Amazon
Expedition Cruises by M/Y Tucano
 About Amazon Nature Tours
We began operating ecological tours in the Brazilian Amazon
in 1989, though we have worked in the Amazon since 1982.
The Motor Vessel TUCANO went into service in 1997. Our
programs are the most intensive and thoughtful offered in the
entire Amazon. We have conducted hundreds of trips in the
Amazon, many with very well known guests and scientific
guides. Your passengers will find our trips fascinating.
Expedition Cruising is Different
Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon is different from both cruises
and forest lodges. It is an "expedition cruise" which means that
we explore far into the forest. We see creatures that are hidden
to other visitors. Our cruise is the most informative, active,
and authentic trip in the Amazon.
Authentic and Active Program
Our trips go beyond the tourist experience of most trips to
the Amazon. We visit areas that are not visited by other groups.
We see creatures that are almost never seen on other Amazon
trips. The program is also active with several excursions off
the boat every day. Every morning we walk in the forest. But
there is no difficulty for older travelers because when we go
into the forest we divide into small groups each with a private
guide and woodsman.
Small Groups
We accept a maximum of 18 passengers on our cruises. With
this small group, travelers can spend more time with the guides
which makes it a much better experience.
Comfortable Vessel and High Quality Service
The M/Y TUCANO is the most comfortable expeditionary
vessel in the Amazon. All the cabins are outside cabins with
private baths and air-conditioning. The vessel is elegant with
lots of polished brass and highly varnished woodwork. We
have a large crew that keeps the vessel clean and helps travelers
in every way possible to enjoy the trip. 
Highly Skilled Guides
Our guides are some of the very best in the Amazon. They are
skilled bilingual naturalists and their experience helps
passengers unlock the secrets of the magnificent wildlife of
the rainforest.
Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon
Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon is different from all other cruises
offered in the Amazon. It is an "expedition cruise". We go far
into the forest and are able to see creatures that are hidden to
other visitors. We explore some of the most untouched
rainforest in the entire Amazon. The voyage begins in Manaus,
Brazil, and over eight days the MOTOR YACHT TUCANO
navigates far up the Rio Negro [pronounced NAY-GRO]. In the
daytime and often at night we seek out the wildlife that still
lives in the world´s greatest of wilderness. There are very few
settlers so the plants and animals are still abundant.
The voyage on the M/Y TUCANO is quite active. Together
with our naturalist guides we get out into the forest and explore - not simply watch from the deck of the vessel. There are
daily walks in the forest and we frequently scout in our launches
the small streams that branch off the main river. Some days
we swim off deserted beaches in water as pure and clean as
rainwater and we are always treated to vistas of wild rainforest
stretching as far as the eye can see.
On our excursions into the rainforest we observe magnificent
plants of every imaginable shape and size. We listen to the
exotic calls of birds and mammals and watch them from a
forest trail or while scouting the river´s edge our launches. In
the evenings we have a brief discussion about the creatures
that we observed and the extraordinary ways in which the plants
and animals have evolved to live in this ancient rainforest. Some
nights we explore the river´s edge in our launches and with
spotlights we see caiman, close relatives of crocodiles.
Our basic navigation plan is to voyage upstream Northwest
on the Rio Negro as far as a major river called the Rio Jauerperi,
about 200 miles from Manaus, Brazil. Along the way we explore
many small tributaries where the forest is wild and undisturbed.
Our journey takes us too many different rainforest habitats which
allows us to see a great diversity of wildlife.
On the last day of the voyage we travel to the "Encontro das
Águas", the meeting of the waters of the world´s two largest
rivers: The Amazon River and the Rio Negro. The light colored
water of the Amazon and the dark water of the Negro do not
readily mix and the two rivers flow side by side for many miles.
We explore the beautiful and fabulously rich environment where
these rivers meet and visit the Lago Janauari Ecological Park which
lies in a wedge-shaped delta that divides these two storied
rivers.
The Central Amazon Ecological Corridor
The Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon explores some of the most
untouched rainforest in the entire Amazon. THE MOTOR YACHT
TUCANO is the only vessel that explores far into the world´s
largest Amazon reserve: The Central Amazon Ecological Corridor.
