What should passengers consider when choosing their amazon experience?

The activities offered by cruises or lodges are fairly similar, some might have a unique tour, but below we list what we think are key factors when choosing between them:

1 – Most important is to decide if they want to stay on land or over the water. Depending on the lodge, it may offer a higher level of comfort, larger rooms, usually more things to do while guests are not on tours, WIFI, AC that can be used all day, swimming pool. When the water is too low, guest have to walk quite a stretch to reach the lodge from the river bank, or they might close all together for a couple of weeks as it is too hard to bring suppliers in. On the other hand, depending on the boat, it may allow for a deeper exploration of the forest and river, as it changes location, it can go into smaller rivers during the flood and simply switch to larger ones during dry season. But cabins are small, some boats don’t have WIFI and turn off AC during the day. Another point to consider is that the Negro River doesn’t have mosquitoes, the water is too acidic for them to procreate. They do in the forest, but way less than other areas in the Amazon.

2 – What they want to see is also an important factor. The Amazon transforms from dry to wet season. Check out the “WHEN TO GO” slide.

3 – If they are coming to the Amazon to see wildlife, some seasons and areas are better than others.

4 - What are the guests looking for in a lodge or cruise? Size, special activities, location, easy access, level of luxury, etc.

5 – If seeing the Amazon River is a must, then a cruise or lodge must be restricted to that area.

6 – How long it takes to reach each lodge or departure pier from the gateway airport. Shorter stays should favor a lodge close to an airport. But keep in mind, isolation = more wildlife.

Do they want to combine the Amazon trip with another destination? The Cristalino Lodge can be easily combined with the Pantanal North. Lodges near Manaus can be combined with a cruise or the city itself, or take advantage of international flights arriving / departing directly from this city.
Ideal minimum stay at the Amazon is 3 nights, especially considering the distance to get there. During national holidays, minimum 3 nights or more is mandatory in some lodges and cruises.

Getting to the lodge and boats means flying to one of the gateway airports (Manaus, Tefé, Alta Floresta, Tabatinga, Santarém) then, continuing by land, boat or private plane to the lodges. River cruises depart from Manaus, Novo Airão, Tabatinga and Santarém. Some of these towns are only rechable by boat or air, sometimes with only a daily flight in/ out of them.

AIR – Majority of direct flights are from São Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia, to Manaus, Belém and Boa Vista. Passengers departing from other cities in Brazil will have to connect in one of these airports. Depending on flight schedules it may be necessary to spend a night in Manaus or Belém before continuing to the final destination.
LAND – There are no transfers at night to most lodges. Check how late the lodges offer pick up at the airports; due to their distance, some only offer transfer for passengers arriving up to 3PM. Transfers are shared and offered with Portuguese speaking driver only. English speaking guides and private transfers can be added for an extra charge.
BOAT – During the hight of drought season, the water might lower to a point that the docking area becomes a few hundred meters away from some of the lodges. When this distance is too great, the lodge can close for a couple of weeks to wait for the water to rise.

To reach most lodges, the transfer is a combination of land and boat journeys, being this last part the most beautiful, as from a boat that you really start understanding the forest.
For boats, the Tropical Manaus pier is 20min from the airport or 30min from hotels. Iberostar departs from the city port, which is 30min from the airport or hotels outside downtown, and 10min from hotels in the center.

- Boats departing from Novo Airão use the Mirante do Gavião pier, as seen on the chart, it’s 3hs from Manaus by land.
- Boats departing from Tabatinga, the port is 10min from the airport.
- Boats departing from Santarém, the port is 20min from the airport.
- Boats departing from Alter do Chão, the port is 40min from the Santarém airport.

Some lodges can be reached by hydroplane. This is an amazing way to see the vastness of the Amazon, as the planes fly low, turning the transfer into their first Amazon experience!
Tourists can choose to do both in and out transfers by air, or only one way. But it is important to observe the luggage restriction: one small size suitcase per pax, weight varying from 15 to 23kg (33 to 50lbs). Passengers with more luggage can send it by land with the lodge’s regular transfer. Flights over the Amazon are only done with daylight. This experience is also available as a tour from Manaus.
Most pilots only speak Portuguese. An English speaking guide can accompany the passengers for an extra cost.