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South America : Brazil : North : Amazonas : Manaus

Manaus

Manaus is a Brazilian city of about 2.5 million, located on the Rio Negro a few miles before it meets the Rio Solimões to form the Amazon River proper. The two rivers flow side by side for many miles, different in color, mixing in eddies: the "Meeting of the Waters." Legend has it that they never mix.

Understand

The wealth of the primeval forest becomes visible first of all in the architecture of the city. The city enriched and the rubber barons afforded the biggest luxury from Europe, a copy the Grand Opera de Paris - the Teatro Amazonas. Other monuments from this epoch are the Mercado Municipal, a copy of the famous market halls Les Halles in Paris, and the arts center Rio Palacio Negro, located among fascinating Portuguese facades. Today Manaus is a foreign trade zone. Foreign enterprises must pay here no import duties, what guarantees a certain income for the city and the region. Electronics, wood industry and oil refineries have settled in the outskirts in industrial areas. The harbour is the most important trading center for the care of the city with regional, national and international products.

The city is pleasant and friendly, although quite hot, and is still a major port, and a good starting point for river tours.

The Rio Negro (northern) branch of the Amazon is the color of strong tea, peaty brown and its comparative acidity means few mosquitoes. At Manaus the Amazon rises and falls almost twenty meters between seasons. In May and June it's at its peak, full and very wide, spreading way out into the trees. In November and December it's low; still massive but with sandban

Get in

By plane

Manaus is about four hours by air from São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian airline TAM also flies once daily direct Miami - Manaus which takes less than 5 hours in a Boeing 767-300. Copa Airlines also flies to Miami-Manaus by way of Panama in a Embraer 190. Delta Air Lines now has direct service from Atlanta. Spirit also flies from Fort. Lauderdale to Manaus, TAME flies from Quito to Manaus once a week, Azul Airlines plans to start frequent flights to Campinas late April.

By boat

Manaus is a major destination for boats on the Amazon River. From Belém on the Atlantic Coast, it takes about five days. Boats go to Porto Velho two-three times per week. Tabatinga on the border with Colombia can also be reached by boat from Manaus, with connections further on to Iquitos in Peru.

  • Individual boat or canoe tours nearby Manaus

By bus

Due to road conditions, there is very little (if any) long-distance bus service originating from major cities in Brazil. There are daily buses to Boa Vista in the north and to destinations in Venezuela. The bus from Caracas in Venezula takes about 36 hours, but it is air-conditioned, has comfortable reclining seats and a toilet.

