AMAZON - PERU

In the Amazon, you come back from a jungle hike or from swimming with the pink dolphins, and you are hot and sweaty and thirsty. A crew member greets you with cold towels and cool juices made from exotic Amazon fruits. Then you can head to your air-conditioned suite for a hot shower and a quick nap on the over-sized bed. Next: a multicourse lunch in the dining room, while you watch the glorious, ever-changing scenery pass by. It is luxury at its finest. It is bliss.

A FLOATING FIVE-STAR HOTEL

Discover the Amazon, THE WORLD’S LAST UNEXPLORED WILDERNESS

ARIA

See SIX-FOOT-WIDE WATER LILIES

Travelers who have visited almost every country find that Peru’s Pacaya Samiria National Park – as big as Belgium – is like nowhere else in the world. On a black water lake deep in the park, a group of bubble-gum-pink-colored dolphins gracefully jump toward the passengers, ready to play. You can fish for sharp-toothed piranha, and catch some. After a brief shower, a vast rainbow arcs overhead, filling the enormous sky with color. Later, you can hike back to an area where six-foot-wide Victoria Regia water lilies burst into bloom at twilight. It is one of life’s great travel experiences.

Watch PINK DOLPHINS PLAY

NIGHT MONKEYPINK DOLPHIN

SPIDER MONKEY

GIANT WATER LILIES

Seeing birds in the Amazon is like looking at an artist’s palette of colors. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that such colors exist in nature. If you don’t already have one, you are likely to start your Audubon Society “Life List” here. In your journey along rivers, lakes, and streams, you will see hundreds of kinds of birds, representing more colors and shades than you’d ever see in a mere rainbow. Massive storks follow the river, their crops so filled with fish that they are almost too heavy to fly. Graceful snowy egrets soar overhead, looking like reflections of thick, puffy white clouds. An Amazon kingfisher watches the scene with a bored air. A bird as yellow as the noon sun glides past. It is truly nature at its most lovely.

Start or add to your AUDUBON LIST

See and photograph BEAUTIFUL BIRDS

HOATZIN

AMAZON KINGFISHER

MACAW

TOUCAN

WOODCREEPER

“I have long dreamed of taking visitors to the Amazon, the world’s last great unexplored region. When I worked as vice president of marketing and sales for a boutique cruise company in the Galapagos, I realized that I might be able to offer guests that same level of comfort and once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Amazon.”

“We launched the M/V Aqua in 2008 and almost immediately demand exceeded supply. To meet that demand, we built its sister ship, the M/V Aria, which began to sail the rivers of Amazonia in 2011, and I am delighted to say it has been an extraordinary success.”

FRANCESCO GALLI ZUGARO, CEO, AQUA EXPEDITIONS

A Word from AQUA EXPEDITIONS’FOUNDER

M/V AQUA

ARIA OBSERVATION DECK

AQUA

GLORIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS, magnificent viewsThe suites on both the M/V Aqua and M/V Aria are over-sized, air-conditioned, and offer the same level of luxury, and arguably a better level of service, than you would experience in a five-star hotel. Every morning brings a bright new view through your movie-screen-sized picture window. Kids playing on the banks of the river . . . flowers blooming in every imaginable color . . . small villages packed large with life . . . birds in brighter-than-possible colors. You will find yourself snapping more photos than you have ever taken on a trip.

AQUA ARIA DESIGN SUITE

AQUA OBSERVATION DECK

AQUA DINING ROOM

AQUA LOUNGE

ARIA LOUNGE

AQUA SUITE

It took 200 people and one year to build one of the world’s most luxurious small ships. The elegant M/V Aria features sixteen 250-square-foot luxury design suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame nature at its most exotic. Spacious bathrooms with separate stall showers

TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE AND ONE YEAR

Introducing Aqua Expeditions’ new, LUXURIOUS M/V ARIA

add an elegant touch, and central air conditioning ensures comfort. Three-times-daily cabin service ensures that your suite is always fresh and perfect. Add to that a sun deck, an outdoor Jacuzzi and exercise room, and an open-air deck that is perfect for star gazing.

ARIA TOP DECK

ARIA LOUNGE

ARIA

LIMA’S TOP CHEF DESIGNS SHIPS’ MENUS

Discover thewonders of thePISCO SOURThey call it Peru’s national drink, and visitors inevitably fall in love with this delightful, tropical, you’ll-find-it-only-in-Peru beverage. In fact, most Peruvians swear that theirs is the best Pisco Sour recipe. Basically it is Pisco Quebranta mixed with lime, simple syrup, ice cubes, Angostura Bitters, and egg white . . . and you will love it.

