Voya

The Adventure Begins

Effective April 10th, 2024, U.S. and Canadian citizens are required to have a visa prior to their arrival in Brazil. Please ensure that you apply for your Brazilian visa at least 20 business days in advance of your trip. Processing times vary based on the number of visa applications that are in process at that specific embassy or consulate at any given time.

For your added comfort, an English-speaking guide will be waiting outside of Customs holding a sign with your name on it. Your guide will bring you to your waiting private driver and vehicle, and will accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.

A Healthy Dose of History

Today’s early morning excursion into the historical center of Manaus is conducted exclusively for Explorers Club travelers, by a Manaus historian who can talk about the times of Explorers Club member, President Theodore Roosevelt and the great age of exploration of the Amazon.

In the late Nineteenth Century the industrial revolution in Europe and North America fueled a powerful demand for rubber. At that time all of the world’s rubber was collected from latex producing trees, and the very center of this commerce was Manaus, making it the richest, most sophisticated city in Brazil.

Your exploration this morning visits some of the magnificent architectural remains of this era including some of the places that Explorers Club Honorary member Theodore Roosevelt would have visited during his time in the city. Among them is the former Headquarters of the Booth Line, the steamship line that connected Manaus to the great cities of Europe and the United States and where Pres. Theodore Roosevelt arranged his return passage to the United States following his pioneering exploration of the River of Doubt.

You will certainly get a flavor for the vigorous trading culture that persists in this city founded in the center of the greatest wilderness on earth. Following the tour, enjoy an elaborate private lunch served in one of the city’s 19th century residences in the historical part of the city.

All Aboard!

This morning, if staying at the Hotel Villa Amazonia or the Hotel Juma Opera enjoy a complimentary shared transfer to the embarkation point.

Early this morning is embarkation day and all guests board the vessel to depart upstream on the Rio Negro. All morning you cruise through the world’s largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago and you can enjoy an amazing view of the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water’s edge from the observation deck.

By mid-afternoon the vessel will have traveled beyond the frontier of settlements and entered a complete wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though it is hard to predict precisely what you will see, there is a good chance of observing Pink River Dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly you are treated to magnificent forest vistas with its spectacular trees. In the late afternoon, get ready to embark in the ship’s launches in search for wildlife. You might also indulge in a swim in some of the world’s most clean and refreshing water. Remember, deeply skilled naturalist guides accompany your cruise, helping you to explore the flora and fauna of this, the greatest wilderness on earth.

Where the Wild Things Are

Early this morning, before breakfast, explore the rainforest along the water’s edge in the ship’s launches or kayaks, in the company of a naturalist guide. You can hear and, perhaps see, howler monkeys. It’s a given that you are treated to a morning serenade of toucans.

After breakfast, it’s a good time to go for a walk in the forest and a good start to understand Amazon ecology. The naturalist guides are on hand to introduce you to many aspects of Amazon lore. Around midday you return for lunch and the vessel will get underway again, perhaps stopping at a place to swim.

In the late afternoon, there’s another chance to explore the forest in the vessel’s launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. This voyage is a true “expedition cruise” and you can explore some of the most untouched rainforest in all of the Amazon. The M/V Tucano is the only vessel that explores far up the Rio Negro within a large conservation area, within which are all of the creatures that have made the Amazon the object of myth and legend.

Relax on the River

Since you are exploring, the daily schedule varies, but most days have a basic outline of activities. Getting up with the sun every morning is, of course, important and you can either search for birds and wakening howler monkeys in the ship’s launches, or walk in the forest. Mid-morning you, usually, return for a full Brazilian breakfast and after some relaxation go out again on another excursion.

At around noon the vessel continues its journey and you travel until the late afternoon which is when most animals come out again to feed. The middle of the day is best to observe the forest and the spectacular treescapes from the observation deck. Alternatively, you might want to take a nap before the afternoon activities or sunset excursions. In the evenings, you can enjoy informal talks about what you might expect to see the following day. Tonight, the vessel may travel a bit more as you marvel at the night sky crowded with stars or, from the comfort of the launches, venture out to spot wildlife with powerful searchlights.

Cultural Immersion

After two morning excursions today, the M/Y Tucano navigates along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. An important feature of this journey is to visit the homes of deep forest settlers. A unique opportunity to linger and talk with them about what their lives are like living on the edge of this vast trackless forest. Walking through their gardens is always interesting and you can marvel at their pioneer skills and self-sufficiency. All deep forest settlers gather plants for medicines, providing great insights as you find out about which plants they collect and their specific uses.

In the early afternoon you are in close proximity to an extraordinary river called the Rio Jaueperi. Here you can see a fantastically rich kind of forest, known as the varzea as you scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting you will also set out after the sun has set on a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures.

