Manaus, gateway to the jungle

Manaus, gateway to the jungle

The Sunset in The Negro River - yes, it is the Negro, almost an Ocean of fresh water

So, considering Manaus is a big city with a big airport (MAO), with direct flights to international destinations such as Panama (by Copa Airlines) and to Miami (by TAM), as well other companies and destinations in the world, it is a convenient place to be seated for a jungle experience.

So,visiting Manaus doesn´t demand people coming from the north hemisphere to go more south, to cities like São Paulo and Rio. But if you´re on a trip inside Brasil, there are daily flights from SP and Rio, and also from Brasilia, as well many other Brazillian cities.  

You can watch the sunset by the Negro in Manaus, or take a ride to Novo Airão, where river dolphins known as the Boto Cor-de-Rosa (the pink river dolphin) will be waiting to swinm with you. 

Nowadays this trip became far more convenient, as a huge bridge over the Negro river was built. 

There are one-day rides departing from Manaus harbor to visit the rainforest by boat, which is advisible if you lack time.

If you have more time, you can look for a jungle hotel, get a boat and sleep some nights inside the rainforest. Those hotels offer an all-inclusive stay, with rides through the igarapés for birdwatching, and to look after some other wild animals, as leopards and caymans. The hotels normally have suites hangging up over tall trees, over the river, to avoid the full of the river. 

Distances in the amazonian states are huge, really huge. And there aren´t paved roads, so the rivers are the main ways to get inside the jungle and other smaller cities inside Amazonas state. Trips by boat can take days, and there are a number of options, since regular lines provided by local carriers, used by local people, tour operators and even cruises on yachts. Local carriers have big and slow boats with hammocks for passengers (if passengers don´t bring themselves their hammocks). Cruises may have all the luxury imaginable. It´s all about what one can afford and the kind of experience one is willing to have....