PEDRO MIGUEL SCHIAFFINO creates culinary masterpiecesLima’s superstar chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, whose Malabar Restaurant was named one of the World’s Best 100 Restaurants by the 2011 Pellegrino Awards serves as Executive Chef for both of Aqua Expeditions’ ves-sels. That means that he designs the menus served onboard both the M/V Aqua and M/V Aria. Schiaffino’s dishes draw on ultra-fresh ingredients from the rainfor-est, abundant fresh fruit, local caught-this-morning fish, and his own creativity. Imagine a meal that starts with sachaculantro and sweet chili bread, followed by Amazon bass tiradito with cocona sauce, topped by a dessert of pineapple chips with coconut foam and passion fruit sauce. The variety of fresh-baked breads, the extensive wine list, and of course, the “national drink,” Peru’s most popular Pisco sour, all add to the culinary experience. The opportunity to enjoy gourmet Peruvian fare puts Aqua and Aria passengers at the cutting-edge of the culinary world, since, as Schiaffino says, “We are having a chef and a gastronomy boom here in Peru.”

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CRUISE

IGUANA

RED HOWLER

AQUA

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ACTIVITY

Arrive in Iquitos, Transfer To Dock and Check-in

River Exploration and Fishing

Explore the Source of the Amazon River

Full-Day Excursion and Picnic Lunch

Monkey and Dolphin Expedition

Village Visit, Visit Manatee Rescue Center,

3-Nighters Departure

Excursion to View Victoria Regias/4-Nighters Arrive

Ucayali River Exploration

Night Trip to See Caimans

Jungle Walk and Village Visit

Pacaya River Exploration Plus Night Trip

Pacaya Exploration and Breakfast on Skiffs

Fishing Trip

Iquitos City Tour, Visit Manatee Rescue Center,

Departure

LOCATION

Iquitos / Amazon River

Amazon River

Amazon River Headquarters

Marañón River / Pacaya Samiria Reserve

Pacaya Samiria Reserve

Marañón River / Amazon River

Amazon River / Ucayali River

Pacaya Samiria Reserve / Yanallpa River

Pacaya Samiria Reserve

Puinahua River / Pacaya River

Pacaya Samiria Reserve / Pacaya River

Ucayali River

Ucayali River / Amazon River

Amazon River / Iquitos

MEALS

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ACTIVITY

Arrive in Iquitos, Transfer To Dock and Check-in

Iguana Isles and Piranha Fishing

Dolphin, Birds and Monkey Expedition

Village Visit or Yanallpa Flooded Forest

Pink Dolphins; Macaws at Sunset

Amazon Source; Village; 3-Nighters Departure

Forest of Mirrors; 4-Nighters Arrive

Nature Excursion

Jungle Walk; Meet the People

All-day Primary Forest Excursion or Morning Rainforest Walk

Afternoon Caiman Expedition

Breakfast with Pink Dolphins

Fishing Trip

Iquitos City Tour, Visit Manatee Rescue Center, Departure

LOCATION

Iquitos / Amazon River

Amazon River

Yarapa River

Yanallpa River

Ucayali River

Amazon / Pacaya Samiria

Nauta Caño

Marañón River

Choroyacu River

Tacsha River / Pacaya Samiria

San Martin de Tipishca

Tahuayo / Lake Charo

Tahuayo / Lake Charo

Amazon River / Iquitos

MEALS

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PROGRAM

Your journey aboard the M/V Aqua or M/V Aria will take you into Pacaya Samiria National Park. There you will see charming slow-moving three-toed sloths. At sunset, your guide will lead you through the jungle to see six-foot-wide Victoria Regia water lilies burst into bloom. After dinner, you will board the skiffs to experience the river by night, looking for pre-historic-looking caiman. It is nature at its most unspoiled and most lovely.

NATURE as you have never seen it before

PIRANHA

AMAZON MANATEE

THREE-TOED SLOTH

CAIMAN

Your journey aboard the M/V Aqua or M/V Aria will also give you the opportunity to meet and interact with the local people who live along the river. A child slides down a muddy bank, catching himself just before he would fall into the swift current. A raft so overloaded with green

bananas that is looks as though it might sink skims down the river toward Iquitos. Tiny villages, little visited by out-siders, provide a warm welcome to Aqua passengers – allowing you to experience a way of life that has remained the same for centuries. It is a highlight of the journey.

THE PEOPLE of Amazonia THREE-TOED SLOTHWATER HYACINTH

Capacity: 24 passengersDepartures: Saturdays and TuesdaysItinerary: Pacaya Samiria Reserve, Iquitos, Peru

LUXURY EXPEDITION VESSEL• 12 suites: All cabins have twin beds that are

convertible to a California king-sized bed.- 4 Master Suites measuring 240 sq.ft.- 8 suites measuring 230 sq.ft.

