M/V Desafio

The Amazon Region now appears to congregate a diverse clientele, regardless of age, all share a spirit of adventure and curiosity on the immense lush green and the secrets of the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon, the green lung of the world. The Desafio Cruises offers the best of two worlds: the convenience and comfort of a pre-arranged group program and the joy of personal discovery. Small enough for everyone to be on a first-name basis by the end of the first hours, our passengers feel at home in the heart of the Amazon. And our specialized multilingual hosts will be glad to tell the travelers every single detailed of wild life, flora and the Amazon way of living.

THE CRUISES
The modern 24-passenger M/V Desafio is a newly renovated river vessel offering a fascinating cruise on the Amazon and Negro rivers. The vessel is 109 feet long, fully air-conditioned and offers many of the same amenities found on larger ships. Explore the Amazon Rainforest both by canoe and on foot in the company of naturalist guides. This is truly one of the most fascinating wildlife destinations in the world. The cruises begin and end in Manaus, Brazil.

THE ITINERARY
Day 1 Thursday
Leave from Manaus' Tropical Hotel lobby to board the M/V Desafio, your floating hotel for the next three nights. Once on board, the multilingual naturalist guide will host a "welcome to the Amazon" briefing highlighting the broad spectrum of life in this unique region. The guide will assist in the identification of the flora / fauna, provide a historical framework and enrich your ecological understanding of this unusual destination and of the natural world. After dinner, enjoy an excursion by canoe to listen to the sounds emitted by the jungle at night.

Day 2 Friday
Early this morning, leave on a jungle trekking excursion to learn about the local flora, amongst the richest in the world. After lunch, start cruising towards the Samauma village, located at the Anavilhanas Islands, the largest river archipelago in the world. Later this afternoon, board a motor canoe to visit the surrounding lakes. Following dinner, experience the excitement of searching for and spotting fierce caimans (the South American version of the alligator).

Day 3 Saturday
Rise early to admire the sunrise and see thousands of birds come out of their nocturnal hiding places in search of breakfast. After "breakfast", go on a fishing expedition to catch one of the many hundreds of species found in the river, including the aggressive piranha. The balance of the day is spent exploring the river and the world's greatest ecosystem.

Day 4 Sunday
After another tropical breakfast, you'll reach the "wedding of the waters". This is where the River Negro and Solimoes meet each other to form the great Amazon River. After a stop to view this fascinating sight, continue cruising back to Manaus.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Wooden hull, length: 33 meters / 112 feet, 7.3 meters / 25 feet, beam 7.3 meters / 25 feet, draft 3 meters / 10 feet, 140 tons, engines 2 x 365hp each (Caterpillar), generators 2 x 66 kwh, 110AC, speed 5-10 knots, fuel tanks: 19,000 lt, water tanks 10,000 liters, 2 thermo tanks 150w each, fully equipped kitchen, refrigerator, deep freezer, air conditioning, VHF 1, SSB 1, radar 1, depth sounder, compasses, color TV, VCR, stereo. Safety equipment as per Merchant Marine Ministry’s regulations, incl. 2 excursion boats with 2x 40 hp o/b engines. Crew of 9.

ACCOMODATIONS
The MV Desafio features a total of 12 cabins, divided into 6 on the upper deck and 6 on the lower deck; all cabins with private facilities/showers/wardrobes/bed-lights/carpets and fully air-conditioned, being 7 double bedded cabins and 5 twin- bedded. Air-conditioned restaurant and bar. Large sundeck with outdoor bar.

Departures: Every Thursday.

	Interior Cabin		Exterior Cabin
2009 Price per passenger	SGL	DBL	SGL	DBL
Low Season: Jan 1-Jul 15; Sep 15-Dec 31	$1400	$2000	$1867	$2667
High Season: Jul 15-Sep 15	$2200	$2934	$2376	$3168

Tour includes: - Tax, service charge. - Accommodations in cabins with private facilities and air-conditioning - Meals as per program description. - Guided shored extensions Not included: - Beverages are not included throughout the trip. Mineral water is available free of charge. - Transfers to/from airport or hotel are not included.

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