Within this reserve are tens of thousands of square miles of
uninhabited wilderness with the creatures that have made the
Amazon the object of myth and legend. Along the Rio Negro
there are only a few small settlements large enough to be
considered towns. It remains a true wilderness. Beyond the
tangle of vines and limbs along the river banks are hundreds
of thousands of square miles of primitive forest where the
forces that shape plant and animal evolution continue on as
they have for millions of years.
Clic below for other information:
Expedition Cruise -
Departing on Sunday (8 days and 7
nights)
| 1st
day Sunday
|
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 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 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 world´s most clean and refreshing
water. (LD) |
| 2nd
day Monday
|
Early this morning we explore the rainforest along
the water´s 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. (BLD) |
| 3rd
day Tuesday
|
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. (BLD) |
| 4rd
day Wednesday
|
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 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 extraordinary creatures found only
in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will do a
night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. (BLD) |
| 5rd
day Thursday
|
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. (BLD) |
| 6rd
day Friday
|
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 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 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 "Caipirinha" and perhaps try a bit of samba on
the top deck. (BLD) |
| 7rd
day Saturday
|
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
"Encontro das Águas" 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 and bizarre creatures.
Tonight there will be one last excursion looking for nocturnal
life. (BLD) |
| 8rd
day Sunday
|
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests
disembark from the M/Y TUCANO. (B) |
Meal Codes: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
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.
Degree of Difficulty: Good health is necessary. Most guests can
have a quite enjoyable trip by simply staying on board the M/Y
TUCANO and participating in launch excursions. Participants in our
walks in the forest must be able to comfortably walk for two or
more hours at a time. There are several excursions off the vessel
daily. The vessel is air-conditioned in the middle of the day and
during the night.
Departures 2009
| Jan 06-11 |
Feb 15-22 |
Mar 08-15 |
Jun 14-21 |
Jun 28-Jul 05 |
Jul 12-19 |
Jul 26-Aug 02 |
Aug 09-16 |
Aug 23-30 |
| Sep 20-27 |
Oct 04-11 |
Oct 18-25 |
Nov 01-08 |
Nov 15-22 |
Nov 29-Dec 06 |
Dec 20-27 |
Discounted Departures, 2009 - Discounted Rack Rate: US$ 250.00 per traveler
| Mar 22-29 |
Apr 05-12 |
Apr 19-26 |
May 03-10 |
May 17-24 |
May 31-Jun 07 |
Departures 2010
| Jan 02-09 |
Jan 16-23 |
Jan 30-Fev 06 |
Feb 13-20 |
Mar 13-20 |
Apr 10-17 |
Apr 24-May 01 |
May 01-08 |
May 22-29 |
Jun 05-12 |
Jun 19-26 |
Jul 03-10 |
|
Jul 17-24 |
Jul 31-Aug 07 |
Aug 14-21 |
Aug 28-Sep 04 |
Sep 11-18 |
Oct 02-09 |
Oct 16-23 |
Nov 06-13 |
Nov 20-27 |
Dec 04-11 |
Dec 18-25 |
 
| Packages & Rates (PER PERSON) |
| Valid to |
Expedition Cruises (8d/7n) |
Additional Cabin Reservation Fee |
2009 and 2010 |
US$ 2,100.00 |
US$ 220.00 |
Prices Include: Price is per person, double occupancy. Price
includes accommodations, transfers, and meals as indicated in
the itinerary. Bottled water served free of charge. Prices and
itineraries are subject to change without notice.
Prices Do
Not Include: Any airfare, departure taxes, gratuities, visa fees,
or items of a personal nature.
Single Travelers: No single supplement is charged if the
passenger is willing to share with another same sex passenger.
Passengers may request single occupancy with a single
supplement of 40% of the cruise cost. Single accommodations
on the cruise may not always be available. The single cabins on
the boat are not as large as the double cabins.
Triple Cabins: Some of the cabins on the M/Y TUCANO
can accept three travelers. This is helpful for families. In cabins
"3" and "4" a third narrow bed can be placed between the
single beds. Cabin "0" has a queen size bed and also a single
bed. There is no discount for triple occupancy; passengers pay
the double rate.
Discounts for Children: Children 12 years and under at the
time of travel who share a room with an adult are eligible for
a discount of 50% off the Cruise Rate, subject to cabin
availability. |
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Expedition Amazon Cruises 
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