1999 Amazon Cruise Only Departure Schedule

Capt. Donald R. Reid - Agent

 

Full Package Price: Heart of Amazonia US$1,925

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2001 Prices and Departure Schedule, Heart of Amazonia (9 Nights)
2001 Departure Schedule/ Heart of Amazonia, 9 Nights
(Passengers embark Tucano on Day One at 06:00 hours at the dock of the Hotel Tropical, Manaus, Brazil and disembark Tucano on Day Ten at 08:00 hours at the dock of the Hotel Tropical)

Jul 10-19 (01 spaces (Male Share only), Jul 31-Aug 9 (02 spaces), Sep 11-20 (14 spaces),
Oct 16-25 (14 spaces), Nov 20-29 (14 spaces), Dec 11-20 (15 spaces)

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2002 Prices and Departure Schedule, Heart of Amazonia (8 Nights)

2002 Departure Schedule/ Heart of Amazonia, 8 Nights
(Passengers embark Tucano on Day One at 06:00 hours at the dock of the Hotel Tropical, Manaus, Brazil and disembark Tucano on Day Nine at 08:00 hours at the dock of the Hotel Tropical)

Jan 11-19, Jan 28-Feb 05 Feb 08-16, Mar 07-15, April 21-29, May 03-11, May 26-Jun 03, June 09-17, July 01-09, July 21-29, Aug 12-20, Sept 01-09, Oct 11-19, Nov 01-09, Nov 24-Dec 02, Dec 22-30
2002 Trip Itinerary: Heart of Amazonia (8 Nights)

Day 1 On arrival in Manaus at the international airport, we transfer directly to a riverside dock and board the Amazon expedition boat THE MOTOR YACHT TUCANO. After settling in our cabins we will depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we will scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. Around midday we will have a presentation by our guides about the fascinating rainforest creatures that we will observe on the trip.

By mid-afternoon we will be beyond settlement and enter a wilderness area. Both shores will be covered by dense rainforest where all of the beasts for which the Amazon is famous still roam. The top Observation Deck is a great place to keep an eye out for wildlife. Though we never know what we will see, there is a good chance that we will see pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves.

In the late afternoon we will explore a small stream with our boat's launches hunting for wildlife. We might also go for a swim is some of the world's most clean and refreshing water. (BLD)

Day 2 Early this morning we will explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and there should be a morning serenade of toucans along with a many other kinds of birds. After breakfast we will go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we will return to the boat and get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the early afternoon we will explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. (BLD)

Day 3 This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. On our walk in the forest we will keep our eyes open for monkeys--never easy to see, but we may be lucky. We return for breakfast and a swim and travel during the middle of the day. Mid-afternoon we will excursion in our launches. Tonight we will make headway on our course to stop at a good spot for a morning excursion. (BLD)

Day 4 After an early morning excursion we will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler's home carved out of the forest. The thatched huts and the kindness of the settlers disguise an amazingly complex way of life. The warmth of our reception will be evidence of a centuries old tradition of hospitality. These visits with families so far in the forest are often the high points of our trips.

We should arrive in the early afternoon at an extraordinary river called the Rio Branco. Here we will for the first time see a kind of forest known as the varzea-a type of forest very rich in wildlife and very different from what we have seen on the Rio Negro. This area is known for large caiman (the Amazon's crocodiles). We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this kind of environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal wildlife. (BLD)

Day 5 Today we will depart the Rio Branco and proceed down the southwestern bank of the Rio Negro. We will scout along the wilderness shore in our boat's launches. We may also stop and visit the homes of some forest settlers and marvel at their tremendous pioneering skills. During the night we will continue to travel down the Rio Negro. (BLD)

Day 6 After our early morning excursion and a full breakfast, we will find a good spot to walk in the rainforest. We will also have a mid-morning excursion either on foot our scouting about in our launches. This will be a good day also to visit some more local settlers. During the night we will venture farther down the Rio Negro. (BLD)

Day 7 Today we will cross to the other side of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. We will make a stop at the substantial boat building village of Novo Airão. We will walk through the streets and marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Travelling through the night we will arrive near the confluence of the Amazon and Negro Rivers. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the "Caipirinha". (BLD)

Day 8 This morning we will explore by launch the Lago Janauari Ecological Park where the thick brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest. This area is thick with life.

During lunch the boat will get underway and we will travel to the "Encontra das Aguas" the stark several mile long line where the world's two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon will have an excursion exploring a hidden stream to try to see more of the Amazon's beautiful and bizarre creatures. In the evening we will return to Manaus and overnight on the boat. (BLD)

Day 9 In the morning all passengers disembark from the Tucano. Passengers transfer to Eduardo Gomes International Airport for their return flight. (B)

Please note that the day to day schedule must be considered approximate. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational considerations.

