Travcoa Introduces Upper Amazon River Cruise; Tour is Among Travcoa's Anniversary Collection of Unique Itineraries for the ``Well Traveled''.

Business Editors

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2001

Travcoa, a Grand Expeditions company, is offering a Remote Upper Amazon River Cruise Oct. 12-Nov. 1, 2001 as part of its 47th Anniversary Collection of distinctive tours for experienced travelers. The river cruise program is designed to give guests a distinct, in-depth journey through the greatest wilderness on earth, a better understanding of ancient cultures, and an appreciation for the region's wildlife and scenery.

The program features nine days on the Amazon River aboard a luxury riverboat, exploring some of the waterway's most remote backwaters and tributaries that few outsiders have ever experienced. The trip also includes a tour of colonial and modern Lima, Peru, the region's museums, archaeological digs, and visits to Peru's many ancient ruins, including the remarkable mountain fortress, Machu Picchu.

"No other tour can give you a truer sense for Peru and its people, culture, history, wildlife and natural wonders," said Kathleen McCarty-Carey, president, Travcoa. "Guests will experience the fascinating culture of Lima, the distinct beauty of the Amazon and the mystery of Machu Picchu. It's truly a trip of a lifetime that we developed specifically for our anniversary collection."

Guests fly from Miami to Lima where they'll visit some of the city's most famous landmarks. The next day features an air excursion over the mysterious Nazca drawings, a culture that prevailed centuries before the Incas, followed by a cruise around Ballestas Island, home to hundreds of sea lions, penguins, nesting birds and pelicans.

Travelers will spend the next couple of days in Trujillo, touring the city and its colonial district, visiting the Archaeological Museum and the citadel of Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the 13th-century Chimu Empire and the finest example of pre-Inca architecture in the world. Chicalyo and Lambayeque are the next stops, some of the most significant archaeological sites in the country.

Guests will then fly over the Andes Mountains to Iquitos where they'll board La Aquamarina, a luxury vessel they'll call home for the next week on the Amazon River. To better explore the river and the surrounding jungle, smaller excursion boats provide access through narrow passages, flooded forests and blackwater lakes.

Guests will be able to interact with inhabitants of the shoreline villages, view exotic wildlife and partake in the scenery of the Amazon River and its surrounding jungles. A highlight of the cruise is a stop at the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, one of the world's largest wetlands, that includes more than 340 species of birds, 10 species of primates, manatee, black caiman and countless other animals.

After the cruise, guests will take an excursion to El Misti Volcano and Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world -- more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The journey concludes with a day at the Inca's mountain city of Cuzco and a day at Machu Picchu, the last refuge of the Inca tribe.

Travcoa is offering the trip for $9,695 (land only). Approximate airfare is $870. For more information, call 800-992-2003 or visit www.travcoa.com.

Travcoa's 47th Anniversary Collection is comprised of 21 unique tours departing in 2001-02 for travelers who believe they have seen all the world has to offer. Travcoa developed these one-of-a-kind itineraries to enable its guests to explore exotic destinations that few people ever have experienced, and they do so in the luxury style for which Travcoa is legendary. The Anniversary Collection includes many destinations that will compel potential guests to pull a world atlas off the shelf to help them determine where they could be traveling.

Experience dog sledding, snowmobiling and a reindeer safari in Lapland; cruise along the Ayeyarwady River  on a deluxe cruise ship; or participate in the Phyang Festival in "the last Shangri-La," Ladakh. Other tours in the special collection include, Kamchatka and the Dinosaurs of Mongolia, Around the World by Private Jet Expedition, Jewels of the Persian Gulf, Expedition to the South Pole, and Journey to History's Lost Cities by Private Jet.

About Travcoa

Originating in 1954, Travcoa is the pioneer of escorted luxury tours with dozens of itineraries to destinations around the world. Travcoa's all-inclusive trips include an experienced tour manager, a maximum of 25 travelers per group, a la carte dining, entertainment and comprehensive sightseeing. Travcoa tours are activity-oriented but unregimented, allowing guests to participate in the scheduled daily program or break away to explore on their own.

To view print-ready images of the Amazon, click on: http://www.hyphen-dash.com/ietravels/.

About Grand Expeditions, Inc.: Grand Expeditions is a collection of highly respected tour companies committed to providing upscale travelers with unforgettable, luxury vacation experiences to destinations around the world. The Boca Raton, Fla.-based company offers soft-adventure, cultural and historical travel products to travelers seeking educational and active vacation alternatives. The Grand Expeditions brands include: Adventure Network International, www.adventure-network.com, the leader in expeditions to Antarctica and the Northern Arctic; Country Walkers, www.countrywalkers.com, specializing in walking tours to destinations around the globe; International Expeditions, www.ietravel.com, the leader in nature and environmental travel; Park East, www.parkeast.com, featuring natural history travel to Africa and other destinations worldwide; TCS Expeditions, www.tcs-expeditions.com, the world leader in private jet expeditions; Travcoa, www.travcoa.com, the pioneer in escorted luxury tours; and Voyagers International www.voyagers.com, specializing in natural history and photographic travel to destinations throughout the world.