Grand Voyage from the Amazon to British Shores

The Amazon Rainforest - a dark green world densely interlaced with leaves, trunks and creepers.

Wildlife-rich rainforest, tropical beaches, traditional river-dwellers' lifestyles and Boi Bumba festivities, the mighty Amazon River is at the forefront of this Grand Voyage of Discovery with the Amazonian capital first to take the helm.

Off the coast of French Guiana the lush, tropical iles du Salut bring the infamous île du Diable - the Devil's Island from which there was no escape! In the Caribbean the lively beat of Calypso rings around Trinidad. A vibrant capital Caracas is a window on Venezuela, whilst Aruba's capital Oranjestad has a distinctly Dutch feel. Epitomising Jamaican spirit Montego Bay makes way for the charm of the Cayman Islands. Explore Castro's Cuba - Havana seemingly in the time warp of a bygone era. In complete contrast the exciting world of the Bahamas is one of glitz, glamour and celebrities. An archipelago in the Atlantic, Bermuda has Caribbean soul. Blessed by the Gulf Stream, its translucent waters and pink sand beaches rival those of more tropical climes. British shores beckon but first cruise the Atlantic where beautiful Horta and Ponta Delgada are nature's remarkable steppingstones.

Grand Voyage from the Amazon to British Shores

Manaus, Brazil

Manaus is 900 miles (1,450 km) inland from the Atlantic in the heart of Amazonia, and a hub of tourism for the rivers, the jungle tours and the river cruises.

Following one of the tributaries that leads from the Amazon, Discovery will reach the meeting of the waters. This unique phenomenon sees the Rio Negro run for miles side by side with the Rio Solimoes. Watch as the waters, with their distinct colours and densities, run alongside each other.

One thousand miles up the Amazon lies its greatest city: Manaus. Hemmed in by the rainforests, this is an unlikely place to find an ornate opera house. Built in 1896 on the crest of the city's rubber boom, the spectacular three-tiered theatre gathers together a variety of styles. Elsewhere, our visit to the region is an opportunity to admire the giant Victoria Regia water lilies, their pads stretching up to seven feet across!

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Parintins, Brazil

Parintins is a large city which is world famous for the Boi Bumba Festival, said to be second only to Carnival in Rio, that happens over three nights every year in June.

Oblong riverboats moor shoulder to shoulder along the shores of island Parintins - an island city that lies in the midst of the Amazon.

A highlight of the calendar is the annual Boi Bumba parade, led by the competing schools of Caprichose and Garantido. Tradition dictates that one must watch the other in absolute silence while the opposition cheers madly, before the roles are reversed. Celebrated in June, this festival is something the locals work towards around the year until the floats, dancers and actors come together to parade around the appropriately named Bumbodromo, a stadium built in the shape of a bull.

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Alter do Chao, Brazil

Alter do Chao - the sandbar directly in front of the town forms a picturesque white-sand island, known as Ilha do Amor (Island of Love) and is the subject of a thousand postcards.

You'll be amazed by the clear waters that lap the bay at Alter do Chao, a favourite weekend escape for city dwellers of nearby Santarem.

A walk through the forest leads to the top of a conical hill or another shaped like a church altar, from which the village gets its name. Take in the dramatic views of the Tapajos River where it meets the Amazon, or browse the collection of original Indian Art in the museum with its distinctive painted adobe walls.

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Cruising Amazon River, Brazil

Experience an exciting cruise along the mighty Amazon River, the second longest river in the world. Discover the rainforest - a dark green world densely interlaced with leaves, trunks and creepers. Along its scrawl of tributaries and lagoons indigenous tribes still live traditional lives.

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Macapa, Brazil

Macapa, situated at the mouth of the mighty Amazon River, is surrounded by encroaching jungle and the lush greenery of the Brazilian rainforest.

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Devils Island, French Guiana

Ile Royale - in the ruins of the penitentiary hospital artistic convicts have left frescoes and drawings giving a naive and restrained impression of their everyday life.

Step ashore on tiny Ile Royale where prison ships once landed cargoes of hardened criminals. The remains of barracks, prison headquarters, a chapel, watchtower and prison hospital illustrating the words immortalised in Henri Charriere's 'Papillon'. From across the strait - secure and inaccessible due to rocky shores, strong currents and dangerous seas - spy Devil's Island, the place from where there was no return and the most infamous prison in history!

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Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago

The idyllic Maracas Beach is the closest to the capital, Port-of-Spain, and is a favourite for swimming, body surfing or simply enjoying the mesmerizing waves.

The birthplace of Calypso, a multicultural melting pot stirred by the descendents of settlers from Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East, Trinidad today is very different from the island Christopher Columbus set foot on in 1498. Venture away from the glitter and bustle of Port of Spain - Trinidad's lively capital, to Caroni Nature Sanctuary where wildlife and birds live amidst an almost surrealistic beauty.

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La Guaira, Venezuela

La Guaira is your gateway to Caracas - a vibrant, modern metropolis nestled in the shadow of lush Avila Mountain. Take a cable car to its lofty heights and look down on an eclectic mix of soaring skyscrapers juxtaposed with sprawling shantytowns. Follow in the footsteps of the city's most famous son, South America's revolutionary hero, Simon Bolivar.

