Sample Detailed
Itineraries
THU to MON - 5 Days/4 Nights
NOTE: The weather in Iquitos is warm and humid with average high temperatures
of 95°F and low temperatures of 70°F.
The dry season is from May to November.
The wet season is from
December to April.
The seasons feature particular differences in the plant and
animal life as well as in the climate. All activities are subject
to change due to weather conditions and time of year. River
and tributary levels may vary and thus navigation times and
excursions may need to be modified at the captain's discretion.
Bring comfortable, soft-soled shoes, lightweight
pants and long-sleeved tops, hat, sunglasses, lightweight rain
gear, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, BINOCULARS,
camera and spare batteries. Don't forget to include some items
that you can give away to the locals (T-shirts, pens and paper
are especially prized).
Itinerary
Day 1, Thursday
- Iquitos/Nauta/Embarkation/Marañon River
Meeting service upon arrival at Iquitos International Airport
by a representative of the M/V
Delfin I, or pick-up at your hotel in Iquitos. You
will be transported by bus for about 90 minutes (a distance
of 95 kms) Northwest of of Iquitos, going straight towards Nauta
(the oldest city within Loreto Department). This is a connector
city between Iquitos and the Marañon River, where the M/V Delfin I is waiting
for you.
Upon
arrival to the M/V Delfin I at around 8:00 PM - you will be boarded
and checked-in by your friendly crew. They will escort you to
your first class cabin, of all hand-made wood, furnished with
comfortable orthopedic mattresses, all prime high quality pure
natural cotton sheets, pillowcases and robes, silent A/C split
system units meant to keep you cool during your journey at your
own set-up temperature, private bathrooms with hot showers.
Once everyone is on board you will start navigating down the
Marañon River toward the formation of the Amazon River
(geographers consider this place to be very significant). Soon
after you reach this part the ship will turn all the way south
to start navigating up the Ucayali River.
8:30 PM - Happy Hour
9:00 PM - Dinner
You will enjoy the special service in the cozy dining room.
You will be spoiled by the chefs who will serve you national
and typical Amazonian dishes with a gourmet style. After dinner
your experienced barman will serve a plus café on the
Third Deck.
9:30 PM - You will be reaching the confluence of the Marañon
and Ucayali Rivers (D)
|
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve |
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Day 2 - Friday
- Ucayali & Yanallpa Rivers
6:00 AM - Breakfast is served as usual at the dining room, where
every morning your kitchen staff will welcome you with delicious
food and juice.
7:00 AM - Yanallpa River
You will board the skiffs to explore the Yanallpa River, which
is a black water stream. You will learn about the rainforest
and its wonderful dynamic (this river is located within the
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve). You will have the chance to
see the amazing wildlife of this place that scientists call
'gallery forest' because the enclosing vegetation forms foliage
tunnels. This is an easy place to find parrots, macaws and monkeys.
The fluffy monkey is also found here (its real name is monk
saki monkey).
10:00 AM - Upon arrival back to the vessel, icy towels will
be provided to relieve you from the early morning jungle heat.
12:00 PM - Lunch
3:30 PM - El Dorado River (part of the Pacaya-Samiria National
Reserve)
On board the excursion skiffs you will head for a spectacular
spot where you will experience an unforgettable encounter with
dolphins (gray as well as pink). 
Anyone
who would like to swim with the dolphins, you are more than
welcome to join in this unique experience.
5:30 PM - Back to the boat. You continue sailing up the Ucayali
River.
6:00 PM - Happy hour
7:00 PM - Dinner
7:30 PM - You will start navigating Puinahua River
8:30 PM - Night trip along the Sapote River
You will get ready for your next adventure: searching for night
creatures using powerful spot lights which will allow you to
take close-up pictures of the a wide variety of Amazonian wildlife
such as great potoo, nightjars, cayman, alligators, capybaras,
fishing bats and several species of snakes including boa constrictors,
which will be posing for you, obviously astonished by the light.
10:00 PM - Back to the boat. Continue going up the Puinahua
River. (B, L, D)
Day 3, Saturday
- Puinahua River & Atum Posa Lake
6:30 AM - Breakfast
7:30 AM - Atum Posa Lake
This morning you will again be in the skiffs exploring this
beautiful, intricate lake called 'Atum Posa'. Cruising along
the shore of this wonderful place, you will obviously surprise
several species of monkeys and different kinds of birds such
as terns, neotropic cormorants, egrets, herons, hawks, and the
unusual horned screamers. You will also have a chance to explore
other black water lakes linked to this huge lake.
