PERU TO PANAMA (SILVER EXPLORER) - small cruise ships

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PERU TO PANAMA (SILVER EXPLORER)

Expedition Highlights:

• Identify Peruvian pelicans, Inca terns, blue-footed boobies,masked boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, pelicans, frigate birds,albatross, hawks and even Humboldt penguins• Learn about the value of guano as a natural fertilizer• Visit remote islands and ancient Mochica temples• Explore the archaeological complex of Chan-Chan and takepart in an excavation• Enjoy a Peruvian Paso Horse show and demonstration• Hear the legend of Sir Francis Drake’s buried silver treasure• Photograph sea lions and the largest Magnificent Frigatecolony in the South Pacific• Search the waters for dolphins playing in the ship’s wake• Watch the skilful crafting of a traditional

Panama hat• Prepare Ecuadorian cuisine with a local chef• Look for wild monkeys and the rare blue lizard of Gorgona• Discover Colombia’s Pacific coast – special permission hasbeen granted to visit two National Natural parks• Walk along tropical rainforest paths in search of rare birds andtree sloths• Float up river in the Darien Jungle to meet a remote Emberavillage community• Transit the Panama Canal during the year of its 100thanniversary

ITINERARY

Day 1 — Callao, Peru

Embark Silver Explorer and depart on your exciting 11-daySilversea Expedition – “Rainforest Cultures & NaturalEcosystems”. This evening, after settling in and setting sail, youwill be introduced to your Expedition Team and participate in amandatory safety drill. Tonight we invite you to familiariseyourself with your new home away from home, meet some ofyour fellow travellers and enjoy the first of many memorablemeals in The Restaurant.

Day 2 — Isla Guanape, Peru

We arrive in the afternoon to this barren rock island off the Peruvian coast. Join the Expedition Team for the first Zodiac cruise of our journey. As we circumnavigate the island we will see hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including Peruvian pelicans, Inca terns and blue-footed boobies and even Humboldt penguins. See large colonies of South American sea

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lions. Learn how the guano that covers the island is prized as arich, organic fertilizer, and harvested only once every elevenyears.

Day 3 — Salaverry, Peru

We dock at Salaverry, but the day's destination is just a fewmiles north in Trujillo, which still retains much of its colonialcharm and has a splendid backdrop set against the vast greenand brown Andean foothills. Here we will visit the main religiouscentre of the Mochica culture. Built in the 5th century, thearchaeological complex encompasses an area of 60 hectaresand includes the Temple of the Sun – the largest adobestructure in the world, and the Temple of the Moon, which iscovered with beautiful Moche designs. As Silversea guests, wewill have private, behind-the-scenes access. One of the residentexpert archaeologists will describe the long-lost secrets of thisfascinating site as they were revealed layer by layer. Afterlearning about the archaeologists’ on-going conservation work,we will be given the opportunity to practice these sameexcavation techniques using authentic tools on a model ruin.Following our traditional-style lunch at a private hacienda andentertaining Paso horse exhibition, we next visit the pre-Incanruins of the ancient Chimú city of Chan-Chan. Built from adobe,the Chan-Chan complex rivals Mexico's Teotihuacán or theprimitive cities of Egypt, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Itis a true metropolis and the largest adobe city in the world. Atapproximately 20 km wide and it is estimated that Chan-Chanhad population of 50,000 to 60,000.

Day 4 — Cruise & Explore Isla Lobos de Tierra, Peru

This morning, the Silver Explorer anchors off Isla Lobos de Tierra—rocky islands that protrude more than 200 feet (61 metres) from the surface of the deep blue Pacific. An abundant

array of marine mammals and seabirds surround the islandoffering us a splendid opportunity to explore with our Zodiacs.Sea lions, like sunbathers, bask on the beach while Peruvianpelicans fly overhead. During our morning foray ashore we willbe surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Peruvian pelicansand their young, and will experience close-up encounters withblue-footed boobies.

Day 5 — Isla de la Plata, Ecuador

Exploration and discovery await us as we anchor off the coast ofthe uninhabited and unspoilt Isla de la Plata (Island of Silver).The island’s name was derived from the legend ofswashbuckling pirate Sir Francis Drake’s buried silver treasure.The popular legend states that in the 14th century, hundreds oftons of silver and gold were never fully recovered and is stillhidden on the island. The island was privately owned until1979, when it was declared part of Ecuador's MachalillaNational Park. Best known for its fauna, which is amazinglysimilar to that of the Galapagos Islands, Isla de la Plata is adelightful place for birding, photography and long nature walks.Although just south of the equator, the influences of the colderHumboldt Current bring nutrient-rich water as far north as Islade la Plata. Together with our local natural history guides, wewill go ashore and enjoy various walks, watching for herons,pelicans, gulls, frigate birds, masked boobies, Nazca boobies,albatross and hawks. This evening, once back on board theSilver Explorer, we will travel back to the time of pirates andtreasure as our guest Historian, Sabrina Guerra Moscoso,presents her exciting and interactive lecture.

