[FAQ provided by the operator]
1) How are these trips different from
other tours?
Our visits to the Amazon rainforest take place with small groups. Larger groups
scare away wildlife and dilute contact with the guides. We also go to intact
pristine rainforest. Most tours in the Amazon go only a short distance from cities
or other settled areas. Many tours only ever visit disturbed forest--some tours
actually visit the same places week after week. Our trips go far away from settlement
into beautiful natural rainforest.
Another major distinction of our trips
is the quality of guiding. As tropical forests are extremely
complex environments, without knowledgeable guides it
can appear to a visitor as one great green blur. We take
a thoughtful approach to natural history. Our trips are
guided by skilled naturalists who help us spot wildlife
and offer our guests an informed narrative on tropical
forests. The trips are detailed and full, and also fun!
2) Are these trips fun?
Our trips are aimed at observing wildlife, but we also
want to have fun! The best kind of nature trip is
good humored and light hearted. We try to be precise
about
nature and enjoy ourselves at the same time. We have
a cocktail hour on the top deck with hors d'oeuvres
every evening and sometime during the trip will have "Caipirinhas" the
national drink of Brazil with perhaps some samba music.
3) By traveling in a group does that mean we can visit
only touristy areas?
No, our group size is small and the places we visit
are natural areas. Our itineraries are flexible so
that we
can explore interesting places we encounter en route.
We are very careful not to disturb the places we visit
or the lives of the people we contact in the forest
and or along the rivers. We are almost always the only
visitors,
often the only people to travel to these magnificent
natural areas.
4) We are going to South America, can we join the trip
there?
Yes! Many of our passengers join the group in the field.
We will work with you to coordinate your travel plans
to other parts of South America. Many of our guests after
the Amazon trip will continue on to The Pantanal, a little
known but very interesting grassland south of the Amazon.
We can also arrange visits to Rio or São Paulo
or Machu Picchu in Peru.
5)
What is the best time of year to go?
The best time to travel is really dependent on your own
scheduling considerations. Our trips take place in the
very middle of the Amazon in the State of Amazonas. In
this region the rainy season runs roughly from late January
through early May. There are some advantages of traveling
between January and May. Since most riverine plants fruit
and flower during this period, it is one of the best
times to see birds and monkeys at the waters edge. Though
it can rain slightly more in the rainy season, it usually
rains some every day in the dry season too. For more
information, consult our page on Seasons and Weather.
We operate our expeditions year round and the trips are
wonderful any time of year.
6) Do we get a chance to actually go into the forest?
All our Amazon trips spend a considerable amount of time
in the forest. We use the Motor Yacht Tucano mostly
to travel and to sleep; the main part of the natural
history program takes place off the vessel in our small
boats or walking in the forest. We stop several times
a day to explore.
7) Are the walks in the forest strenuous?
Our forest walks are primarily to spot plants and animals
and are not particularly strenuous. The best way to
spot wildlife is a quiet stalk along the forest trail,
not crashing through at a sprint. Since different passengers
would like to walk at a different pace, we usually
divide into two groups, each with a guide. If you would
like to get out into the forest for a vigorous HIKE
and work up a sweat, one of the groups will forge ahead
through the forest, going for distance. In addition,
passengers can remain on the boat at any time, and
many will choose to relax on the observation deck with
a cold drink, binoculars, and a good book.
8) What is the risk of catching a tropical disease or
attack by wild animals?
There is very little risk of catching a disease on our
trips. We are in the wilderness, far away from areas
where diseases are mostly found and far away from people.
Our cook’s standards of cleanliness are very high
and his splendid cuisine is designed for American digestion.
Most wild animals are extremely wary of contact than
humans. All walks in the forest are accompanied by our
experienced guides.
9)
What are the accommodations like? Does it become
claustrophobic after a few days?
Our Amazon exploration boat, the Motor Yacht Tucano,
is a wonderful boat. It is cool and comfortable and designed
specifically to explore the most remote corners of this
magnificent forest. There is space enough for guests
to have privacy. All of the cabins are air-conditioned
and have private baths. We make several stops each day
for our excursions and swimming so that guests do not
get "cabin fever". There are also quite large
group spaces to enjoy at any time of day. There is an
open sun deck, a dining room for lounging and meals,
and a covered balcony around the front of the boat.
10) Does the boat go close to shore or does it stay
in the middle of the river?
The course of our expedition boat hugs the shore line.
We are constantly on the lookout for interesting wildlife
which frequently congregates at the river’s edge.
We make numerous stops to investigate and explore with
our launches. Though we remain comfortable, we do not
become insulated from the forest. The river itself is
interesting to watch since we often see large fish jumping,
freshwater dolphins, countless birds, and strange gargantuan
trees with hanging vines.
11) Are the areas where the trips take place over-visited?
Our itineraries go to places very rarely visited. We
are often the only groups ever to stop in the places
we select. We go much farther than other groups and
it is extremely rare for us to see any other humans
except the occasional fisherman. Though our trips visit
the same region the actual places visited differ from
trip to trip because we prefer not to visit the same
areas more than a few times a year. This minimizes
our impact as well as offer a great variety of experiences
for our guests and crew members alike.
12) Is the water safe to drink?
The water is perfectly safe. Our expedition boat is equipped
with a large dispenser of bottled water, and we keep
it full for the duration of the trip.
13) What are most of the participants on the tours like?
Our guests come in all ages and walks of life. The wonderful
variety of their backgrounds enriches the experience
for us all. The single thing that all passengers have
in common is a curiosity for the tropical forest and
the Amazon. Our passengers are often some of the most
interesting people in the world.
14) What is security like on the Amazon?
The large cities of South America are no safer than large
cities in the United States. In the Amazon however, there
is much more a sense of community and our guests can
be at ease. On the river and in the forest we are in
one of the least densely populated areas on the planet
and also one of the safest. There is virtually no risk
of crime on the expedition.
15) Do the trips damage the wilderness areas we visit?
Ecotourism is one of the very few ways in which income
can be generated from undisturbed rainforest. The presence
of our groups has a very positive impact on the places
we visit by providing income in wages and material
and, as importantly, by involving a large number of
local people in an economic relationship to forest
preservation. On the trips we are very conscientious
not to disturb the natural areas that we visit. We
leave them as wild and undisturbed as when we arrived.
