Francesco Galli-Zugaro, CEO of Aqua Expeditions, has revealed that the company expects to launch another cruise ship to service visitors to the Peruvian Amazon during the month of April, 2011.  The M/V Aria will offer 16 air conditioned cabins featuring floor-to-ceiling picture windows, providing guests with an unparalleled vista of the wonders of the jungle.  Other accommodations include an air-conditioned top deck, observation lounge, exercise room, jacuzzi, a sun deck.  Of course, the vessel will also enjoy Aqua Expedition’s signature restaurant, with delicious meals prepared by the award-winning executive chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.  The Aria will follow different itineraries than the Aqua Cruise, providing guests with an increased set of choices.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the world’s second five-star luxury expedition vessel to sail the Amazon,” the CEO exclaimed.  “The M/V Aria will provide the ever-growing number of travelers who wish to explore one of the world’s last great wilderness areas with a one-of-a-kind travel experience.”  No hyperbole there.  The Peruvian Amazon is one of the most beautiful areas of the world’s rainforests, and the Aria promises to be an extraordinary means of viewing and visiting those natural wonders.

The Aria’s sister ship, the M/V Aqua, is already in service, and has been providing guests with a dozen grand air conditioned guest suites boasting 230+ square feet and floor-to-ceiling picture windows.  Four Master suites are located at the bow and include a sitting area in which to view those incredible sights as the Aqua makes her way through the Amazon River.  Her 24-member crew includes 4 world-class naturalists which act as guides for the vessel’s guests.  Amongst the planned pluses is an Amazon Wildlife reference library to help people identify and better appreciate what they’re seeing, and a multimedia room, complete with air conditioning!

Here are some recent reviews from guests who traveled aboard the Aqua recently:

“We loved the guides’ enthusiasm, wealth of knowledge. We enjoyed returning after each adventure to a cool and clean ship with great crew members, good food and drinks. We suggest that you continue giving back to the locals. The Aqua is an excellent ambassador.” — Mr. & Mrs. Fuehrer, March 2010

“My wife had asked me years ago to take her on a cruise of the Amazon, but until I saw the photos and description of the Aqua I never really considered it. The cruise became our 36th wedding anniversary gift to ourselves and was perfect. The ship is even better than we expected. In particular, the wide picture windows of the staterooms that allowed us to lie in bed with coffee and watch the river traffic flow past, and the fast, stable skiffs that enabled your naturalist guides to take us up winding tributaries to visit isolated villages and experience spectacular sunsets really made us smile.” — C. Perleberg, Travel Specialist, September, 2009

“We boarded the Aqua in Iquitos, Peru, for seven days on the Amazon & its tributaries. Most of our time was spent on 8-passenger skiffs exploring the rain forest, but when we returned to the Aqua, we were pampered in air-conditioned comfort. Yummy Peruvian food. So what was it like? It was magical. Hundreds of pink dolphin & lots of gray ones. We held baby caimen, caught piranhas, fed baby manatees with a milk bottle. Monkeys — five different kinds — entertained us each day and sloths slept high in cecropia trees. The rare sighting of an Amazon porcupine (they have prehensile tails!) even surprised our guides. Birds there are incredible. Splashes of primary colors and sounds that defy imagination. Some of us identified over 140 different species and even I had well over 100. We spent a few hours in a random village along a river. Impossibly simple lives. We brought gifts to hand out to the children. They sang and we did a rousing “You are my sunshine…” in return. When you are together for a week, you expect a little mediocrity to emerge. Absolutely none here. In the end, I told the crew in my shaky Spanish that the river lives in our hearts. It certainly does.” –  Mr. & Mrs. Churcher, February 2010

The Aqua Expeditions vessels and excursions are a rare treat in the Amazon.  This combination of luxurious accommodations and adventurous exploration makes for an incomparable journey.  Peru tours take people to remote, untouched regions within the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, ferretting out the unseen within the upper Amazon and her tributaries.  Those who take this path less chosen are richly rewarded every moment of each day.  You’ll see the unusual and decidedly beautiful birds, animals, plants, and lush vistas, perhaps even discover something no one has ever seen before!  What’s more, you’ll take the journey in comfort and style, aboard the Aqua or Aria.

