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Brazil

Adventure in the Heart of the Amazon by Private Riverboat

Program No. 21982RJ
Discover the wonder of the Amazon on board a private riverboat and learn about rich biodiversity, intricate rivers, sustainable farming and a jungle metropolis alongside local experts.
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River BoatsAdventures Afloat Study CruiseSmall GroupMost Popular
Length
11 days
Rating (4.88)
Activity Level
Starts at
3,999
Special Offer
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
26 meals ( 9B, 8L, 9D )
8 expert-led lectures
21 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
10 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Group flight arrivals in Manaus approximately 2:50 a.m. (technically Day 2) followed by transfer to hotel.
Evening:
Upon arrival at the hotel, check in and get your room assignment. The Group Leader will be on hand to provide assistance as needed.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; walking up o 2 miles in uneven terrain. Get ready for the humidity and occasional raining that might make you feel more tired than usual.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
After resting the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead the Orientation briefing where you all can introduce to your travel companions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions. Field trips and program-related activities will be led by the Group Leader or a member of the boat’s staff, all of whom are naturalists. We will board and deboard the ship on foot. We will have field trips before breakfast most days, returning for our meal and other activities of the day. A number of our field trips will involve getting in and out of canoes. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After refilling our water bottles, We will go by coach to INPA (Research Institute for Amazonia ) The Bosque da Ciencia is an enclosed piece of tropical forest which serves as sample to see many of what we will see during the next days but in one place. While walking the trails, the local expert will train our senses to be able to understand better what we will see along the cruising. If we are quiet enough we will also see some local animals who wander freely within the premises. This lecture might be delivered on board if the weather does not allow us to go.
Dinner:
At local Restaurant located walking distance from the Hotel.
Evening:
Have a good night of sleep
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; Walking at market; busy city streets, cobblestones, uneven terrain. Driving about 15 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time. Getting on/off a skiff to embark riverboat; getting on/off riverboat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After check out, we will ride to "Adolpho Lisboa Market", also called Mercado Municipal or Mercadão (big market). It was constructed between 1880 and 1883. The building was based on the Les Halles marketplace of Paris, France. Its metallic structures were built in Paris and sent to Manaus by ship. There are two completely different façades, one facing the Rio Negro and one facing the public road. As a significant historical and architectural building of the city, the Municipal Market also stands out today as a cultural center. The market is one of the largest open markets in the city of Manaus, offering fresh fruits, spices, fish, and traditional indigenous medications among other products.
Lunch:
On board or at a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we will transfer to the dock to embark the Amazon Clipper Premium, our privately chartered Amazonian riverboat and home for the next seven nights. Thanks to the boat’s small size, boarding is a quick and easy process that is done by using the skiff motor boats. This Adventures Afloat program has been chartered exclusively for Road Scholar and includes Road Scholar exclusive lectures, field trips, and activities. Please note that routes and field trips are subject to change as local port and weather conditions could affect the progress of the ship, leading to delays, changes in docking locations, and possibly missed ports. The cruise itinerary should therefore be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the itinerary without prior notice. As the boat begins its journey navigating from Manaus to the upper stretches of the Amazon River — known locally as the Solimões — we will meet the crew and on-board naturalists and receive a safety briefing.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
We will gather for an introduction to the ecology of the Amazon, one of the most biologically diverse environments in the world. Using the boat’s spotlights, we will look for caiman, nighthawks, toro rats, sloth, and more as we explore Lake Janauacá.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Getting in/out of 16-passenger canoes from riverboat; 2 steps, no hand railings, steps not steep. Walking about 1 mile; generally flat terrain. Expect a Hot and humid environment.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
Rising before sunrise, we will set out by canoe. The staff will paddle as we explore Lake Janauacá and the waking forest. Keep eyes peeled for birdlife and pink river dolphins. After breakfast, we will dock on the side of the river and walk through the rainforest to visit local Caboclos, inhabitants of the lake who make their living from manioc, fishing, rubber extraction, and harvesting fruit and nuts. Caboclos is the Brazilian term for those of mixed indigenous and European ancestry, similar to mestizo in Latin America.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
In the late afternoon, we will board canoes for some Piranha fishing and learn about one of the world’s most infamous fish before throwing them back in the river. Not just for passionate anglers, this field trip will afford good chances of spotting large flocks of egrets and the exotic hoatzin, also known as the Canje pheasant or stinkbird. Our naturalist will explain why.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
In an isolated area of the jungle, we will have a nocturnal exploration by canoe to observe wildlife and admire the stars and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Walking about 2 miles; generally flat, dirt terrain.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
Setting out at sunrise before breakfast, we will explore the Igapó forest and take a canoe ride through Victoria Regia Lake for a close-up inspection of the beautiful Amazonian water lily. Later in the morning we will view the “Meeting of the Waters” — the spectacle of the light-colored waters of the Amazon flowing side by side with the dark waters of the Rio Negro. As the riverboat passes by the city of Manaus, take in the perspective of the floating docks, Old Market, dome of the Opera House, and the city center.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
