Brazil: An Insider’s View May 31 to June 10, 2009 Preliminary Itinerary (subject to amendment) Day 1 – Sunday, May 31, 2009 Depart U.S. • Depart on an overnight flight from the U.S. to Rio de Janeiro. (Appropriate in-flight meals) Day 2 – Monday, June 1, 2009 Rio de Janeiro • Arrive this morning in Rio and transfer to our hotel. • Enjoy an afternoon city tour for an introduction to this colorful capital city, once a Portuguese outpost on the edge of the New World and now a thriving major metropolis. • A visit to the famed Sugar Loaf Mountain affords spectacular views of the city and its bays. • Join fellow travelers for a festive welcome dinner at a local restaurant this evening. (Appropriate in-flight meals, L, D) Hotel Porto Bay International Day 3 – Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Rio de Janeiro • Take a scenic ride along Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and visit the residential area of Cosme Velho and the Bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, including a visit to Chácara do Céu Museum with its outstanding collection of modern art and Braziliana including beautiful views of the bay below. • Continue to the Botanical Garden and its largest Amazonian plant collection in the world. • Relax aboard a cogwheel train through the lush forests of Corcovado to the summit, where the famed landmark statue of Christ the Redeemer stands high above the city. • Dinner is on our own this evening. (B, L) Hotel Porto Day International Day 4 – Wednesday, June 3, 2009 Rio de Janeiro • Depart on a historical tour of downtown, including the Carmelite Convent and Church, the baroque São Bento Monastery, the modern Metropolitan Cathedral, and Praca XV de Novembro, where Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. • See the Paço Imperial Palace, built in 1743 and first used as the home of the Viceroys of Brazil. • Lunch is at the historical Confeitaria Colombo, founded in 1894 it was the main meeting point for intellectuals and aristocrats. • In the afternoon board a schooner for a cruise around Guanabara Bay, providing a panorama of Rio’s beaches, neighborhoods and islands, including views of Sugar Loaf, and of the Museum of Contemporary Art designed by Oscar Niemeyer. (B, L, D) Hotel Porto Bay International Day 5 – Thursday, June 4, 2009 Rio/Salvador • Fly this morning to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, and for over 200 years (until 1763) the capital of Brazil. Here, African and Brazilian cultures blend making this colonial city “the Soul of Brazil”. Within Salvador’s city limits are Brazil’s oldest churches, most important colonial architecture, and largest collection of sacred art. • In the afternoon explore the Pelourinho or Old Town, a UNESCO treasure, boasting the largest and best-preserved complex of colonial architecture in the Americas. See its great churches with gold-leaf interiors, and quaint neighborhoods with twisting cobbled streets. (B, D) Pestana Bahia Hotel Day 6 – Friday, June 5, 2009 Salvador • Continue to explore Salvador and learn about its history, architecture and deep African influence. • Visit the famous Bonfim Church, the city landmark Lacerda Elevator, and the São Francisco Church, the most ornate church in the Americas. • In the afternoon visit the excellent Afro-Brazilian Museum to see its fine collection of Orixás (deities), ceremonial art and clothing collection. • Stroll through the Mercado Modelo to admire Bahian handicrafts of silver, leather, wood and other items. (B, L, D) Pestana Bahia Hotel Day 7 – Saturday, June 6, 2009 Salvador/Fortaleza • Fly to Fortaleza in the far northeast. This place of contrasts, churches and fortresses tells the tale of Dutch invaders and how they amassed fortunes from sugar. This is an area of sunshine, pristine stretches of sand, breezes, palm, dunes, and lace makers. • Depart on a city tour including its historic district and see some beautiful beaches with high dunes. • Dinner is at Praia de Iracema overlooking the ocean. (B, L, D) Hotel Gran Marquise Day 8 – Sunday, June 7, 2009 Fortazela • Discover Fortaleza through the eyes of a native. Professor Itamar Harrison will take you on an insider’s look at the culture and history of this city, the fifth largest in Brazil. Fortaleza is one of the most important centers for crafts in the northeast, especially bobbin lace. • Tour the Mercado Central and learn about forró, the traditional and popular music of the northeast. • See fishermen at work as Fortaleza is now a major exporter of lobster. (B, L) Hotel Gran Marquise Day 9 – Monday, June 8, 2009 Fortaleza/Manaus • Fly to Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas and gateway to the