Prior to this trip, I had sold a lot of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises – it is such a wonderful product you can’t help but get excited by it. I have been lucky enough to sail on Bordeaux, Rhine, Venice and also India itineraries with Uniworld, all of which has given me a great insight into the product.

The itinerary

It was thanks to a Uniworld bookings incentive that I was able to experience the brand's 11-day Lima to Lima immersive tour of Peru. My husband Richard and I flew from Lima to Iquitos and then by minibus transfer to the Amazon Aria. We then flew from Iquitos to Cuzco (via Lima), and from Cuzco we had a very nice coach take us to our hotel.  We travelled by Peru Rail from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and back again, and then coach back to Cuzco.

The altitude didn’t really affect me. Our guide recommended some great herbal tablets that we all bought from the airport.  I also packed altitude sickness tablets but I didn’t use them. 

My first impression of Peru was that Lima is huge! 11 million people! I loved the included visit to a mansion house that has been passed down over numerous generations centuries within one family. Our cruise director also surprised us with fabulous churros – very welcome after a visit to the Catacombs in the Cathedral.

Onboard Aria Amazon

The first thing you’re struck by when you board the Aria Amazon is the most incredible welcome you receive from all the staff. And when you enter your suite, you’re immediately wowed by the floor-to-ceiling window – we were so close to the river bank, we could see so much, including wildlife. There is a comfortable lounge with games and books (it’s a nice spot for a pisco sour!), an open-air deck with deck chairs and hot tub, and a small treatment room and gym.

© Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

I was really impressed with the food. I had told the Uniworld team in advance that I don’t eat fish, but nevertheless was a bit worried about what my options might be ahead of time. In fact, the crew could not have been more accommodating. At each meal, the head waiter would come and tell me what alternative had been prepared for me – just wonderful.

Meals onboard are served family-style – this means that the main courses are brought out to each table and you help yourself. They replenish the dishes if you want more, and we never went hungry!
It's hard to pick out just one highlight – it was just incredible. I loved going out on the skiffs with our naturalist guides.

These skiffs can travel at high speeds and are versatile and easy to manoeuvre so we could access smaller tributaries. We would go out very early in the morning and later in the afternoon, when the wildlife was most active.  We saw grey and pink river dolphins, loads of monkeys and so many incredible birds.

One particular highlight was breakfast in the jungle. The four skiffs all met on one of the tributaries, and on arrival we saw the working skiff from the Aria Amazon with a couple of the dining room staff onboard. They presented us with a wooden tray each, with granola, a warm breakfast sandwich, fresh fruit, hot coffee or tea as well as juice.  It was just so special. We were all sat, eating breakfast and taking in the sounds and smells of the jungle. You just end up pinching yourself when it's this magical. 

© Gill Williams, The Travel Village

The Aria Amazon crew are a very talented bunch and they provide the entertainment, having formed a band, the Chunky Monkeys! After dinner one evening, they performed for us on the sun deck – one creating the beat on a wooden box, others playing the guitar, pan pipes and other local instruments. They played Peruvian music such as Flight of the Condor and then got us all dancing with La Bamba.

Also, my husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary whilst on board, the crew had arranged a special candlelit dinner for us in the lounge upstairs – the lights were dimmed, there were rose petals, a bottle of bubbles and a lovely meal – and we were serenaded.  It was so lovely of the ship’s crew to make us feel so special.

Packing tips

I was prepared for all manner of mosquitos and insects, so I packed layers to cover up and plenty of repellent, although they do have it freely available on the ship too. We were lucky and did not get too many bites, and we also took a little zapping device to take the itch out of them. I took some smarter clothes for the evening, but didn’t need them all, it’s very relaxed on board.

Giving back

There were a number of ways we could contribute to local communities:

1. We were invited to make a voluntary donation in local currency so that the Aria Amazon crew could buy some local provisions such as rice, which we then delivered to a small village along the way.  The children there greeted us, sang a song, and we had a general chat about what they wanted to be when they grew up. 

© Gill Williams, The Travel Village

2. One of the charities that our cruise manager Carlos is involved in is called Compadres De Peru. They work hand in hand with local communities to provide short-term aid but also to develop long-term capabilities, such as education and infrastructure. It was very humbling.  We had the opportunity to buy local crafts and tried to buy something from each of the stalls, which felt like a practical way to give back.

3. In Cuzco’s market, Carlos put us into teams and gave us all equivalent of £4, what it takes to feed an average family for a day.  We had to see how much fresh produce we could negotiate from the various vendors.  We then took this produce and Carlos introduced us to three people working outside the market trying to make a living. We met a blind man who made pan pipes and sold these to feed his family.  Another lady was deaf and knitted jumpers / hats and such like. We gave the produce we’d bought to them.  The looks on their faces – they were so moved and you could really see just how much it meant to them.

Machu Picchu

There is a real sense of excitement that builds on the train taking you to Machu Picchu until the moment you see it there in front of you!

© Gill Williams

We were so lucky with the weather on our visit – clear blue skies throughout, and it is beautifully maintained. 

It’s wise to go with an expert guide. Our guide really brought the ancient city to life, explaining the history and many mysteries surrounding it. 

Uniworld group dynamics

We had a lovely group of 26, mostly from the US but also the UK and South Africa. We all got on very well.  A lot of retired people, some celebrating special occasions and anniversaries. This itinerary is definitely for people who want to immerse themselves in the wonders that the Amazon provides.  Yes, you need to be mobile, but it is not too strenuous. You have to get in and out of skiffs but this is very easy and they are level with the docking area.  We didn’t really touch our luggage at all – we had porterage in most places, which was a great help.  

Selling tips

This Uniworld experience will help me bring to life just how wonderful all the naturalists were and how knowledgeable they are.  We learnt so much about the biodiversity of the Amazon. In contrast when we were in Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu – it was fascinating learning all about the Inca Kings and their descendants.  It is the guides and cruise director that bring these incredible trips to life.

© Gill Williams, The Travel Village

I haven’t made any bookings yet, but I will! I have some very interested customers. My husband does video blogs and has a YouTube channel where we will be sharing our Peru video once he has had chance to edit it all.  I know this will be a really valuable tool.

It is so hard to pick just one moment that will stay with me forever as it was all so magical.  I would say the meals and sundowners on the Amazon and also sailing on the skiff, back to the ship, at speed – just us on the tributaries, weaving – and birds flying with us – it was like something from a movie.

Also, it was the human connections we made, from the warmth and hospitality of the crew, to the local women who showed us the beautiful handmade items they had made from Alpaca wool.

It really was the trip of a lifetime, and I hope lots of my clients get the chance to experience it too.