Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary review: a sleek riverboatcruise through the Amazon

Getting deep within the wilderness is naturally the first thing on the agenda. Sleeping on a riverboat allows us all-access to the depths of the river and rainforest, with Pure Amazon’s expert naturalists on hand to guide us through the wilderness (Ulber and Javier, who lead the team, are both native to the Amazon). As part of the journey, we cruise through the wetlands of Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve with daily-changing activities on land and water. Mornings typically begin with sunrise skiffs, gliding into hushed creeks where bushy-tailed monkeys scamper through the treetops. By the time we return for breakfast, the sun is already dancing on the water, its surface glistening like a darkened mirror. Refuelled, we head out again, spotting Amazonian pink dolphins (and squealing with excitement when they breach; they’re famously elusive) and fishing for piranhas in the heady midday heat. Wildlife sightings depend largely on the time of year, and as we visited towards the end of high-water season, our attention was drawn mostly upwards - to the canopy - or down to the water, as much of the reserve still lay submerged. In the afternoons, we set out on jungle treks through the dense rainforest, or visit Nueva Arica, an isolated Amazonian river village supported in part by A&K Philanthropy: Abercrombie & Kent’s nonprofit organisation, which works to preserve precious ecosystems around the globe by working with local communities. We’re back on board in time for evening drinks and dinner, before waking to do it all over again the next day.