13 days

Manaus – Jungle Lodge – Santarém – going down the Amazon by boat - Alter do Chão – Belém – Île de Marajo

The height of splendour! Largest forest in the world, biggest ecological reserve on the globe, a body of water which has no other equal. A veritable continent of sweet water and vegetation, the Amazonian region offers the traveller a unique spectacle of a world of land and water, the powerful beauty of it´s river, the magic of its skies, never blue, and it´s nights, never black, filled with a thousand sounds - a very intense emotion!

You will love: Manaus and it´s lavish Teatro Amazonas; the magic of its Meeting of the Waters; the fantastic flora and fauna of the Amazonian forest; the succulent fish of the region; the conserved beauty of Alter do Chão; Belém and the exotic aromas of the Ver-o-peso market; the experience of a stay in a Fazenda on the Island of Marajo.

Day 1: Manaus

Welcome at Manaus airport and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, guided tour of the city (English speaking guide) during which you will realise the vastness of the famous Teatro Amazonas as well as the Municipal Market , both vestiges of the golden age of rubber. Night in a hotel.

Day 2: Manaus – Jungle Lodge

Departure from Manaus early in the morning and reach your Jungle Lodge by road and river transport. You will arrive at your destination late morning giving you time to settle into your cottages situated in the middle of a thick forest. After lunch, and. to get a feel of the place, take a motorboat ride in the “iguarapés” and “iguapós” for your first contact with the jungle. Return to the Lodge late afternoon, dinner and then a night walk to observe the caiman crocodilians. Night at the Lodge.

Day 3: Jungle Lodge

On this day, your local guide will take you on a discovery tour of the immense wealth of the Amazonian ecosystem as well as the peculiar life of the “caboclos” (people of mixed Indian and European race), unique inhabitants of these very remote regions. Night at the Lodge or, if you feel like, in a camp in the middle of the forest.

Day 4: Jungle lodge – Manaus

Get up at dawn for one last walk in the forest. Breakfast the Lodge and departure for Manaus . On the way back, take a small detour to see the curious sight of the “ Meeting of the Waters ”, the dark waters of the Rio Negro and clear waters of the Rio Solimões which meet (to form the Amazon). Arrival at Manaus late in the morning and rest of the day free. Night in a hotel.

Day 5: Manaus – Santarém – going down the Amazon in a boat

In the morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Santarém where you will set out on an unforgettable ride down the Amazon to the Arapiuns river and its crystalline waters. At the end of the day, you will stop on a deserted beach for dinner and spend your first night under the Amazonian sky (in a hammock or in a private cabin).

Day 6: Going down the Tapajos River – Alter do Chão

After a hearty breakfast and a refreshing bath, leave for the Jari Canal which links the muddy waters of the Amazon River and the clear waters of the Tapajos River. This region is famous for its rich ecosystem. If you want to discover the flora and fauna of the Amazonia, it is undoubtedly the best spot. At high water (approximately from March to August), you can admire the magnificent Vitorias Regias, one of the largest water plants in the world and at low water (approximately from September to February), it will be the turn of “jacarés” (caimans) to put up a show on the canal shores. Early afternoon, reach Alter do Chão , the Caribbean of the Amazonia reputed for its white sandy beaches in the heart of the jungle. That's when you will discover the magnificent Lago Verde (green lake). Continue to the National Tapajos Forest (FLONA), a 600 000 hectare reserve of flooded virgin forest. Second night on the boat, rocked by the sounds of the forest.

Day 7: FLONA – Alter do Chão

Departure after breakfast for a 3 to 4 hour hike through the forest. At the end of the walk, stop in the village of a small native community where the inhabitants will prepare a delicious regional meal (included). Then, discover the igarapé (catchment) of Jamaraquá, a stream of crystalline water teeming with fish and piranha. Mid-afternoon, visit the Maguari, another community of Indians who live entirely off the forest resources, particularly latex. On the way back to Alter do Chão , if time permits, make a short stop on the lovely Cajutaba river beach to admire the sunset. Evening and dinner free at Alter do Chão. Night in hotel.

Day 8: Alter do Chão – Santarém – Belém

Morning free at Alter do Chão. After breakfast (not included), transfer to Santarém to take a flight to Belém . Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day and evening free.

Day 9: Belém

Leave the hotel at 9.00 a.m. for a guided tour of the city (English speaking guide). First visit the spectacular Ver-o-Peso market, then the Emilio Goeldi Museam and its splendid garden of tropical plants (closed on Mondays) and finally the Basilica de Nazaré (closed on Mondays) through the Place de la République where the Teatro da Paz proudly stands. Return to the hotel around 3.00 p.m. Lunch, afternoon and evening free.

Day 10: Belém – Fazenda sur l´île de Marajo

Transfer from hotel to the port very early in the morning, board the ship linking Belém to Camará (3 hours crossing). A taxi or minibus will take you up to the Camará river and you will board a motorboat (45 minutes) to Our Lady of Carmo fazenda (ranch) where lodging and boarding at local homes have been arranged. These are homes with simple comforts but filled with warmth - beautiful location, and excellent food.

Option: You can also choose to cross from Belém to Salvaterra in a single-engine plane (25 min) then take a taxi to the Beiradão, then go up the river in motorboat to the fazenda (45 min). This option enables you to save around three hours travel.

Day 11: Fazenda on Marajo Island

The greatest attraction of the fazenda is nature. Here, you will discover the most diverse flora and fauna. You can ride a horse or go on buffalo back, go by jeep or in a dugout canoe, go for hikes in the fields or in the forest where you can watch numerous varieties of animals like cabiais, agoutis, monkeys, caimans as well as hundreds of birds: egrets, ibis, toucans, hawks, parrots, etc.

Day 12: Fazenda on Marajo Island – Belém

After lunch, return to Belém by motorboat then by taxi or minibus and finally by ship. Transfer to hotel. Evening free.

Day 13: Free day at Belém then transfer to airport.

Prix du séjour : nous contacter

Included: All accommodation in a hotel of standard category, in the Jungle Lodge or at someone's home, in all a total of 10 nights; 2 nights on board the local boat in a hammock or private cabin; 12 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners (mentioned as “included” in the programme), English speaking guide at certain places listed in the programme, private transport wherever specified in the day-to-day programme, visits and excursions indicated.

Not included: Your return international flight, local flights, (Brazil Air Pass must be bought in Europe), airport taxes (international and national), individual equipment, compulsory individual insurance, lunches and dinners mentioned as “not included” in the programme (calculate at the rate of 3 to 15 Euros/person/meal), visits not mentioned in the day-to-day programme .

NB: As a measure of security and comfort of passengers in boats, large size suitcases will be kept at Manaus and will be returned to owners on their return to the Lodge.

On request: list of accommodation; custom-made quotation, etc.

Possible extension of the tour: São Luis and Lençois Maranhenses.