Aqua Expeditions was founded in 2007 in the Peruvian Amazon by Francesco Galli Zugaro and has grown into a fleet of six small ships, each with one crew member for every guest. In Peru, Aria Amazon and Aqua Nera, for 32 and 40 guests, explore the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, home of the pink river dolphin, with naturalist-led excursions twice a day and around 70 per cent of ingredients sourced locally. Aqua Mekong, launched in 2014, sails between Cambodia and Vietnam with 20 suites of 322 square feet, a plunge pool and four private tenders. Aqua Blu, a 60-metre former British naval vessel, cruises the islands of Indonesia; Aqua Mare, a 50-metre CRN yacht for 16, sails the Galápagos; and the newest, Aqua Lares, a 77-metre former icebreaker launched in February 2026, divides its year between the Seychelles and Tanzania and the Arctic. Chefs matter here. Consulting Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino creates the menus for the Amazon and Galápagos vessels, Benjamin Cross leads the kitchens of Aqua Blu and now Aqua Mekong, and Karime López, in 2018 the first Mexican woman to win a MICHELIN star, consults for Aqua Lares. PONANT Explorations Group took a majority stake in 2025, with the founder still in charge.
- Nearest airport
- Iquitos (IQT) for the Amazon, then road to Nauta; Siem Reap-Angkor (SAI) or Tan Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), for the Mekong
- On board
- Six small ships of 16 to 40 guests, with one crew member per guest
Insider tip Sail the Mekong at high water, September to November, for the longer route that takes in Tonle Sap Lake and the Prek Toal bird reserve.
Why I choose it Superyacht standards on the great rivers and remote coasts of the world, with one crew member for every guest.