11:00 AM - Back to the boat and continue going up stream Puinahua
River.
12:30 PM - Lunch
4:00 PM - Pacaya River Ranger station #1/ Yanayacu Lake
You will take another wonderful trip with your comfortable skiffs
along the Pacaya River, from ranger station #1 toward a beautiful
black water lake called Yanayacu (halfway to ranger station
#2). On this excursion you will be leaving in the late afternoon
to allow you to experience the abundant rainforest wilderness
including: monk saki monkeys, howler monkeys and capuchin monkeys,
all easily spotted as you go upstream. While the sun is setting
you will also enjoy listening to the loud, fearsome vocalization
of the howler monkeys marking their territories. This is a unique
experience! Once it is dark enough you will continue listening
the second shift of the Amazonian rainforest symphony. Afterwards,
you will start turning on the spot light to go in search of
night creatures while heading back to the vessel. Huge caymans
are found in this pristine area.
8:00 PM - Dinner (B, L, D)
Day
4, Sunday - Pacaya River
6:00 AM - Wake-up call
6:30 AM - Pacaya River boat trip/ Breakfast on the skiffs
You will have the opportunity to see as much wildlife as possible
at dawn, exploring once again this beautiful river. Parrots,
macaws, toucans and all different kinds of monkeys are easily
spotted. You will also have a chance to find other species of
wildlife you haven't seen the day before. You will also approach
a dolphin feeding spot. At this point a breakfast of light sandwiches
and natural juices will be served in the excursion boats while
you will be watching two different kinds of river dolphins,
pink and grey, dancing and swimming around the skiff, showing
you a once in a lifetime experience.
11:30 AM - Back to the vessel, you start sailing downriver
heading back to Iquitos.
12:30 PM - Lunch
3.30 PM - Caro Curahuayte Lake/fishing trip
On board the excursion skiffs you will head to a beautiful lake
to a spot where you can hope to catch some fish. The target
is piranhas; these small carnivorous fish have a fearsome reputation,
but the locals consider them a good source of food.
6:00 PM - Back to the ship. All night navigation downriver
to Nauta City.
7:30 PM - Farewell dinner
This time you will be treated to a grilled dinner, which will
be served in the casual and comfortable ambiance of the Third
Deck, where you will enjoy the mix of your Chef's delicious
grilled dishes with the magic of the gentle breezes and Amazonian
moonlight.
8.30 PM - Crew presentation. Guides will introduce some of the
crewmembers that haven't interacted with you during the trip,
but have worked as hard as those who have to make of your journey
an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience. (B, L, D)
Day 5, Monday
- Amazon and Tahuayo Rivers & Arrival Iquitos Airport
6:30 AM - Breakfast
7:30 AM - Jungle and Water Fall Walk at Tahuayo River
You will take the skiffs for 20 minutes until you reach firm
land (Neotropical forest or non-flooded forest). 
More than a
jungle walk, this will be a botanical lesson where you will
learn how native people make their plantations for their ownsubsistence
and how they also learned to cultivate wild plants and trees
that they still using to get a little income by taking their
products to be sold at the market in Iquitos. Once you get to
the primary forest, your guide will point out the many plants
and trees they gather during the fruit season from the deepest
jungle. Finally, your trekking will be rewarded reaching a beautiful
waterfall in the heart of the jungle in the middle of nowhere.
If you plan to swim please bring your swimsuit with you. A folding
screen will be available for you to change. Your staff will
bring along plenty of water, towels and snacks to relief you
from the morning heat. Right after swimming you will head back
to the skiffs.
10:30 AM - Back in the vessel. Continue cruising down the Amazon
River towards Iquitos.
1:30 PM - Soon after your arrival your friendly ground staff
and guides will assist you with disembarkation. You will do
your check-out in your floating VIP lounge 'Islacocha' with
a cool drink in your hands and then get ready to try local cuisine
in the restaurant 'Al Frio y al Fuego'. After a light and fresh
lunch you will be transferred to the airport via wooden handmade
boats and finally on a comfortable, air-conditioned bus. On
the way to the airport you will have a brief guided sightseeing
city tour. (B, L)
MON to THU - 4 Days/3 Nights
NOTE: The weather in Iquitos is warm and humid with average high temperatures
of 95°F and lowest temperatures of 70°F.
