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TravelWise—Amazonas, Brazil

Planning your trip
Things to see and do
Places to eat and stay
For more information

 

  Planning your trip

Entering Brazil:

For visits of up to six months, citizens of the United States and Canada need a valid passport and a Brazilian visa. All prices are in Brazilian Cruzeiros (abbreviated C$); as of early October 1996, U.S.$1 = C$1.02 (C$1.00 = U.S.$0.98 ). For the current rate of exchange, check any major newspaper. To call Brazil direct, use the international access code (011 from the U.S.), the country code 55, and the area code and telephone number. To call Leticia, Colombia, dial the international access code, the country code 57, the area code 819, and the phone number.

When to go

Seasonal changes are slight, since the Amazon lies near the Equator; in general, the wet season is December to June, while the dry season is July to November. Average temperatures are near 80° F (26° C). Expect high humidity, especially in the jungle.

What to pack

For an expedition into the Amazon, it’s a good idea to wear quick-drying clothing, particularily cotton, with a light jacket for the evenings. Comfortable ankle-high boots, preferably with rubber soles, are also a must for trekking through the jungle. Other items to bring: mosquito repellent and lotion, a cap or hat to cover your head and shade your face, sunglasses and sunscreen, bottled water (the native water is not kind to the gastrointestinally challenged), a flashlight, extra batteries, plastic bags to keep necessary items dry, toiletries, a first aid kit, and netting to keep the bugs away. Binoculars will bring the native flora and fauna into sharper focus.

How to get there

BY PLANE: The airport in Manaus is the Eduardo Gomes International Airport. Most flights from the U.S. leave from Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, with a layover in Saõ Paulo. Airlines include: VASP, United, American Airlines, Delta, and Varig (the national airline of Brazil). From the international airport in Manaus you can connect with flights to the rest of Brazil and Peru, Colombia, Venezula, Mexico, Europe (via Paris), or the U.S.

There are several commercial flights between Manaus and Tabatinga weekly. However, intrepid travelers might be able to coax their way onto a cargo flight. Another option is to fly Air Avianca from Bogotá to Leticia, Colombia—just across the border from Tabatinga. You may also need to get a Colombian visa if you choose the latter route.

BY BOAT: Once you get to Manaus, you can change the mode of transportation to experience the jungle. The trip upstream to Tabatinga usually takes six to ten days. Regular boats generally leave on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but this is always subject to change. The return trip downstream takes less time—usually four days.

Passenger capacity ranges from about a dozen people to 150 or more, and the boats span a broad price range. Expect to sleep in a hammock on the deck. You’ll probably get the chance to fish for piranhas, visit native villages, and step out into the jungle. For idle amusement, try alligator spotting, a nighttime activity where you pan your flashlight across the water and see the reflective gaze of alligators sparkling back.

Travel Agents and Tour Companies

Many tour operators offer all-inclusive expeditions so that you don’t have to do anything once you land at the airport in Manaus. Check with the following travel agents for information:

D.M.S. Travel, 314 Madison Avenue, Suite 811; New York, New York, 10017, U.S.A.; +1 212 986 7557; fax: +1 212 986 7579

Skyline Travel, 376 New York Avenue; Huntington, New York, 11743, U.S.A.; +1 516 423 9090; fax: +1 516 423 9094

Getting around

Transportation in Manaus (with just over a million people) is similar to that in any other large city—public transportation, buses, taxis, and car rentals. Out on the Amazon, boats—from canoes to cargo and cruise vessels—are often the only mode of long-distance transportation.

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  Things to see and do

Manaus

Manaus is a major metropolitan area that sits in the heart of the Amazon jungle. The rubber boom at the turn of the century sparked initial growth, but it soon became cheaper to produce rubber elsewhere. In 1967 the Brazilian government designated the town a free port, and that keeps people coming back.

The cosmopolitan atmosphere is a product of Indian, African, and European influences. Frequent festivals and modern discos often rock to a samba or forro beat.

Although Manaus is the main point of departure for Amazon expeditions, the city itself offers much to do:

Amazonas Theater—Finished in 1896 and restored in 1929. The wonderful neoclassical architecture of the outside is complemented on the inside by rich paintings by artists such as Capranesi and de Angelis.

Floating Port—Engineers designed the city’s port to float in accordance with the seasonal water flucuations on the Rio Negro. The Manaus Port Museum documents the engineering handiwork.

Indian Museum—Good exhibits about the indigenous peoples and the history of this diverse cultural and ecological environment.

January Lake ecological park—Located about seven kilometers (four miles) from the city, this park is famous for its display of birds, flowers and plants, and fishes from the Amazon.

The Manaus Free Zone—People from all over Brazil flock to this duty-free zone to purchase high-tech goods. You can also find indigenous handcrafts and native goods made with local raw materials.

