Amazon Adventures

Brazil

Tiwa Amazon Resort

The Tiwa Amazon Resort is situated 10 km from Manaus, on the banks of the Rio Negro. The complex is surrounded by its own grounds of more than 2 square km. The resort is built around a beautiful natural lake that is surrounded by tropical rainforest. At the edge of the lake - with their feet in the water - you will see 26 double houses built on poles; they each have a bed-sit and a bathroom with a spacious patio above the lake.

There is a lovely wide sandy beach along the river and in front of the resort. During the two months of the year when the water level in the Rio Negro is high the beach will be less wide an sometimes it will disappear altogether. This is the rainy season, but it usually means just one shower a day, because otherwise the weather is lovely! This is the time when the river is boss for a while, and during this time you are welcome to visit our spacious raft and the beach by the terrace around the swimming pool. The resort not only has a swimming pool, but also a restaurant, a water sport centre and an amphitheatre, but everywhere around you, you will see, hear and smell the Amazonian Jungle.

You will have half of a large semi-detached apartment. The bedroom is a spacious double room, made entirely from wood and perfectly finished with local materials. It is without doubt the most beautiful jungle room for miles around. The apartment has a very high ceiling, more than 6 metres in the centre, which means a fantastic feeling of spaciousness. The empty space is an additional double room, which turns the room into a four person room. The French windows give you access to a large patio. The bathroom is real 5-star luxury and a picture of loveliness. You have an eco fridge.

Your stay will be on the basis of full board, which means that each day your breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. In addition all our guests will be offered a varied recreation and activity programme; a large part of this programme will be included in the money you paid for your trip, too. The complex is part of an eco park with a real tropical jungle, and you will be able to take part in special day programmes such as jungle treks, survival tours and an eco tour. During your stay we will organise special theme programmes on most afternoons, such as dancing lessons, Brazilian crafts and nature lessons. In addition there will be opportunities for you to take part in lively evening activities such as take part in regular evening activities such as music, dance and cultural shows.

There are many interesting activities for you to take part in, not only in but also outside our complex! Jungle tours and excursions (many of them on the river) to the source of the Amazon, to Januari, a very special swamp lake, the village of Iranduba with its traditional Cabocole lifestyle, the caves and waterfalls of Presidente Fiquereido, a night cruise on the Amazon, a barbecue party on the Praia da Luna (the romantic Moon beach), a trip searching for crocodile and (specially for fish lovers) fishing for piranha (you must taste that lovely piranha soup!) and Tucanare fish, that can grow up to a metre and a half long. As if that is not enough, there are also opportunities to go on a number of overnight trips. Just to give a couple of examples, there is a two day trip to our own floating hotel (situated even deeper in the jungle) and a 2 to 4 day cruise to and among the Anavilhanes, the largest fresh water archipelago in the world. Then there is a special fishing trip to Balbinas, where there are catfish that can grow to several metres and black piranhas. Or perhaps you would like to go on a 3 to 4 day trek to the highest mountain of the Amazonas, whilst others might consider the jungle trip with a night out in the jungle as the highlight of their holiday. Your food and drink will be collected from the jungle, and in the evening you will to set up your own bivouac. This is especially for the adventurers among you!

TIWA PACKAGE - 2 days / 1 night (Check in13.30h / Check out 12.00h)
Day 1: Welcome drink with regional juice, presentation of the hotel, jungle tour TIWA, dinner, tradicional Amazone film.
Day 2: Breakfast, jungletour to traditional local cemitery with presentation of tropical woods and trees, check-out.

2008 Price per person in US$: $358 single, $288 double or triple

TIWA PLUS PACKAGE - 3 days / 2 nights (Check in13.30h / Check out 12.00h)
Day 1: Welcome drink with regional juices, presentation of the hotel, jungletour TIWA, dinner, tradicional, crocodile spotting.
Day 2: Breakfast, meeting of the waters, visit to traditional Caboclo house, lunch at the hotel, famous piranha fishing, dinner.
Day 3: Breakfast, jungle tour to traditional local cemitery with presentation of tropical woods and trees, check-out.

2008 Price per person in US$: $580 single, $440 double or triple

TIWA SPECIAL PACKAGE - 4 days/3 nights (Check in13.30h / Check out 12.00h)
Day 1: Welcome drink with regional juices, presentation of the hotel, jungletour TIWA, dinner, tradicional. crocodile spotting.
Day 2: Breakfast, excursion on the Rio Negro and its small side rivers by traditional canoe, Ruins of Paricatu, lunch at the hotel, caboclo House, dinner.
Day 3: Meeting of the waters, lunch at the hotel, , dinner, famous piranha fishing, dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast, jungle tour to traditional local cemetery with presentation of tropical woods and trees, check-out.

2008 Price per person in US$: $766 single, $555 double or triple

TIWA SPECIAL PLUS PACKAGE - 5 days/4 nights (Check in13.30h / Check out 12.00h)
Day 1: Welcome drink with regional juices, presentation of the hotel, jungle tour TIWA, dinner, tradicional crocodile sppoting.
Day 2: Breakfast, excursion on the Rio Negro and its small side river, ruins of Paricatu by traditional cano, lunch at the hotel, visit to traditional Caboclo house, dinner.
Day 3: Meeting of the waters, lunch at the hotel, dinner, famous piranha fishing, dinner.
Day 4: Early bird and sunrise watching in jungle (06.30), breakfast, freetime to enjoy optional tours or all activities at the hotel, lunch, dinner, nightwalk in the jungle.
Day 5: Breakfast, jungle tour to traditional local cemitery with presentation of tropical woods and trees, check-out.