See

  • Opera House (Teatro Amazonas). n/n Praça São Sebastião, Center, +55 92 3622-1880. Everyday, starting time of shows may vary. The Opera House was built during the heyday of rubber trade, using materials from all over the world, and was once visited by all the most famous opera divas and maestros. Regular guided tours in English. There are frequent free performances; be sure to arrive at least an hour in advance to secure a seat. Prices vary.
  • Mercado Municipal. n/n Rua dos Barés, +55 92 3234-8441. Every day, 8AM-10PM. The city's main market is modeled after the Les Halles market in Paris.
  • Natural Science Museum (Museu de Ciencias Naturais da Amazônia). n/n Estrada Belem , Colonia Cachoeria Grande. Few locals visit this museum, know about it, or would even want to, considering that it's basically critters they'd find (almost) in their backyard. For visitors, though, it's a chance to see a live pirarucu and other fauna (mostly preserved) of the region. The museum was constructed single-handedly by a Japanese entomologist (specializing in butterflies) with his own money and resources. It's out of the way and about half an hour by taxi. The nearby INPA is a preserve and research center with birds and other wildlife.
  • Rio Negro Palace. 1546 Av. 7 de Setembro , +55 92 3232-4450. Call for information on attractions. The Rio Negro Palace was built by German farmers in the "golden age". Nowadays it's a cultural center and theater. It's one of the city's postcards. Prices vary.
  • Ponta Negra Beach it's a nice spot, several bars and restaurants.
  • Praia da Lua Beach very clean and nice river beach a few kilometers from Ponta Negra upstream the Rio Negro. Access by shared motorized canoe from Estalagem de David.
  • Paricatuba Waterfall is located on the right bank of the Negro River, along a small tributary, is formed by sedimentary rocks, surrounded by abundant vegetation. Access is by boat. The best time to visit is from August to February.
  • Love Cascade is located in the Guedes bayou, with cold and crystal clear water, is accessible only by boat and, then, hiking through the Forest.
  • River tours. If you take a river tour, go up the Rio Negro. From a three-night river boat trip from Manaus up the Rio Negro with a guide, you can expect to see some wildlife and visit some of the forest remnants, but two weeks or more are needed to reach untouched areas. Small two-story river boats carry five to ten people, sleeping in hammocks on the upper deck. Large boats carrying hundreds ply the river too, but the big boats don't stop between ports. Some river tour companies:
    • Amazon Tree Climbing [1]Ecotourism, Nature and Adventure Travel or/and Sustainable Tourism. ATC is specialized in Tree Climbing and boat expeditions at the Brazilian Amazon. Working with small closed groups, they take you to explore the jungle and it's highest tree canopies. ATC is pioneer at the recreational tree climbing activity in Brasil. Their headquarters are in Manaus, in the heart of the forest. Working with closed groups, because they believe that small groups causes less impact on the environment and harmonize better with the culture of the places they visit. ATC follows rigid safety protocols according to the Brazilian Adventure Tourism Standards.The trees are previously inspected and the climb sites are carefully chosen – they opt for primary forest area, which gives a better chance of observing the wildlife in it’s natural habitat. Their services include multilingual guides with solid cultural background, and top quality equipment. Their mission is to share the magic and beauty of the Amazon forest with their guests, so that they may understand and respect this fragile ecosystem. They offer trips varying from one day to customized boat expeditions at the rio Negro basin. Phone (55)(92)8195 8585 info@amazontreeclimbing.com
    • ECO DISCOVERY TOURS is a special a travel agency with ten-years experience on the tourism market in and around the Amazon and appear in several national and international travel guides. We offer a full range of trips in the close and far environments of Manaus Amazonas, depending on the guests time, budget and ambitions. http://www.ecoviagem.com.br/agencia-turismo/amazonas/manaus/eco-discovery-tours.asp We offer programs to the four main points of the Amazon area. In the south Mamory,Jurara, Juma and Janauacá. In the extreme north, Presedente Figueiredo. In the east the national park Jaú and Rio Negro. In the west, Rio Urubu. We aim to make customers dreams come true and try to fulfill all expections within available time and scope. We´ll bring you into contact with the different cultures of the Amazon population enabling you to experience their different ways of life without making an impact on their lifestyles/ - ecodiscovery@gmail.com General Location: Tour contact: Eco Discovery Tours: Manaus – Amazonas – Brazil Rua dos Andradas 452, first floor, Manaus-Center. Meeting Point with Nice atmosphere. regional local guides, phone calls. Phone: 55-(92) xx 9120-6905/8181-2262 hs or 55-(92) xx 3082-4732 email :