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the Amazon with your own eyes, smelling and feeling and tasting, taking it all in with your own senses, there’s no better way to experience this unique natural treasure than aboard the Aria or Aqua.  The Peruvian Amazon is a truly life-changing experience!  Contact Latin Excursions to find out how you can gain passage aboard this extraordinary fleet.

There are so many places to see, lots of fun to be had! The festivals are always a treat, so you may want to try to plan your trip to enjoy one of these, listed by date:

• February is Carnival.  Though it’s enormous in much of South America, it’s considerably less significant an event in Peru, perhaps in part because it’s within the rainy season.
• From the last week of March through the first week of April the Lord of Tremors festival celebrates the combination of Christianity with the existing Peruvian religions.  Why Lord of Tremors?  It is said that, in 1650, a Christ of the Good Death squelched an earthquake that would have destroyed Cusco.
• In late May or early June is the Cusco Beer Festival.  A very popular event, live musicians play well into the night and people enjoy imbibing the adult libations.
• Two months after Easter Sunday, in the beginning of June, is the Corpus Christi festival.  It is said that this is the most amazing festival in Peru.  Parades include a procession of saints and virgins which meet up at the main cathedral before noon to greet the risen Christ.  Considerable traditional food and beer are enjoyed by the participants.  Be sure to make your way to the Plaza de Armas during the Corpus Christi.
• June 24, the Winter Solstice of the Southern Hemisphere, marks the Inti Raymi festival.  This celebration of the Sun God originated with the Inca people.  Locals wear bright Peruvian colors, which stand out all the more vividly against the stone ruins.  Be sure to make your way to Cusco for this most beautiful of all Andean festivals!
• November 1st is All Saints Day.  In Peru, this is another festival which merges the original Inca religion with Christianity.  People visit cemeteries, celebrating the memory of the dead, and leave them flowers and food.  A moving festival, worth experiencing.
• December 24-25th is a holiday to all Christians.  In Peru, once again, Christmas combines elements of Inca, Andean and Christian traditions in a fascinating way.  The many gods were sometimes merged together or renamed to become Christian saints.  The festivities conclude on Santuranticuy, which is the Sale of the Saints

As you can see, there are many opportunities to include the experience of a festival in your trip to Cusco.  The sights, sounds, scents, flavors and spirit of a festival can be very rewarding, providing vivid memories to take back with you and enjoy again and again when you return home.  If you would like to enjoy one of the festivals, let your agent know when you speak with Latin Excursions about your custom trip to wonderful Cusco, Peru!

The Pueblo Hotel in Machu Picchu offers spa services, daily tea time, a restaurant where you can enjoy delicious Andean cuisine while peering out at amazing views of the rushing Vilcanota River. You’ll want for nothing during your visit. Tea time, WiFi, high-speed Internet, spas, private pools… everything one could expect of a world-class luxury boutique hotel!

To make it even easier to decide, between now and May 31, 2010, when you stay two nights, you’ll get a third night free! If your itinerary won’t allow you to take advantage of that great offer, enjoy a free guided excursion to the Citadel instead!

Machu Picchu is magical. The Pueblo Hotel focuses on the the spirit of this mystical place. You’ll find it at once luxurious, welcoming, warm, comfortable, serene and inviting. Accommodations range from the simple to the lavish. Suit yourself, whether you want to enjoy time to reflect in privacy, or the 24-hour butler service. The choice is yours, from simple retreat to marble bathrooms, a plasma TV screen with DVD player, an iPod, mini-bar, and cordless phones. You decide what you’d like for your Machu Picchu experience, and we’ll work with the Pueblo Hotel to ensure that everything is perfect!

Sublime and private, the Casona has managed to make it even better, by offering two outstanding bargains:

Stay at La Casona any time between now and May 31, 2010, and get a second night free!

Traveling on to Machu Picchu? Stay two paid nights at the La Casona and receiving a $400 bonus towards your stay at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel!

When you first arrive, you may be a bit disappointed by the view from the street, since the facade is of an old colonial home. Don’t judge this masterpiece by its cover! It’s what’s inside that counts. As you step into the courtyard, you’ll see scores of classic sweeping archways, a footlight at each of them, showing off the golden splendor of this warm and venerable boutique hotel. When you enter your room, you’ll find unique Andean stylish decor  throughout. The rooms even have a spa and Roman bath!

