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ANDES & AMAZON SAMPLER (9 days) Tour
Code: AND-AMZ-SAMP-9 Rating: moderate
A varied 9-day trip that incorporates the highland regions and the little
visited Amazon basin of the Beni region. This trip includes a city tour
of La Paz, a tour to the ancient city of Tiwanaku, trekking in the Cordillera
Real and a river boat journey from Trinidad to the Amazon basin on the
Mamore and Ibare Rivers. All of the multi-activity trips feature active
outdoor activities as well as a good dose of culture, geographic learning
and adventure. Join us and sample the highland and lowland regions that
are part of Bolivia.
 DAILY ITINERARY
DEPART U.S.: Flights to Bolivia depart late in the evening from
Miami. Please contact our ticketing agent GEO Travel 1-800-938-7285 for
reservations. International air is not included in this itinerary.
Day 1: La Paz - City Tour - La Paz
Depending on your airline (LAB or AA) you will arrive in La Paz in the
early morning. Transfer in from the airport to the hotel. Rest of the
morning is free to rest and relax. Welcome lunch together where we can
meet and prepare for the rest of the trip. At 2:00 PM we depart on a complete
city tour of La Paz and the nearby outskirts for scenic views of this
city we will return in a couple of hours to your hotel. Dinner on your
own. Hotel in La Paz for the night. (L)
Day 2: La Paz - Tiwanaku - La Paz
After breakfast we depart at 8:00 AM to the ancient port city of Tiwanaku
with a professional bi-lingual guide that will share insights as to the
reason why this civilization vanished and its importance in the middle
Andean region. Lunch en Route. Afterwards we will return to La Paz. The
rest of the afternoon is free to visit La Paz at your own pace and to
go shopping for Bolivian Alpaca sweaters and handy-crafts. Dinner on your
own. Hotel in La Paz for the night. (B,L)
Day 3: La Paz - Puerto Perez, Lago Titicaca
- Isla Cohani
An early departure out of La Paz will ensure we have plenty of time to
prepare our kayaks for the trip to nearby Cohani Island. We will have
lunch en route. After lunch we will continue to our campsite and set up
camp for the night on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Dinner and rest. Incredible
views of the Andean sky at night and the Milky Way including the Southern
Cross. Camp on Isla Cohani. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Isla Cohani - Puerto Perez
After a leisurely breakfast and a morning visit with the local Aymara
fishermen of the area we head south again via sea kayak back to Puerto
Perez. Lunch en route. We will arrive in the late afternoon to Puerto
Perez and continue to our hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca. After
a rest and shower we will eat typical Andean dishes and fresh lake trout
prepared a la carte. Hotel at Lake Titicaca for the night. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Puerto Perez - Cordillera Real - Paso
Mullu
After breakfast we prepare ourselves to head into the Andes. We will depart
overland in 4x4's from Puerto Perez to the heart of the Cordillera Real.
We head to Mullu Pass and the long lake region that are surrounded by
glacier-covered peaks like Negruni and Wila Luxita and many others that
surpass the 17,000' mark. Our camp will be located in a typical Andean
valley and next to Lake Quta Thiya at close to 14,500' a.s.l. Camping
in the Andes. (B,L,D)
Day 6: Cordillera Real - Paso Mullu - La Paz
After breakfast we will go on a hike onto the ridges next to these mountains
for some spectacular views of the Cordillera Real, Altiplano and Lake
Titicaca. We will return to our camp and have lunch and enjoy the grandeur
of the Andes Mountains before heading back to La Paz. We will begin our
journey back to La Paz in the early afternoon in time to catch the sunset
over Lake Titicaca. Arrival at the hotel in the early evening. Dinner
on your own at a folkloric dinner and show event called a Pena. (B,L)
Day 7: La Paz - Trinidad - Hacienda Villa El Carmen
A very early departure to the airport for a 7:00 AM flight to Trinidad
via Santa Cruz. We will arrive in Trinidad at noon and head into town
for lunch. After a leisurely lunch we will head to Puerto Barador on the
Mamore River. Here we board our motorized canoes and head into the Amazon
basin via the Mamore River - one of Bolivia's most important river highways.
Our trip to a typical working cattle ranch called Hacienda Villa El Carmen
will take approximately three hours. Once we arrive at the hacienda we
have the option of going for a short horseback ride into the savannas
typical of this Beni region to see birds and animals. After dinner we
will go for a crocodile search and hopefully catch one so you can see
it up close. If we catch one we will return it to its home after some
photos. Overnight at Hacienda Villa El Carmen. (B,L,D)
Day 8: Hacienda Villa El Carmen - Mamore
River Beach
After a tropical breakfast we will go for a horseback ride to visit other
parts of this tropical cowboy ranch. We will go to a lagoon that is filled
with the amazing and voracious Pirana and learn to fish for it in the
traditional way - with a handline and fresh meat. We'll return to the
hacienda for lunch. Afterwards we depart in our boat and head to the Mamore
River and find a beautiful sandy beach to camp for the night. During our
trip we will see many pink river dolphins that are hunting for small fish.
Dinner and camping overnight on a beach in the heart of the Amazon basin.
(B,L,D)
Day 9: Trinidad - Santa Cruz - Miami
After breakfast we depart via boat to a local river port on the Mamore
River and head into Trinidad to catch the late morning flight to Santa
Cruz via Cochabamba. We will stopover in Cochabamba for a few hours so
we will have time to prepare before the departure out of Santa Cruz to
Miami. Late lunch. We will arrange for a hotel to provide showers and
a hospitality suite so you can refresh yourselves before heading back
to Miami in the evening. We will depart from our hotel in the afternoon
at a pre-determined time to catch the early evening flight back to Santa
Cruz and continue to Miami. The AA & LAB flights arrive in Miami very
early the next morning.* (B)
*For those flying on American Airlines the next day we will coordinate
a shuttle to the airport early the morning. Hotel stay in Santa Cruz on
day 9 is NOT included in the tour price. We can help you make arrangements
if you wish. Let us know your plans two months before departure.
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