Good For You

Jungle tourism is not for the feint-hearted. After a boat ride up-river in high heat and humidity, you’ll arrive at Mamirauá Reserve for an intense Amazon experience quite unlike the typical one-day trips offered out of Manaus, the Amazon provincial capital.

Here, the rewards are great. A team of local indigenous guides will show you the forest and its exotic beasts up close. You’ll cruise on canoes to observe sloths hanging from orchid-laden boughs, watch pink river dolphins in the water and spot a number of lively monkey species. Each day sees you undertake a new activity in the forest, with more than enough to keep you occupied for at least three days.

Uakari Lodge is made up of just five apartments float on the lagoon, connected to the spacious main house via a boardwalk. The basic, comfortable apartments each feature solar-powered showers and lights, as well as a terrace for relaxing and enjoying the local wildlife during the hottest moments of the day.

The staff, drawn from the local community, is friendly and helpful, justly proud of the project here at Mamirauá. Delicious and nourishing Brazilian meals are made from local topical ingredients, enjoyed in the common dining room where you can chat with fellow guests, swapping stories of the amazing spectacle the jungle has offered each day.

Good For Brazil

Ecotourism at Mamirauá Reserve began in 1998, as a sustainable economic development project for the local communities. The project seeks to protect and nurture the area’s natural and cultural heritage alike, stimulating conservation, promoting environmental awareness through interpretation of the environment and improving the welfare of the people who live at Mamirauá.

The project is non-profit and involves seven local indigenous communities who work at the lodge as well as pursue traditional economic activities such as fishing, family farming and logging in permitted areas.

Money made from tourism in invested in research, conservation and community projects as well as re-investment in the ecotourism project.

Rooms

Food

Features & Facilities

• Natural swimming pool
• Full range of guided tours included in the rates
• Conference room
• 10 suites, each accommodating up to 3 guests
• Full service restaurant and bar
• Library
• Laundry service

AWARDS

Uakari Lodge received the prize for best ecotourism destination from Condé Nast Traveler Magazine in 2003.

In the same year the Mamirauá Reserve won a Sustainable Tourism prize, in the conservation category, awarded by Smithsonian Magazine

In 2004 the Mamiraua Reserve won the Equator Prize 2004.

Local Info & Activities

The activities at Mamirauá are designed to maximise your opportunities to observe the reserve’s wildlife. Observation of wildlife is easy throughout the year, but the species observed will vary depending on season.

The dry season (September to March) offers the rich spectacle of fish and their predators that are clearly visible in the shallower water, while in the flooded season (April to August), you will float under the boughs of the trees on a canoe, observing mid-tree species such as orchids and tree sloth at close range.

During outings you will probably see bands of red howler monkeys (whose dawn concerts will wake you each day), the scarlet-faced white Uakari (flag species of the reserve), capuchin monkey and squirrel monkeys, many birds species, caimans during the dry season and Amazon pink river dolphins in the water. For those interested in insects, reptiles, amphibians and botany, Mamirauá is a true paradise.

Guests are transported on the main river in a large motorboat, but once they enter the forest the group will be split into smaller groups of up to five people. Each group is accompanied by a local guide - a precaution taken to minimise impact of tourism and maximise your enjoyment of nature.

There is a difference of 12 meters in the water level between May-July (flooded season) and August-April (dry season). Depending on the water level, tours in the forest will be on foot or in a small wooden canoe.

Trails were specially designed for the observation of wildlife, not trekking. All trails are easy for anyone who can walk up to two hours on flat terrain.

To avoid the heat of midday tours are planned in the morning and late afternoon. Spare time can be enjoyed sunning on the deck, taking a refreshing shower or observing wildlife from an easy hammock or chair on the main lodge’s wide verandah, or your own private terrace.

There will be opportunities to buy handicrafts made by the local people and other souvenirs during village visits.

The reserve is hot and humid throughout the year. Nights are relatively cool on the water. The rainfall is greatest between January and April (rainy season), but no month has less than 60 mm. Rain usually falls in relatively short but very heavy tropical showers and is often accompanied by spectacular thunderstorms. Average temperatures range from 23 C to 33 C.

INSIDER TIPS

Not for everyone

Mamirauá is a special place and not for everyone. What Mamirauá offers is an unforgettable experience to those travellers who are fascinated by nature., and these guests will come away highly satisfied.

For the independent-minded traveler, it is important to realise that because you are in a flooded forest environment, staying at a floating lodge and traveling in boats, there is no opportunity to do things on your own.

