Peru Tours
Brazil Tours
Argentina Tours
Chile Tours
Ecuador/Galapagos Tours
Venezuela Tours
Bolivia Tours
Costa Rica Tours
Panama Tours
Guatemala Tours
Uruguay Tours
Africa Tours
Australia Tours
New Zealand Tours
Activities in Other Countries

Phone: 800-232-5658 or
1-512-443-5393
email

Blog - Jim's Thoughts

Brazil Tours and Travel

Suggested Packages / Rio / Amazon / Pantanal / Iguassu / Salvador / Chapada Diamantina / Ilha Grande / Buzios
Paraty / Natal / Brasilia / Bonito / Fernando de Noronha / Florianopolis / Itacare / Chapada dos Veadeiros / Praia do Forte
Northeast 4x4 / Rio Grande do Sul / Ouro Preto/ Lencois Marenhenses / Curitiba Area / Morro de Sao Paulo / Group Suggestions

Moderate Amazon Cruises
with Fixed Departures

We offer a variety of fixed departure cruises on different boats

Clipper or Selly (or similar)

These boats have 8-10 air-conditioned cabins with bunk berths and private toilet facilities, a covered saloon with dining area, bar and library. Also a panoramic sundeck with 360 panoramic view. If you do not have a travel companion, we will try to find a companionable roommate for you. For single occupancy reservation of a cabin there is a surcharge. The trips are always accompanied by an experienced local guide speaking English.

3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS

DAY 1 - Monday - Depart Hotel Tropical landing-stage at 14:30 h. Presentation on board of staff, route and facilities. Welcome drink. Navigation past Manaus to the Xiborena region. Canoe trips in smaller creeks to see life on the flood plains: jute, market-garden produce, rubber trees, as well as flood plain forest and lakes with giant water lilies (in season) This tnp returns after sunset, so that we can observe night life. including caimans Navigation up the Amazon (the upper part of it called Solimoes by the natives) to lake Janauaca. Dinner on the way.

DAY 2 - Tuesday - Early morning canoe trip for bird-watching. There are good chances of seeing Hoatzins and large flocks of Egrets and Cormorants. Breakfast. Visit to the inhabitants
of the lake who live from manioc plantations, fishing, diverse fruit trees, rubber, Brazil-nut
trees, wood and other extractive products Walk in the forest with commentaries by the specialist. Lunch Navigation. Fishing for piranhas and other types of fish .Dinner. Night trip to see nocturnal animals, sometimes including night-hawks, snakes, toro-rats, sloths and frogs. Navigation downstream on the Amazon.

DAY 3 - Wednesday - Early morning bird-watching trip in the Janauary Ecological Park and nearby waterways. Breakfast. Navigation to the "Meeting of the Waters". Observation. Navigation back to Manaus with views of the floating docks, market, old custom house and houses on stilts, to the Hotel Tropical landing-stage arriving at 11 :30 am. End of services.

4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS

DAY 1 - Wednesday - Leaves the Tropical Hotel landing-stage at 14:30 h. Presentation on board of the staff, route and facilities. Welcome drink.Navigation upstream to the Pagodao River (tributary of the Negro). Canoe trip shortly before sunset, returning after dark with the possibility of observing nocturnal animals and perceive the change in the forest as night falls. Dinner.

DAY 2 - Thursday - Breakfast. Walk in the forest with commentaries by the specialist. Observation of the flora. Visit to a "caboclo" family. Chance to see the local way of life. Lunch. Navigation through the Anavilhanas, the world's largest fresh water archipelago, more then 1000 miles from the ocean. Dinner. Night trip to see caymans and possibly frogs,sloths, snakes and other species, depending on the season.

DAY 3 - Friday - Visit to the village of Novo Airao, with its handicraft boat yards. sawmills, market and other activities. Lunch. Navigation to Praia Grande or other white sand beach. Swimming if conditions permit, and observation of the vegetation of sandy areas. Canoe trip in lake Acajituba or adjacent lake domains to see typical flora (rubber trees, Brazil nuts, useful palm trees of various types) Fishing for piranhas. Dinner. Night trip to observe camains. Navigation.

DAY 4 - Saturday - Lake Janauary. Canoe trip at sunrise for bird watching, discovering the flood plain forest and lakes with giant water lilies (in season).Breakfast. Return to the Tropical Hotel landing-stage, with fine views of Manaus' waterfront. Arrival at 1 1:30 h. End of services.

2010 PRICES:
3 days/ 2 nights (Mon.-Wed.) = US$506 per person double, US$760 single
4 days/ 3 nights (Wed.- Sat.) = US$690 per person double, US$1035 single
Combined 6 day program (Mon.- Sat.) = US$1024 per person double, US$1536 single

Children under 12 get a 20% discount.