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Aruba, Aruba

Aruba - discovered by the Spanish, colonised by the Dutch and a clandestine hideaway for pirates and buccaneers, who preyed on ships transporting treasures back to the Old World! Step ashore and discover mysterious ochre-coloured rock drawings, divi-divi trees sculpted into graceful shapes by constant trade winds, and a unique desert landscape with tall cacti, aloe and great tumbles of boulders standing like a legacy of ancient angry gods.

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Montego Bay, Jamaica

Montego Bay - laid back and lively all at once - has magnificent beaches of white sand and a coral reef just off the coast, which is a favourite destination of snorklers.

Montego Bay - since the 1950's one of the favourite playgrounds of the world's jet set! Nature has been generous to Jamaica - a place Columbus is said to have called "the fairest isle mine eyes ever beheld". From the island's premier resort explore the truly breathtaking Dunn's River Falls, relax on a traditional bamboo raft on idyllic River Lethe, or spot wildlife around Black River Morass - Jamaica's largest wetland area.

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George Town, Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands - first sighted and logged by Christopher Columbus on 10 May 1503 during his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He named the islands Las Tortugas after the large number of sea turtles observed there. Sir Francis Drake visited the islands in 1586 and he subsequently named them "Cayman" after caiman, a Neo-Taino word for "alligator". George Town, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, and its largest city. Grand Cayman's Seven Mile beachis one of the finest beaches in the world with lots of pure white sand and crystal clear tropical water.

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Havana, Cuba

Havana - a city like no other in the world - with its lively street culture and Fifties cars.

Havana - a name that evokes images of antique cars, king-size cigars and revolution. Once the jewel in Spain's imperial crown, Old Havana is a living, breathing piece of history. An overnight stay gives you the chance of an unforgettable evening at the famous Tropicana Night Club, and time to explore the 'heart of Cuba' once described by Ernest Hemingway as having beauty only surpassed by Paris or Venice.

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Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau, with its tropical, tree-lined streets, policemen in white starched jackets and colourful pith helmets, has been the vibrant capital of The Bahamas right back to when the pirate Blackbeard was a local.

Blackbeard, Henry Morgan and Anne Bonney, names that conjure images of Nassau's vibrant, swashbuckling pirate past! Today the city's image is more one of glitz, glamour and a candy-pink, somewhat 'ontemporary', colonial charm. Explore tree-lined streets filled with horse-drawn surreys, ruled by policemen in whitestarched jackets and colourful pith helmets. Take a glass bottomed boat ride over the world famous Sea Gardens and along the waterfront lined with glamorous celebrity homes. Visit Ardastra Gardens where the marching pink flamingos' military precision is truly amazing!

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Hamilton, Bermuda

The port of Hamilton with its charming pastel-coloured two-story buildings along Front Street, has plenty of sightseeing attractions which are best visited by strolling through this beautiful port town.

Discovery's home port, relaxed and sophisticated Hamilton maintains the atmosphere of a distinguished yacht club. Masts bob and clatter in the gentle breeze that sweeps across these coral islands' many coves and beaches. Sightseeing choices include the Bermuda Aquarium, Natural History Museum and Zoo, all based at Flatts Village, part of Hamilton Parish. The 19th century Fort Hamilton, with its ramparts and cannons looking out to sea, offers a spectacular panorama of the city below whilst the intriguing underground web of limestone tunnels provides welcome shade.

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Horta (Faial), Azores

The 'Ilha Azul' ('Blue island'), as Faial is often called because of its countless hydrangea hedges encountered everywhere on the island, is the smallest of the three "Triangle Islands" and an easy island to visit and get around.

Horta - a welcome sight for sailors through the centuries! Hundreds of yachts nuzzle in the marina, their rigging sprouting a dense thicket of masts, cables and spars against the town's historic waterfront. Venture further to where pretty windmills sit among lavender shrubs and blue haze rises above fields of hydrangeas giving Faial its name 'blue island.

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Ponta Delgada, Azores

Sao Miguel's ("The Green Island") cosmopolitan town Ponta Delgada offers the visitor a blend of contemporary life with historic flavour.

There is a timeless feel to the Azores - remote, unspoilt, volcanic in origin and a marvellous showcase of nature in its original splendour. Ponta Delgada is a springboard to Sao Miguel's spectacular landscape pitted with deep craters, some filled with shimmering lakes and others covered with lush vegetation. Explore the town's narrow streets lined with picturesque whitewashed houses, or wander the waterfront promenade. Turn the pages on the naval Battle of Ponta Delgada, as the Azores - second to last of the Portuguese Empire, resisted Philip II of Spain's claim to the throne.

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Portsmouth, England

The historic port of Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy and to renowned ships HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and Mary Rose.

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city, which is mainly located on Portsea Island.

As a significant naval port for centuries, Portsmouth is home to the world's oldest dry dock still in use and also home to some famous ships, including the HMS Warrior and Lord Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory. Although smaller than in its heyday, the naval base remains a major dockyard and base for the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commandos whose Headquarters resides there.

The Spinnaker Tower is a striking recent addition to the city's skyline. It can be found in the redeveloped former HMS Vernon, an area of retail outlets, restaurants, clubs and bars now known as Gunwharf Quays.

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Fares

Cabin Type Fare
£
2 Bed Inside from 2999
2 Bed Outside from 3879
Suite from 5439

Additional Information: Cruise aboard our new ship Voyager.

To enquire about this cruise please contact Bawtry Travel by completing the Cruise Enquiry Form in the right hand column.