Amazon Cruises - M/Y Tucano - Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon

Day 1: Saturday
Early this morning all guests board the vessel the MOTOR YACHT TUCANO and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the worldâs largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the waterâs edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier 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 large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the worldâs most clean and refreshing water.

Day 2: Sunday
Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and we should hear a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon 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: Monday
This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys... on most trips we see them often. 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: Tuesday
After our two morning excursions THE M/Y TUCANO will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settlerâs 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 extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures.

Day 5: Wednesday
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 hunts for nocturnal wildlife.

Day 6: Thursday
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 substantial boat building village of Novo Air‹o. As we walk through the streets weâll marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Tonight the MOTOR YACHT TUCANO goes downstream to arrive by morning near the confluence with the Amazon River. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the ãCaipirinhaä and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck.

Day 7: Friday
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 ãEncontra das Aguasä a stark several mile long line where two of the worldâs 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 Amazonâs beautiful and bizarre creatures. Tonight there will be one last excursion looking for nocturnal life.

Day 8: Saturday

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y TUCANO.

Please note that the day to day schedule is approximate. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational and other scheduling considerations.