Premium

For those who wish the comfort of a more upscale ship, we now present the new Premium. Large enough to offer spacious cabins with lower beds and inviting public spaces, but small enough to dock at remote spots and cruise to hidden locations due to the shallow draft of only 3 feet, the Premium is the perfect size for a comfortable cruise on the Amazon rivers. You will experience trips with our outboard powered canoes in smaller creeks to see life on the flooded plains, rubber trees, lakes with giant water lilies, watch the birds, visit the local inhabitants and walk in the forest, always accompanied by our expedition guides. The window-lined dining room seats all passengers leisurely at one single seating. We offer excellent meals, up to international standards, prepared with utmost care by our experienced kitchen staff. Served as buffet you can help yourself from a great variety of fresh foods including daily specials or choice vegetarian meals. At 32m (106 feet) long, with a beam of 9m (30 feet), the Premium hosts only 32 guests in 16 spacious all-outside cabins, with lower beds, private bathroom facilities with hot shower, individual air-conditioning and safety box. The boat’s kitchen is fully equipped with freezers, charcoal filters and a plentiful supply of mineral water.

The ship follows the same itinerary and dates as the Clipper boats above.

2010 PRICES:
3 days/ 2 nights (Mon.-Wed.) = US$711 per person double, US$1066 single
4 days/ 3 nights (Wed.- Sat.) = US$944 per person double, US$1416 single
Combined 6 day program (Mon.- Sat.) = US$1426 per person double, US$2138 single

Children under 12 get a 20% discount

What is the food like? The food on all of the Boats above is excellent, fresh, and authentic. Generally, we seek to provide a mixture of local and international cuisine. Jungle fruits, vegetables, and juices provide a uniquely fresh flair that is unmatched in more temperate climates. All can accommodate vegetarians or other common dietary preferences if provided sufficient notice.

What is the typical age range for these tours? We have had travelers of nearly every age on our Amazon tours. These trips commonly attract multi-generational families as well as young honeymooners or adventurous single travelers. Travelers of any age can likely find a cruise option where they will fit right in.

What vaccinations are required? For most Amazon destinations, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever vaccinations are recommended. Malaria preventatives are also recommended. Talk to your doctor or visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control (www. CDC.org) for the latest information.

The Houseboat

This 7 night program tour features one of our air-conditioned* Houseboats. The program focuses on tropical rainforest and rivers of the Amazon River and Lower Negro River including the Rio Negro State Park and the "new" Anavilhanas Archipelago National Park (an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003), Highlights include classic Amazon boat cruising, and excellent trekking & canoeing excursions in really pristine Amazon rainforest conditions. Daily canoeing excursions, rainforest walks and home-cooked meals are included. Other attractions include sport fishing, wildlife photography, swimming, beach BarBQs, and visits with the local Amazonian river people known as "caboclos".

DAY 1 - Arrive Manaus and Transfer in to Hotel. Overnight at Saint Paul Hotel or similar.

DAY 2 - After breakfast we depart from the floating port in our boat, a classic Amazon riverboat, fully outfitted with food, drink, and crew. From Manaus we travel half an hour to the stunning meeting of the waters where the Rio Negro River flows into the mighty Amazon River but the two do not mix due to differences in velocity, density and temperature. At the meeting of the waters we often see grey and pink river dolphins, and plenty of local fishermen.
Second stop is Lake Janauari, a vast area of floodplain (varzea) receiving water from both the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers. We will visit a restaurant run by local "caboclo" river people and walk through the treetops on a walkway to view giant Amazon waterlilies in a quiet lagoon. Here we might also see monkeys, hawks, alligators, iguanas and morpho butterflies. After lunch in the boat we will travel a short distance on to the Amazon river, here called the Solimoes. to a group of islands called the Parana (inlet) of Iranduba, an area full of birdlife, alligators and monkeys. We will visit some local familes, see how they live, and have a look at some rubber trees, brazil nut trees and guava trees full of parrots and parakeets. Later we take to the canoes and go fishing for piranha in the nearby creeks ("igarapes") which ring the area. We will have dinner on the boat and then take to the canoes once more in the evening to go "alligator hunting", though only to see and photograph them. We will spend the night at Iranduba in our boat sleeping in beds in air-conditioned cabins.

DAY 3-5 - Early in the morning the boat will make its way up the Negro River to the homestead of Tania's family near the river and village of Arara. Here we will go for a long trek deep into the jungle to study medicine plants with Tania's father (a local medicine man). We will go canoeing on the Jaraqui and Ariau Rivers- igarapes (small rivers) near our lodge and on the opposite side of the Negro River across "Anaconda Bay". At night we will search for tarantulas, bats, alligators, night birds and other creatures. Beyond the lodge we will visit the first islands of the vast Anavilanhas Archipelago, the largest group of freshwater islands in the world. In the dry season we will go walking and canoeing amidst the islands to see monkeys, toucans, iguanas and dolphins. In the rainy season we will explore the flooded forest ("igapo"), and the unique treetop world hidden above the flooded islands. Overnight accommodations on the boat or in a rainforest camp (optional).

DAYS 6-7 - Trekking and canoeing on the Cuieiras River, a long, quiet tributary of the Negro River where we have our own rainforest property and work with several local families. Return to Manaus. Overnight at the Saint Paul Hotel or similar.