upper Amazon. • Transfer to the luxurious Tropical Hotel Manaus situated on the Rio Negro, an enormous black water tributary of the Amazon. • After lunch depart on a city tour. • Visit the mansions and public buildings brought piecemeal from London and Paris during the rubber boom of the last century, the Municipal Market modeled on Les Halles in Paris and filled with exotic Amazon produce, and the opulent Teatro Amazonas Opera House with its unusual mixture of art nouveau, neoclassical, and Baroque architecture. (B, L) Tropical Hotel Manaus Day 10 – Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Manaus • In the morning visit the National Amazonian Research Institute to meet with scientists, learn about their research and see a collection of manatees, fresh water dolphins, and other species. • Next stop at the Natural History Museum which features a collection of indigenous insects and butterflies as well as impressive exhibits of the Amazon’s fresh water fish, some measuring as much as two meters in length. See floating docks and stilt houses. The immensity of this river system is truly amazing! • Gather this evening for a farewell dinner. (B, L, D) Tropical Hotel Manaus Day 11 – Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Manaus/Miami • Transfer to the airport for an early afternoon flight to Miami that arrives in Miami late that same afternoon. (Appropriate in-flight meals) Trip Details: Duration: 11 days Activity level: Moderately active Cost: $5,995 per person, based on double occupancy (includes internal air, based on itinerary) Single supplement: $915 per person Deposit: $600 per person, payable to Royal Adventures Optional extension: Four-day, post-program Amazon River Cruise (see itinerary below) Brazil: An Insider’s View Amazon River Cruise June 10 to 13, 2009 Preliminary Itinerary (subject to amendment) Amazon Cruise Optional Post-Trip Extension • Departing from and returning to Manaus, navigate in comfort and luxury for four days on the enormous and beautiful Rio Negro and the Amazon River aboard the Amazon Clipper Premium. • This vessel is a classically styled Amazon exploratory riverboat that maneuvers into small tributaries where the wildlife of the Amazon abounds. • Throughout history, the legends of the Amazon have enticed explorers and adventures as diverse as Sir Walter Raleigh who wrote of a near-mystical land of incomparable riches and beauty, and Theodore Roosevelt, whose own tales of rugged adventure inspired a generation of armchair travelers. Today, the lure of the Amazon is no less compelling. In fact, as the region’s vital role in the fields of biodiversity, medicine, and conservation has been prominently established, the appeal is even more powerful. • On this extension gain a deeper understanding of the diversity of wildlife and abundant natural beauty of this rarely visited, but often discussed corner of the world. • See the river’s flooded forest and riverside villages and the “Meeting of the Waters” where the dark waters of the Rio Negro meet the muddy Solimoes to form the main Amazon River. • Look for pink dolphins, scarlet macaws, yellow-headed caracaras, piranhas, caiman, and howler monkeys. • Most importantly, revel in the majesty and beauty of this immense river system. • Upon conclusion of your extension, fly directly and non-stop from Manaus to Miami. ABOUT THE AMAZON CLIPPER CRUISE At 106 feet long, with a beam of 30 feet, the Amazon Clipper Premium is an especially designed river boat locally constructed out of tropical hardwoods. It offers the best small-ship cruising in the Amazon. This vessel is of a perfect size and beautifully fitted for a comfortable cruise on the Amazon River. It has 16 spacious cabins with lower beds, private bathroom facilities with hot water showers, individually controlled air-conditioning, large windows, reading lights, desks and chairs. All cabins are located on Decks 1 and 2. AA cabins have private balconies. The inviting public spaces feature a restaurant lined with windows that accommodate all guests on single seating meals, an air-conditioned lecture room, a bar and a gift shop. The covered and expansive observation deck and sun deck provide an ever-changing 360 panoramic view of the Amazon’s exotic landscape. Onboard dining features local cuisine prepared daily with Brazil’s freshest fish, fruit, vegetables and other local products. Naturalist guides lead the walks and rides on motorized canoes through the narrow channels, lagoons, creeks and flooded forest. Amazon River Extension Details Duration: 4 days Activity level: Moderately active Cost: starting at $1,495 per person, based on double occupancy Single supplement: $965 per person .