Day 6 — Manta, Ecuador

We dock early today and begin our adventures ashore at Isla Corazon. This heart-shaped island is a mangrove forest refuge

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comprised of 130 acres, and home to the largest colony ofMagnificent Frigates in all the South Pacific. The guide for ourvisit, Mr Antonio Torres has extensive experience identifyingbirds and he has travelled throughout South America guidinggroups of birding enthusiasts. Learn all about the habits andhabitat of the Magnificent Frigate as well as the ongoingeco-tourism project to prevent further eradication of IslaCorazón’s mangrove swamps. We return to the mainland toenjoy a refreshing brunch. Alternatively, join the ExpeditionTeam on a tour to discover the history of the Panama hat and tosee a demonstration of the traditional production techniques.Learn how the palm-like leaves are harvested and boiled to asoft fibre, and then slowly woven row by row into a hat. Oncecompleted, the hats are shaped, ironed and fitted with atraditional black band. Finally, we will learn how the hats arerolled so that customers can take them home in a littlebalsawood box. We next return to Manta for a taste oftraditional Ecuadorian cuisine. A local chef will describe the useof spices and chilli sauce, teaching us how to prepare anextraordinary meal, which we will then enjoy along withEcuadorian beer, coffee and fine chocolate. A theatrical danceperformance rounds out our experience of Ecuador byhighlighting both the modern and traditional activities of theManta region.

Day 7 — Isla Gorgona, Colombia

After a morning at sea, we arrive in Colombia where we have been granted permission to visit Gorgona Island, a UNESCO World heritage Site and National Natural Reservation Park. Due to its coral reef and tropical rainforest ecosystem, this small island is a natural paradise and a mecca for fauna and flora research. Until the mid-1980s, it was an Alcatraz style, high

security prison. Today it is an exotic destination by anystandard. Covered with lush, tropical foliage and forests, theisland shelters a variety of species including 147 bird speciesand more than 500 species of marine fauna. We will land byZodiac directly on the beach, where we will be met by localguides for a nature walk. Hopefully we will see the island’s wildmonkeys and spot the endemic blue lizard of Gorgona. The localguides will then lead our visit to one of the local indigenouscommunities where we will learn about the music, cuisine andlivelihood of their culture.

Day 8 — Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, Colombia

Again by special permission, we are able to visit two exceptionalnational parks along Colombia’s Pacific coast over the next twodays – both maiden ports-of-call for Silversea Expeditions.Today we visit the remote Uramba-Bahía Málaga NationalNatural Park. The name Uramba is from the Afro-Colombianregions of the South Pacific, and refers to the gathering of itemsnecessary for a communal meal. A perfect name to describe the5-year effort required to resolve disputes between those whowanted to protect the humpback whale's nesting area, andthose planning the construction of a deep water port. The47,094-hectare park was established in 2010 and is a “hotspot” of biodiversity, home to 1396 species of animals andplants. Its tropical rainforest is a delicate ecosystem and aprotected reserve for tree sloths and the endangered (and veryrare) Icotea turtle. Together we will set out on exploratory hikesof the small islands in Malaga Bay, observing mangroves andwaterfalls that tumble into natural pools. We also hope tospend time enjoying the beautiful beaches and getting to knowthe local Emberá wuonnan culture.

Day 9 — Utría National Park, Colombia

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Our explorations of the Colombian Pacific coast continue todaywith a visit to Utria National Park. From coral reefs andmangroves to the marine environment, tropical rainforest androcky beaches where sea turtles come to lay their eggs, fewplaces in the world encompass the diversity of Utría’secosystems. Again today, the Expedition Team will offer achoice of trail hikes to explore the park’s numerous highlights.During our walk, we hope to see some of Utría’s great variety ofanimal life, which includes deer, wild pigs, anteaters, blackhowler and spider monkeys, wild cats (such as jaguar, pumaand ocelot), sloths, and some adorable rodent species. As forflora, the park has several species of timber trees, notably thearea’s beloved Cohiba tree and the Oquendo tree, which is usedin the creation of local art and handicrafts.

