Into The Wild

Itinerary

Day 1:

TOMORROW: Today we will board the Tucano Motor Yacht in Manaus, Brazil. We will depart on the Rio Negro and, as the vessel travels upstream, we will have our first briefing on Amazonian ecosystems. In the late afternoon, we will enter one of the world's largest river island systems: the Anavilhanas Archipelago. The boat will navigate a winding channel, with rainforest on both sides and lush vegetation in vibrant colors.

AFTERNOON: Weather permitting, we will take a boat excursion through the dense, twisting, flooded forest along the riverbanks. We may see squirrel monkeys and hear the deep, mysterious calls of howler monkeys echoing through the primeval jungle. The Amazon is home to one of the greatest varieties of birds in the world, and we are sure to see some of these brightly colored jewels perched in the treetops.

We'll return to the M/Y Tucano to enjoy appetizers on the observation deck and toast the sunset over the rainforest. After dinner, we'll set out in our speedboats in search of nocturnal animals, such as caimans, the crocodilians of the Amazon. We might also spot some of the large nocturnal birds, like the great potoo, with its bulging eyes and large mouth, adapted for swallowing enormous moths.

Day 2:

TOMORROW: Shortly after dawn, we will explore the Anavilhanas Archipelago, a reserve encompassing the world's largest river island system, as well as areas of tall, dense rainforest. Here we will encounter the unique environment known as igapó, the blackwater flooded forest, where dense vegetation grows directly on the dark waters of the Rio Negro.

Around mid-morning, we'll return to the boat for a hearty Brazilian breakfast. After some time to relax, and weather permitting, we'll disembark mid-morning and split into small groups to hike through a type of rainforest known as terra firme. Here, we'll have a good chance of finding tracks—though not necessarily seeing the animals themselves—of some of the large Amazonian mammals, such as peccaries (wild pigs) or even a jaguar.

AFTERNOON: Around midday, we'll return to the boat for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon, we'll take a boat trip along the edge of the dense jungle and listen to the chorus of birds, howler monkeys, and frogs at sunset.

Weather permitting, we'll be taking an excursion tonight to spot alligators and other nocturnal creatures. We often see arboreal porcupines or sloths moving through the higher branches of the trees.

Day 3:

TOMORROW: Today we will sail southeast up the Rio Negro and continue exploring by boat and on foot through the jungle. Depending on weather conditions and water depth, we will visit areas that rarely receive visitors.

AFTERNOON: Tonight, the M/Y Tucano will sail downstream and, if the river depth permits, will enter a tributary located on the eastern bank of the Rio Negro to venture into the rainforest via this small river.

After our nighttime exploration of the jungle in the boats, we will return to the Tucano to celebrate "Caipirinha Night" and perhaps try out some samba steps on the upper deck.

Day 4:

TOMORROW: We'll start the day with an early morning excursion in search of animals beginning their activity, followed by a full Brazilian breakfast. Afterward, we'll make our final foray into the jungle.

AFTERNOON: In the mid-afternoon, we will begin our journey downstream to reach the Encontro das Águas (Meeting of the Waters) by the end of the day. This impressive stretch of several kilometers is where two of the world's largest rivers, the Amazon and the Rio Negro, meet, forming a turbulent whirlpool. Here, the dark waters of the Rio Negro flow alongside the murky brown waters of the Amazon.

At dusk, the M/Y Tucano will turn its bow up the Rio Negro and sail to our anchorage for the night. As we pass Manaus, we will marvel at the scale of one of the world's largest and most dynamic port cities, located more than a thousand miles offshore.

As we gaze at the twinkling lights of the coastline, we'll have a little party, or festazinha, as we say in Brazil: our "Caipirinha Night." Perhaps we'll even be inspired to dance a little samba on the upper deck.

Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner and prepare to leave early the next morning.

Day 5:

TOMORROW: Early in the morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast, all passengers will disembark from the M/Y Tucano.