Brazil’s most iconic destination, yet relatively untouched and undiscovered
Most Brazil holidays include a trip to the Amazon starting in the steamy river port of Manaus. A walk downtown will reveal the results of the wealth that was generated during the short rubber boom such as the opera house, Teatro Amazonas. Nearby we recommend heading by boat to the ‘meeting of the waters’ where the black Rio Negro and the toffee brown Solimoes run side by side for several kilometres, before forming the Amazon proper.
For a more in-depth look at nature it is worth staying a few days at a jungle lodge in the forest. We use a range of lodges in the Amazon, some just a short boat ride away, such as Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge, others set deeper into the forest such as the superb Cristalino Lodge accessed from Alta Floresta in the southern Amazon. Our excellent naturalist guides are on hand to show you the wildlife from caimans to macaws and piranha fish. Sitting on the veranda at the lodge watching monkeys swing past is a magical experience.
Near the mouth of the Amazon River is the city of Belem, the highlight being the thousands of parrots which migrate from Parrot islands each morning. We can also arrange water buffalo safaris on the nearby island of Marajo, a natural wilderness the size of Switzerland.
Exploring by boat is certainly one of the most rewarding ways to see the Amazon. Try Clipper Cruises and private charters of the MY Tucano, an expeditionary vessel that sails deep into the Amazon, exploring the dark waters of the Rio Negro and its tributaries.