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Aria· Towers, Jungle Lodge

Aria· Towers is an eco-tourist facility located in the rainforest near Manaus, about two hours travel from the city by riverboat. In addition to the jungle lodge, which is built high up on platforms so that it is set among the trees of the surrounding rainforest, Aria· also includes an animal rehabilitation programme. The programme is run so that animals captured from poachers and traffickers can be cared for and reintroduced back into their natural environment. This means that Aria· helps the environment in two ways: it educates visitors about the rainforest, helping them to appreciate it and the importance of its protection; and it directly helps to preserve the animals of the rainforest.

For the visitor, Aria· Towers is the best opportunity that you'll have to get close to the animals of the rainforest, and see them at home in their natural environment – where they belong. But, getting "close" doesn't fully describe it. There are monkeys running all around the Aria· complex, and if you try carrying fruit back to your room, you'd better be careful that a monkey doesn't run up behind you and steal it out of your hand (it happened to me!). There is also a large aviary containing macaws and other exotic birds being prepared for release back into the wild. Other recently released birds are nesting close by, and you're bound to run into a few interesting animals during your stay.

Some of the things that you can do while at Aria· include:

  • visit a local riverside village to learn about the local people and how they live;
  • go on a night expedition to "hunt" for jacarΘ (alligators).;
  • go fishing for piranha;
  • go on a guided rainforest walk, learning about rainforest plants and some of their uses;
  • visit a small village, recently resettled by local Indians;
  • play with (and help feed) monkeys, macaws, and other exotic animals;
  • look at (but don't play with) the electric eels swimming in an aquarium located near Aria·'s reception area.

Each group arriving at Aria· is assigned to a guide. Most of the guides have international experience, and speak fluent English, Portuguese, and occasional other languages. Most importantly, they are helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable about the area around them. Being able to see and experience Amaz⌠nia is wonderful – but having a someone available to point things out and answer your questions makes the experience much more rewarding.

Aria· is located on a small tributary of the Rφo Negro, which is famous for its stained black waters. The waters have another major benefit because their acidity makes them unsuitable breeding place for the hordes of mosquitoes which are such an annoyance elsewhere in Amaz⌠nia.

Accommodation at the jungle lodge is luxurious compared to other places that I have travelled to in Amaz⌠nia (though it may a little more basic than you're used to at home). The rooms are cool and comfortable, with a small ensuite containing a toilet and shower. There is also a large dining facility serving smorgasbord meals of local fruits and dishes, and tourist shop selling a wide variety of local crafts. It is no wonder that Aria· has attracted visitors from all over the world, including Jacques Cousteau and the German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl.

Aria· Towers was the place where I started on my first Amazon Adventure in January 1997, and provided one of the major highlights of my journey.

Click here to view more of the photos that I took during my stay.

If you want to find out more about Aria·, you can also visit them on the Internet.

I am also very grateful to Ariau Towers and their Commercial Director, Filipe Cirilo, for the kind assistance that they have shown me while setting up this project.

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