We all yearn more and more these days for moments when we can tune out from the electronic world. For those looking for the ultimate extended timeout, hey, why not hit the Amazon? And why not the more remote Peruvian waters where the river actually begins, and which are far less trafficked than the long stretches through Brazil?
The tri-deck Aria Amazon is known for its intimate size.Credit: Aqua Expeditions
Of course, you'll still want to cruise the mighty river in comfort and style. Thankfully, nearly a decade ago Aqua Expeditions launched the handsome Aria Amazon riverboat. Not only is there no TV in your cabin, there are no Wi-Fi links on board, and precious few cell towers to be found anywhere for days. Mission accomplished.
And once you've escaped all that drama back home, you'll find from the get-go that the Aria Amazon promises its own drama of the very best kind. It all starts right with your introduction to the ship which doesn't take place on a pier as you might expect. Rather, you board plumb in the middle of the Marañón, an Amazon source river, and you do so at sunset.
You start your journey with a late-afternoon nature hike within the Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve. And then, as you cruise in a skiff under vast skies of unpredictable temperament, the Aria Amazon is cruising downriver to rendezvous with you. And there she comes at sunset, her three decks in profile with the blazing red sky behind her as if she's posing for the perfect brochure image.
Launched in 2011 and refurbished a mere four years later, the Aria Amazon was designed with understated drama by Peruvian architect Jordi Puig. It's all about the glass on the ship, floor-to-ceiling picture windows that make your cabin feel like you have a Theater of the Amazon at your disposal (no worries—high quality blackout curtains maintain your privacy from the occasional passing fishing canoe.
An Aria Amazon Design Suite.Credit: Aqua Expeditions
The Aria Amazon's aft dining room brings drama of another sort as the cuisine itself is worthy of making the cruise. And that's no accident since the Executive Chef is Pedro Miguel Schiaffino whose Malabar and the newer ámaZ are two of Lima's most renowned restaurants. A popular TV chef, Schiaffino also finds time to host a few cruises annually.
Again, the drama starts with the full windows in front of which a panorama of jungle passes, whether at breakfast you're sipping on fresh tropical juices that you've never heard of, or lunching on Chinese cuisine made with tropical ingredients.
The sun sets early in the tropics so at dinner you can concentrate on your serving of the enormous and delicious Amazon fish paiche—which, grilled with fire roasted sweet chili, is another sort of drama. On another evening, you might dine on a lamb tenderloin served with a snake fruit puree side that will fast make you forget about spuds. And always, your cuisine is accompanied by Argentine and Chilean wines.
Sauteed paiche fish in coconut turmeric sauce is just one of chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino's creations for the Aria Amazon.Credit: Aqua Expeditions
The Aria Amazon's small dining crew quickly learns your tastes, and as such they might just present you at disembarkation with a bottle of that hot aji charapita chili sauce that you came to savor at meals. The fact that waiters speak fluent English is astounding considering that some come from villages that can take four days to reach by ferry just from the main river town of Iquitos.
The Aria Amazon outdoor lounge has a hot tub (out of view).Credit: Aqua Expeditions
That dramatic Aria Amazon aesthetic holds true right to the third—the top—deck of the 32-passenger ship which is given over to an impressively large lounge and bar. As with the cabins, the lounge is all about its full floor-to-ceiling windows. There, up real high, is the best place to spot the occasional rusty old passenger ferry chug by, its passengers lounging in deck hammocks as river tradition holds.
As you laze in the lounge at low water season (June until November), you'll be watching sandbanks go by, while at high water the river can rise up the banks a good thirty feet higher which leaves entire habitats submerged and produces an entirely different scenario.
On a clear night up there off of the lounge deck, the stargazing is world class, while by electric storms the lightening show seems all encompassing no matter how far away the rains.
The lounge space is set up as a series of four pod-like units whose coffee tables are laden with thick books on Peruvian cuisine and are surrounded by both comfy armchairs and sofas.
When the popular barman Robinson is not serving complimentary beer and wine he's reaching for his fully stocked shelves—Peruvian gin, anyone? The Amazonian guava-family berry camu camu makes for a great Pisco sour, as Robinson demonstrates in a lounge drinks and culinary tutorial session.
Onboard chef Alberto also gives lounge lessons, teaching you how to perfect his Amazon ceviche of a white fish called doncella marinated in a mix that includes celery, ginger, red onion, lemon and chili skins.
The Aria Amazon Bar and Lounge feels like it belongs to a boutique hotel.Credit: Aqua Expeditions
Between twice daily skiff and shore excursions and that comfy lounge, you may well spend very little time in your cabin. Should you do so, however, your super king bed, sofa with a slight 50s Modernist twist and dark simulated-wood floors all make for an ultra cozy atmosphere. With the soft and steady rumble of the ship engine creating white noise, you'll be out in no time.
In addition to surprisingly ample closet space in the cabin, the bathroom, with a mother-of-pearl tile look, is almost hotel size. Appropriately for the region, its aromatherapeutic soap is passion fruit-infused. Other nice touches include Peruvian cotton slippers, and a light cotton robe appropriate for the tropics.
Your clever "Do not Disturb" sign is a lovely and ecological bracelet that you hang on the door, one made from dark ojo de vaca seeds that are abundant in the area and traditionally used to treat wounds and pain.
Among its wares, the small shop off the dining room sells rainforest essential oils for the bath, cow horns carved into everything from coasters to cutlery, as well as gorgeous high-end masks of mythical figures made for the Virgin of Candelaria festival in the city of Puno.
During the cruise, the Aria Amazon crew places a gift in your room of a bracelet made from red huayruro seeds, each of which have a distinctive black spot. You might want to buy more of them to take home as the huayruro seeds are said to ward off negative energy.
But then, after three, four or seven days on the Aria Amazon and exploring the world's most famous river, you wouldn't know negative energy even if it knocked on your door.
Travel Notes:
For North American travelers not yet that familiar with Latin America's largest airline, LATAM flies to 140 destinations in 25 countries. New York to Lima in a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 2x2x2 seating in Business Class means arriving fresh in the morning for a further 90-minute flight from Lima to the river city of Iquitos. (To get to the Aria Amazon's pier in low water season requires a ninety-minute drive from Iquitos to the launch point in the river town of Nauta. During high water season, guests can board the ship in Iquitos.)
Just this summer, LATAM inaugurated flights between Iquitos and Cusco, making two of Peru's two most popular destinations—Machu Picchu and the Amazon—easily accessible for one grand journey.
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