2008 Price per person in US$: $944 single, $658 double or triple

GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. Departure / check-in: 1st day 13.00 PM and return / check-out: last day 12.00 AM.
2. Transfers free of charge from and to the airport or Hotel Tropical / Tiwa Amazonas Ecoresort; transfers made at any time, 24 hours a day.
3. Full board, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drinks not included.
4. Appartments with air conditioning
5. The excursion packages are including activities on the afternoon of arrival and the morning before leaving the hotel, according to regular check-in and check-out time.
6. Including all activities in the resort, such as jungle walks, Tree Top Tour, arrow&bow, dart, ping-pong, canoeing, sports, beach, swimming pool and more. Evening program with BOI Bumba show, live music, beach barbecues and drinks at the Ponta Negra of Manaus according to weekly program.
7. Excursion program according to description, including bilingual guide.
8. Boat transfers to the Ponta Negra Boulevard free of charge on regular hours (time table available at reception desk). On other hours, special boat transfers to Ponta Negra available with costs on request.
9. Children policy:
a. Children till 2 years in same room with parents: free of charge.
b. Childern from 3 to 6 years in same room with parents: 66% discount.
c. Childern from 7 to 12 years in same room with parents: 50% discount.
10. 4th person above 12 years in same room: 35% discount.
11. Cancelling policy:
a. For groups: 30 days before arrival date; canceling after this deadline will imply full charge of the packages.
b. For individuals: 5 days before arrival date; canceling after this deadline will imply full charge of the packages.

What is the weather like, how warm does it get and is there a rainy season?
Manaus is situated 2 degrees south of the equator and here the temperature is more or less constant the whole year; it varies from 25 to 35 degrees C. Very occasionally it gets warmer than 35 C. There are usually some clouds in the sky, and there is a tropical shower every few days, which is a nice change when it comes. When there is a shower this is usually accompanied by a strong wind. It does not often rain much longer than that. The relative humidity is high, which makes the heat even hotter. This impression of heat is strongest in the jungle and the cities. The resort has a sheltered location near the lake and is always a few degrees cooler. The beach is open and always has a fresh breeze.

What is the type of clothes I should bring?
It is always (pleasantly) warm in the Amazon region, and you will not need warm clothing. For this reason you need to bring sufficient light-weight clothing, including some garments with long sleeves and trousers with long legs. We also recommend a light raincoat. You should bring at least one pair of good walking shoes.

Is it easy to get to the town of Manaus?
The boulevard 'Ponta Negra' is situated immediately opposite the resort and it takes only a 15 minute boat ride to get there. From the Ponta Negra taxis and buses go to the centre, the harbour, shopping districts etc. Several times a day there is a free shuttle boat service from the Tiwa Amazone Resort to the boulevard.

Is Manaus safe?
In general Manaus is a safe town for tourists. This does not mean that there are no neighbourhoods that we would advise you to avoid. These are the remoter ‘slum’ districts or places that are empty at night. These are usually places where you would not normally go, unless you actively seek them out. The Ponta Negra is definitely a safe and lively place. The nightlife is safe as well. We would advise you to use the official taxis. The police are strict but helpful. In cases of emergency Tiwa has direct access with the head of police.

Are there opportunities for eating out and other amusements?
Manaus has many restaurants, but not all of them very varied. However, if you want to you can find many different cuisines, from Japanese to Mexican and from French to Argentinean food. The so-called 'barbecue restaurants' (churasceiras) are a bit of a local speciality; here you can enjoy all sorts of meat and elaborate salads. Tiwa Resort can give you advice as to what the best options are. Very often, however, the simple restaurants are the most pleasant ones. The street cafes along the Ponta Negra are always a good option. Eating out here is not expensive; on average it costs about 6 Euro per person including drinks.
Going out in Manaus is a real treat. There is always a large open air ‘dance tent’ to be found somewhere or other, where hundreds of people join in the fun on the dance floor to the jolliest local music you can imagine. It may be frustrating because you may not know the dances, but it can often be very inviting. There is bound to be a Brazilian on hand to show you how it is done. Manaus also has excellent cinemas, a number of theatres and other amusement opportunities.

Can I drink the tap water?
Yes, you can drink the water from our own water sources. Its pure and clean.

And what about malaria?
The whole region upstream from the Rio Negro has few problems with malaria due to the high acidity of the ferriferous water. This applies to the Tiwa Amazone resort and the wider environs. In case excursions go to regions with higher malaria risks or other risks Tiwa Amazone will give you detailed advice in advance. The decision as to whether you take preventative anti-malaria medicine or not must be based on the advice of your own doctor or the relevant qualified authorities.

Are there monkeys, parrots and freshwater dolphins to be seen at the resort?
Yes. In the treetops around the resort you will see many birds, among them parrots, and plenty of small monkeys. The freshwater dolphin roams everywhere, usually in the smaller bays, but regularly around the resort. We are working on a research programme with freshwater dolphins in the lake.

What are the activities I can take part in at the resort itself?
The resort offers a wide variety of sports and cultural activities, from all water sports to beach volleyball, woodwork, local painting, crafts and dancing lessons. The jungle area at the resort itself is open for jungle walks and a treetops tour. The resort also has an authentic native American burial site in its boundaries. The Tiwa Resort is a real outdoor centre with countless activities for the genuine nature lover.

Is there internet access at the resort?
Yes, there is a real internet café where for a small sum you can make use of the facilities. There is no internet access in the rooms due to the technical differences and practical problems with the local providers.