The dry season is from May
to November.
The wet season is from
December to April.
The seasons feature particular differences in the plant and
animal life as well as in the climate. All activities are subject
to change due to weather conditions and time of year. River
and tributary levels may vary and thus navigation times and
excursions may need to be modified at the captain's discretion.
Bring comfortable, soft-soled shoes, light weight pants and
long-sleeved tops, hat, sun glasses, lightweight rain gear,
sunscreen, mosquito repellant, BINOCULARS,
camera and spare batteries. Don't forget to include some items
that you can give away to the locals (T-shirts, pens and paper
are especially prized).
Itinerary
Day 1, Monday
- Iquitos Airport/Amazon River/Embark
Meeting service upon arrival at Iquitos International Airport
by a representative of the M/V
Delfin I, or pick-up at your hotel in Iquitos. 
You
will travel in the handmade traditional wooden canoes to 'Islacocha,'
the floating VIP Lounge & Embarkation Port, only 5- minutes
away from Iquitos through the shallow waters of the Itaya River.
Once on Islacocha, you will be hosted and checked-in by the
friendly local staff while enjoying the comfortable lounge and
restaurant 'Al Frio y al Fuego' (Cold & Broiled), with a
cool exotic drink in your hands. Enjoy your first encounter
with the true Amazonian Wilderness, while you catch sight of
the M/V
Delfin I, the
casual style but luxurious, classy and comfortable river vessel
waiting to take you to the Rainforest experience of your life. Once your check-in process is completed, you will board the M/V
Delfin I where you will be personally
assisted by the experienced crew. They will escort you to your
first class cabin, of all hand-made wood, furnished with comfortable
orthopedic mattresses, all prime high quality pure natural cotton
sheets, pillowcases and robes, silent A/C split system units
meant to keep you cool during your journey at your own set-up
temperature, private bathrooms with hot shower heads Spanish
type.
6:30 PM - Happy hour
7:45 PM - Dinner
9:30 PM - Briefing and Relax Time (D)
Day 2 - Tuesday
- Tamshiyacu Creek and Tahuayo River
7:00 AM - Breakfast
8:00 AM - Tamshiyacu Creek Expedition
This
will be your first introduction into the wilderness of the rainforest,
and you will board two well-equipped and comfortable excursion
skiffs that will take you to this small tributary of
the Amazon. It is a 'black river water' river and while you
explore this creek your guide will be pointing out the great
variety of wildlife. The best time for bird-watching is when
they are more active and singing frequently, during early morning
or late afternoon, and you will see terns, oreoles, blackbirds,
black-collared hawk, and king fishers, that live in open vegetation
along large rivers, lakes and mangroves. You will arrive at
a beautiful lagoon were chances of bird spotting are very good.
Life preservers, ponchos and rubber boots will be available
for you when boarding every time you go out in an excursion.
10:30 AM - Return to the M/V
Delfin I
12:30 PM - Lunch
4:00 PM - Tahuayo River expedition
A skiff will take you to the black waters of the Tahuayo River,
exploring its rich wilderness habitat. You will occasionally
see small native villages along the shoreline, and visit one
of them to learn more about the native inhabitants' wisdom and
spirituality. Dusk is an ideal time for nature observation,
and the night introduces you to the musical jungle sounds. Your
guide will help you with night spotting: common potoos, nightjars,
fishing bats, frogs and other nocturnal wild life will be the
main target. You never know what the jungle will let you enjoy
this night.
