Duration	4 Days / 3 Nights
Starting Point	Iquitos on Saturday
Ending Point	Leticia / Tabatinga on Tuesday
Tour Type	Adventure - Nature
Price from	$ 1090 € 813

All our programmes can be tailor made according to your requirements, whether regarding the length of your tour, any special interests or specific activities, flight reservations, optional destinations or tours.

Tour Description

Upon arrival in the jungle frontier city of Iquitos in the morning, a representative meets and brings us to Iquitos’ main dock area where we board the M/V ARAPAIMA, the most modern tourist vessel on the Amazon River and our ultra-comfortable home for the next week. As soon as everyone is aboard and settled, we begin our cruise down the Mighty Amazon.

Following cabin assignments, an English/Speaking naturalist/guide gives a general ship orientation, crew member introduction and ship’s safety information while sailing along the city’s river front, passing lumber factories and small villages. Later we enjoy a delicious lunch featuring authentic Peruvian dishes aboard ship followed by a visit to a local sugarcane liquor, or “cachaza”, factory at Yanamono creek.

At sunset, we take the motorized canoes further downstream to the mouth of the Napo River -- feel like explorers in the wake of Francisco de Orellana, the Spaniard who in 1541 named the river "Amazonas" for the Amazons of Greek mythology as his expedition encountered fierce female warriors in the area -- and see graceful herons with their slimmer postures reflected on the river, curious pink and gray river dolphins checking us out, and countless birds. Return to the M/V Arapaima for dinner and overnight on board.
Meals included: Lunch - Dinner

Note: We highly suggest our customers to arrive one day prior or in the morning hours of departure day. We can help you to book an overnight or day-use room at local hotels if needed.

When we arise this morning, the M/V ARAPAIMA is tied up at the mouth of Palometa creek, near the village of Pebas. Our tour guide takes us on a motorized canoe excursion to a nearby black water lake, or “cocha”, for an exciting early-morning bird-watching adventure. Here we have lots of opportunities to look for exotic birds as well as other wildlife.

For example, we are likely to encounter the Hoatzin, one of the jungle’s most unusual birds, which can mimic the sounds of a number of animals. After breakfast, we visit a small Bora or Wuitoto Indian community where we receive a warm welcome from the chief and villagers alike. This visit carry us back in time, as these natives live much like their ancestors hundreds of years ago. We are invited into their traditional building, or “Maloka”, made from sticks and palm leaf thatched roof held together with different types of jungle vines, where they perform some traditional dances.

We also have time to buy, or bargain, for their multi-colored handicrafts they make using jungle seeds and vines. Boras and Wuitotos maintain their traditions, values and customs as in the old days, such as using hand-made tools in their everyday lives as yuca or manioc grinders and shakers. After lunch aboard the M/V ARAPAIMA, an extensive primary and second-growth forest hike on the Limon creek gives our guide the chance to point out one wonder after another. We see oriole blackbirds, yellow-headed caracaras, Squirrel and Capuchin monkeys, colored butterflies, leaf-cutter ants, trees like the giant Kapok merging overhead to form a verdant archway, leaves the size of umbrellas, vines with incredible sizes and shapes, and medicinal plants.

Along the trail, we learn which plants are edible and which are poisonous. After dinner the day ends with a night boat excursion to look for nocturnal wildlife and watch a crowded sky full of stars, above our heads, while we sail the silent waters of the Amazon River.
Meals included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Early this morning, we explore the rainforest along the banks of the Amazon River in our motorized canoes. We should hear and perhaps see monkeys and birds like toucans, parrots, kingfishers, and Black-necked Red Cotingas at Alfaro Island. After breakfast, our ship drifts silently downstream while we observe on both sides of the river lush green forest and occasionally a dugout canoe loaded with bags or people with merely an inch of freeboard showing.

At mid-morning we visit a typical Amazon jungle village at Paranaquiro to observe how these people live daily in this part of the world. We continue sailing down the Amazon River, passing a few jungle homes, which are light thatched-roof dwellings with countless natives, especially children, walking along the shoreline. After a lavish lunch served aboard, arrive at the channel of Caballo Cocha Lake. The next hour up the channel is amazing as it is only a hundred feet wide with countless varieties of animal sounds on both sides.

Near the mouth of the channel it is easy to spot groups of grey and pink Amazon River dolphins arching silently out of the black water. At mid afternoon, ship ties up at the village of Caballo Cocha for a short walk. Then using the motorized-canoes our guide lead us to a piranha fishing trip, using just a wooden stick, line, hook and a cube of beef.

After dinner, there will be time for alligator spotting with a flashlight and with the best of his skills our guide will catch an alligator with his bare hands! We enjoy additional opportunities for viewing nocturnal wildlife and Southern constellations while returning to the ship for overnight and continue our journey down the Amazon River.
Meals included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

After cruising all night, we awake this morning on the Amazon River at Santa Rosa Island (Peru). Breakfast is served aboard and then the motorized-canoes transfer us to the remote cities of Leticia, Colombia, and Tabatinga, Brazil for walking and visiting these two interesting cities at our own pace.

We also have time to shop for souvenirs, or just relax with a refreshing soda in one of the local bar-restaurants adjoining the main square. Early afternoon, transfer to Leticia / Tabatinga airport or local hotel if needed.
Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Transfers from / to hotel or airport are not included and are charged as additional services. Also at additional cost, an array of activities like city tour, visit to local zoo, meals at local restaurants, jungle lodges before or after cruise program, suited to every interest, may also be scheduled

For your trip to the Lodge and for the jungle hikes we recommend that you take a backpack or small suitcase with only essential items. All big luggage, documents or values and other items can be stored in our offices for your convenience.
Programs may vary according to flight arrival / departure changes or weather conditions.
For this program we recommend to take morning flights to Iquitos and your returning flight to Lima in the afternoon.
Departures from Iquitos to Heliconia Lodge is at 08:30 am
Departures from Heliconia Lodge to Iquitos is at 14:00 pm
Check in: 13:00 pm / Check out: 12:00 pm
All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions.

See all our hotels in Iquitos

The boat has three decks with cabins distributed as follows: 01 room rate suite with king bed, 12 doubles / twins with beds of 1 ½ square, private bath with hot and cold water, 02 double-cabin with beds of 1 ½ square, and a private bathroom with only cold water. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning.
The M / V Arapaima has a lounge and a dining room / bar with air conditioning offering buffet meals.
The cruise offers a broad area of observation or sun deck in its latest cover, which has a bar and BBQ.