Day 10 — Bay of San Miguel, Darien Jungle, Panama

The Darien Jungle is remote and has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. It is also recognised as one of the world’s top ten birding sites, and we hope to see many bird species such as the colourful crimson-collared tanager, green and chestnut-fronted macaws, rufous-tailed and snow-bellied hummingbirds, whimbrels, willets (a type of sandpiper), white ibises and egrets, laughing gulls. Other wildlife we may see includes tapir and black-headed spider monkey, vultures, and the endangered great curassows. This morning, the Silver Explorer will anchor in the Bay of San Miguel. We will explore this pristine, seldom visited area by Zodiac or local canoe, navigating up the tidal Mogue River. At the conclusion of our river adventure, we hear the sound of distant drums welcoming us to the remote Embera Village. The Darien Jungle is rarely visited by outsiders (fewer than 1,000 tourists visit each year), and Embera Village is one of several indigenous groups who live

in relative isolation. We will go ashore to melodic rhythms oftraditional tribal music played by male villagers on drums,maracas and flutes. Local women and children in brightlycoloured attire welcome us to their village and introduce us totheir way of life. We will visit authentic tribal dwellings built ofnearby trees and plants. Before leaving, villagers will perform anative dance for our entertainment and demonstrate basketweaving and carving techniques. And we will have theopportunity to purchase souvenirs of our visit including beautifulhandcrafted baskets and carvings. Special Request Whenpreparing for your Silversea Expedition, we encourage you topurchase and pack a donation of school supplies.Much-needed items include pens, pencils, writing pads, readingmaterial, and second-hand clothes for children ages 1 to 12years old. The village is also always in need of prescriptionreading glasses, over-the-counter medicine and medicalequipment. Donations will be collected on board by theExpedition Team and distributed to the local villagers during ourvisit as part of our cultural exchange.

Day 11 — Panama Canal, Panama

In the 1880s, a French company began building a canal connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, but were thwarted by engineering problems and tropical disease, which killed over 20,000 workers. In 1903 the United States took over the project, completing it in 1914. 100 years later, the Panama Canal is still considered an engineering marvel. Today we can celebrate the canal’s centennial as we pass through the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama and the American continent. Three sets of locks work as water elevators lifting ships to the level of Gatun Lake, 85 feet (26 metres) above sea level, and later lowering them again to sea level on the other

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side. By using the Canal, vessels avoid travelling the 14,000nautical mile route through the treacherous Drake Passage andaround Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.

Day 12 — Colón (Cristobal), Panama

We will arrive in port in the morning. Following breakfast,disembark the Silver Explorer. Expedition highlights and wildlifelisted here are possible experiences only and cannot beguaranteed. Your Expedition Leader and Captain will worktogether to ensure opportunities for adventure and explorationare the best possible, taking into account the prevailingweather, wildlife activity and ice conditions. Expedition Teammembers scheduled for this voyage are subject to change orcancellation.

01432 507 280 (within UK)


YOUR SHIP: SILVER EXPLORER

YOUR SHIP: Silver Explorer

VESSEL TYPE:

LENGTH:

PASSENGER CAPACITY:

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Silver Explorer's all-inclusive dining, service and shoreexcursions means that this is luxury expedition cruising at itsvery best. Award-winning itineraries make this ship the perfectcombination of adventure and comfort.The purpose-built Silver Explorer expedition ship (formerly thePrince Albert II) has been designed specifically for navigatingwaters in some of the world's most remote destinations,including both of earth's polar regions. A strengthened hull witha Lloyd's Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger vesselsenables Silver Explorer to safely push through ice floes withease.A fleet of Zodiac boats allows guests to visit even the mostoff-the-beaten path locations and an expert Expedition Teamprovides insight and understanding to each unforgettable SilverExplorer cruise adventure.Silver Eplorer features 2 x restaurants, a fitness suite, 2 xloungers, a beauty spa and a library.Suites

include: Butler service Refrigerator and bar setup stocked with your preferences Luxury bath amenities Pillow menu Personalised stationery Umbrella Direct dial telephone(s) 220-volt outlets Unlimited Standard Wifi Flat-screen television(s) with Interactive Media Library French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors Twin beds or queen-sized bed Marbled bathroom with shower Fitted wardrobe with personal safe Sitting area with writing desk

01432 507 280 (within UK)


Hair dryer Plush bathrobe Champagne on arrival

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INSIDE YOUR SHIP

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PERU TO PANAMA (SILVER EXPLORER) - small cruise ships