    • Amazon Eco Tour [2]. They organize customized boat trip around the river in the Amazon region. They organize all the trip according to your preferences. The areas where normally the go to ( by boat) - Anavilhanas Archipelago, Jaú Park,Janauary Ecological Park, Novo Airão,Barcelos. They also have a special option of tour called: Tree Climbing, is amazing, taking a boat trip deep the jungle, a specialized guide , with profesional equipament,by TCI - Inernational, guides you in the forest looking for big trees, where we can climb and do a special safari in the tree. You will be climbing in a centenary tree that will range from 100 to 200 feet tall. At the tree top, there will be a cordura “Treeboat©” waiting for you to rest, relax, and take in the peace of the canopy. A “Treeboat©” is a heavy-duty cordura hammock specially designed for tree top camping, rated to carry thousands of pounds. It is also equipped with a zippered mosquito net and a rain cover (if needed). For this adventure there is no need of prior climbing experience. The effort of tree climbing is compared to hiking with a day pack. You are set in a specially designed Tree Climbing harness, that will be adjusted for your personal size, to better suit you. Security is a priority!
    • Swallows and Amazons [3]. Reasonably priced classic-style riverboats for exploring the Amazon and Negro Rivers on trips ranging from 1 to 15 days. The “riverboat” is complete with hammocks (or day-beds), bathroom, shower, captain, cook, an English speaking professional guide, all food and drink (except alcohol), camping and fishing equipment. A motor canoe is sometimes used to reach more remote locations on the tour at the discretion of the guide. A “houseboat” offers the same but with double or cot style beds. Multi-day trips (including a 7 night package) explore the Amazon and Negro Rivers and the Anavilhanas Archipelago and offer trekking, canoeing, camping, swimming, alligator hunting and piranha fishing, as well as visits with the local river people. An eleven night package adds Jau National Park on the Middle Negro River and a 15 night package adds the Lower Branco, as well as more locations on the middle Rio Negro.
    • Amazon Clipper [4]– A “filtered” experience by comparison and less ambient adventure. Offers regular guaranteed tours departing on Mondays (3 days/2 nights), Wednesdays (4 days/3 nights) and the full cruise from Mondays to Saturdays (6 days/5 nights). All tours depart and arrive at the Pier of the Hotel Tropical in Manaus. A typical tour includes some "igarapes" (river creeks) and "igapos" (flooded forests) by powered canoes, visit the natives and see their way of life, hike in the forest, as well as fishing, bird watching, swimming in the river, and lectures on the Amazon.
    • Amazonriders [5]– Official Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Ministry) operator specialized in adventure tours to Maues, the land of the Guarana and Satere Mawe Indians, 267 km from Manaus. Visitors will explore virgin jungle with indigenous, observe them on their hunting and fishing expeditions for survival and visit the indian reserve of the Satere-Mawe.
  • Jungle Lodge. If you want to make nature-based jungle tours in the Amazon take a traditional lodge in the middle of the rain forest. There are a number of "Jungle Lodges" set up in the 2-3 hours (by boat) vicinity of Manaus. Typically, you would be transported from Manaus (airport) via regional boat and later by motorized canoe to the Lodge. Here you can expect to stay in hut accommodation, all meals included, taken on to guided tours and excursions on boat and foot, fish piranhas, search for alligators, visit native "Caboclo" dwelling and so on.
    • Amazon Village Jungle Lodge [6]- Amazon jungle lodge. The authentic jungle lodge located in the heart of the tropical rain forest of Brazil. The most exciting and wonderful tours in the amazon rain forest. They offer complete two, three and four-days overnight packages with guided tours and excursions, including full board & lodging, and transportation since Manaus. Lots of activities and nature tours, according to package choice. The Amazon Village Jungle Lodge is a remote and exclusive lodge classified as "Special Ecological Lodging" by Embratur - The Brazilian Tourism Bureau. The Village consists of a central "open air" lodge surrounded by 21 bungalows, all the bungalows are attractively designed with local wood in the native maloca style and discretely integrated into the surrounding of the local Jungle.
    • Amazon Gero Tours [7]- Jungle trip packages. Operates the Ararinha Jungle Hotel.
  • Ponta Negra is a popular river beach, some distance west of the city.