We will delve deeper into our Amazon learning adventure with a lecture by the on-board naturalist, who will discuss preservation and ecology of the Amazon.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
At leisure. You might like to view the scenery and look for wildlife from the upper deck as the riverboat heads up the Rio Cuieiras, a tributary of the Rio Negro. Spend time with fellow Road Scholars or just relax.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Walking about 2 miles; generally flat, dirt terrain.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
Rising early before breakfast, we will set out by canoe to explore the rainforest at the water’s edge, where it is common to see fruit-eating birds such as parrots and toucans. Observe the flora, such orchids and liana that line the riverside. Our onboard naturalist will lead a walking field trip through the jungle, focusing on the way plants and animals have evolved and adapted to the rainforest. We will learn about the relationship plants and animals share in their physical environment. Returning to the riverboat, we will have an opportunity for a relaxing swim in the Rio Negro.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
We will set out by canoe through the Anavilhanas National Park, the second-largest fresh water archipelago in the world. The park — one of the natural jewels of the Amazon — covers 875,000 acres of untouched native forest and contains some 400 islands.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
We will take a nocturnal canoe ride to explore this unique ecosystem and look for wildlife.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of canoes.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
In the pre-dawn hours, the riverboat will begin navigating further up the Rio Negro, into the Jaú River, and to Jaú National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Later, as we head further upstream, our naturalist will explain more of the intricacies of the Amazon.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
After the hottest portion of the day passes, we will set out in our canoes to explore a small tributary of the Jaú — the Igarapé Preto — that will take us deeper into the Parque Nacional do Jaú.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
We will venture out on a nocturnal canoe exploration of the Jaú. The riverboat will be staying in the park tonight.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Walking about 2 miles; generally flat, slippery dirt terrain.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
Rising early before breakfast, we will set out in canoes with our naturalist to experience the dawn chorus of local birdlife. Later in the morning, our onboard naturalist will lead a jungle field trip walking further into the Carabinani River area. Look for the great Samaúma, an Amazonian tree with gigantic tabular roots that can reach almost 200 feet in height.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
Afternoon We will join our onboard naturalist on the sundeck for a lecture to learn about Amazonian birdlife. The Amazon Basin alone is home to more than 1,500 species of birds with many species passing through as they migrate for the winter. During our lecture, the riverboat will begin its return navigation down the Rio Negro.
Dinner:
Aboard the riverboat.
Evening:
As the riverboat continues downriver; we will gather to learn more about aspects of the Amazon. We will be docked overnight near Airão Velho that once served as a trading post for the resources of the jungle. It was mysteriously abandoned and became overgrown with vines and trees.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Walking about 1 mile; generally flat, dirt terrain. Hot and humid environment.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
For our next field trip, we will walk through the small settlement of Novo Airão.The region where, New Airão now exists, was originally inhabited by Indigenous people. In 1668, Brazilian Jesuits founded a settlement at the mouth of the Jaú River named Santo Elias de Jau. This settlement is believed to have been the second or third nucleus of settlement organized by the Portuguese in Amazonian lands. In 1759, the village was elevated to a town with the name Airão. Later, the district around Airão became part of Manaus and when it was dismembered in 1938, became Novo Airão (New Airão). While walking the streets of the stown, we will find some traces of the Jesuit influence in the local people religiosity with big stained glasses windows with religious images. At the end of the walk we will visit a local “artesanato” where we will meet a coprative of local woodworkers artists. We will go back to the Ship.
Lunch:
Aboard the riverboat.
Afternoon:
Our on-board naturalist will give us a lecture on tropical flora and fruits. We’ll then have an opportunity to see the pink dolphins. If the water is low we might be able to go to the shore and swim with them; otherwise, with high waters, we will have our plunge in the river and have a closer look of these beautiful specimens.
Dinner:
We’ll have a Brazilian barbecue.
Evening:
At leisure as we overnight at Lake Acajatuba. Prepare for disembarkation tomorrow.
Activity Note
Early morning pre-breakfast field trip by canoe. Getting on/off a bus; riding about 10 miles. Walking; uneven terrain, cobblestone streets, stairs inside Opera House. Hot and humid environment.
Breakfast:
Aboard the riverboat.
Morning:
Rising early before breakfast, we will explore Lake Acajatuba by canoe. During this skiff boat ride we will be able to say good bye to the Amazon rain Forest and its inhabitants. we will see many birds, moneys and all kind of vegetation. Returning to the riverboat, we’ll finish packing and say farewell to the riverboat crew as we navigate towards the disembarkation point. After stepping off the riverboat, we will board a bus and ride to explore the Opera House in Manaus.
Lunch:
Farewell lunch at a local restaurant located in Historic Manaus experts in local food using local ingredients!
Afternoon:
Next, we will set out on a walking field trip to explore the world-renowned Teatro Amazonas, the Amazon Theater. At the end of the 19th century, rubber trade and plantation owners and other moguls became fabulously rich. They hired architects and artists in an effort to transform Manaus into the “Paris of the Tropics.” The focal point was a grand opera house, the Teatro Amazonas. Construction began in 1884 and no expense was spared with materials imported from Europe. Enrico Caruso, then the most famous singer in the world, inaugurated the theater with a performance in 1897. We will step inside the theater to learn why its Renaissance-style architecture gave it a reputation is the “Jewel of the Amazon.” We will continue to the hotel where we will check in and keep the room until is time to go to the Airport.
Dinner:
Light buffet dinner at hotel before going to the Airport.
Evening:
Finish your packing and have some rest before going to the Airport for the flight back home.
Activity Note
Transfer to the Airport.