I loved the Delfin II. There must have been a food stylist on board, as every meal was elegantly presented. Fernando Sanchez, Photo Instructor on the Delfin II, was so helpful. Another guest and I requested help with camera settings. He'd give us a lesson each day, send us out to hone the skill, and give a lesson the next day.  I came home a better photographer.  If it weren't for ExpeditionTrips, I would NOT have known about the Nazca Lines trip that I added on. Paracas and the Nazca Lines were amazing. Thank you ExpeditionTrips — 9.99! All materials were received in a timely fashion and were perfectly clear. Jennifer and Joy were most helpful finding the perfect boats and trips for us.

It was indeed a great pleasure to have them to answer my questions and truly deal with even the most minute detail. The trip was phenomenal in every way. The Delfin II is a first class act with their service, food, excursions and knowledge of guides and staff.  They always wanted to provide the very best service. The crew was phenomenal. EVERY guide was highly knowledgeable, friendly, and superb. Our waiter was very amiable and kind, and aimed to please!!

The Amazon was even better; so many animals and the bugs weren't so bad. The Napo Wildlife Center, in the Amazon, exceeded all of my expectations; superb service on the things that mattered, phenomenal national and local naturalists (one of the guides, Mauro, was outstanding); extremely comfortable room and what a great mosquito net! I always dreamed of visiting the Amazon and Galapagos; it was well worth it!!

The guides were wonderful at fostering a team atmosphere. Introducing themselves and the crew the first day was a good idea. The small number of people helped a lot to foster a group feeling but I especially liked the fact that the guides switched between the canoes but the people stayed the same eight each day. It’s always awkward the first time a group meets so their ideas were very effective and didn't seem forced. I think actually seeing the three-toed sloth in the wild was one of the memorable experiences for me but there were many so it’s difficult to single out just one.

Special thanks to Shelley for her patience towards my many-many questions and for all the good hints she gave to us.

We need to express special thanks to your partner, Metropolitan. They helped us even when we faced airline baggage delivery problems (Actually my husband got back his pack after Galapagos. He had a ten-minute shopping time in Baltra -- so no wonder he has most of our Galapagos T-shirts and shorts in his 'portfolio' now...) Thanks again for your help. Hope to travel with you again in the future.

She was able to arrange all of our transfers and air arrangements. We counted 10 airplane landings!!!! The Polaris cabins and wait staff were so attentive. The cabins and dining room were spotless. The Zodiac drivers are amazing. All of the Naturalists were fabulous. Knowledgable and so nice and friendly. No question was silly. They knew all the answers.

Shelley also suggested Patio Andaluz in Quito and it was darling and the food was great. The wait staff were so friendly and helpful. We even got complimentary drinks and appetizers with our dinner. Also, my daughters were so happy with the free internet access. The ground agent in Quito was also great. They were always on time and the guide for the city tour was great. Also, thanks to you for the hats and the complimentary expedition DVD's.

It was an all around great experience, but the animals were the greatest. The destination was as expected from all of the DVD's and books we researched. I can't think of anything that needed to be improved on.

They were also helpful with physical assistance. I had a ligament problem in my ankle and they were always there to help me transfer and to suggest using the great walking sticks available on the ship. We used the glass bottom boat on each offering and it was a great alternative to snorkeling for us who do not 'do water'. The girls kayaked and snorkeled, though. We found that the cabins that we had, 102 and 104 were great. They are the lowest and therefore, seemed to sway the least. There was some rocking of the boat! They were also just as large, if not larger than the other level cabins. We also enjoyed the Polaris size as there is a great mix of people and everyone changed eating arrangements so that we were able to mingle with just about everyone.

We loved Napo. It is a little slice of heaven. The people are wonderful. All of the staff was so knowledgeable and personable. The cabanas were homey and comfortable. The showers were always warm and powerful. I cannot say enough good things. We were told that the fame is spreading quickly and they are booked through January, so you may have trouble getting people in there now. I would highly recommend the entire experience!! It is so great that they are doing so well and that it is all community run now.

For us, the 4 days was good. We didn't know what to expect and it turned out ok. One has to be able-bodied to go here. The canoe trips are great, but after 2 and a half hours our knees and backs were grumbling. The walk to the tower was long and a little hard as I had recently torn a ligament in my ankle. The stairs were many also. The girls were fine with it. My husband and I were ok, but were on the slower side with the guides splitting up for us to accommodate our slower pace. The clay lick was great. We did not go to the farther one. The tower attached to the dining room was also great. We saw much wildlife from up there.

The only downside, which was under no one's control, was the very wet motorized canoe ride. It was pouring rain the whole morning. Our flight was delayed as the airport was closed from the storm. We got there and then it started to pour again. They give everyone ponchos for the ride and plastic bags for the luggage and bags. Even gave us a Napo napsack with our lunch inside.

Also, we were glad that we left some of our luggage in Quito as Napo is very damp. All and all, I would certainly recommend this trip to anyone who is in the least bit interested. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about it, but it turned out wonderful. We want to thank you for all of your help with our trip!

The ship could not have been nicer. The large rooms were comfortable and the crew provided great service. The ship also had a good shower! The guides were a high point. They were well informed, spoke English well, and were a lot of fun.

