Iquitos is a city with a population of over 200,000 inhabitants. It is the largest jungle city of Peru and the capital of the massive Department of Loreto, the largest of all Peru’s Departments. Iquitos was originally founded in the 1750s as a Jesuit mission. It grew steadily and there was a virtual population explosion in the 1880s during the rubber boom. The rubber industry has left an amazing legacy in Iquitos with it’s fabulous mansions, which in it’s “hay day” was the centre of cultural life for the rich of this port city. The city experienced a second boom, with the discovery of oil in the area, which has transformed Iquitos into a prosperous modern city. In recent years tourism has also begun to play an increasingly important role in the local economy.
Manaus is a bustling port situated at the confluence of the Amazon and Negro Rivers, 3° south of the Equator. It is the capital of Brazil’s largest state, Amazonas, and home to over one million people. Portuguese colonizers built the fortress of Sao Jose de Barra here in 1669 and named this place ‘Manaus’ after a tribe of indigenous people that inhabited the region. This fort grew to become a village and later an important city due to its importance as a major port for the Amazon and Negro rivers. Points of interest in Manaus are near to the waterfront. They include the Mercado Municipal, the floating docks, the customs house, and the opera house. The opera house is an impressive example of the past opulence of this city. We pull into port at Manaus in the early morning for disembarkation.
Day 1 Lima: Flight to Lima and transfer to the your hotel in the exclusive zone of Lima
Day 2 Iquitos.
Transfer from Hotel to the airport. Depart Iquitos in the evening. Rception and transfer to the Hotel
Day 2-4 Peruvian Amazon.
As we leave Iquitos behind us the true Amazon experience presents itself. Possible stops in this area include Lago Cahocuma, San Pablo, Quebrada Shishita, and the oldest established European settlement on the Amazon, the village of Pevas and its "La casa del Artista". As we continue on our eastward journey, we travel briefly through Colombia stopping at Leticia. Leticia is Colombia's largest community east of the Andes with around 30,000 inhabitants.
Day 5–9 Upper Amazon (Brazil).
The Rio Badajos lends itself to Zodiac shore excursions and cruises. It is an excellent natural area for Amazonian flora and fauna including bird-watching. We hope to visit typical Brazilian Amazon villages like Boca do Cuxui Muni as we travel ever deeper into the Brazilian Amazon. Highlights of this leg include Parana do Carajai, Rio Urutubinha, and Lago Sao Paulo. Characterized by its abundance of exotic wildlife, deep tropical rainforest and vast array of indigenous people, the Upper Amazon is an unforgettable experience.
Day 10 Manaus.
We pull into port at Manaus in the early morning for disembarkation.
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS UPON REQUEST: Prices start from $ per person in double occupancy from Lima, Peru. This includes all meals while on board the ship, drinks extra, accommodations as stated in the itinerary, M/S Explorer. It does not include airfare from your home to Lima, Domestic Airfare and return, airport departure taxes, alcoholic beverages, special gratuities, phone calls, laundry, or items of a personal nature. Single supplement. We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and single travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price for.
TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for this tour, complete the Tour registration form and return it with a deposit of 50% per person. If registering by phone, the deposit must be received within 10 days or the space will be released. Full payment of the tour fee is due 60 days prior to the tour departure date.
AIR INFORMATION: Sun God Expeditions Tours E.I.R.L is a full-service travel agency and we will be happy to make any domestic or international air travel arrangements from your home and return. Please feel free to contact us to confirm your air arrangements.
CURRENCY: Nuevo Sol; as of February, 2006, $1 USD = 3.42 Nuevo Sol. Local currency and USD are available from ATM’s at Lima airport and major cities
DOCUMENTS: For U.S. citizens, a passport valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure is required. Non-United States citizens should check with their local Peruvian consulate or embassy. A visa is not required; a tourist card will be issued by the airline
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION: Departure tax: Lima/USA $28.25 as of August 2005. This may be paid in Peruvian Soles or U.S. dollars.
- Electric Current: 220 Volts (flat pin plug).
- Time: Eastern Standard Time
Itinerary Notes: If you need to know the name of your entry point to Brazil for visa purposes, it is called TABATINGA. Accommodation: Onboard Explorer in triple, twin-share cabins, superior cabins or suites, (all with ensuite bathrooms and port holes) (9 nts). Please note that all cabins consist of two twin beds. Double beds are available in suites, subject to availability.
