Explore the Amazon

4 days from £735pp plus international flights.

highlights

3 days to explore the scenery and wildlife of the Amazon
Enjoy life on board a river cruiser
Take canoe rides and walks in the jungle
Explore by night with your guide
Witness hundreds of parrots at a clay lick
Relax on the sundeck

This is your chance to explore upper Napo River, Ecuador's primary Amazon tributary. You have 3 days in this remote and fascinating region, discovering its ecosystems, coming face to face with its wildlife and meeting indigenous peoples, all from the comfort of your own cruise boat.

From the moment you board, you'll be immersed in the rich Amazon world, as the boat departs on its downstream cruise. Your guide will brief you on upcoming activities and, wasting no time, on your first evening you'll head out into the forest searching for nocturnal creatures. On subsequent days you'll be paddling through piranha-filled waters by canoe, following walking trails deep into the rainforest, watching as hundreds of parrots gather to eat clay from the riverbanks and spending time with members of a local community. It's a rich and varied holiday, which manages to pack a lot into a relatively short amount of time.

In between activities and excursions, you'll have the run of the ship. You can sit and browse through natural history books and chat with other passengers as you enjoy a drink from the bar or enjoy some quiet downtime in your cabin, watching the scenery through the large picture windows. Sun lovers will relish the chance to top up their tans on the sundeck, while others laze in the shade. Meals are sociable affairs with freshly cooked food being served either indoor or out on the deck.

There are 2 boats operating this itinerary, MV Anakonda and MV Manatee. The Anakonda is a luxury vessel and operates the Sunday departures, while Manatee operates the Friday departures. The Anakonda cruise starts from £1,215 per person and the Manatee cruise starts from £735 per person.

Please note that the itinerary outlined is quoted as a guide and that, due to technical and operational factors it may need to be altered at short notice.

Itinerary

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN COCA, TRANSFER TO BOAT

Your flight from Quito arrives in Coca airport, where you'll be met and transferred to the Rio Napo port. From here you will travel downstream by motorised canoe for about 90 minutes, arriving at your Amazon boat. Soon after you've boarded, the boat will begin the cruise downstream. Sitting on the sundeck or in the lounge you'll get some wonderful views of the scenery and wildlife. You'll dine on board and then have an opportunity for an exciting night walk in the forest with your guide, exploring the wonders of the nocturnal world. Dinner

DAY 2: VISIT THE PANACOCHA BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR

The cruise continues downstream to the Panayacu River delta. Here you can take a canoe trip up river into the reserve, keeping your eyes open for pink river dolphins and squirrel monkeys. You'll reach Panacocha, which means Piranha Lake in Quecha. The rivers and lakes here provide the perfect habitat not only for piranha but also for water monkey fish and white caiman. If you're feeling brave you can go for a swim. Having worked up an appetite, you'll enjoy a tasty barbecue lunch at a campsite nearby, followed by time to explore on foot, returning to the boat in time for dinner. Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 3: KURY MUYU AND PARROT CLAY LICK

After breakfast on board you'll be taken to a forest community, where you'll have time to meet the local people and learn about their day-to-day lives and to buy some local handicrafts and souvenirs. Later you'll travel to the parrot clay licks, to witness hundresds of birds gather to feed on the mineral-rich clay. After lunch you can explore a jungle trail and visit the water museum, which has information about the wildlife found in this region. If conditions allow, you can paddle downstream back to the Napo, looking for some of the creatures you have been learning about. Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 4: DISEMBARK AND TRANSFER TO COCA

This morning you leave the boat early for the 2 hour motorised canoe ride back to Coca. You'll be transferred to the airport for your onward flight to Quito, where the holiday ends. Breakfast

Price & Dates

Guide price from (pp sharing): £735 (ex. international flights)

Includes: Return flights from Quito to Coca; return transfers by road and motorised canoe from Coca to the Amazon cruise boat; 3 nights accommodation on board; all meals during the cruise; visits and activities with a certified naturalist guide as per the itinerary; unlimited water, tea and coffee on board

Excludes: International flights and taxes; entrance fees to Yasuni National Park and the parrot clay lick; drinks; Wi-Fi internet access; tips; personal expenses; visas; travel insurance

Getting there: You will need return flights to Quito. As a guide return flights from London to Quito will start from around £900 per person, depending on season and availability. We will be happy to look into flights for you.

Departure dates: This holiday departs on selected Sundays and Fridays in 2013 and 2014.

places you will see

Yasuni & the Rio Napo region
The Yasunì National Park is an important UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the largest tract of tropical rainforest in Ecuador. Rio Napo is a vast river, flowing from the Andes to the Amazon River and is some 550 miles long.

accommodation

Our recommended accommodation options include: