North & South America

Peru: Amazon River Cruises

Linda Young
The Amazon rainforest houses the world’s largest and most diverse collection of plant and animal life. It is ‘home sweet home’ for more than one-third of all recorded animal species in the world, including 20% of all bird species. At least 40,000 plant species, 427 mammals, 1,300 birds, 378 reptiles, more than 400 amphibians and around 3,000 freshwater fishes are known to exist within this giant cradle. Encompassing an area as large as of Wales and more than three times the size of Yellowstone National Park, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a vital asset in the Amazonian rainforest and river system.

On the daily skiff adventures, you can see sloths, toucans, monkeys, caimans, and countless other animals. Highlights of our trip were seeing the pink dolphins, kayaking in the Amazon, and fishing for piranha like a local. It’s truly like being on a water safari – you never know what you will find when you turn the bend and enter a new area. And there’s no better way to see it than on Aqua Expeditions river cruise -- luxury dining and accommodations with just 16 suites with floor to ceiling windows and a first-class staff.
Photo Gallery

Pacaya / Samiria Peruvian National Reserve

This video highlights our recent trip to the Pacay/Samiria Peruvian National Reserve where we enjoyed bout tours through Amazon canals, had wonderful culinary and cocktail experiences along the banks of the river, and took in some incredible wildlife.

our trips

Albums of North & South America

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Beautiful City! Evita's Passions! Tango! Gelato! Antique Flea Markets! Delicious Beef! Buenos Aires is all of these things, and more! The buildings are reminiscent of Paris. It is filled with patrons in tantalizing steak restaurants, and shops filled with customers slurping their fabulous...

Argentina

Estancia La Bamba de Areco

If you have ever, in your childhood, or since, wanted to play cowboys and cowgirls, you have found the perfect place! This is a real working ranch, with fine horses, cattle, ropes and lassos, and you can ride those horses, and do your thing! Or, be a spectator, if you prefer, and watch all the action from the sidelines. You can still join in the bountiful barbecue lunch, and stroll through their beautifully decorated estancia. What a fun day!

Bahamas

Harbour Island

If you flip through Elle, Vanity Fair, Robb Report, Vogue, or any other high-end magazine, you are bound to come across an article about Harbour Island. Harbour Island is one of the smallest, non-private islands in the Caribbean. They are famous for pink sand beaches and are the center of...

Cuba

Havana

We recently traveled to Cuba with Tauck Tours on their people to people program. We met with baseball players, a college professor, and a farmer who grew tobacco. We visited a tobacco factory, the cemetery, Hemingway's favorite bar, a children's after-school program, experienced a cooking class, heard a delightful choral ensemble, and we rode in those fabulous convertibles! It was a fascinating experience! Ask us about it!

Canada

Rockies

We gathered in the Calgary airport to begin our journey to the Canadian Rockies National Parks: Banff Springs, Jasper, and Lake Louise. The Rocky Mountain range begins to come into sight a few miles after you leave the Calgary airport. We were driving in the late afternoon, and the mountains were...

Chile

Patagonia

One week cruising in the Patagonian Fiords, with daily flights over the mountains by helicopter, is an incredible way to spend your vacation. Especially when it includes fly fishing in lakes and rivers with no one else there but you and the big fish you are catching, kayaking and jet boating down...

Peru

Cusco

Cusco is the capital of the Inca Empire, and the center for the Spanish colonization and spread of Christianity in the Andean world. Hiram Bingham used it as the base for his exploration of Machu Picchu. You can still visit the ancient tombs of the Incas, and see their temples. In 1983, UNESCO, in Paris, France, declared the city a World Heritage Site. The Peruvian government declared it the Tourism Capital of Peru and Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

Peru

Iquitos & Belen

Iquitos is a city of approximately 500,000 that uses tut-tuts to get around the city. There are numerous markets as well as an animal rescue center. Markets serve the local delicacy “suri” which seemed to be a type of grub. They harvest the suri and roast them on sticks. Belen is a very interesting floating village about 5 minutes by boat with a lot of poverty. It’s an interesting way to spend the day (with a private guide and driver) if you have a long layover.

Peru

Amazon River Cruise

Spot diverse wildlife, hike into the rainforest, and even fish for piranha. During excursions into narrow tributaries, guests may spot more than 130 kinds of birds, pink and gray river dolphins, sloths and nocturnal animals. Guests also spend time in remote river villages, joining school children in games and songs and meeting with a local shaman.

Peru

Machu Picchu

One of the most amazing places I have ever seen! The colors of the rocks change with the light, and I found it fascinating in the early morning to watch the inter-play of shadows and light on the rock structures built by the Incas for their ceremonials. Hiram Bingham must have been totally dumbfounded when he first discovered it! This needs to be on your bucket list!

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about us

Owner Linda Young and her staff have traveled on six continents and visited well over one hundred countries and all of the fifty states. These experiences by land, as well as extensive cruising on all the deluxe cruise lines, make us uniquely qualified to help you choose the perfect trip. Our clients participate in many delightful experiences that are unknown to others.

contact info

(864)232-8880
550 East McBee Ave | Greenville, SC 29601