Vantage World Travel

Tucano: The Amazon Odyssey

Starting in September we are also operating a compact Amazon cruise of 5 days and 4 nights, The Amazon Odyssey. Our longer cruise, the Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon, is better! But if you are short on time, please join our Amazon Odyssey.

The Amazon Odyssey cruise visits some of the most essential areas to observe the wildlife and culture of the rainforest. Our journey especially concentrates on the Amazon River where we walk in towering rainforests, glide along narrow streams deep in the forest, and explore flooded grasslands that stretch from horizon to horizon. Though a compact cruise, the Amazon Odyssey is able to experience the many different environments of the Amazon, teeming with life.

We embark in Manaus, Brasil and travel on the classic and elegant MOTOR YACHT TUCANO. Though not a luxury vessel, the M/Y TUCANO is comfortable and is designed to enable us to explore small tributaries and hidden channels where wildlife can be found but where larger vessels cannot go. Our cruise experience is much more authentic than the typical or luxury Amazon tours. All aspects of the cruise are designed to help us enjoy the best that the Amazon has to offer. We have a small group size, highly trained guides, a talented crew, a comfortable boat, and with 21 years of cruise operations, our activities are thoughtful and detailed. Another important advantage is that our cruises appeal to travelers who are looking for a fun but also very genuine experience. All these features combined enable us to discover and enjoy an authentic Amazon that eludes almost all other travelers.

On the Amazon Odyssey we not only focus on the rainforest, but also on the culture of the people who live in this vast wilderness. We visit small fishing villages perched on the river bank where the traditional life is still guided by the rhythms of the rise and fall of the river. We also visit the homesteads of families who make and grow almost everything they need. For many travelers these visits with local settlers, whose lives are so dramatically different from ours, are some of the most memorable experiences of the cruise. Another fascinating visit is a stop at one of the bustling river trading towns. Here a vibrant river trade continues as it has for centuries. The last evening of the cruise we will coast along one of the greatest ports in the world, the Porto de Manaus. At our farewell dinner we will have the opportunity to reflect on our extraordinary experience and offer a toast to one of the most remarkable places on Earth.

Departures 2010: Sep 6 - Oct 11 - Nov 01, 29 - Dec 13
Departures 2011: Jan 24 - Feb 07 - Mar 14, 28 -Apr 11 - May 23 - Jun 06, 20 - Jul 04, 18 - Aug 01, 15 - Sep 05 - Oct 10,24 - Nov 07, 21 - Dec 05

Price Includes: The price above is per person, double occupancy. Included are accommodations, guided excursions, and meals as indicated in the itinerary. Bottled water served free of charge on the M/Y TUCANO. On joining the group on Day One, passengers board the vessel on a short walk from the lobby of the Hotel Tropical. Prices and itineraries are subject to change without notice.

Prices Do Not Include: Not included are airfare, departure taxes, visa fees, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, or items of a personal nature. Airport transfers available at additional cost.

Single Travelers: No single supplement is charged if the passenger is willing to share with another same sex passenger. Guests may request single occupancy with a fare supplement of 50% of the cruise cost. Single accommodations may not always be available. The single cabins are the smaller cabins on the vessel.

The Amazon Odyssey itinerary

• Day 1 This afternoon we embark on the MOTOR YACHT TUCANO in Manaus, Brasil and depart upstream on the Rio Negro and the Anavilhanas Archipelago. Weather permitting, we will go for an excursion in the gnarled and dense flooded forest known as the Igapó.Hors d’oeuvres on the observation deck and a toast to the rainforest sunset. Following dinner embark in our launches in search of nocturnal creatures such as the Caiman, the Amazon’s crocodilians. (D)
• Day 2 Rising early, we will excursion in the Lago Janauari Ecological Park, a dense forest that is flooded with the coffee colored water of the Amazon River, listening to the chatter of creatures in the undergrowth. Breakfast and some time to relax. By late morning we foray off the vessel again to explore this environment rich in life. Near midday, following lunch, we navigate downstream to the “Encontra das Aguas”, the several mile long joining of two of the world’s greatest rivers, the Rio Negro and The Amazon. Often Pink River Dolphins and also Grey River Dolphins leap and cavort along this stark line of contrasting currents. We then will begin to navigate upstream on the Amazon River until the late afternoon and a large lake called Lago Janauacá. Here we encounter a new and fascinating environment known as the Varzea. In our launches we glide down narrow channels where we expect to see creatures found only on the South side of the Amazon River. Tonight we will foray out in our launches to hunt for nocturnal life. In the beam of our powerful spotlights we should see the glowing eyes of Caiman, the Amazon’s crocodiles. (BLD)
• Day 3 Early launch excursion, but for our mid-morning excursion will go for a walk in a small village. We will appreciate the slow pace of life that follows the rhythms of the seasons and river cycles. About midday the M/Y TUCANO will return to the deep brown and forceful current of the Amazon River. Our destination this afternoon depends on the vessel’s Captain. We will go either to the north or south side of the Amazon River depending on the season and the weather. Our choice will be whichever offers us the best chance of observing wildlife. Late afternoon we will further explore the wilds of this tropical paradise. (BLD)
• Day 4 This morning we will scout for more of the bizarre creatures of the Amazon. On our mid-morning excursion we visit a local homesteaders and walk through their gardens and learn how traditions help families survive in the remote interior. Time permitting we will also visit one of the river towns where trade still thrives in goods that have been grown, caught, or collected in this vast rainforest. During lunch we turn the bows of the M/Y TUCANO downstream on the Amazon River and we will navigate east with the swift current. Through the afternoon we weave in and out of islands that dot the North bank of the river and we will enjoy vistas of forest and homesteads along the river banks. In the late afternoon we should be near the Rio Negro and we will venture out for one more excursion along a narrow channel called Parana Xiborena or we will return to Lago Janauari Ecological Park. At sunset we slowly ascend the Rio Negro, passing along but not stopping at the Porto de Manaus, one of the world’s great ports. More than a thousand miles from the sea, Manaus is the major port for much of the entire Amazon. We will see boats of every imaginable shape and purpose that serve this continent sized forest. Tonight we will sample the national drink of Brasil, the Caipirinha and have a farewell dinner. (BLD)
• Day 5 Early this morning travelers will disembark the vessel at the riverside dock of the Hotel Tropical. (B)

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