Peaceful, relaxing, and luxurious. There’s no better place to stay while in Cusco. No matter how you go, you’re a winner when you stay at La Casona during your trip to mystical Peru!

Most people think of the Amazon as a jungle that begins on the eastern slopes of the Andes and continues to the east across Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. Fact is, some of the most breathtakingly beautiful parts of the Amazon are found in Peru, on the western slopes’ rivers, including the amazing Pacaya Samiria Reserve. Latin Excursions is pleased to be able to offer exceptional Peru tours that includes both the incomparable Amazon rainforest and the wonders of Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Cusco, and so much more!

Your custom luxury excursion begins when you get to Lima. As those who have booked with this company before already know, nothing is the usual fare with Latin Excursions. Your itinerary includes well-educated professional bilingual guides and hosts will greet you in places that are off limits to most tourists. That special service begins at the airport, a trip to the hotel to settle in, and a tour of lovely Lima. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of this exciting metropolitan city will have a lasting place in your memory — and that’s just your first day in Peru!

Latin Excursion tours are designed to allow you to choose what you prefer, customizing the vacation as you like best, from beginning to end. To be sure you get the accommodations, features and destinations you want, we suggest booking this tour now. Cabins are being reserved for the first two weeks of August, September 21-25th, and December 28th through the first day of the new year. But let’s get back to the trip.

Peru is…. the majestic Amazon River, surrounded by walls of green with almost 60% of Peru lying in the Amazon rainforest. Peru is Cuzco and the towering Incan ruins of Machu Picchu from the great Inca Empire, the largest state in pre-Columbian America. Peru is the vast Pampa Colorada, home to the mysterious Nazca Lines and the towering canyons of the Colca River near Arequipa. It is Lake Titicaca, where natives still live on islands made of reeds. Peru is miles of Pacific beaches, vast desert areas, the sheer towering Andes Mountains, lush green cloud forest and the high country of the Altiplano. Peru is the Amazon jungle with its wealth of wildlife, birds and plants and the Pacaya Samiria Reserve deep in the Amazon rainforest. Peru is the rural haciendas and elegant churches built by the Spaniards, who conquered this rugged land of mountains, rivers, and valleys in the 16th century. It is the small villages and markets of Peru’s indigenous people–the women clad in rainbow-colored clothing topped by serious-looking bowler hats

Your first week is dedicated to visiting the amazing land-based highlights. On day eight, you’ll enjoy a 2.5 hour flight to Iquitos, where you’ll board the Aqua for a sailing trip through the Amazon of Peru. Over the next four days, you’ll see all manner of colors, the brilliant vibrant, amazing Amazon! Then it’s back to Lima for a day before returning home with stories to tell, pictures to share, and memories to last a lifetime!

If you’d like, you can extend your trip. Add high-altitude destinations, or enjoy a bit of relaxing time along the pacific Peruvian coast. Perhaps while you’re in the southern hemisphere you’d like to fly on up to Equador and experience the famous Galapagos Islands aboard a luxury cruise? At Latin Excursions, we’re honored to be able to make your voyage is everything you want it to be.

VIEW DETAILS: Delfin Luxury Amazon Cruise

There’s nothing quite like exploring the wonders of Peru on a custom luxury tour from Latin Excursions. Contact them now, so that they can make the necessary arrangements and reservations for your customized fantastic journey.

Continue to Cusco, former Inca capital, and the Sacred Valley, to explore ruins, villages and markets. Of course, the highlight of your time in the area will be Machu Picchu, the impressive ruins set in the cloud forest, whose purpose is still not completely clear to archaeologists. You’ll begin your time exploring the Inca culture in the Sacred Valley, at a lower altitude for easier acclimatization and home to charming villages, terraced ruins overlooking the valley and colorful markets.

Then, continue to Machu Picchu in the panoramic Vistadome or the luxury Hiram Bingham service, where you’ll have a private guide to learn more about the impressive architecture and construction techniques. Finally, stay a few nights in Cusco, which has a combination of colonial and Inca architecture, a lovely main plaza, and the famed Temple of the Sun. Cusco is a lively town, with restaurants, bars and plenty of winding alleys to explore.

