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Written on July 19th, 2010 by admin_aquano shouts
The M/V Aria at dusk
Aqua Expeditions CEO Francesco Galli-Zugaro announced plans this month to launch the second Aqua Expeditions vessel on the Peruvian Amazon, the M/V Aria, in April 2011. The M/V Aria features 16 specially designed cabins with floor-to-ceiling picture windows, a fully air-conditioned top deck with observation lounge as well as the Aqua Expeditions’ signature Amazon Grill with award-winning Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.
In addition to these amenities, the M/V Aria will also boast an exercise room and an outdoor Jacuzzi with sun deck, a unique addition to accommodate the discerning and fitness conscious traveler.
“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the world’s second five-star luxury vessel to sail the Amazon,” says Galli-Zugaro. “The M/V Aria will provide the ever-growing number of travelers who wish to explore one of the world’s last great wilderness areas with a one-of-a-kind travel experience.”
The boat’s itineraries will vary from those of its sister ship, the M/V Aqua, but will also explore remote areas of the Amazon River. The 24-crew member M/V Aria is staffed with four world-class nature guides and will also include an Amazon wildlife reference library and air-conditioned multimedia room.
The M/V Aria’s lounge
A cabin on the M/V Aria
The M/V Aria’s top deck with Jacuzzi and sun deck
The M/V Aria’s dining room
The M/V Aria
Written on June 25th, 2010 by admin_aquaone shout
Left: Chefs Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and Nobu Matsuhisa. Right: top, paiche with tapioca; bottom, lamb with quinoa.
Peruvian celebrity chef and Aqua Expeditions Executive Chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, recently made a series of special guest appearances at NOBU Tokyo as part of a Peru Fair hosted by culinary giant Nobu Matsuhisa. Cooking alongside fellow Peruvian chef Toshiro Konishi and Nobu himself, Chef Schiaffino prepared a variety of dishes highlighting the best of Peruvian cuisine for VIPs, media and consumers.
After his training at Matsuei sushi restaurant in Lima, Chef Nobu spent three years in Lima, which he credits with the shaping of his modern NOBU style. Often calling Peru his second home, Chef Nobu welcomed chefs Schiaffino and Konishi to his restaurant where he looked to introduce their Asian fusion and contemporary Peruvian cuisine to Japan.
Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino currently serves as the Executive Chef for Aqua Expeditions, a luxury cruise company venturing into some of the most remote areas of the Peruvian Amazon. He also owns Malabar and La Pescaderia restaurants in Lima. Known for his ingenious modern use of Andean and Amazonian ingredients, chef Schiaffino’s first cookbook dedicated to Amazonian cuisine is due to be released later this year.
Written on June 16th, 2010 by admin_aqua2 shouts
Aqua Expeditions now offers guests three new on-board lectures: “Local Communities and Natural Resources in the Peruvian Amazon,” “Amazonian Fauna and Flora” and “Amazonian Fish.” The lectures have been created by Aqua’s resident biologist for guests looking to gain deeper knowledge about the region and its ecosystems. Each lecture is presented once per journey in English or Spanish and takes place during happy hour on the vessel’s air-conditioned top deck lounge. Guests can enjoy a Camu Camu Sour while learning about the many species that inhabit the Peruvian Amazon and Aqua’s responsible practices.
Amazonian Fauna and Flora
This lecture talks about the different species found in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, in which the MV Aqua sails, and explains the roles they play in the ecosystem, the threats they face and how Aqua Expeditions supports their conservation and development.
Amazonian Fish
This talk focuses on Peru’s fish community, with special emphasis on species found in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, the role the fish population plays in the local ecosystem and how Aqua Expeditions supports their conservation.
Local Communities and Management of Natural Resources in the Peruvian Amazon
This lecture discusses facts about the communities living within the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, how they interact with their local ecosystems and how Aqua Expeditions is helping them preserve the Peruvian Amazon.
Written on June 4th, 2010 by admin_aqua3 shouts
Weighing between 75 and 145 pounds, it is hard to think capybaras – the largest rodents on earth – are related to house-pet chinchillas and guinea pigs. Large as they may be, it is always very difficult to see them in the wild, as they live in areas of dense vegetation throughout South America.
