Tucano is an elegant Amazon riverboat with 3 decks and ample space for guests both inside and out. Tucano was built in 1997 in the style of the traditional Amazon riverboats and has beautiful woodwork throughout. The 9 cabins all have large windows offering views of the river and riverbanks. Each has an ensuite bathroom with shower, basin and toilet.
The main salon on the middle deck is an elegant area, surrounded by large picture windows and with a large balcony where guests can sit, relax and watch their surroundings. Meals are taken in the salon. These are delicious and freshly prepared in the galley. The salon also acts as a library, housing a range of science and nature reference books as well as works of fiction. All indoor areas and cabins are air conditioned. The observation deck on the top deck has an open sun deck plus a canopy area providing shade and is a great place to enjoy a cool drink while watching for wildlife on the riverbanks. There is a swim deck on the lowest deck.
A trip on the Tucano is different from other Amazon cruises. The owners are keen to put this forward as an 'expedition cruise' which means that you get the chance to explore far into the forest. You are likely to see wildlife that is normally well hidden to other visitors. This cruise is informative and active, with several excursions off the boat every day. Every morning you walk in the forest. But this need not be too strenuous for older travellers because when you go into the forest they divide the party into small groups, each with a private guide. Excursions are led by Tucano's resident naturalists and can be easy walks or moderately strenuous hikes. Alternatively guests are free to remain on the yacht whenever they wish.
The itinerary below is to give you an idea of the sort of thing to expect. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational and other scheduling considerations.
DAY 1 Starting from Manaus in the heart of the Amazon, we board the Tucano in the morning and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. We cruise through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontiers 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 observing pink river dolphins and a good range exotic birds species. The forest vistas and the trees themselves are spectacular. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and search for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world's most clean and refreshing water.
DAY 2 Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear howler monkeys and a morning serenade of toucans; hopefully we'll see them too! After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where we will make a good start on understanding the Amazon's 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 3 This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys... which we regularly see on most trips. 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 may travel a bit more as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars.
DAY 4 After our two morning excursions the TUCANO will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may 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 Jauaperi. Here we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the wildlife found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures.
DAY 5 Today we depart the Rio Jauaperi and head downstream on the Rio Negro exploring a new collection of rainforest habitats. In the daytime we will continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest, and at night we will continue our search for nocturnal wildlife.
DAY 6 After a walk in the forest we cross to the west side of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. We will stop at the boat building village of Novo Airão. As we walk through the streets we'll marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Tonight the MOTOR YACHT TUCANO goes downstream to arrive near the confluence with the Amazon River by morning. 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 7 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 wildlife. Tonight there will be one last excursion looking for nocturnal life.
DAY 8 In the morning, after breakfast, our trip on the Tucano ends and we disembark back in Manaus.
