Did you know the Amazonian rainforest covers 9 countries and 6.7 million square kilometers? That’s twice the size of India. There are so many things you can do in the rainforest that I can only tell you about the ones I know of. Your local area can have different things to do and your accommodation will tell you more about the possibilities.
First a little bit of information about how to get there. There are a lot of entry ways because it the Amazon is in so many countries. The most common way in Brazil is to fly to Manaus and from there you can travel further into the rainforest. You can travel with a car, boat or small airplane.
Once you are at the location of your accommodation you will learn more of the surrounding area from the lodge or hotel employees. They will explain more about what tours you can do and when it will happen during your stay. Don’t be surprised if your itinerary changes this can be because of the weather conditions or just because it works better with the planning of the other tourists that are there. In the end it always works out.
Down below is a list with the most common tours that you can do in the Amazones. Of course it comes down to what you want to do, for you to make a choice for the length of your stay. I have listed the two places down below where I went to, if you are interested.
Jungle walk
All accommodations that you can find in the Amazones will provide a jungle walk. The guide will take you into the jungle and will explain about the different species of birds, monkeys and other animals. Almost all guides have a treasure trove of information about the plants and trees that grow there. They can tell you about what plants you should use for headaches, what ants are a use as mosquito repellent and what branches you can cut to drink out of. Because of the extreme heat and humidity the jungle walk lasts for about 2-3 hours.
Visiting a local family of farmers
When you visit a local farmer and his family you will learn a lot about life in the Amazon. The way of life here is completely different from living in a town or city. The people live more close to nature and therefore have lots of knowledge about the possibilities for the land. Most farmers live close to a river and although the area gets flooded every year, it’s also the most fertile because of that. Let them explain how it is to live in this harsh environment. I have visited two different families while I was there, the first family didn’t have running water or electricity, the second family had electricity but no running water as well. Could you live in such a remote location?
Caimans spotting at dusk or at night
You will go out to the river just before dusk to see these magnificent creatures. Usually you will sit in the boat and not walk around them. Around dusk the caiman will show itself more easily because they try to capture other animals for dinner. We actually saw a larger one attack a smaller one. There are 6 types of caimans that live in this mesmerizing area. Five of the caiman species are smaller than crocodiles but one species is larger. Most of them are around 1.2 meters but the largest, the black caiman, can get 5 meters long. We did see one that was about 2.4 meters long. At night the guide will shine its light around and you can spot the bright eyes from these animals.
Bird or animal watching
One of the biggest surprises in the Amazones is how easy and how hard it is to see animals. There are loads of different birds, snakes, monkeys, butterflies, spiders and sloths but to spot, most of them are close to the river. Inside the rainforest itself it was easy to hear most of the animals but much harder to see them. Sometimes the trees are so thickly overgrown or so incredibly tall that it is difficult to see the animals. We went out a couple of times and every time we discovered something new, thanks to our guides.
Piranha fishing
When you are in this completely unique place you will also find unique fishes. The piranha is one of the most scary fishes in the world. Or are they? There are around 60 species of piranhas, but only 5 can be dangerous to people. They are in the rivers of the rainforest but it’s not very common that they bite people, they eat smaller fishes and occasionally eat bigger animals but only when they are already weak and wounded. Indigenous peoples swim in the water every day without getting bitten. So if you go out to fish for them, don’t be too scared. We caught different types and the guide showed us how scarp their teeth are. Some accommodations will bring the fish back to cook for you. And I can really say that they taste good.
Go out to see the sunset or see sundown
It depends on where you are whether it is more beautiful to see the sunset or the sun going down. When you wake up very early in the morning you will be surprised at how loud the sounds of the jungle are. This is such a serene and surreal experience.
Visiting a indigenous tribe
Again it really depends on where you are going in this area if it is possible for you to visit an indigenous tribe. Some places that they take you are more touristy than others. If you are close to Manaus the chances are much higher that it feels a bit less authentic and a bit much in terms of the amount of souvenirs. It still is very interesting to hear their songs, see how they dress or dressed, see how they live and see their dances. There are a lot of different tribes and traditions are not the same in every region. Tucan is a language that is spoken in the Amazon and most indigenous people also have their own language.
Swim with the pink river dolphins
Especially when the water of the river is a bit deeper there is a chance for you to see or even swim with the pink river dolphins. They look completely different from the ‘normal’ dolphins. They are gray with a layer of a pink hue and their snout is very long. Though they look completely different they still are as friendly. We swam in the Rio Negro close to Manaus and had a blast. Because the water is very murky we didn’t see the dolphins coming but we felt them. Check out my video on YouTube to see what they look like. The experience was about 15-20 minutes long because we of course don’t want to interfere too much with them and the way they live.
Meeting of the waters
One of the most spectacular and weird things I have seen was the meeting of the waters. It’s special in terms of what the phenomenon is all about.
Two rivers the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, also known as Rio Solimões, meet. The sandy-colored water of the Amazon River and the black water of the Rio Negro (literally black river) collide but don’t mix. You would expect the two rivers to meet and blend into each other but there is a reason why that doesn’t happen. Over 6km the two rivers try to blend, but because of the different properties it happens very slowly, the pH levels are different, the speed of the flow is not the same and the Amazon river is much cooler. You can book a tour through Get your guide or at your local accommodation.
As noted, I went to the Amazon Rainforest twice. The first time was very primitive, in a cabin without running water, there was an outhouse with water from the river and we only had electricity at night between 6 and 9. It was further away from the city and the area was incredibly beautiful. The name of the place is called Ney eco adventures.
The second time was more comfortable and I loved the fact that we had air conditioning, I missed that the first time. We saw loads of animals and it was nice that it was a bit closer to the city. The name of this accommodation is Amazonia Jungle Hotel. If you are interested you can check out the information here on booking.com.
Do you want to know what to bring to the Amazones? I have written a blogpost with everything you need to bring when you have a trip to the rainforest.
Any questions? Write down your questions or send me a message on social media.
Is the Amazon rainforest accessible for wheelchair users? The short answer is no.
Because of the almost non-existent infrastructure it’s hard to travel here. There are some very specific hotels but they are very expensive and there will be some challenges. Because of the weather conditions, rains and higher and lower rivers traveling is very difficult.
Attractions*
Bad, it will not be possible for wheelchair users to do most tours in the jungle
Café’s and restaurants
You need check with your accommodation what the possibilities are.
Public transport
In the Amazon rainforest there is only public transport in the bigger cities and they don’t have any ramps.
Toilets
If you go inside malls or other public places you will have a designated toilet for wheelchair users.
*And museums
Items I love while traveling
Feet hammock airplane
This airplane hammock for your feet is great for when you are traveling long flights. I love that it can be hung over the airplane table and I can rest my feet when I’m tired. It is adjustable and it is really comfortable.
Collapsible handheld fan
I don’t know about how you deal with heat but I need a bit of cooling down when I’m traveling. This easy (and cute) fan is my go to for when I am too hot. It can be charged with usb which is super practical.
Airplane pocket
Being organized always makes me happy and when I saw this amazing pocket for over your airplane table I was sold. You place it over the table (so you instantly have a clean table) and you can add all you need, when you have a long flight.