Last week, guests from the M/V Aqua had the opportunity to see these shy rodents up close during an excursion along the Pacaya River. Howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, macaws and many other animal species could be seen during the excursion, but nothing captivated guests more than the capybara sighting. Guest Jeff Nicola had the opportunity to take the photograph below–incredible!!
(Photograph by Jeff Nicola)
Written on May 26th, 2010 by admin_aquano shouts
Last week, guests aboard the M/V Aqua got a special treat when they spotted a Tamandua during one of their water-based excursions. An ant-eating mammal with a tapered head and poor eyesight, a Tamandua’s tubular mouth opening is only as wide as the diameter of a pencil, from which the tongue is protruded to catch insects.
Also last week, our New York-based PR person, Nestor, had the same encounter while visiting the Central Park Zoo (pictured below). As part of the Rain Forest display, the New York institution known for being the inspiration for the movie “Madagascar” has a resident Tamandua that manages to sleep through the hoardes of curious guests tapping on its glass home.
Central Park Zoo’s Tamandua: http://www.centralparkzoo.com/animals-and-exhibits/animals/mammals/tamandua.aspx
Written on April 21st, 2010 by admin_aquano shouts
Recent guest Paul Rubio shares some of his breathtaking photography while traveling on the M/V Aqua. Paul’s lens work captures some of the gorgeous vistas and wildlife found in some of the most remote parts of the Peruvian Amazon.
Written on February 14th, 2010 by admin_aquano shouts
Without a doubt, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve creates some of the most stunning sunsets imaginable. Magentas, indigos, violets, soft, buttery yellows, passionate reds…colors you would have thought only existed as “possibilities” on a color wheel, suddenly take center stage in the vast Peruvian sky.
Come experience this for yourself! Start planning your next “lover’s getaway” with the person you want to snuggle up with while sipping on Pisco Sours and floating down the mighty Amazon.
Take a peek at a couple of sunsets some of our guests captured recently:
Written on January 7th, 2010 by admin_aquaone shout
“Diving” straight into the new role, Community Outreach Manager, Juan Diaz Alvan, ventured into little-visited communities this past December with M/V Aqua’s paramedic, Winston Pinedo. The duo, at times accompanied by Aqua Expeditions guests, offered medical attention to members of the Huaisi, Hatum Poza, Lago Prado and Tibiplaya II Zona communities – mostly pregnant women and children.
In addition to offering medical services, the Aqua Expeditions group also led a plastic waste cleaning campaign with the help of children from the Lago Prado community; organized a small Christmas Eve event Tibiplaya II Zona; and lead a responsible shopping expeditions with M/V Aqua guests to the Huaisi community, known for using only primary materials existing around the community — no feathers, animal teeth, snake skins, etc.
Written on January 5th, 2010 by admin_aquaone shout
Aqua Expeditions has a strong commitment to identifying and helping to meet the needs of local communities in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, where it operates the M/V Aqua. To underscore that commitment, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Francesco Galli-Zugaro appointed Juan Díaz Alván to the newly created position of Community Outreach Manager.
Mr. Díaz Alván is a biologist who specializes both in working with communities in protected areas, as well as in the study of Amazon birds. He will manage relationship-building between Aqua Expeditions and 14 local riverside communities, and will also work with the leadership of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and other institutions related to tourism and environmental conservation in Amazonia. He is a graduate of Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana (UNAP).
Welcome aboard, Juan!
Written on December 20th, 2009 by admin_aquano shouts
Aqua Expeditions hosted Oscar the Top Dog on a 3-day expedition aboard the M/V Aqua last month during the first-ever “World Woof” global community service tour. A non-profit global initiative, the World Woof Tour featured Oscar the Top Dog making stops in 35 countries in an effort to inspire dog adoption across the globe. The tour included Oscar and his crew visiting rural areas in Africa, Thailand, Russia, Nepal and China, and finishing aboard the M/V Aqua with stops in communities along the Amazon River.
