After a career in Indiana farming, Bill Grimes left the United States for a leisurely life on the Amazon, and he arrived in-style with his new cruise boat company Dawn on the Amazon (Malecón Tarapacá 185, tel. 065/22-3730, www.dawnontheamazon.com, US$144–289 pp per day). Bill has built two tropical hardwood boats whose carved beams constantly catch the eye of travelers, and whose elegance even piqued the curiosity of a Peruvian reality TV show, which filmed a series on the boats.

The simpler Dawn I is an open-air boat that can be contracted for day trips or adventure overnights. For the day trip, Bill sets up chairs in the boat’s main hull. For the overnights, he strings up hammocks or lays down mattresses. The luxurious Dawn III boat is best for multiday excursions and has all the comforts of a modern hotel: private rooms, double beds, and lots of space to move around.

Bill contracts his boats to private parties and will arrange trip itineraries to the travelers’ interests, be it freshwater fishing, the national reserves, or visiting local villages. All trips, regardless of their length, provide food and cover entrance fees. Bill accompanies most of his highly professional trips, and his enthusiasm for the Amazon is contagious.