Program Summary
Group Size: Maximum of 18 passengers, minimum of 8

Prices Include: Accommodations, transfers, and meals as indicated in the itinerary and are per person, double occupancy. Please note that prices and itineraries are subject to change without notice.

Prices Do Not Include: Optional insurance costs, visa fees, airport departure taxes, meals or accommodations not specified in the itinerary, transfers at any times not mentioned in the itinerary, gratuities, any alcoholic beverages, optional side trips or special dietary requirements.

Estimated International Airfare from Miami, Florida: Low Season Special: $608 [Feb 15-Jun 14 and Aug 16-Dec 10 subject to availability] High Season: $798.00 [Dec 11-Feb 14 and June 15-Aug 16]

Single Supplement: For the cruise portion of the trip there is no single supplement if the passenger is willing to share with another passenger and a roommate is available within the group. For passengers wishing single accommodations on the boat and in the hotel there is a Single Supplement of 50% of the package cost. Subject to availability, guests that share a cabin on the boat may request single occupancy in the hotel on the Full Package itinerary for the additional fee of $100 for the night in the itinerary. These arrangements must be made before departure.

Extra Hotel Nights: 1) Standard Double Room per night: $198, 2) Standard Single Room per night: $185

Special Transfers: $25 per person per transfer

City Tour of Manaus: A 3 hour morning tour of the Manaus is available for $75 per person. This includes an English speaking guide and transportation. Please note that most museums are closed on Sundays and Holidays.

Small Group Fee: For trips to the Amazon there is a minimum of 8 paying passengers required in order to operate. Should there be fewer than 8 paying passengers, we may at our option elect nonetheless to operate the trip, in which case a small group fee of $200 will be added to the Land Cost of the trip.

Payment: A $300.00 nonrefundable deposit is required at time of application with the full balance of the trip cost due 60 days before departure. Payment can be made by personal check, bank check, or money order. Credit cards are not accepted. If the passenger enrolls within 60 days of departure, full payment is due upon receipt of invoice. Checks must be denominated in US Dollars. Checks drawn on foreign banks will incur bank transaction fees which are the responsibility of the passenger, often in the amount of $25.00. Payments drawn on foreign banks within 30 days of departure must be in the form of a bank counter check or money order. Payments received outside of the schedule above may be subject to a $100 late payment fee.

Late Confirmations: If a confirmation is made within 30 days of departure, full payment must be sent to our offices by an overnight delivery service. Confirmations within 30 days incur a $50 late confirmation fee because of the additional costs of processing late confirmations.

Payments made within 14 days before departure must be in the form of a bank check or money order. Late confirming passengers may incur expenses should we be required to send documents by courier to overseas operations or to passengers.

Refunds: All cancellations must be made in writing to the offices of Andetur Brazilian Travel Club. If cancellation is received 61 days prior to departure all payments will be fully refunded except the $300 deposit.

For cancellations between 60 and 45 days before departure, fifty percent of the total trip cost will be refunded, less than 45 days before departure, no refund will be able to be made.

Failure on the part of the passenger to secure a valid passport, visa, or air arrangements does not waive this refund policy. Payments made by passengers who cannot participate due to missed air-connections cannot be refunded. Trip Cancellation/ Trip Interruption Insurance is highly recommended.

Trip Cancellation/ Trip Interruption Insurance: Trip Cancellation Insurance reimburses trip fees in the case of a family, medical, or travel emergency which requires the passenger to cancel his or her trip. The types of emergencies covered depend on the type of policy selected. An information booklet is included with all confirmation kits sent to passengers.

Changes in Travel Arrangements: Should the passenger change travel plans after a full confirmation has been sent, there will be a $100 fee per passenger to revise the travel plans. It may not always be possible to revise travel plans.

Air-travel: ABTC and Ecotour use now regularly scheduled departures of international air by TAM Brazilian Airlines. Our published Estimated Airfares are subject to change without notice. Due to flight delays or schedule changes experienced by the airlines, it may on occasion be necessary to modify the dates of operation of the trips. We reserve the right to accordingly modify the dates of operation or our trip by no more than two days. We reserve the right to make these changes without penalty.

Should a passenger not be able to participate in one of our programs due to missed airplane connections, in most cases it will not be possible to refund the Land Costs paid. We highly recommend Trip Cancellation Trip Interruption Insurance.

July 18, 2001