1. Amazon Jungle Trip
If you have made it to Manaus, the city in the heart of the Amazon, you can’t go past a visit to the jungle. Here you will get the chance to get up close and personal with monkeys, sloths, birds, caimans and piranhas as well as spending a night in the jungle and truly appreciate what life in the Amazon is like. Manaus has more tour companies than you can poke a stick at, so don’t worry about booking one in advance because you will get a better price there. For more information on the day to day itinerary of the tours, please see here.
2. Amazonas Theatre (Teatro Amazonas)
This beautiful pink theatre is the heart of the city and looms over the main plaza, São Sebastião Square. After 15 years in the making it was finally opened in December 1896 and is a product of the rubber boom that happened in this region in 1880 to 1914. Guided tours of the building in Portuguese, English and Spanish are given between 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday. However, if you are feeling more cultured you can check out one of their various evening performances.
3. Forest of Science (Bosque da Ciencia)
A stroll around this rainforest makes for a relaxing morning/afternoon activity. You share the park with free-roaming sloths, turtles and a variety of very cheeky monkeys. There is also the opportunity to see manatees, giant otters, caimans and electric eels as well as a museum which houses indigenous artifacts.
4. Palace of Justice (Palácio de Justiça)
The Palace of Justice was inaugurated in 1900 and designed to be used as the main courthouse in the State. Today, free tours of the building in Portuguese, English and Spanish can be taken to see the exquisite architecture and learn more about the history of the building.
5. Amazonia Arena
Located just over 5km from the city centre, the Amazonia Arena was built specifically for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where it hosted 4 games (England Vs Italy, Cameroon Vs Croatia, USA Vs Portugal and Switzerland Vs Honduras) and has the capacity to hold 44,000 people. Now it will be a multifunctional venue that will host sporting events, concerts, cultural performances, shows, exhibitions and conferences.
6. Ponta Negra Beach
Situated on the Negro River, it’s Manus’s main river beach, and the perfect spot to cool off against the extreme heat and humid conditions. It is located 13km from the centre of Manaus and can easily be reached by taxi or bus. Not just the go-to place in the day, Ponta Negra also has a boulevard lined with shops, restaurants, bars and clubs creating quite a happening night life scene as well.
7. Eduardo Ribeiro House Museum
A lovely example of an extravagant house built during the rubber boom period in Manaus. It is primarily dedicated to a former resident, Eduardo Ribeiro (1862 – 1900), who was an army man, journalist and engineer who was ordered by the military to serve in Manaus in 1887. He went on to play a large role in politics, eventually becoming the governor of the State of Amazonas. The house holds original examples of his furniture and belongings and guided tours in Portuguese, English and Spanish gives you more insight into his life and shows you the spot where he was found dead, in a believed suicide.
8. Zoo
The only military controlled zoo in the world, is an interesting statement to boast about. Especially when it’s obvious that the military should focus on what they are suppose to be doing and leave professionals in care of the zoo and it’s animals. Most of the enclosures are ill-maintained and a lot of the animals looked down-right depressed. The highlight were the adorable monkeys which will eat grass from your hand through the bars of their cages.
9. Provincial Palace (Palacete Provincial)
Originally the home of presidents of the Amazonas state, this building now houses five main museums with guides available in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French:
– The Archaeology Museum: a collection of artifacts that have been retrieved from the Amazonas state.
– Museum of Image and Sound of Amazonas: a timeline with examples of cameras and audio/video recorders dating back hundred of years along with movies on DVD and Blu Ray
– Bernardo Ramos Numismatic Museum: An extensive collection of coins, medals and banknotes dating from ancient, middle and modern ages.
– Tiradentes Museum: A history of the Military Police in the Amazon dating back over a 100 years.
– State Art Gallery: Home to 200 permanent artworks from around the world including paintings from local Amazonian artists.
10. São Sebastião Square
Located in front of the Amazonas Theatre, it is a lively place both day and night to hang out and people watch. Restaurants, bars, cafes, art galleries and tour operators line the outside of the square. Special mentions go to; Bar do Armando, on the north side of the square, a basic looking room with plastic chairs and guys selling beers and food behind the counter. In the evening, the party usually spills out on the street, with live music and street vendors hovering around trying to sell beers to people too lazy to get up and go inside. On the opposite side, African House, is a cheap place for sandwiches/burgers and delicious fresh juices during the day while next door, Casa do Pensador is a great place for dinner especially if you are after pizza or pasta. For those wanting to try some local food, the iconic, stand-alone kiosk in the Square, Tacacá da Gisela, sells the famous northern Brazilian tacacá dish, a soup made from jambu (native Brazillian plant), tucupi (a yellow sauce extracted from manioc root from the Amazon), dried shrimps and yellow peppers.
Every Country 