The voyage is quite active; you spend most of every day exploring the forest on foot or in our boat’s launches. The vessel is designed specifically to explore the Amazon in the most thoughtful and sustainable way. All of the cabins are outside cabins with air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Guides and Crew The staff of the M/Y Tucano are highly trained mariners who bring years of deep forest exploration to our cruises. Guides are bilingual naturalists who not only help us spot creatures, but also help us make sense of the riot of plant and animal life of the rainforest. Cooks prepare elaborate meals always from fresh local ingredients and our sailors safely navigate us into some of the most fascinating waterways in the world.
The six night cruise, Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon, is a full six days long and ventures far, far into the wilderness on the most exploratory and thoughtful expedition cruise in the entire Amazon. The course of the vessel takes us into areas rarely visited and into the heart of wild nature.
The four night cruise, The Amazon Odyssey, has three full days and four nights of exploration so it is about half as long as the other. In this amount of time travelers can experience the essential aspects of Amazon nature - the wild forest, the magnificent plantlife, and some of the signature fauna. It is an expedition cruise, but less intensive than our other. But it is about right for some travelers.
Day 1
Early this morning all guests board the vessel the Motor Yacht Tucano and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world’s largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water’s edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though we cannot predict what we will see, we have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world’s most clean and refreshing water. (LD)
We return to the M/Y Tucano for hors d’oeuvres on the observation deck and a toast to the rainforest sunset. Following dinner we will embark in our launches in search of nocturnal creatures such as the Caiman, the Amazon’s crocodilians. We may also see one of the large night birds such as a Potoo with its bulging eyes and large mouth adapted to swallow the huge Mariposa Moths. (D)
Day 2
Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches or kayaks, each group with a naturalist guide. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and we should hear a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we return for lunch and the vessel will get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon we will again explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. (BLD)
Day 3
This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys... on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches. M/Y Tucano will travel during the middle of the day and we stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars. (BLD)
Day 4
After our two morning excursions The M/Y Tucano will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler’s home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jaueperi. Here we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will have a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. (BLD)
Day 5
Today we will voyage to the west side of the Rio Negro and continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest. We will explore according to the weather and water depth 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 and explore on deep into the rainforest on this small river. After our nocturnal exploration of the rainforest in our launches and we return to the Motor Yacht Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” on and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck. (BLD)
Day 6
We begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brasilian breakfast. We will then go one last time into the forest. In the mid-afternoon we will begin to journey downstream to arrive 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 Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. At sunset the M/Y Tucano will once again turn her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journey to our overnight anchorage north of the City of Manaus. As we pass in front of Manaus, we will marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities, that is over one thousand miles from the sea. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning. (BLD)
Day 7
Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano. (B)
Meal Codes: B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner
Please note that the day to day schedule must be considered approximate. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational considerations.
Day 1
This afternoon we embark on the Motor Yacht Tucano in Manaus, Brasil. We depart on the Rio Negro and as the vessel glides upstream we will have our first talk about Amazon environments. By late afternoon we enter one of the world’s largest river island systems, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. The boat will weave along a winding channel with rainforest on both sides in a riot of brilliant vegetation. Weather permitting, we will go for a launch excursion in the gnarled and dense flooded forest known as the igapó. Along the river bank we may see some Squirrel Monkeys and we may hear the other-worldly growls of Howler Monkeys echoing through the primitive rainforest. The Amazon has one of the greatest collection of birds in the world and we are sure to see some of these brightly colored jewels perched in the treetops.
We return to the M/Y Tucano for hors d’oeuvres on the observation deck and a toast to the rainforest sunset. Following dinner we will embark in our launches in search of nocturnal creatures such as the Caiman, the Amazon’s crocodilians. We may also see one of the large night birds such as a Potoo with its bulging eyes and large mouth adapted to swallow the huge Mariposa Moths. (D)
Day 2
Shortly after sunrise this morning we explore the Anavilhanas Archipelago, a reserve that includes the world’s largest system of river islands and also areas of tall dense rainforest. Here we will see the strange environment called the igapó, the black water flooded forest where dense forests grow right out of the dark water of the Rio Negro. Mid morning we return to the vessel for a hearty Brasilian breakfast. After some time to relax, weather permitting we will disembark at mid-morning and will go for a walk in the type of rainforest known as the terra firme. Here we have a good chance to see the markings, if not the animals themselves, of some of the Amazon’s great mammals like peccaries (wild pigs) or even a jaguar.