For details on the Jaú National Park and other nearby attractions, see the Get out section below.

Eat

Local cuisine is rich and varied and can be found in many restaurants and stalls. You may try tapioquinha, a glutinous pancake made from manioc starch, usually buttered and filled with tucumã palm fruit and farmer’s cheese. Or tacacá, an Amazon local soup. Or pamonha, made from green corn and coconut milk boiled in corn husks. Or bolo de macaxeira, a tasty glutinous translucent cake made from manioc. Or sugar cane juice, a favorite drink among locals. The region is also known for its exotic fruits like creamy white cupuaçú and iron-rich açaí.

  • Chez Charufe Grill - Address: Ponta Negra Park, close to the Tropical Hotel. Phone: 55-(92) 3658-5101 after 5 pm. E-mail: lincolntz@hotmail.com. Open 6 to 12 pm. Unique view of the Negro River. Regional fish dishes, paella and barbecue. Menus also in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. English spoken.
  • Açaí e Companhia, Address: Rua Acre, 98 - Vieiralves, phone number (Phone: 55-(92) 3635-3637). Open 10 am to 12 am. Nice atmosphere. Regional dishes. Good service. Sometimes live music.
  • Canto da Peixada, Address: Rua Emílio Moreira, 1677 - Praça 14, Phone: 55-(92) 3234-3021. Great local fish selection.
  • Casa da Sopa, Soup buffet. Highly recommended.
  • For international food in Manaus, the Miako and Suzuran offer Japanese food; there’s a Korean restaurant on the “Boulevard”, superb Italian food at Gianni's, and there is a home that serves delicious Peruvian dishes downtown near Cortez Casa de Câmbio.

Drink

  • Dancing Upscale: the Tropical Hotel’s dance floor. Middle class: Tukannu’s, Coração Blue near the Ponta Negra. General public: Deus Me Livre, Municipal, Meu Dengo, Kitabom. Most adventurous: the Casa do Terror, a cobwebbed hole-in-the-wall near the Bola da SUFRAMA where a shirtless Cearense in a cowboy hat spins old LP’s of boleros and bregas.

Crocodillo in O centro is a dance club with decent music and reasonable drink prices.

  • Festivals Festivals are usually held in the Sambódromo, a huge stadium on Rua Constantino Nery. Carnaval is held here as well as many other festivals, including Manaus’s popular Boi.
  • Manaus also has a surprisingly large gay community. The two main clubs are "Humps" and A2, both located in the city centre.

Sleep

  • Ariau Towers, Amazon Rain Forest - Manaus, Brazil, ☎ 305-371-7871, [8]. High above the Amazon Rainforest - 35 miles from Manaus, Brazil, Ariau Amazon Towers is a luxury, eco-friendly treetop hotel in Brazil, built in the treetop canopy of the Amazon Jungle, with unique treetop suites, elevated catwalks and Amazon vacation packages. 

Budget

Lots of cheap hotels and pensões can be found in the area around Av. Joaquim Nabuco. Email:

  • Hotel Itália: Rua Guilherme moreira, n. 325 - Downtown. Email: Email.
  • Amazon Backpackers: Avenida Joaquim Nabuco 204 City Center.
  • Hostel Manaus: Rua Lauro Cavalcante 231 - Centro
  • Hostel Trip Tour:Rua Costa Azevedo,63- Centro
  • Alvorada:Rua Quintinho Bocaiúva nº 583, Manaus Center

Brazil Phone: 55 92xx30824732 Email: E-Mail

  • Brasil Av. Getúlio Vargas, 657 - Centro Manaus, Phone: 55 92 xx 30824732, Email: E-Mail. Central location.
  • Continental, Rua Coronel Sergio Pessoa 189, 233-3342. A few blocks removed from the main strip; pleasant and economical.
  • Estrela, Center, Rua Pedro Botelho, 162, Phone (55-92-xx) 3233-4538, clean and cheap: Us$ 15/single, good place to find amazon jungle tours and trips in and out of Manaus.
  • Jangada, Rua dos Andradas, opposite Rio Branco. Rooms with private bathroom, a/c and tv for 35 reais. Very clean.Brazil Phone: 55 92 xx 30824732 Email: E-Mail

good place to find amazon eco tours

  • Pensão Sulista, Av. Joaquim Nabuco 347, 234-5814.
  • Rio Branco, Rua dos Andradas 484, 233-4019. A real backpacker dive. Rooms are tiny and in some cases without windows.

