Every Country

To not go into the Amazon Jungle from Manaus would be a travesty and is a similar crime as going to Vatican City but not visiting the the Vatican Museums! Unfortunately though when it comes to picking a tour company there is not a clear cut decision of who to go with. To make it a little easier, I can tell you who NOT to go with and that is people hanging around the airport or roaming around the streets with clip boards (unless they have an registered company and office to take you to) as there are many scammers and con artists in Manaus who will go to all lengths to get travellers’ money. Also do NOT book your tour from home because you will get charged double what the rate in Manaus is. We met some Aussies who booked from home and paid $1200 Brazilian Real (R$) for two nights while we paid (R$) 750 for three nights. They fell into the trap of only having a limited amount of time and wanting to start their tour on a specific day, which I can completely understand. However, we were there during the World Cup, (where Manaus was probably flooded with the most tourists at one time it has ever received) and we still managed to get on a tour with a good company on the day we wanted, so any other time should be a piece of cake!

A good place to start with the companies of course is to check out travel forums and see which ones are getting the best reviews. However, what it really comes down to is who your guide is. We went with Iguana tours and were extremely happy with them (our guide Sandro was like the Brazilian Bare Grylls) but we spoke to people who went with the same company before and after us who said their guides were rubbish. They still had a good time but their guides were unorganised (forgetting mosquito nets for the night in the jungle) or unenthusiastic and lazy (giving them a lot of free time and not doing all the promised activities).

In general, the tours are basically the same and a stereotypical three day tour will run like this:

Day 1: Drive to the port and get on a boat, that depending on agency, takes you to a number of locations on the river (Lagos Juma, Mamori, and Tucuma or Rios Urubú and Negro). Once in the speed boat you cross over the Meeting of Waters which is a natural phenomenon where the black Rio Negro and light-brown Amazon River meet but don’t mix together because of differences in speed, temperature and water density. The Rio Negro is 28ºC and flows at 2km/hr while the Amazon River is 22ºC and flows at 4-6km/hr. The boat trip is about 45 mins and when you reach the other side, you then pile into waiting vans for about 1 – 1.5 hr drive if you are headed towards Lago Juma. Along the way we stopped off at a pond where there are giant lilypads which grow up to 2.5 metre wide. After the van ride, you get into another boat which will then take you to your lodge to drop your bags off and have some lunch.

The afternoon is spent in much smaller boats, driving through the narrow river branches looking out for animals, piranha fishing and watching the sunset. It’s then back to the lodge for dinner and afterwards when it’s completely dark you set out to watch your guide catch caiman. This is done by using a touch to scan through the darkness, if there is a caiman there, the light will reflect off his eyes showing two red dots in the dark. Silently the boat will move towards the red eyes and once your guide is close enough will quick as a flash grab the caiman around the neck and tail to hold him still and stop him thrashing. Everyone then gets a chance to hold and take pictures with the caiman.

Day 2: Is an early start as you get up at dawn to watch the sunrise and do some bird watching. After breakfast, it’s then into the boats again to a location for a jungle walk. On the walk, our guide showed us some ants that are a natural mosquito repellent, how to make an animal trap and canoe, the best way to climb a tree and gave us a lot of information about the plants and animals that live in the Amazon jungle. In the afternoon, you make your way to the location where you will spend a night in the jungle (most tour comapnies give you the option of staying in the lodge again as well). It was on this trip that we saw the pink dolphins, which despite their pretty colour are quite ugly compared to regular dolphins! Once you arrive at your location, the hammocks are strung between trees ready for your beds that night and dinner is cooked over an open fire.

Day 3: The fire is set up again and breakfast is prepared over it. Everything is packed up and you make you way by boat back to the lodge. On our way back we stopped off at a local village by the river to get a tour around and see what life is like living on the banks of the Amazon. After lunch at the lodge, it is then time to make the journey back again to reach Manaus.

Tips on what to bring into the Amazon:
– A lot of mosquito repellent
– Light clothes that cover you completely
– Sunscreen
– Waterproof gear
– Good walking shoes
– Toilet paper
– Camera
– Small backpack for the night in the jungle
– Swimmers