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Arrival in Manaus |
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Manaus
Manaus has a population of 1.5 million people, making it the biggest city for 1500km in every direction. |
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Amazon Jungle
The Amazon Jungle is home to around 20% of the world’s bird species, 10% of the mammals, and an estimated 2.5 million species of insect!
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Amazon River
The 6,387km long Amazon River is the largest river system in the world, containing an estimated 20% of the world’s freshwater. |
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Tropical Hotel
The Tropical Hotel is Brazil’s largest luxury hotel, with 594 rooms on the edge of the Rio Negro. |
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Rio Negro
The Rio Negro is one of the largest tributaries of The Amazon River. The source of the Negro is in Colombia. |
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Manaus Theater
The Amazon Theater was opened in 1896. It was built using local wood and imported marble and steel. The road outside is made of Amazon rubber. |
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Municipal Market
The Adolfo Lisboa Municipal Market is principally made from Art Noveau wrought ironwork, with the design based on Les Halles market in Paris. Almost anything from the Amazon region can be bought here. |
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Freshwater Dolphins
The Amazon River has pink freshwater dolphins which live in only two of the world’s rivers. It is possible to swim with them close to Manaus. |
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Flooded Forests
The flooded forests of the Amazon occur during the high waters after the wet season when the rivers burst their banks. |
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Piranha
Despite the array of razor-sharp teeth, most of the 50 species of piranha found in South America won’t kill humans but they can bite if provoked. |
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Caiman Alligator
There are 4 types of caiman alligator in the Amazon. The black caiman can grow up to 6 meters, but the more common spectacled caiman grows to around 2m. |
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The Meeting of the Waters
The Meeting of the Waters is a bizarre natural phenomenon where two mighty rivers of different colors don’t mix due to variations in temperature, density and speed. |
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Victoria Regina Water Lily
The largest Water Lily in the world grows up to 2m in width and could support a small child! |
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Indian Ritual
Watch the local natives re-enact some of the rituals that their ancestors have been undertaking for thousands of years!. |
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Upon your arrival in Manaus at the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, and you will be met at the airport by one of our representatives and transferred to the Tropical Hotel on the edge of the Rio Negro. The rest of the day is free for you to spend at your leisure. You can get to know Manaus, or you can spend your time enjoying the facilities of Brazil’s largest luxury hotel. With 2 swimming pools, 5 tennis courts, a sauna, a beauty parlor, a shopping arcade, an orchid house, and even a small zoo – spending time in your hotel can be as busy or as relaxed as you wish. In the evening there are 5 bars with live music and shows available, plus 2 restaurants where you can sample some of the river’s 3000 species of fish. |
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Manaus Half Day City Tour |
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After breakfast you will be picked up from the hotel and taken on a half day guided tour of Manaus. The tour takes in the famous Manaus Theater, the Municipal Market, and the Floating Dock. The theater is the symbol of the city and was built during the rubber boom that made the wealth of Manaus. The results of that wealth can be seen in the opulence of the theater; with Italian marble, Scottish wrought iron, and carvings made from Amazon wood, the theater itself is a splendid sight. The Adolpho Lisboa Municipal Market on the edge of the river boasts produce and crafts from all over the Amazon area. You will be transferred back to the Tropical Hotel after the tour finishes. (Meals – B) |
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Manaus to Amazon Ecopark |
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You will leave from the hotel pier at 1.30pm for the one hour boat-ride to Amazon Ecopark. You may see pink freshwater dolphins swimming in the river before arriving at the lodge. After a welcome drink you will visit the Monkey Jungle Reserve on an island dedicated to the rehabilitation of Amazon primates. Most of these animals have been confiscated from illegal sales and exports, and are both treated and scientifically evaluated with the purpose of eventually reintroducing them into the jungle. Macaws, parrots, toucans and huge butterflies are also seen regularly around the lodge. Dinner at the lodge is a buffet with a selection of meats, delicious Amazon fish, and a few of the many different fruits that can be found in the forest. After a spectacular Amazon sunset a guide will take you on a canoe trip to spot caiman alligators along the edges of the river. The night-time expedition will teach you how to gauge the size of the Amazon’s largest reptile by the reflections from their eyes. You may even get to hold one, but only one of the smaller ones! (Meals – B, L, D) |
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Amazon Ecopark Activities |
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After breakfast at the lodge you will head into the Amazon Jungle on a guided trek along the trails in the area. Your expert bilingual guide will show you some of the immense variety of flora and fauna that make up the world’s largest ecosystem and will also teach you some of the techniques that have enabled people to survive in the dense jungle for millennia. You can also learn how to use traditional Amazonian Indian hunting tools like bows and arrows and blowpipes. You will also be able to see the trees that give us both rubber and chewing gum, as well as delicate orchids before returning to the lodge for lunch. Following a delicious meal a motorized canoe takes you on a guided tour to visit a local village to learn how the native people have adapted their lives to suit the conditions and climate of the rainforest. Here you will be able to discover the different uses of some of the millions of plant species native to the Amazon, including those used for medicinal, culinary and hunting purposes. There is also an opportunity for you to go piranha fishing before returning to the lodge for the evening. Dinner is at the lodge. Feel free to browse our Extra options (Meals – B, L, D) |
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Meeting of the Waters |
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After breakfast at the lodge a boat will take you on a full day trip, including bilingual guide and lunch, to see the Meeting of the Waters. This bizarre natural phenomenon occurs a short way downstream from Manaus when two huge rivers, the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões, meet up to form the mighty river that is known as the Amazon which flows from that point onwards until the Atlantic Ocean 1500km to the east. The rivers take water from different types of land; the Rio Negro obtains its dark color from the riverbank vegetation while the lighter Solimões has more sediment and organic matter. The different densities of the water in the rivers mean that they flow at different speeds and have noticeably different temperatures. As a result the rivers refuse to mix, meaning that the center of the Amazon River has water of two distinct colors for around 8km. The tour also visits a rubber plantation for you to learn about the art of extracting latex from the rubber tree and the process of curing it, which led to the Amazon Rubber Boom of the 19th Century. As an optional extra one may choose to undertake a canoe trip to fish for piranha after returning to the lodge. Dinner is at the lodge. Please feel free to view the Extra options (Meals – B, L, D)
CAT Tip - Make the most of the trip: Choose to spend an extra night on a trek into the jungle with survival experts! |
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Amazon Ecopark to Manaus |
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After breakfast at the lodge you will have the chance to relax in the natural pools that form in the surrounding areas. Several clear streams flow through the resort and into the river, making pools where you can bathe in the warmth of the sun. The river by the lodge is also good for swimming. You may spend time walking the trails in the area should you choose where you can view wildlife and admire the huge trees and the tiny flowers before leaving for Manaus. You will be picked up from the pier and taken to the airport for flight home or onwards to another magical destination in Brazil. (Meals – B)
CAT Tip - Make the most of the trip: Choose to spend an extra night at the Tropical Hotel in Manaus on your return to the city. |
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