Cheap clean rooms with Frigobar, Phone, Air condition, Safe service, brekfeast and room service

Mid-range

  • Continental Hotel, Estrada dos Japoneses, n.238, Parque 10, Phone:92-3642-6232 E-Mail. Rooms have Minibar, cable TV and Broadband Wifi Internet Service, 24 hour Room service, Single with breakfast US$29.99. Stay with us and feel at home.

Splurge

  • Tropical Manaus Eco Resort - Av Coronel Teixeira, 1320, phone 00-XX-55-92-3658-3899. It is Brazil’s most luxurious hotel, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest, on the banks of the Negro River. It has 588 apartments and the largest complex of hotel, events, sports, and tourism and leisure services. It is only 10 km from the Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes International Airport and 16 km from downtown Manaus.

  • Sleep Inn Manaus - Av. Rodrigo Otávio , 3373, Distrito Industrial, phone: 00-XX-55-92-3321-8800

Stay healthy

The climate is very hot and humid. Packing thin, light-colored clothing will help you suffer the least during the day. There are also many mosquitoes known to carry malaria, so wear long sleeve shirts and pants and insect repellent. There is little cotton or natural fiber clothing available in Manaus, so don’t count on being able to pick up something on short notice. People seem to prefer synthetic materials, which have the advantage of drying easily without molding.

Stay safe

Violent crimes against tourists in Manaus are highly uncommon. However, avoid robbery by avoiding crowded (or deserted) places. From 5-7 p.m. and 7-8 a.m., the buses are packed with people going to and from work, so be away of public transportation during this time. Pickpocketing takes many forms: it could be a well-dressed teenager on a crowded bus, or 2 middle-aged women pretending to look at wooden spoons in the market. Avoid the East zone, it has a bad fame in Manaus for being dangerous Be very careful of other drivers, because of the bad traffic in the city they drive for a long time to reach their destination (thus very fast). AN ARDENT WARNING: Do not buy tours from people at the airport or on the street in Manaus. Not only are you likely to get ripped off, you will never get your money back. The best guides are hired by the best companies; the best shysters don’t work for the best companies. If you don’t want to book a tour before arriving and want to book a tour in Manaus use a reputable published guidebook first or just look for the official tourist information center (CAT), they'll help you out and even make free calls in case of need. Tour companies are relatively easy to find (or call) in downtown Manaus and many will meet you at no charge.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING: The tour companies (even the ones in Lonely Planet) tend to trick the tourists sometimes, they ask you "may I do the reservation?" if you say yes and later cancel they will want to charge you 25%, it's not legal, only if they let you know about it and make you sign something, so be always suspicious about them, ask other tour operator to check the prices, sometimes they say: "We work in partnership" It's also not true, prices change a lot, so take your time to search and Good trip!

Get out

  • Presidente Figueiredo – 105 km from Manaus, offers archaeological grottoes and caves, waterfalls, and native scenery.
  • Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira - Home of many Indian tribes and the Pico da Neblina, the highest mountain in Brazil.
  • Aruba, Curacao - TAF flies on the weekends to those destinations, 650 USD return.
  • Boa Vista - By Bus or with the national airlines, from Boa vista you can fly to Guyana and Suriname.
  • Praia do Tupé – nearby white sand beach
  • Manacapurú – Paraiso d’Angelo chalets on black water
  • Parintins – boi festival in June
  • Mauês – guaraná festival
  • Venezuela by bus, 16 hours, Caracas 36 hours, TAM flies to Caracas 500 USD return.
  • Jau National Park - Jungle expeditions leave Manaus for this huge park located between the cities of Novo Airão and Barcelos. The Park is a World Heritage site and stands out in the state of Amazonas. The closest city is Novo Airão, which is 150 km from the capital. The park itself is 220 km on a straight-line from Manaus.
  • Manaus also offers Eco Tours for Mamori River AND Mamirauá at the south of the city near the Amazonas river reached by the Transamazônica road (an extension of the Pan-American road), for good Rainforest Tours.

