Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
greens, a wooden clubhouse. Hole 4 is a beauty: you tee onto an island surrounded by
piranha-infested waters. Don't go fishing for lost balls! When fully completed the club-
house will also include a bar (it already has a fridge full of beer) and the grounds will fea-
ture a swimming pool and a tennis court. Meantime, see cofounders Mike Collis or Bill
Grimes at the course city office for information on how to get swinging.
River Cruises
Cruising the Amazon is an expensive business: the shortest trips can cost more than
US$1000. It's a popular pastime, too, and advance reservations are often necessary (and
often mean discounts). Cruises naturally focus on the Río Amazonas, both downriver
(northeast) toward the Brazil-Colombia border and upriver to Nauta, where the Ríos
Marañón and Ucayali converge. Beyond Nauta, trips continue up these two rivers to the
Pacaya-Samiria reserve. Trips can also be arranged on the three rivers surrounding Iqui-
tos: the Itaya, the Amazonas and the Nanay. Operators quote prices in US dollars. A use-
ful booking website for most of the following is
www.amazoncruise.net
.
Dawn on the Amazon Tours & Cruises
( 22-3730, 965-939-190;
www.dawnontheamazon.com
; Malecón Maldonado 185,
Iquitos; day trips incl lunch per person US$74.75, multiday cruises per person per day
US$199)
This small outfit offers the best deal for independent travelers. The
Amazon I
is a
beautiful 11m wooden craft with modern furnishings, available for either day trips or
longer river cruises up to two weeks. Included are a bilingual guide, all meals and trans-
fers. You can travel with host Bill Grimes and his experienced crew along the Amazon, or
along its quieter tributaries (larger cruise ships will necessarily stick to the main water-
ways). While many cruise operators have fixed departures/itineraries, Bill's can be adap-
ted to accommodate individual needs. The tri-river cruise is a favorite local trip: while on
board, fishing and birdwatching are the most popular activities.
CRUISE
Aqua Expeditions
( 60-1053, 965-83-2517;
www.aquaexpeditions.com
;
Prolongación Iquitos 1187;
3-night Marañón & Ucayali cruise per person in suite US$2685)
Aqua is the operator of
luxury riverboats
MV Aria
and
MV Aqua
which have twice-weekly departures into the
Pacaya-Samiria reserve. The 40m
MV Aqua
has 12 vast, luxury suite cabins (each over 22
sq meters) while the
MV Aria,
launched in 2011, has equally splendid accommodations
but in 16 similarly sized suites and an onboard Jacuzzi. Both boats have beautiful observa-
tion lounges to watch the waters drifting by. Cruises last three, five or seven days.
CRUISE