7:00 PM - Return to the M/V
Delfin I
8:00 PM - Dinner
9:30 PM - Lazy time on the third deck
Tonight far from civilization, the stargazing opportunities
are unique. While enjoying the sweet breeze of the Amazonian
night and the wonderful symphony of the jungle, you can see
stars of the northern and southern hemispheres. (B, L, D)
Day 3, Wednesday
- Yanayacu River - Amazon Headwaters - Dolphin Sighting
7:00 AM - Breakfast
8:00 AM - Yanayacu River Excursion - Piranha fishing
This morning you will be cruising in the skiffs to go exploring
along the Yanayacu River. You should expect to encounter wild
Amazonian fauna such as tanagers, parrots, egrets, and the
unusual horned screamers that live in the marshes and adjacent
tree-tops, often in mated pairs, and make a deep, throaty, gulping
sound; wattled jacanas that love the grassy edges and lily pads
of fresh water swamps; herons, hummingbirds. Brown throated
three-toe sloths are one of the species that love this surrounding
forest, restricted to moist lowland forests or moist riverine
forest in the drier areas.
Most easily seen in open cecropia
trees along this river are docile a non-aggressive species active
during the day, such as squirrel monkeys, whose combination
of black snout and white face and ears are unique, and are active
during the day in large noisy troops. You will arrive at another
beautiful lagoon and have your first fishing experience using
typical Amazonian fishing rods. Plenty of bait will help you
to get the main target, piranhas. These small carnivorous fish
have a fearsome reputation, but locals consider them a good
source of food. There is also a beautiful (safe!) spot for bathing,
so please bring along your bathing suit if you feel hot and
dare to have this extraordinary experience.
11:00 AM - Return to the M/V
Delfin I where you will continue your upstream navigation towards the formation
of the Amazon River.
12:30 PM - Lunch
5:00 PM - Formation of the Amazon and Dolphin Sighting and Sunset
You will come to the formation of the Amazon River and you will
be able to see the two powerful tributaries of the Amazon, the
Ucayali and the Marañon Rivers. On board one of the skiffs
you will search for the most elusive and exotic fresh water
pink river dolphin, medium sized, long snouted, with little
or no dorsal fin, you will see that they are really pink, and
they love this place because it is one of their favorite feeding
spots. You will be able to see both kinds of dolphin in the
Amazon basin. The gray dolphins, very much like the sea ones
but smaller and with a distinctive triangular dorsal fin. While
trying to take a picture of them you will enjoy their playful
jumps. You will be amazed by the beautiful colors of this important
place, with dolphins dancing around you, you will wait until
the stars begin to shine, and the darkness of the night embraces
you with the music of wild nocturnal life as it comes alive.
7:00 PM - Return to the M/V
Delfin I
8:00 PM - Dinner (B, L, D)
Day 4, Thursday
- Yarapa River - Puerto Miguel Village - Marayali Creek
7:00 AM - Breakfast
8:00 AM - Yarapa River Exploration and Puerto Miguel Village
Visit
On
board a skiff you will stop at Puerto Miguel Native Village
where you can interact with local villagers from this remote
part of the world. You will have the chance to learn about their
culture, tradition and folklore. Here it will be possible to
visit one of the villager's houses, so you will be able to actually
see how they live and the simplicity of their lifestyle, it
will also be possible to purchase some of the local handcrafted
work. Right after this village visit you will start exploring
this narrow river to experience the abundant and spectacular
deep rainforest flora and fauna, including squirrel and capuchin
monkeys, herons and egrets. You will have the chance to see
green iguanas with prominent head crest and throat fan. They
are extremely long, mostly arboreal and just lie still on a
tree branch. You will come to a beautiful lagoon called 'Uvos'
where a very special fruit grows wild along the shores of this
lagoon; you will be surprised also because of the presence of
lots of pink dolphins that love to go there in search of this
food source. The primeval forest also boasts abundant flora
including a variety of epiphytes such as bromeliads, orchids,
untold species of plants and unique trees. Monkeys love these
surroundings.
11:00 AM - Return to the M/V
Delfin I
Continue our sailing downstream to the formation of the Amazon
River, at this time you have to gather all your belongings and
get all your bags packed. This is time also to check out.
12:30 PM - Lunch
This will be your last lunch on board, so the chef will treat
you to a real feast of flavors and colors, having designed a
sophisticated menu featuring the best of the Amazon haute cuisine
for you.
1:30 PM - Disembarkation
You will board a skiff to take you to the city of Nauta.
2:00 PM - Arrival at Nauta Port
The ground staff will be waiting for you and the bus will be
ready and you will start your way back toward Iquitos, a 92
km trip that will take one and a half hours by a very nice
road in non-flooded areas.
3:30 PM - Arrival at Iquitos Airport (B, L)