Adventure trips to the rainforest

There is a number of companies operating jungle adventure trips from Manaus, but only a few seem to be more established and reputable. Here the word "reputable" is used in a very relative way. Alas, if you want an adventure, the first part of it has to be to find your tour operator. The people from Gero Amazonas Tours give the impression that one deals with a solid company. The reason Gero might not suit everyone is that they seem to offer a very well-controlled and relatively gentle encounter with the jungle. If what you want is safety above all, they are a viable option. Else, it might be worth checking out other places as well.

  • Location of trip

There are basically two main areas which you can explore: the Rio Negro basin and the South of Rio Amazonas. Both of these regions are (sparsely) inhabited, so you will not be completely isolated from civilization. If you want to make a trip to a reserve or a remote area, ask for a special expedition package and plan to pay much more and spend a few days for the transfer to and from the reserve. Rio Negro is an area that is great for the jungle vegetation and for the lack of mosquitoes (due to the acidity of the river). Unfortunately, the lack of mosquitoes means there are a lot fewer animals that live there. The South of Rio Amazonas is a network of rivers, lakes and channels. There are mosquitoes and wildlife, however, there are quite a lot of houses and farms -- and thus civilization is a lot more visible. Most tours go to or through lake Mamori. There are quite a lot of jungle things to see around the lake, but do not expect pristine nature due to all the farming going on around the lake. There is a reserve nearby called Jurara. It also seems to be inhabited and there is not much difference between the reserve and lake Mamori. A better option may be a trip to lake Juma which is a special protected area. There is a tour operator called Iguana Tours which regularly takes toursts there.

  • Time of travel

There are two seasons in the Amazon basin: wet season and dry season. During the dry season it's very hot (that means 40 C plus the humidity) and thus may be unbearable for some. As well, many channels and rivers dry out. On the other hand, fishing is much easier since all fish concentrates in the remaining water basins. During the wet season, it rains almost every day. When there is a storm, the amount of rain may be overwhelming. Thus, if traveling in wet season, be prepared to get wet and not dry out until the end of your trip. During the season the rivers and lakes rise several meters and many new channels are formed in the flooded jungle. Temperature-wise, the weather is more bearable and only the humidity will be a problem. The wet season lasts roughly January to July, with the best time to visit the jungle May to August.

  • Equipment

If you travel during the wet season, keep your important things like documents in (tested) waterproof bags/containers. Cotton clothes let your skin breathe but there is no chance that they will ever get dry. Some people find nylon/synthetic clothes to work well. Long sleeves and long pants are not 100% necessary but you will not regret wearing them. A flashlight is necessary for the night, as the jungle is pitch-black. A machete most probably will not be required on short/casual trips but is essential for longer expeditions. A lighter and a pocket knife are a good idea. The pocket knife is especially important since it can provide the only defense against the boa and the anaconda (indeed, attacks do occur). A mosquito repellent is most probably a very smart idea. It keeps other bugs away too and it reduces the risk of being infected by a disease-carrying insect. However, the number of mosquitoes in the jungle is not completely overwhelming, so for longer expeditions you may consider getting used to them. Additionally, a good guide can show you some natural repellents available in the jungle. Sun block is needed especially during the dry season. Otherwise, keep your luggage to the minimum. Do not take things you do not really need.

  • Dictionary of trip operators:
    • native people - people who live in the region. Most of the time that means, with Portuguese descend. These are not aboriginal inhabitants.
    • native guide - a guide who is a native (see native people). If at all, usually speaks only marginal English.
    • explore the meeting of the waters - a 10-second chance to glance at it while crossing the river on a speedboat.

This page was last edited at 07:55, on 10 March 2009 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Klaus Lietzke, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.