overnight. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Grippa’s house, Pevas

Amazon forest and river Day 4. (Tue) PARANAQUIRO – CABALLO COCHA Morning jungle walks and visits to Paranaquiro village followed by a piranha fishing expedition on a small back water lake. In the afternoon a brief visit to the missionary village at Caballococha. After sunset, cross the lake to look for the Amazon caimans eyes glow in the reedy shallows. Overnight. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

MV Amazonas

Amazonas Dolphin Day 5. (Wed) SANTA ROSA, Peru - LETICIA Colombia - TABATINGA Brazil Early morning arrival in Santa Rosa Island, Peru, opposite to Leticia / Tabatinga cities. Transfer to Leticia City and then transfer to the Tabatinga dock to board a local Brazilian boat. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Santa Rosa, Perú

Leticia, Colombia

Tabatinga dock, Brazil From day 05 (Thu) to day 08 (Sat). You will spend 3 nights cruise down river aboard. Ship is operated for local cargo. No stops for tourism and other activities. The ship stops at several points along the Amazon River to embark and disembark local passengers and cargo. Cabins are included in program, as well as food, but most local passengers travel in hammocks. Arrival to the dock in Manaus and transfer to the hotel. Overnight. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Boat from Tabatinga to Manaus

Canoeira Day 9. (Sun) MANAUS Breakfast. Free at leisure in Manaus.

Forest around Manaus

Boa Day 10. (Mon) Manaus Breakfast. City tour, visiting the famous Opera House, the Customs Palace, the Market made by Eiffel in stile of Les Halles in Paris and other places of interest.

Manaus Opera House

Customs Palace Manaus Day 11. (Tue) Manaus Breakfast. Free at leisure in Manaus.

Manaus beach

Piranha Day 12 (Wed) - Manaus, Cruise to Santarem and Belem Departing Manaus in N/M Santarem at 16:00. Cruising on the River Negro passing by the meeting of the watersand entering the Amazon River. Meals Included: dinner.

NM Santarem

Meeting Solimoens and Rio Negro waters Day 13 - (Thu) Cruise Cruising on the Amazon River passing the many islands in the river. There will be quick stops at Parintins, Juruti, Óbidos and others. Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Living in the jungle

Amazon sunset Day 14 - (Fri) Cruise, Santarem and Alter do Chão Early morning arrival in Santarém. After breakfast excursion to the Vila Alter do Chão 30km . Free time to swim in the green waters of the Tapajós and visit the Vila. Lunch at a local restaurant included and return to the boat for a late afternoon departure. Cruise by the Tapajos meeting of the waters (green waters of the Tapajos river and brown waters of the Amazon). During the night quick stops at Monte Alegre, Prainha and Almeirim. Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Santarem

Alter do Chão

Day 15 - (Sat) Cruise Day of cruising around the Island of Marajó passing a few bays where you will have a better and closer view of the local settlements and the exuberant Amazon forest. Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Meeting of Tapajós and Amazon waters

Amazon sunset Day 16 - (Sun) Cruise - Belém Cruising on the River Pará that even though is far from the sea is affected by the slat waters. Enter the Marajó Bay and arrive in Belém at around midday. Meals Included: Breakfast. Transfer to Hotel in Belem.

Amazon sunrise

Belem docks

Belem Cathedral Day 17. Belem Breakfast in hotel. End of services. (Optional city tour Belem, extra hotel nights and other tours and transfer to the airport can be organised on request).

Belem Market

Net prices per person in standard double cabins and hotels: Standard 3* Hotels with breakfast included: - Iquitos (Perú), 1 night: Dorado hotel 3* www.hoteldoradoiquitos.com - Manaus (Brazil) 4 nights: Lord Manaus Hotel 3* www.lordmanaus.com.br - Belem (Brazil), 1 night: Belem Soft Hotel 3* www.belemsofthotel.com.br

Ships with all meals included: - From Iquitos to Tabatinga 3 nights: normally either cruise ship MV Amazonas, or Arapaima, or Arca, standard double cabin - From Tabatinga to Manaus 3 nights: normally either cargo ship Sagrado Corazón, or Don Manuel, or Manuel Monteiro, or Itapuranga, standard double cabin - From Manaus to Belem 4 nights: normally cargo ship NM Santarem, standard double cabin

Net prices per person in superior double cabin (Santarem Suite, other ships standard) and superior hotels Superior Hotels with breakfast included: - Iquitos (Perú), 1 night: Dorado Plaza hotel 5* www.eldoradoplazahotel.com - Manaus (Brazil) 4 nights: Tropical Manaus Hotel 5* www.tropicalmanaus.com.br - Belem (Brazil), 1 night: Crowne Plaza Belem 5* www.CrownePlaza.com Ships with all meals included: - From Iquitos to Tabatinga 3 nights: normally either cruise ship MV Amazonas, or Arapaima, or Arca, standard double cabin - From Tabatinga to Manaus 3 nights: normally either cargo ship Sagrado Corazón, or Don Manuel, or Manuel Monteiro, or Itapuranga, standard double cabin - From Manaus to Belem 4 nights: normally cargo ship NM Santarem, Suite double cabin

Departure dates Amazon Cruise Iquitos to Belem 2009* Iquitos Depart (Sun) 19/04/09 03/05/09 17/05/09 31/05/09 14/06/09 29/06/09 12/07/09 26/07/09 09/08/09 23/08/09 06/09/09 20/09/09 04/10/09**

Tabatinga Arr/Dep(Wed) 22/04/09 06/05/09 20/05/09 03/06/09 17/06/09 01/07/09 15/07/09 29/07/09 12/08/09 26/08/09 09/09/09 23/09/09 07/10/09

Manaus Arr (Sat)//Dep (Wed) 25/04/09 29/04/09 09/05/09 13/05/09 23/05/09 27/05/09 06/06/09 10/06/09 20/06/09 24/06/09 04/07/09 08/07/09 18/07/09 22/07/09 01/08/09 05/08/09 15/08/09 19/08/09 29/08/09 02/09/09 12/09/09 16/09/09 26/09/09 30/09/09 10/10/09 14/10/09

Santarém Arr//Dep (Fri) 01/05/09 15/05/09 29/05/09 12/06/09 26/06/09 10/07/09 24/07/09 07/08/09 21/08/09 04/09/09 18/09/09 02/10/09 16/10/09

* Other dates until December 2009 will come soon. ** Preliminar date in October Note: It is possible to book extra hotel nights and optional tours & services in Belem.

Belém Arrive(Sun) 03/05/09 17/05/09 31/05/09 14/06/09 28/06/09 12/07/09 26/07/09 09/08/09 23/08/09 06/09/09 20/09/09 04/10/09 18/10/09