Sunsets and dolphins in a rain forest

A cruise ship sails at sunset in the Amazon jungle. Sailing in the Peruvian Amazon is a rare experience, which offers rich views of flora and fauna. [Photo by Pilar Olivares / Reuters]

If you are interested in a strong sense of place amid estuaries enveloped in a humid rain forest with the sun beating down, and want to see tarantulas, poison frogs and frolicking water mammals, while enjoying the creature comforts, head to the Peruvian Amazon, writes Mary Billard.

Sitting on the deck of a small cruise ship called Aqua, I listened to the never-ending sounds of the Amazonian rain forest. Beside me was a retired executive, a fellow passenger whom I had met the day before. As the sinking sun bled into the darkening sky and the riverbanks along this tributary of the Peruvian Amazon turned from green to black, he told me of his days in Lagos in the 1970s and Dubai in the 1990s, then lapsed into silence. The moment was all the sweeter because we were playing hooky from an outing to view nocturnal birds, opting for perfectly chilled white wine over mosquitoes.

Our solitude was interrupted when a young man dressed in army fatigues, a holstered gun at his hip, strolled by. My worldly shipboard friend raised a quizzical eyebrow.

The armed escort, fortunately, was not a response to a specific threat. In 2009, the luxury Aqua Expeditions cruise ship had been boarded by armed pirates, who robbed the passengers of cameras, cash and jewelry. Ever since then, the Aqua and its sister ship, Aria, have been accompanied by three armed guards, part of a Peruvian river protection strategy that includes a green speedboat marked Policia de Tourismo that follows the ship. So far, there have been no other incidents.

Luxury cruising through the Peruvian Amazon region is a rare and expensive experience, not surprisingly, since operating a posh vessel in an area so remote is a logistical challenge.