DEPARTURE INFORMATION – Disembarkation Day Generally, disembarkation in Manaus is in the early morning, between 6:00 and 8:00am. This exact time may change slightly due to local conditions or sailing and port schedules, but will always be in the early morning.
Arrival Complications: We don't expect any problems, and nor should you, but if for any reason you are unable to commence your group trip as scheduled, as soon as possible please contact your starting point hotel, requesting that you speak to or leave a message for your trip leader. If this is unsuccessful, please refer to our Emergency Contact. If you have pre-booked an airport transfer and have not made contact with our representative within 30 minutes of clearing customs and immigration, we recommend that you make your own way to the Starting Point hotel, following the Joining Instructions.
Checklist:
Passport (with photocopies) - Travel insurance (with photocopies) - Airline tickets (with photocopies) - USD cash and travellers cheques - Credit or debit card (see personal spending money) – SUN GOD PERU vouchers, pre-departure information, dossier and trip primer - Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required Camera and film, reading/writing material, binoculars, cover for backpacks - Fleece top - Windproof/waterproof jacket/poncho - Small towel and swim wear - 4 shirts/t-shirts - Sun hat - 1 pair of shorts - 2 pairs of long trousers - 1 pair hiking pants/track pants - Hiking boots/ sturdy walking shoes- Sport sandals- Sunblock (PABA-free) - Sunglasses - Toiletries (biodegradable) - Watch or alarm clock - Water bottle - Purification tablets or filter - Pocketknife- Plastic bags (to keep things dry) - First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
We recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored.
Health: You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that quite often we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our leaders are prohibited from administering any type of drug including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. When selecting your trip please carefully read the brochure and itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. Please refer to cthe Physical and Culture Shock ratings in this dossier for trip specific information. For travellers over 70 years a completed Medical Form is required. SUN GOD PERU reserves the right to exclude any traveller from all or part of a trip without refund if in the reasonable opinion of our group leader they are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group.
For your own safety, we strongly recommend that you advise us of any medical condition that may affect you while traveling.
If you are carrying any prescribed medication, or if you have any particular health needs, please bring with you a signed and dated letter from your physician stating any such health problems and dosage requirements for any medication to be provided to our doctor on board, as well as to any medical authorities in case of an emergency.
We suggest that you confer with your own physician to be sure your routine immunizations, such as tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis A, are up-to-date before traveling. Older travelers, in particular, may wish to consider preventive measures against influenza and pneumonia.
**Important note - Proof of Yellow Fever vaccination is mandatory for all travellers aboard the Explorer in the Amazon and can be asked for at any time by local officials. Please check with your travel doctor to ensure your vaccinations and documentation are up to date.
Environmental Policy
We are dedicated to minimizing the impact of our expedition on wildlife and sensitive natural habitats. We operate environmentally responsible cruises and expeditions and follow all internationally agreed regulations of conduct. We are all privileged visitors – and committed to the future of these extraordinary realms.
EXPLORER
Technical Information:
Registry: Monrovia, Liberia
Built: 1969, Nystad, Finland
Length: 75m (246 ft)
Breadth: 14.02 m
Gross Tonnage: 2398 grt
Max Speed: 13.0 knots
Cruising Speed: 11.0 knots;
Maximum Cruising Range: 5,300 nautical miles.
Capacity: 108 passengers
Crew & Staff: 53 officers, crew and expedition staff
Auxiliary Craft: 4 Motor Lifeboats, capacity 196 persons total
Communication: Telex, telephone, fax, e-mail, GMDSS, Satellites A, C & M.
Responsible Travel: We believe strongly in low impact or rather positive impact tourism. Broadly speaking this means that we try to minimize the negative aspects of tourism on the local cultures and environments that we visit and highlight the positive aspects. We hope that one of the joys of travelling with the Great Adventure People will be in meeting the local people and travelling to more remote areas. Unfortunately, tourism can radically alter what it was that inspired the industry in the first place. It is for this reason that we as travellers have a responsibility to minimize our impact on the people and environments we enjoy. Through our examples and attitudes we can ensure that our visits have minimal impact on the environment and that we foster positive cultural exchanges between ourselves and our local hosts. Please see the Responsible Travel section of our website for guidelines you can follow to help us in our efforts to conserve the places and cultures we love to visit, and to ensure similar experiences for future travellers. We thank you for your efforts in helping us act responsibly in our travels and hope that these guidelines assist you in having a wonderful trip! Should you require more information on minimizing your impact while travelling.
