Aqua Expeditions’ New River-Cruiser, M/V Aria, Sets Sail

The M/V Aria, Aqua Expeditions’ second luxury river-cruiser on the Peruvian Amazon, set sail this past Friday on its maiden voyage with 21 passengers aboard.  The brand-new addition to the Aqua Expeditions fleet 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 menu designed by award-winning Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

In addition to these amenities, the M/V Aria has an exercise room and an outdoor Jacuzzi with sun deck, a unique addition to accommodate the discerning and fitness-conscious traveler.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the world’s second five-star luxury vessel to sail the Peruvian 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 vary slightly to complement those of its sister ship, the M/V Aqua, but 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.

Amazon Wildlife Top Ten: #1

1: Pink Dolphin. I feel sure that this is probably first on most Amazon biologists’ lists, our incredible pink dolphins. We don’t have to worry about protecting them poachers, because the river people rarely hunt them. They believe that the pink dolphins possess extraordinary power. One example: If a young woman becomes pregnant, and the father is unknown, the pregnancy is often blamed on a nocturnal liaison with a pink dolphin . . . or as we call them . . . a boto. The local people believe that the dolphin has lured the lady into the water for illicit porpoises.

Amazon Wildlife Top Ten: #2

2: The little but very mighty piranha. People come to the Amazon expecting to see a monstrously large fish. In fact, the largest piranha is about two feet long, and most are considerably smaller. Yet they earn their reputation. Their powerful jaws and razor sharp triangular teeth enable one small fish to kill a cow. There are many types of piranha . . . in some areas the piranha never bite people. In other areas they may. However, there is no verified report of any human ever being killed by one of these sharp-toothed fish. That only happens in Hollywood.

Amazon Wildlife Top Ten: #3

4: Sloth. These animals completely live up to their name . . . they truly are sluggish and lethargic. The good news is that when visitors to the Amazon spot one – with the help of their naturalist guide – they have lots of time to watch the slothful behavior. These animals move veeeeeery slowly. In fact, they only ever come to the ground to urinate and defecate, and they only do that about once a week. They don’t travel to do it, they dig a small depression right at the base of the tree where they live. It takes them about half an hour, start to finish, including time to dig the depression, do the job, and then cover their excrement. Then they slooooooooooooowly make their way home again.

Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Names Aqua Expeditions in 2011 List of Grand Award Winners

Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, the most respected publication in luxury travel, recently announced its 2011 Grand Award Winners, featuring Aqua Expeditions’ M/V Aqua in the category of “Best Cruise.”

All of Mr. Harper’s Grand Award winners possess exceptional character, a commitment to classic hospitality and a profound sense of place. Mr. Harper does not make his recommendations by means of a checklist, but uses his three decades of experience to distinguish the truly enchanting from the merely excellent.

“All in all,” says Mr. Harper, “2010 has been a bumper year.” And “despite difficult financial times, the quality of these new discoveries is truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to all of Aqua Expedition’s staff for the super start to 2011!

Amazon Wildlife Top Ten: #4

4: Anaconda. This is one frightening-looking snake, primarily because it is the largest snake in the world. People are often surprised to learn that anacondas don’t have any venom. They don’t need any. An anaconda simply wraps itself around its prey, which may be another reptile, bird, or even a mammal. It lifts its prey above the ground, squeezes it hard, and then swallows it whole, usually starting with the head. That, needless to say, creates a big bulge in the anaconda’s silhouette. Visitors to the Amazon may see anacondas in the river, typically with only their heads above the water’s surface.

Amazon Top Ten: #5

7: Camu Camu: Biologists don’t just deal with animals, birds, and reptiles, of course. We also deal with plants and trees. And a couple of them have featured positions on my Top Ten List as well. Fifth on my “Top Ten” list is the camu camu, or Myrciaria dubia, which is becoming so well known that you may have already heard about it. Camu camu grows wild in the alluvial Amazon soil that is flooded during the high water season. What makes it so important, however, is that it contains an extraordinarily high concentration of Vitamin C . . . almost one thousand times more than you would find in orange pulp. This high level of Vitamin C, not surprisingly, makes camu camu of great interest to agribusiness. But there’s more: Brewing the camu camu bark and stem into a tea also results in a very effective treatment for diabetes. 

Below, Aqua Expeditions’ Camu Camu Sour. You’re going to have to visit us to taste one!

Aqua Expeditions Inaugurates New Lounge in Nauta

Aqua Expeditions has opened a brand-new lounge in Nauta on a tributary of the Amazon to offer greater comfort to its guests boarding the M/V Aqua, and in the spring, its new boat the M/V Aria.

The open-air lounge situated at the edge of the  river was designed by Jordi Puig, who also designed the Aqua Expeditions’ vessels.  Most of the furniture is tailor-made including the wood sink made out of one piece of locally sourced pumaquirowood. The lounge includes a refreshment area, relaxing cushioned chairs and bathroom facilities.  In addition to using it for embarking and disembarking passengers, Aqua Expeditions plans to use the facility for special group functions.

Amazon Wildlife Top Ten: #6

6: The ceiba. Looking at the world from a botanical perspective, number six on the Top Ten List is the ceiba of the Peruvian Amazon. This tree has many aliases as well. It is also called the lupuna, the cotton of Java, the kapok, or the tree of silk-cotton. It is believed to have been a sacred symbol in Mayan mythology, and you can still find a ceiba tree planted in the center of many local communities. Some of the local people of the Amazon still worship this beautiful tree, as they believe that it is home to some of the gods of the forest.

Influential Incognito Traveler Andrew Harper Visits Aqua Expeditions

Disappointed by out-of-date guidebooks, in 1978, Andrew Harper created an independent, monthly publication for sophisticated travelers, Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report. Traveling incognito and always paying his own way, Mr. Harper’s unbiased reviews detail the world’s finest hotels, villas, resorts and culturally authentic travel experiences.

Recently, Mr. Harper made his way to Peru and has started sharing his experiences on his blog and the monthly Hideaway Report.  Part of the content he shares is a gorgeous video of Amazonian wildlife seen while on the M/V Aqua.