• All suites face outside; large panoramic windows• All air-conditioned with en-suite sitting areas• 4 interconnecting suites for families

SOCIAL AREAS• Indoor Bar-Lounge• Dining Room• Outside Lounge• Boutique• Observation Deck

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS• Capacity: 24 passengers (additional

accommodation for 1 child in each cabin)• Length: 130 feet / 40 meters• Beam: 24 feet / 7.30 meters• Draft: 5 feet / 1.5 meters• Lifejackets: in all cabins• Crew: 20• Guides: 3• Launch boats: 3, each with a capacity of 8-10

passengers, guide, and launch pilot• Cruising Speed: 10 knots• Cruise Director and Paramedic• Two engines, generators, and hot water plants• USCG-approved sanitation system with state-of-

the-art toilets• Automated defibrillator, and certified staff onboard• Ship Owners P&I Club Protection and Indemnity

Capacity: 32 passengersDepartures: Fridays and MondaysItinerary: Pacaya Samiria Reserve, Iquitos, Peru

LUXURY EXPEDITION VESSEL• 16 suites: All cabins have twin beds that are

convertible to a California king-sized bed.- 8 Design Suites on first deck measuring 250 sq.ft.- 8 Design Suites on second deck measuring 250 sq.ft.

• All suites face outside; large panoramic windows• All air-conditioned with en-suite sitting areas• 4 interconnecting suites for families

SOCIAL AREAS• Indoor Bar-Lounge• Dining Room• Outside Lounge• Boutique• Observation Deck

• Exercise Room• Outdoor Jacuzzi

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS• Capacity: 32 passengers• Length: 147 feet / 45 meters• Beam: 29.5 feet / 9 meters• Draft: 5 feet / 1.5 meters• Lifejackets: In all cabins• Crew: 21• Guides: 4• Launch boats: 4, each with a capacity of 8-10

passengers, guide, and launch pilot• Cruising Speed: 10 knots• Cruise Director and Paramedic• Two engines, generators, and hot water plants• USCG-approved sanitation system with state-of-

the-art toilets• Automated defibrillator, and certified staff onboard• Ship Owners P&I Club Protection and Indemnity

THE FACTS: AQUA THE FACTS: ARIA

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Add pre- and post-trips IN VERY VARIED PERU

NEWS

KITS for kidsMany passengers on the M/V Aqua and M/V Aria want to take something to the local children in the villages they visit, but they don’t know what to bring, and often don’t have room in their luggage to pack small gifts. To help accommodate their wish to help others, the vessels stock and sell “Kits for Kids,” filled with the supplies that the children in the villages need and love to receive.

“AMAZON-PROOF” EnigmaTo celebrate the launch of the M/V Aria, Enigma has produced ten limited-edition Aqua C42 Amazon watches, designed by Gianni Bulgari’s Swiss brand and available only onboard the vessel. They are waterproof to a depth of 300 feet, and feature a smart-looking steel case with sapphire, anti-glare glass and a see-through case back, and hands visible in low light. Proceeds from the sale of the watches will go directly to social community efforts in the areas that Aqua Expeditions’ vessels visit throughout the year.

FROM THE KITCHENS of Aqua ExpeditionsThis handsome, full-color cookbook features the recipes of Aqua Expeditions Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, and is packed with full-color photos of his prepared recipes. It is also a lovely travel book, filled with photos of the M/V Aqua, and of the places, birds, animals, flowers, and people of the Amazon and beyond. It is both a delightful memory of your trip and a great gift for others.

A visit to Machu Picchu, 8,170 feet above sea level, and said to be the “Lost City of the Incas,” until it was discovered by American Hiram Bingham in 1911, is a must. Get there early in the morning to hike up Huayna Picchu, the mountain that towers above the ruins. Cusco, even higher in the Andes, is a rich colonial city packed with Inca temples and a grand baroque cathedral. Lake Titicaca, where the colorfully dressed Uros Indians live on soggy reed is-lands on the lake, and the 10,000-foot deep Colca Canyon are other exotic and lovely pre- and post-trip choices.

MACHU PICCHU

LAKE TITICACA

AQUAEXPEDIT IONS.COM

PHOTO CREDITS: Heinz Plege / Ian Boggio / Titilaka / Jean Claude Constant / Marina Burgos / Revista Lugares/Walter Wust / Hans Stoll / Juan Cristobal del Pedregal / Paul Rubio / Richard Olsenius

DESIGN: Fernando Prieto / COPY: Melissa Burdick Harmon

PRIVATE EMBARKATION LOUNGE IN NAUTA