Around mid-day return to the vessel for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon we will excursion in our launches along the edges of the dense forest and listen to the sunset chorus of birds, howler monkeys, and frogs. Weather permitting, tonight we will have an excursion to spot caiman (the Amazon’s crocodiles) and other nocturnal creatures. We very often see arboreal porcupines or sloths scrambling high in the limbs. (BLD)
Day 3
Today we will voyage to the west side of the Rio Negro and continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest. We will explore according to the weather and water depth 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 and explore on deep into the rainforest on this small river. After our nocturnal exploration of the rainforest in our launches and we return to the Motor Yacht Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” on and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck. (BLD)
Day 4
We begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brasilian breakfast. We will then go one last time into the forest. In the mid-afternoon we will begin to journey downstream to arrive 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 Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. At sunset the M/Y Tucano will once again turn her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journey to our overnight anchorage north of the City of Manaus. As we pass in front of Manaus, we will marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities, that is over one thousand miles from the sea. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning. (BLD)
Day 5
Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano. (B)
The staterooms of the Motor Yacht Tucano are designed to enable our travelers to voyage deep into the Amazon wilderness in considerable comfort and with a certain stylish elegance. The Tucano experience is all about exploration and curiosity, but our travelers also enjoy the polished appointments of a fine motor yacht. The decorative style of the ship reflects the charm and grace of the 19th century, with artworks depicting the magnificent flora and fauna of the Amazon through the centuries of exploration. The staterooms and salon are paneled in deep amber varnished wood and accented with polished brass fittings. Though the ship is very comfortable, our focus remains on what is most important and is the most difficult of goals in Amazon travel: true and authentic exploration of the magnificent flora and fauna of the greatest wilderness on earth.
There are three categories of staterooms on the M/Y Tucano, all of which are outside, air-conditioned, have large windows, and have private baths. The categories reflect different stateroom sizes and are named in the colors of Brasil: Yellow Category, Blue Category, and Green Category.
All of the staterooms on the Motor Yacht Tucano are outside staterooms with large windows, private baths with showers, and air-conditioning. There are nine staterooms within the three categories.
Yellow Category Staterooms: The five double staterooms in the Yellow category are the largest on the vessel. They have beds side by side with a small night table in between. They are numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, and 0. Stateroom number “0” has a queen size bed and a single bed. The Yellow Category beds can be converted into queen sized beds.
Blue Category (Single Staterooms): These staterooms are for single travelers. They are numbers 1 and 8 and have a single twin bed. On request, these can be converted to Green staterooms.
Green Category Staterooms: There are two staterooms in the Green category. These are numbered 2 and 7 and they have above and below berths. These staterooms are smaller than the Yellow staterooms, but are they are still comfortable, are outside staterooms and have large windows, private bathrooms, and air-conditioning. Green staterooms are less costly than the Yellow Staterooms.
Middle Deck
The balcony around the front of the boat is a wonderful place to pull up a chair and observe the forest close up. The salon is airy and has windows all the way around. All of the walls are paneled in lovely hardwood. Two cabins on this deck have two single beds with night stand. Two other cabins have a bunk bed with a twin size mattress above and below. All of the cabins have private showers and sinks. The Mid-deck balcony has connecting doors to the Salon. It is a wonderful place to relax with a good book, sip a glass of wine, a soft drink or a beer, or simply to marvel at the splendor of the last great wilderness on Earth.
Main Deck
Two cabins on this deck have single beds separated by a nightstand. By inserting a third narrow bed in the middle, these cabins can also accommodate three persons. Two other cabins number have a bunk bed with a twin size mattress above and below. All of the cabins have private showers and sinks. There is a full galley and a swim deck at the stern.
Observation Deck
The top deck runs the length of the entire upper deck on the M/Y Tucano. Guests can go forward and watch the crew navigate the vessel, sit comfortably under the canopy and scan the canopy for monkeys and birds, or simply swing in a hammock in lazy comfort. This deck is open and an exceptional place to observe wildlife. The forward balcony allows views to the front and into the treetops. From beneath the sun canopy we see the world's greatest collection of birds and the occasional monkey cavorting in the branches. From the top deck there is wilderness as far as the eye can see.The top deck is a wonderful place to lounge around as we cruise along the wilderness river.
