In the Footsteps of Amazon Adventure
An upscale Amazon Rainforest tour at an affordable price! An exceptional opportunity to experience the Amazon wilds in comfort with the companionship of a renowned Amazon explorer and zoologist.
7 Days / 6 Nights
Offered only several times a year, this Amazon tour is lead by our expert zoologist, William W. Lamar. You’ve seen him on Wild Discovery, The History Channel, programs by the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, National Geographic, and local television in several countries.
Bill Lamar has also become a familiar speaker when the subject is the Amazon, and he has spent over half his life conducting research and trekking through the rainforests of Latin America. His popular books and photographs have helped countless people learn about the beauty of reptiles and amphibians and his reference books have placed him among the world’s top zoological authorities. His love for the Amazon is infectious, and Bill can not only answer your questions but also tells amazing stories about the region and the behind-the-scenes lowdown on some of the most popular shows.
So if you are filled with curiosity about the Amazon, or if you want to really understand jaguars, anacondas, piranhas, candirus and the like, this is your opportunity to get the straight story from someone who has had vast experience with these and many other fascinating creatures.
Used to be, about the only way to spend time with Bill was to pile into a dugout or slog for days along a muddy game trail, but not anymore! Times have changed and you can experience the Amazon from the comfort of a beautifully appointed air-conditioned suite in a fantastic lodge that is complete with swimming pool, king-sized beds, superb cuisine and a well stocked bar. Just being able to cool off and enjoy the familiar comforts of home after a day in the rainforest is a luxury unheard of until recent times. Participants will experience rainforest hikes, canoe trips into lagoons, visits to a Yagua Indian village and Monkey Island, night jungle walks, the celebrate Canopy Walkway, boat travel on the Amazon River, opportunities to observe birds and wildlife...all with the friendly companionship and insights of Bill Lamar.
"This trip was a perfect fit for us. My husband was worried that a luxury lodge would not give him the real Amazon experience he wanted while I was worried about not being comfortable. He got what he wanted and so did I! Bill Lamar was so knowledgeable and entertaining with stories of his many adventures. He led us through the rainforest and pointed out things we would never have seen without him, and Ceiba Tops Lodge is truly wonderful. Thanks very much for the trip of a lifetime!" ... Annie Baker
Footsteps of Amazon Adventure |
| 2012 Dates |
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DETAILED ITINERARY
Sunday - Make the early morning flight Lima - Iquitos (not included). Greeting at the airport and transfer to the boat dock on the Amazon River. Twenty-five mile journey down the Amazon to Ceiba Tops Luxury Lodge where private rooms with air conditioning and hot water provide all of the comforts of home. Lunch and a chance to relax and get over travel fatigue. Afternoon hike in the beautiful primary rainforest reserve surrounding Ceiba Tops which includes many huge trees festooned with epiphytes. Dinner. Optional rainforest night walk or relax to local flute or guitar music at the El Toucan Bar. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (Lunch, Dinner)
Monday - Early morning birding excursion. After breakfast board boats to continue down the Amazon River to the rustic Explorama Lodge and hike the "Bushmaster Trail" where scientific studies by the Missouri Botanical Gardens have found the world's highest diversity of trees per acre. Continue on to visit a small village of Yagua Indians. There will be an opportunity to trade or purchase their crafts and for a demonstration of the use of the blowgun which some of the Yagua elders still use for hunting. 
After lunch walk along a river trail stopping at a "ribereños" house, corner store and sugar cane rum factory. Return by boat to Ceiba Tops. A night walk after supper. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Tuesday - Early morning departure from Ceiba Tops by boat to the narrow motorcar crossing connecting the Amazon and Napo Rivers to continue by boat to ExplorNapo Lodge for breakfast. Hike to the spectacular Canopy Walkway spanning over 500 meters (one-third of a mile), connected by tree platforms, and reaching a height of over 35 meters (115 feet) but accessible without any type of climbing skill or equipment. After lunch, visit the "ReNuPeRu" Ethnobotanical Garden where over 240 medicinal plants are cultivated by a local shaman who will explain the nature of Amazonian natural healing and the uses of some of the plants. Return to Ceiba Tops in time to enjoy the pool or hammocks before dinner. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Wednesday - Early morning birding. Morning boat excursion to “Monkey Island”, a private reserve where more than five species of tropical primates including small tamarins, saki, titi and large woolly monkeys are protected. Afternoon boating excursion in search of sloths, found in Cecropia trees at the water’s edge, 
and the two species of freshwater river dolphin, pink and grey, found in Amazonian waters. Weather permitting, enjoy a beautiful Amazonian sunset on the river. An optional night walk in the rainforest will be offered for those interested. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Thursday - Early morning bird walk and visit to the giant Lupuna Tree for photographs. After breakfast, your choice of a boat excursion in search of wildlife along the river edge, a rainforest hike, swim in the comfortable pool, or relax in a hammock and just enjoy the sounds of the surrounding forest. After lunch, the afternoon free for personal interests. Optional night walk in the rainforest. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Friday - Early morning birding. Late morning return to Iquitos and transfer to the Hotel El Dorado Plaza, a fine hotel on the Plaza de Armas. Late afternoon (3:00 PM) we will meet our guide in the hotel lobby for an Iquitos City & Market Tour. You will visit the Artisan Market in San Juan (a great place to purchase handicrafts); do a canoe tour of the Itaya River in Belem (the floating city) and tour the Belem Market. The Belem market is a cornucopia of exotic foods and jungle products. Here you will find an entire street of medicinal plant vendors, hot pepper vendors, and a host of other curiosities. The tour also includes a swing past famous Iquitos landmarks such as the Plaza de Armas, the Iron House, the Plaza 28th of July (with the railroad engine once used during rubber boom days), the Malecon (waterfront boulevard). Iquitos is filled with interesting sites, shops are filled with handicrafts, beautiful hand-painted or woven textiles, exquisite pottery, hammocks, and the like. This evening we will all gather for dinner at one of the city's many interesting restaurants. Overnight Hotel El Dorado Plaza. (Breakfast)
Saturday - Early morning transfer from our hotel to Iquitos airport for the flight back to Lima. (Breakfast)
Cost: $2095 per person in Double accommodations.
Single supplement is $250.
Children age 11 and under are discounted 15%.