End your trip in the Amazon region, with a stay at one of the lodges set deep into the jungle there, or with a riverboat cruise on a luxury riverboat. Lodges range from those offering more amenities, to those for travelers interested in an authentic, in-depth Amazon experience. You’ll have activities in the Amazon like wildlife watching, canoeing, fishing for piranha, visiting local communities, night walks and more.

Ask us for more details on adding more destinations in Peru to your trip, or about other Amazon regions in South America.

The Delfin luxury riverboats are ideal for travelers looking for the best Amazon trip – with smaller sizes for a more personalized trip, spacious cabins, and impeccable service from guides and crew, these two riverboats will make for a memorable trip.

Your trip begins in Lima, where you’ll arrive from your international flight, and spend two nights in a luxury property, with a city tour to the amazing colonial and pre-colombian highlights the city has to offer. Then, continue on to Iquitos, Peru, where you’ll board your boat. Then begin cruising to the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a five million acre nature reserve that few travelers visit. The Delfins offer four, five and eight day cruises, with excursions to native villages, blackwater creeks, lagoons, and along rivers where pink dolphins congregate. You’ll have the chance to fish for piranha and go on night walks in search of nocturnal wildlife. End the trip in Lima, with an overnight and farewell dinner prior to your international departure.

Ask us about 2009 and 2010 dates on the Delfin I and II, and combining this trip with other destinations in Peru.

On your luxury tour of Peru, you’ll also spend two days exploring the fascinating ruins of Machu Picchu “the lost city of the Incas” with your personal guide, learning about the civilization that ruled these lands and their traditions. ‘Back in Cuzco, you’ll explore the labyrinth  of stonework streets of Cuzco-with its interesting combination of Spanish and Inca architecture, visiting Temple of the Sun  and other important attractions.

You’ll ride in style on Andean Explorer luxury train from Cuzco to Puno with break taking view of the Andean mountain ranges and alpaca filled plains. Spend the next day’s exploring the islands and relaxing in the tranquility of the Lake Titicaca shore. Let Latin Excursions customize a trip for your family or friends to experience the highlights of Peru.

La Casona, an Inkaterra property, opened in 2008 to wide acclaim from guests and media alike – the high level of service, stylishly appointed rooms, and exclusivity of the property make it a unique option for people who travel to Peru and are looking for the best of the best.

Latin Excursions had an opportunity to visit La Casona in September, and was impressed by this latest addition to Cusco’s crowded hotel market. The first aspect of La Casona that makes it particularly stand out is its commitment to the privacy of guests – no hotel restaurant brings in diners from outside, no bar attracts revelers, and, in fact, the front door is closed to all but hotel guests.

Rooms in the refurbished colonial mansion are spacious, with even the lower category rooms boasting king beds and intimate dining areas. Bathrooms are huge, with deep baths, two sinks and plush amenities. Room categories include Patio Suites, Plaza Suites and Balcon Suites – the latter feature small balconies for enjoying a peaceful breakfast or drink.

VIP service is the order of the day for guests at La Casona, with housekeeping thrice daily, concierge service, a personalized welcome, and a butler. The small size (only 11 suites) keeps things quiet, and allows guests the maximum opportunity to relax in their opulent setting.

La Casona is perfect for honeymoon couples, those celebrating a special event, or travelers who want to experience the majesty of Cusco in style.

Influences are myriad, and come from Spanish, Basque, African, Sino-Cantonese, Japeanse, Italian, French and British immigration, as well as from pre-Inca and Inca heritage. Traditional dishes are many and varied, and Peruvian cooking continues to evolve and grow – along the Peruvian coast it’s said that there are 2,000 different types of soup and 250 traditional desserts.  In fact, Lima has been named the “Gastronomic Capital of the Americas.” Dishes are richly flavored and spiced, and draw on ingredients like fresh seafood, potatoes, corn, rice and tropical fruits.

For cooking enthusiasts and eating enthusiasts traveling to Peru to visit other highlights like Machu Picchu and Cusco, a day out in Lima to explore the city’s rich culinary history and gourmet gastronomy is a can’t miss opportunity!

Ask us how to customize Peru travel with a ceviche tasting, Pisco sour class (Peru’s national drink), or another culinary adventure!