DAY 8 - After breakfast the group will be transferred OUT to the Airport.

2010 Price = $1650 per person, minimum of 2 people. We will try to match singles to avoid single supplement. If boat is not full, single may get a cabin to him or herself with no supplement. Students aged 13-19 pay 25% less with 2 adults. Children 12 and under pay 50% less with 2 adults.

20% price reduction for groups of 4 or more reserving together

Note - For those desiring a shorter cruise, we can offer to break the longer cruise into 2 different segments - a 4 day/3 night Rio Negro tour starting at 8am and ending at noon on the 4th day for US$1085 or a 3 day/2 night Amazon tour starting at noon on and ending at 6pm for $875. The price would not include airport transfers, meals in Manaus or hotel nights. Singles will be matched with others, if need be, or can pay a supplement to guarantee a cabin to themselves.

The Houseboat Plus

This longer houseboat based tour is based on our classic one week tour, The Houseboat, and features our 6 a/c cabin houseboat. It is divided into a 3 day Amazon River tour focusing on Lake Janauca and a 7 day Rio Negro River tour focusing on the rainforest and rivers of Jau National Park. Depending on how many days are spent in Jau the farthest point reached on this tour would be the mouth of the Rio Branco River. This tour features classic Amazon boat cruising, and excellent trekking & canoeing excursions in really pristine Amazon rainforest conditions. Daily canoeing excursions, rainforest walks and full home-cooked meals are included. Other attractions include sport fishing, wildlife photography, swimming, beach BBQ's and visit with local Amazonian river people (Caboclos).

DAY 1 - Arrive Manaus, Transfer in to the Saint Paul Hotel.

DAY 2 - We depart from the floating port aboard the Dona Tania, our classic Amazon houseboat, fully outfitted with food, drink, and crew. From Manaus we travel half an hour to the stunning meeting of the waters, where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon, but the two do not mix due to differences in velocity, density and temperature. At the meeting of the waters we often see grey and pink river dolphins, and the local fishermen. Second stop is Lake Janauari, a vast area of floodplain (varzea) receiving water from both the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers. We will visit a restaurant run by local "caboclo" river people and walk through the treetops on a walkway to view giant Amazon waterlilies in a quiet lagoon. Here we might also see monkeys, hawks, alligators, iguanas and morpho butterflies. After lunch in the boat we will travel a short distance on to the Amazon river, here called the Solimoes. to a group of islands called the Parana (inlet) of Iranduba, an area full of birdlife, alligators and monkeys. We will visit some local familes, see how they live, and have a look at some rubber trees, brazil nut trees and guava trees full of parrots and parakeets. Later we take to the canoes and go fishing for piranha in the nearby creeks ("igarapes") which ring the area. We will have dinner on the boat and then take to the canoes once more in the evening to go "alligator hunting", though only to see and photograph them. We will spend the night at Iranduba in our boat sleeping in beds in air-conditioned cabins.

DAY 3 - Early in the morning we will make our way up the Solimoes (Amazon) River to Lake Janauaca, a lake famous for their herons and egrets. We will spend the better part of the day in this region boating and canoeing before spending a second night sleeping in beds in air-conditioned cabins.

DAY 4 - This will be a third day spent on the Amazon River around Janauaca and Mamori Lakes with canoeing trips and a rainforest walk in selected places. The group will also visit a small Amazon river town before heading back to the Rio Negro River where we will spend anopther night sleeping on the boat.

DAYS 5-7 - Early in the morning the boat will make its way up the Rio Negro River to the homestead of Tania's family near the river and village of Arara, and to our lodge, The Over Look Lodge. In this area you will see how typical "caboclo" river families live. We will spend at least one night at our lodge in the company of Tania's family. Our lodge features 8 private rooms (with single or double beds), electric light, 2 large bathrooms w/ showers, meals on the veranda with sunset views of the Rio Negro River and the first of the Anavilanhas islands. During our stay we will go for a long trek deep into the jungle to study medicine plants with Tania's father (a local medicine man). Beyond the lodge we will visit the first islands of the vast Anavilanhas Archipelago, the largest group of freshwater islands in the world. In the dry season we will go walking and canoeing amidst the islands to see monkeys, toucans, iguanas and dolphins. In the rainy season we will explore the flooded forest ("igapo"), and the unique treetop world hidden above the flooded islands. Overnight accommodations on the boat or in a rainforest camp (optional). Time permitting we will visit the Cuieiras and Apuau Rivers on our way to Jau National Park.

DAY 8-10 - A variety of rainforest hikes, canoeing side-trips, swimming and fishing excursions, and visits with Caboclo river families between Jau National Park and the Rio Branco River, it's farthest destination.

DAY 11 - Return to Manaus, Overnight at the Saint Paul Hotel

DAY 12 - After breakfast the group will be transferred OUT to the airport.

2010 Price per person = US$2995. Students aged 13-19 pay 25% less with 2 adults. Children 12 and under pay 50% less with 2 adults. 20% price reduction for groups of 4 or more reserving together.

Departures: Can start on any date with minimum of 2 people