There were more opportunities for wildlife viewing than I expected, and the weather was better. The wildlife was spectacular, especially the birds. We saw plenty of monkeys, sloths, snakes and other critters. Also we visited a couple villages and met all the people--or at least all the kids. We also had a shaman ceremony that seemed pretty authentic. Just being on the Amazon and getting a sense of the huge scale of everything was also a high point.

Also, the materials you sent to us before the trip were excellent.

This trip exceeded our expectations! In our case, we wanted to do something a little different for our 40th wedding anniversary. An Amazon cruise sounded good to us, especially because it's a part of the world we had never visited.

The ship 'La Turquesa' was better than we expected. The vessel is not a typical cruise ship, but rather, it is designed to replicate the type of passenger vessels that cruised the Amazon in the days of the rubber boom early in the last century. The ship only has 18 cabins, so it feels more like a large private yacht than a cruise ship. Although 'La Turquesa' is fairly new, it is constructed using lumber from the local area. The cabins and dining room are constructed using beautiful local hardwood parquet floors and trim. The cabins are small but comfortable, and the dining room has a wonderful panoramic view of the scenery as the boat cruises along. The upper observation deck is a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery. In spite of the heat, the observation deck was always breezy and comfortable.

The staff and crew were incredible. Because the ship is small, there's almost a family relationship between the passengers and crew. Most of the crew was local Peruvians who were hired and trained by the tour company. We could go on and on about the service. I don't know how they do it, with a new group of passengers every week, but they treated us as if we were the first and best passengers they had ever served. Here are some examples: Greeted at Iquitos airport; ushered to VIP lounge; served welcome drinks; (Pisco Sours) and snacks; lemon scented cold towels to freshen up; Boots washed after every hike; Cold towels after hikes and small boat trips; Guides knew us all by name after the 1st day of cruise; Rotating dining room tables so we met every passenger on the boat; Guides with incredible knowledge of rainforest flora and fauna; Guides and crew looking after passengers who weren't feeling well; Cool drinks on observation deck before dinner; The band (cabin boys and guides) who entertained us every night; The careful planning of excursions to avoid the heat and sun of the Amazon: They took us on excursions either before the sun was high in the morning, or later in the afternoon or evening when the shadows of the rainforest protected us; Varied excursions: Flora and Fauna, native villages, piranha fishing, jungle walks; Spotless cabins, straightened several times a day; Laundry done whenever needed; Captain who piloted ship for six days without the need for charts or GPS; Symbiotic relationship between tour company and the local people and their environment; helping village schools with supplies; hiring and training local river people, etc. Goodbye reception in VIP lounge at Iquitos airport; Pisco Sours, lunch, cold towels and hugs!

I am so glad you received our little gift - our way to say a big thank you for helping us to realise a dream - and what a way to go! The trip could not have been more perfect if we had tried for a million years.

John had absolutely no idea where he was going - he seemed to favour the Bahamas (boring!), but never in his wildest dreams did he think of the Amazon. In fact, three days before we left, we were out to dinner and he mentioned, jokingly, that with all the injections, etc. (although he never knew what the jabs were! - I swore EVERYONE to secrecy!), and the fact that I had asked him to pack a torch, that he might as well be going up the Amazon!!!! I nearly swallowed my teeth, but managed to show no sign of hysteria. He said after he knew where we were going that he only said that as it was the last place on earth he expected to be visiting. I packaged up a parcel for him with all the information you had sent me and gave this to him in the plane flying from Amsterdam to Miami. He could not believe his eyes when he read that we were actually going to the Amazon!

The trip was amazing - wonderful vessel, brilliant crew, extremely knowledgeable tour guides and wonderful fellow passengers - weren't we lucky! Even the flights weren't too bad - I hate flying!

We saw 110 different species of birds during our trip, my favourite being the Black-tailed Trogon - we have only one trogon in South Africa and it is very elusive - have never seen one there so this was a highlight. Having said that, ALL the birds were wonderful and I personally fulfilled a dream of watching macaws flying overhead in the Amazon! The trees were also incredible and I'm pleased we were there when the river was still quite high. The sunsets were spectacular and John managed to get one exceptional picture where even the river looks as though it is molten gold!

We saw both river and pink dolphins and John managed to get some really good pics of both - very difficult as one doesn't know where they are going to pop up! Lots of sloths, tamarins, saki monkeys, squirrel monkeys, red howler monkeys, and a very good and unusual sighting of a night monkey peeping out of his/her hole in the tree! Caymans, iguanas, bats, the odd snake, but another highlight for me was seeing the capybara - quite a large group at the edge of a creek we were meandering along! Got caught in a good old Amazonian downpour - I have no idea how the driver of the skiff saw where he was going, but he got us back to the Amatista safely. All in all a wonderful time was had by John and myself and we will treasure the memories of this trip forever. Everyone (including all the passengers on the boat) want to know how he is going to top this trip with one for me when I turn 60!!! Speaking of his birthday, the chef baked him a special cake, the crew played their music for us in the dining room, and, most specially, we visited a village that morning and Roland (one of the guides) lined up all the little children and got them to sing Happy Birthday to John (of course, in Spanish) - the tears were flowing!!!

So, as you can see, it was an amazing adventure - everyone we have spoken to are very envious of our experience and think it was a fantastic idea of mine!! I am also interested to see what John comes up for me - I am sure it will be just as good, if not better (although that will be extremely difficult to accomplish) than our Amazon Adventure.