Short periods of walking in Manaus at certain sites.
In our private meeting room at the lodge, enjoy an extensive buffet. During breakfast, the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. 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 embark and disembark the ship on foot. We will have field trips before breakfast most days, returning for our meal and other activities of the day. We have set aside free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Led by a local expert, we will depart the lodge by bus for an overview of Manaus with opportunities to get off at selected sites. Accessible only by air and boat, Manaus greatly expanded during the rubber boom of the late 19th century when it became one of the richest cities in the world. Fueled by the rubber barons, the gaudiness of the city is typified by the lavish Amazon Theater, was built in the 1890’s with materials imported from Europe. We will step inside the Theater to learn why its Renaissance-style architecture gave it a reputation is the “Jewel of the Amazon.”
At the lodge, the extensive buffet offers choices such as local varieties and preparations of beef, chicken, fish, vegetables including rice and potatoes, salads, seasonal fresh fruits, assorted pastries, plus coffee, juice, water.
After checking out of the lodge, we will transfer to and embark the Amazon Clipper Premium, our privately chartered river boat and home for the next seven nights. Thanks to the boat’s small size, boarding is a quick and easy process. 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.
Aboard the riverboat, enjoy a plated meal featuring local foods plus coffee, soft drinks, water.
An introduction to the ecology of the Amazon, one of the most biologically diverse environments in the world, provides preparation for our study this evening. Using the boat’s spotlights, we will look for caiman, nighthawks, toro rats, sloth, and more as we explore Lake Janauacá.
