Splashing around in the dark water of the Peruvian Amazon, I accidentally kicked one of my traveling companions’ legs. She squealed like a baby, sending us all into a fit of giggles. Her reaction, while dramatic, was hardly a surprise. We were all a little on edge knowing that we were swimming in a piranha-filled river.
But what we would eventually learn during our four-day luxury adventure cruise on the newly launched riverboat, the 22-passenger Pure Amazon, is that Amazonian piranhas actually don’t bite humans—unless, of course, their teeth snag as you attempt to free them from a fishing line.
We also learned that there are things way creepier down below—creatures that, had we known more about them, would have no doubt sent us for the kayaks rather than a dip in the cool waters, despite the heat of the day. Think catfish bigger than humans, caimans, fish that can jump out of the water to eat bugs, and, of course, anacondas.
That creep factor, however, only added to the adventure element, although the highlights included more of the magical, such as the pink dolphins that never seemed too far away and the opportunity to get a glimpse of everyday life along this massive, storied South American waterway.
Most sightseeing takes place on smaller skiffs that bring guests closer to the rich array of animals and plant life along the river.
Photo by Tom Griffiths/Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
A floating Amazonian safari
I made the trek to the Peruvian Amazon last month along with a small group of journalists invited for a first look at Pure Amazon, a new Amazon river ship launched by A&K Sanctuary retreats, a collection of luxury camps and lodges in Africa, riverboats in Egypt, and now a vessel in Peru. A&K Sanctuary is owned by A&K Travel Group, the same company that owns the global tour operator Abercrombie & Kent. Pure Amazon is the company’s first riverboat in South America.
While technically a river cruise, I liken it more to a floating luxury safari. Few companies have more experience combining adventure and comfort than A&K, one of the pioneers of high-end safari travel.
That experience shone through on everything from the guides’ knowledge—the guides grew up on the river and never lacked the answers to questions about the wildlife, ecosystems, and people of the Amazon—to the extremely personalized service and attention to detail on board and off. With a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio, it seems someone was always at the ready to hand you binoculars, a drink, or bug spray or to simply help you into your life vest.
The bulk of the trip was focused on searching for wildlife during skiff rides along the shores and on a walk in the jungle. We had some limited interactions with the Indigenous communities living on the shores of the storied river along the way.
Oh the animals you’ll see sailing the Peruvian Amazon, including troops of squirrel monkeys.
Nick Fox/Shutterstock
Our first morning, we were barely two minutes into our pre-breakfast skiff ride when we were greeted by pods of pink and gray dolphins. It was a good wildlife-spotting omen. Over the next few days, we would see a mother sloth carrying her baby through the tree tops, a woolly monkey, scores of tiny squirrel monkeys, bats, and seemingly countless species of hawks, herons, and other birds. The Amazon is a birder’s paradise.
We didn’t have such good luck spotting wildlife the afternoon we took a jungle walk. Still, few things feel quite as exotic as trekking through the remote Amazonian rainforest, even with the mosquitoes.
Of course, no Amazon river cruise is complete without fishing for piranhas—not to eat, but to get an up-close glimpse of their colorful scales and razor-sharp teeth before returning them to the water.
While the wildlife and immersion in nature were awe-inspiring, one of the most fascinating aspects of the trip was taking in daily life along the Amazon, where families and fishermen in hand-carved boats navigate the vast river basin alongside oil tankers, cargo ships, and ferries.
One day, we wandered through a small village, making random stops to chat with a fisherman who was relaxing in his stilted house and to talk with a group of small children eager to show off their pet parakeets.
At the river’s edge, a woman and her three sons, as well as two men with a load of coconuts, stood on the shore, waiting to flag down one of the ferries that regularly ply the rivers, offering spots where passengers can hang a hammock for what are usually multiday trips between the villages that dot this winding river’s shores.
Another day we passed what our guide said was one of the largest and oldest villages in the area, Kipsun, dating back to 1686. Today, some 2,000 people live in this village complete with a shoreside gas station and several waterfront eateries serving iguana soup, or what our guide called “Amazonian fast food.”
The journey on board Pure Amazon begins and ends in this tastefully designed port area, setting the stage for the decor on the ship.
Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
Life on board Pure Amazon
While off board was pure adventure, on board was pure Peruvian-themed luxury.
The 22-passenger boat is not just the newest, but also arguably the most luxurious among the 10 or so other river cruise boats sailing the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon.
Like A&K’s safari camps and four Nile riverboats, Pure Amazon is more like a boutique hotel than a riverboat, with highly attentive service and design details that incorporate locally sourced wood, textiles, and decor that nod to both modern and traditional Peruvian culture.
The boat has 10 spacious suites on Deck 2, all with king-size beds, a sitting area, a desk, tons of closet and storage space, and all the amenities of a luxury hotel room, such as a Nespresso machine, a minibar, and even a tablet loaded with movies. The bathrooms are also large by hotel or cruise standards, with oversize rainfall showers that, like the rest of the suites, have floor-to-ceiling windows (with retractable privacy shades). Ceilings are covered by a woven reed called totora, which is common in both the Amazon and Lake Titicaca.
Rooms come with an incredible view on the luxury Pure Amazon riverboat.
Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
Two smaller cabins on the first deck are available to single travelers without any dreaded solo supplement surcharges.
The public areas include a spacious lounge with one of the most unique ceilings I’ve ever seen, decorated in almost fur-like white strands. There’s also a small gift shop and the dining area, with floor-to-ceiling windows, where we often caught glimpses of both gray and pink dolphins playing and feeding next to the boat.
The top deck features a comfortable glass-walled lounge, a small map room, spa treatment and fitness rooms, and two outdoor seating areas, as well as a spacious hot tub with panoramic views off the front of the boat.
Pure Amazon’s food program
Pure Amazon’s dining was another luxurious treat, with a wide variety of both international and Peruvian foods and wines. Breakfasts included different types of vegetable tamales alongside eggs and bacon each morning, and for lunch, wonderful homemade soups, ceviches, local fish, meat, sweet potatoes, and rice dishes were on offer.
Each evening featured a five-course wine-pairing dinner, with some delightfully crisp Peruvian whites and both local and French reds served alongside locally inspired dishes, such as heart of palm cream soup; thinly sliced catfish marinated in a passion fruit-ponzu leche tigre topped with roasted avocado, crispy fish skin, and sesame seeds; and glazed pork medallions in a sweet-and-sour sauce of goldenberry and sweet chili served over a sweet potato puree.
Elegant meals are served in the modern restaurant on board.
Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
In addition to the impeccable service, fine dining, and luxury accommodations, one constant was our daily sightings of pink dolphins that would play around the boat and our skiffs during our four-night sailing. As if on cue, a pod surfaced to seemingly bid us farewell as we gathered at a fork in the river for a final sunset and champagne toast the evening before we disembarked.
Pure Amazon sails three-, four-, and seven-night itineraries from Nauta, which is about an hour-and-a-half drive from the airport in Iquitos. Latam serves Iquitos from Lima and Cusco, making it a convenient add-on for travelers visiting Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Rates are all-inclusive and start at $5,475 per person.
