Wild South America: The Guianas to Brazil

The sound of the steel pan and calypso tell us we’re in Trinidad & Tobago. Arrive and join us for a welcome reception before an overnight at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad Hotel.

Drive through the lush Arima Valley to the Asa Wright Nature Center, a mecca for nature lovers. We’ll have a choice of trails to walk as we look for toucans, hummingbirds, tanagers, motmots, and butterflies. Or, stay on the “birding veranda” and let the avifauna come to you. Then drive to the Caroni Swamp, where scarlet ibis return by the hundreds at dusk to roost— one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles. 

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and perhaps a dip in the pool, with sweeping views of the Gulf of Paria, before embarking our ship in Port of Spain and settling in as we set sail southward.

This is a day to explore the amenities of our ship and prepare for the adventures ahead. Visit the Bridge (a great place to spot marine life), have a relaxing massage, attend a talk about the history of this storied coast, or settle into a comfy chair in the observation lounge to read or look out over the waves and reflect on what you've seen and what is to come.

Little-visited Guyana has some of the planet’s most pristine rainforest. On the Essequibo, spot colorful macaws, cotingas, and jacamars—a few of the more than 600 bird species for the area. Fly over Guyana’s crown jewel: powerful 822-foot Kaieteur Falls. Once on the ground we explore the rainforest and look for rare parrots and toucans.

In Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, discover rich colonial architecture, historic markets, and spirited local music.

Enjoy the pleasures of being aboard National Geographic Explorer with an expert staff. Attend a photo presentation given by the National Geographic photographer and get your photography questions answered. Head up to the Bridge, where the officers will reveal the secrets of navigation. Hear talks from our naturalist team preparing us for the exciting days to come. Unwind, have a massage in the wellness center, read in the excellent library, or listen to music curated by our onboard musicologist.

Paramaribo’s well-preserved Dutch colonial architecture has earned it a UNESCO designation. Explore the waterfront with its wooden colonial buildings, and Fort Zeelandia, home to the fine Suriname Museum.

Devil’s Island became notorious as a penal colony whose inmates included Alfred Dreyfus and Henri Charrière—who chronicled his escape in the book Papillon. Explore the remains of the prison and spot birds and monkeys in the surrounding jungle. Then relax on a day at sea.

Enjoy the pleasures of being aboard National Geographic Explorer with an expert staff. Attend a photo presentation given by the National Geographic photographer and get your photography questions answered. Head up to the Bridge, where the officers will reveal the secrets of navigation. Hear talks from our naturalist team preparing us for the exciting days to come on the Amazon River Delta. Unwind, have a massage in the wellness center, read in the excellent library, or listen to music curated by our onboard musicologist.

Enter the great delta region of the Amazon, and have three days exploring the river and its tributaries by ship and by Zodiac. Spot macaws, toucans, and kingfishers, along with monkeys, and the two elusive species of river dolphin found here—the gray tucuxi and the pink boto. See some of the communities of local residents, called caboclos, who make their living in this rich but difficult environment.

The gateway to the Amazon, Belém has a rich colonial history evident on our walk in the Cidade Velha (Old City). Visit the Ver-O-Peso market, with an amazing variety of rainforest medicinal remedies, or the town of Icoaraci, known for its ceramics. 

Enjoy the pleasures of being aboard National Geographic Explorer with an expert staff. Attend a photo presentation given by the National Geographic photographer and get your photography questions answered. Head up to the Bridge, where the officers will reveal the secrets of navigation. Hear talks from our naturalist team preparing us for the exciting days to come on Fernando de Noronha. Unwind, have a massage in the wellness center, read in the excellent library, or listen to music curated by our onboard musicologist.

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago is a UNESCO Site recognized for its marine life and breeding tropical seabirds. Enjoy three days exploring its beaches, birdlife, and rich marine life. Hike, swim, and snorkel. Or, go on a boat excursion to watch spinner dolphins, renowned for their acrobatics.

Enjoy the pleasures of being aboard National Geographic Explorer with an expert staff. Attend a photo presentation given by the National Geographic photographer and get your photography questions answered. Head up to the Bridge, where the officers will reveal the secrets of navigation. Hear talks from our naturalist team preparing us for the exciting days to come. Unwind, have a massage in the wellness center, read in the excellent library, or listen to music curated by our onboard musicologist.

Arrive at colorful Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia and cultural center of Brazil. Salvador’s music is legendary—the region is the birthplace of the samba.

After breakfast, we disembark and have a walking tour of Salvador through the historic Pelourinho, a network of sweeping avenues lined with towering pink, yellow, and purple buildings finished with elegant white trims. Later, we transfer to the airport for flights home.