Sunset on the Amazon.Andrea here, signing in to detail the rest of the journey. We fly from Lima to Iquitos, landing in the late afternoon. At the tiny Iquitos airport, we meet up with the rest of the group going on the Aqua cruise. I have to say, the folks from Aqua Expeditions more than lived up to the hospitality we've come to expect from Peruvians. After a couple of hours on a very nice bus with bottled water and yummy plantain chips, we made it to the boat. The MV Aqua will be our home for the next four days as we go through the Pacaya Samira National Preserve. And what a home it is! While it's small, only 24 passengers, it's packed with luxury and the most incredible staff you can imagine. And forget grubs and snails, for dinner we had a 20-course tasting menu. Okay, maybe not 20 courses, but a lot. Each more delicious than the last. The other passengers are great and we meet some new friends almost immediately. As I'm drifting off to sleep that first night, all I can think is that I'm on the Amazon! The Amazon for gosh sakes!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