See the Signature Sights in Style

Today, your voyage takes you to the west side of the Rio Negro as you continue to enjoy the wilderness by launch, as well as experiencing another forest walk. Explore several kinds of rainforest including the strange and beautiful flooded forest known by Amazon aboriginals as the igapó [ee-gah-poh]. In the igapó, the dark water seasonally floods into the trees, sometimes for miles. Orchids and bromeliads cling to the limbs of overhanging trees, which are home also to many fishing birds and iguanas. Throughout the journey, you can see fabulously colorful birds, magnificent rainforest trees draped with vines and carpeted with orchids and, occasionally, monkeys chattering and cavorting in the tree branches.

Depending on the weather and water depth, traverse areas rarely visited by anyone else. Tonight, the M/Y Tucano goes downstream and river depth permitting, will enter an east bank affluent of the Rio Negro, allowing you to continue traveling deep into the rainforest on this small river. After tonight’s nocturnal exploration of the rainforest in the ship’s launches, you return to the M/V Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” with the sounds of samba on the top deck.

A Sight To Behold

Today begins with a dawn excursion, in search of wakening wildlife, followed by a full Brazilian breakfast. Then it’s one last time into the forest. By mid-afternoon you begin to journey downstream, arriving late in the day at the “Encontra das Aguas” a stark, several mile long line where two of the world’s largest rivers, the Amazon and the Rio Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Rio Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. At sunset the vessel, once again, turns her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journeys to her overnight anchorage north of the city of Manaus. As you float past in front of the city, you cannot help but marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities, found over one thousand miles from the sea.

Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning.

The Journey Continues…

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, disembark the M/V Tucano, bidding your crew and fellow cruisemates farewell!

Back in Manaus, enjoy a complimentary shared transfer to the Hotel Villa Amazonia or Hotel Juan Opera, or alternatively relax in the departure lounge, Tucano Rendezvous before transferring to the airport.

Board a flight in Manaus with direct service to Rio de Janeiro. Approximate flight time is four hours. Please note: this is a separate purchase.

Meet your personal driver and guide for an airport transfer in Rio de Janeiro.

Sights and Insights

This tour combines the historical highlights of downtown Rio with the modern attractions in the Porto Maravilha area, including the Olympic Boulevard. Beginning your tour in the Cinelãndia area, you will see the Municipal Theater, National Library, and the Fine Arts Museum. Transitioning from the historic sites of Rio to the newly developed Port area via the new VLT light rail system you will visit Mauá Square and here learn about the history of Rio Port and tour through new attractions, including the Olympic Boulevard and the famous Graffiti Murals by Eduardo Kobra. A quick visit to Rio’s Art Museum (MAR) will provide a panoramic view of Porto Maravilha. Next, visit Rio’s newest feature, the Museum of Tomorrow, which blends science and design to focus on sustainable cities. Return walking along the Orla Conde to the Square of November 15th (Praça XV) which provides an excellent view of the Guanabara Bay. From here you can see the ferry station, the Imperial Palace, and the Tiradentes monument. You will enjoy lunch (included) at the famous Cafeteria Colombo restaurant, a historic attraction popular with locals since opening in early 1900s. Toward the end your tour, walk back to Carioca Square in the heart of the city where you will be met by your driver for a private transfer to your hotel.

Tonight, round-trip car service is included to the Rio de Janeiro restaurant of your choice. Restaurant reservations will be confirmed at time of booking and are subject to availability at Lasai, or others. Dinner is at your own expense.

Hidden Gems

On this dynamic tour explore one of Rio de Janeiro’s top attractions, Sugarloaf Mountain, and discover one of its lesser-known gems, the beaches of Barra de Guaratiba. Tailored to suit your personal interests, begin the day as you prefer, by either boarding a cable-car to ascend the indomitable Sugarloaf Mountain where marvelous views of the city and ocean below are afforded, or by touring the calm, serene white sand beaches of Barra de Guaratiba; the choice is yours! Lunch at Bira de Guaratiba, an award-winning casual restaurant specializing in seafood, is also included (drinks are not included, purchased on-site). Between destinations, travel along Rio’s coastal roadways as your private guide provides insights into the history and culture of Brazil’s “marvelous city.” While in Barra de Guaratiba, take a dip in the warm azure waters that has made the area popular throughout the world, or simply curl up with a book and while away the hours. Upon completion of this full-day tour, you will be returned to your hotel, likely holding a camera filled with postcard-worthy photos. Please note: The beaches visited on this tour are seldom visited during weekdays but are often busy during weekends.

Beach Bliss

Known the world over, the prized beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema are considered among the planets best for good reason. The gorgeous climate, fine white-sands, strong but inviting surf, beach-side vendors and an expansive boardwalks combine to grant the miles long beach’s their vaunted status.  Today, discover the sun-kissed shores of Rio at your own pace. Whether you choose to stroll the beaches on foot, to rent a bicycle, or simply lay in the sand in the company of a good book and a delicious refreshment, here you’re sure to find the same peace of mind that has kept guests returning for decades.