Though you’ll be comfortable at the lodge, Mamirauá is not a five star hotel. The presence of mosquitoes in the forest might also make people uncomfortable and the rain can really soak you.

During the peak of the dry season (usually in October) access to the reserve can get trickier. The speedboats sometimes get stuck and visitors need to get off. It is also the hottest time of the year.

What all this means is that tourists who only want to take a quick boat trip on the river to "see" the Amazon and have no overwhelming desire to see nature up close, or those who need the comfort of a fully-equipped modern hotel, or those who are looking for a high adrenaline experience should reconsider heading to Mamirauá.

Language

Portuguese is the language of Brazil, but many communities in the Amazon speak their own languages as well. While there is always one English-speaking staff member at the lodge, most of the local guides are far from fluent in English, so you’ll have to bone up on your Portuguese and come armed with a phrase book – it’s all part of the fun.

Health

Tefé is a malaria area (like Manaus), but as the reserve has a very low population density, the chances of getting malaria in Mamirauá are very small. The project has been operating since 1990 and in that time there has been no known cases of malaria among the hundreds of researchers and travelers who have visited the reserve.

Other tropical diseases that occur in the Amazon are hepatitis, leishmananiasis, dengue and yellow fever – most travellers will need a yellow fever injection as a matter of their home country’s law. However, the chances of contracting such diseases in Mamirauá are not great.

Be sure to consult your doctor before coming to Brazil. If you have a health condition, please inform us in advance.

Tefé has a small public hospital and the army outpost also has a medical team. As any type of plane can land at Tefé airport, removal to a specialised hospital is possible. Do not forget that the reserve is 1.5 hours by boat from Tefé.

What to bring

- Clothing should be comfortable. For the excursions, long sleeves and trousers are advised. Do not forget to bring insect repellent and solar screen.

- Hats and sunglasses are recommended. Be sure to have rainproof clothing and please bring your own binoculars in order to enjoy the wildlife viewing.

- You should also make sure that your video and photographic equipment are protected from water. Inside the forest the light will be poor, so remember to bring fast film (400 ASA or more) and flash.

- The Uakari Floating Lodge has a small library and also stocks cards and games for entertainment.

- The Lodge has a small medical dispensary for emergencies, but remember to bring your own if you are allergic or need special medication. - The use of alcohol is not encouraged in the Reserve: it is only available at the lodge and never on outings and excursions.

All visitor are advised to take out adequate travel insurance.

Sustainability

Getting There

Guests are met by Uakari lodge staff at the Tefé airport, then taken on a two-hour boat ride to the lodge.

By Air: The nearest airport is at Tefé, which is a one-hour flight from Manaus, the Amazon’s largest city. Rico Airlines has regular departures from Manaus to Tefé on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 09:00am and from Tefé to Manaus on those same days at 12:40pm.

By river: For those with more time it is also possible to travel to Tefé by boat from Manaus. The journey takes up two days, during which you can experience the Amazon river, with its fauna, flora and indigenous communities, while relaxing on deck in your bring-your-own hammock, or in the comfort of your two-person air conditioned cabin. Meals are included in the price of this boat trip, which departs at midday each day, except Wednesday. The prices vary by boat and level of comfort. For information call, the Port in Manaus (+55 92 3621 4316) or book with Good Travel.

There is also a fast boat called Ajato. This is a big bus-like boat that fits up to 80 passengers. The journey from Manaus to Tefé takes about 13 hours and cost is R$ 210 reais per person, included all meals. Departures from Manaus to Tefé on Wednesdays and Saturdays leave 7:00 am. The Uakari Floating Lodge is at 1 ½ hour by speed boat (motorized canoe) and 3 ½ hour by regional boat from Tefé. The Uakari Lodge arranges your transfer from Tefé to the lodge.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

There is a three-night minimum stay at Uakari lodge (which makes sense given its remote location) and children under 10 are not allowed.

Included in rates:

- All meals, guides and transfers to and from Tefé are included in the rates.

Prices are per person, in US dollars:

• 4days/3nights package from Saturday to Tuesday - $ 500 per person
• 5days/4 nights from Tuesday to Saturday - $520 per person
• 7days/7nigths package from Saturday to Saturday or from Tuesday to Tuesday - $900 per person.

booking & cancellation policy

The following cancellation charges will be applied:

• If written cancellation takes place 7 days prior to date of arrival, there will a 15% cancellation charge.
• If written cancellation takes place within 6 days prior to date of arrival, there will be a charge of a daily rate.
• In case of cancellation without prior notice two daily rates will be charged.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.