Manaus Opera House—Here the cultural elite rubbed elbows during the rubber boom at the turn of the century. Today, it is the city’s most visited tourist attraction. The building was decorated by an array of Italian artists. It boasts Alsatian tiles, Italian marble, Portuguese stonework, English wrought iron, and French furniture.

Meeting of the Waters—A must. The dark waters of the Rio Negro flow alongside the clear waters of the Rio Solimões for over three miles (five kilometers) without mixing. Differences in density, velocity and temperature create this uncommon phenomenon.

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  Places to eat and stay

Cuisine

Native fishes and tropical fruits appear on almost any menu in Manaus. So does turtle. Expect generous servings of fish while out on the Amazon River.

Accommodations

Manaus has five-star hotels with all the modern comforts of civilization. Jungle lodgings are sometimes in the open air, where guests sleep in hammocks with mosquito nets like the Amazonian river dweller or caboclo. Leticia, Colombia, is listed because it generally has better tourist facilities than Tabatinga, Brazil.

We strongly suggest you check with a travel agent who specializes in Amazon trips. The listings below are not endorsements.

In the Jungle:

Ariaú Jungle Tower Hotel—Upstream 35 miles (50 kilometers) on the Rio Negro from Manaus, the owners claim that this is the only treetop lodge in the Amazon with a swimming pool built at the forest’s canopy. Most rooms offer private bathrooms and verandahs. Address: R. Silva Ramos 20 - Centro - 69.010-180 Manaus - AM Brazil; telephone: 92 232 4160; fax: 92 233 5615.

Amazon Village—Situated on a riverbank in the jungle, this Amazon village offers 16 thatched bungalows and a main structure. Facilities include a restaurant, bar and lounge, and rooms with private bathrooms. Contact the main office in Rio de Janerio for more information. Address: R. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 330/1001 - Copacabana - 22.031 Rio de Janerio - RJ Brazil; telephone: 21 235 2840; fax: 21 236 5285.

Amazon Lodge—About four hours from Manaus, this rustic lodge is set on a floating platform on Lake Jumma. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, and rooms with private baths. Contact the main office in Manaus for more information. Address: R. Leonardo Malcher 734 - Centro - 69.010 Manaus - AM Brazil; telephone: 92 233 5558

Pousada dos Guanavenas Inn—A first-class hotel with full amenities inside the jungle. Contact their office in Manaus. Address: R. Ferreira Pena 755 - Centro - 69.000 Manaus - AM Brazil.

Leticia, Colombia

Apartamentos Jolamar—14 rooms, each with private bath, double beds, television, and fan. No air-conditioning. Courtyard for motorbikes; Address:Carrera 8a/799, Leticia, Colombia; Telephone: 819 27016

Residencias Fernando—17 rooms, each with private bath, refrigerator, televison, and fan. No air-conditioning; Address: Carrera 9/880, Leticia, Colombia; telephone: 819 27362

Hotel Anaconda—A three-star hotel, the biggest in Leticia, with full amenities. Address:  Carrera 11/734, Leticia, Colombia; telephone: 819 27119; fax: 819 27005

Parador Ticuna—19 rooms, each with private bath and air conditioning. Address: Carrera 11, #6-11, Leticia, Colombia; telephone: 819 27243; fax: 819 27293

Manaus, Brazil

Hotel Tropical Manaus—This five-star colonial-style hotel borders the Rio Negro 7 miles (11 kilometers) from Manaus. Facilities include swimming pools, tennis, health club, sauna, restaurant, coffee shop and bar; the rooms have air-conditioning, televisions, mini-bars, and 24-hour room service. Address: Estrada da Ponta Negra QM 18, Manaus - AM 69.037 Brazil; telephone: 92 658 5000; fax: 92 658 5026

Novotel—Close to the airport, museums, the Amazon Theater, and the Meeting of the Waters. Its 169 units offer all the basic amenities you’d expect in a modern hotel, including air-conditioning, television and VCR, a room phone, and room service from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. Address: Av. Mandii 4 - Distrito Industrial - 69.000 Manaus - AM Brazil; telephone: 092 237 1211; fax: 92 237 1094

Imperial—Av. Getúlio Vargas 227 - Centro - 69.010 Manaus - AM Brazil; telephone: 92 622 3112; fax: 92 233 8013

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  For more information

Brazil Tourist Office
630 Fifth Avenue, Room. 2720,
New York, New York 10111
U.S.A.
telephone: +1 212 757 3080;
fax: +1 212 956 3794

Brasilian-American Cultural Center
16 West 46th Street
New York, New York 10036
U.S.A.
telephone: +1 212 840 3733;
fax: +1 212 869 2865
 

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©1996 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.