FACTS: The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia, or the Amazon jungle encompasses 7 million square kilometers, of which 5,5 million square kilometers are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, and with minor amounts in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon river and its tributaries are home to over 2,000 different types of fish, while the sorrounding rainforest supports an estimated 1,800 species of birds, 250 different mammals and a similar diversity of insects. For those reasons the Amazon rainforest was short-listed in 2008 as a candidate to one of the New7Wonders of Nature in its category by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation.

CLIMATE: The climate in the Amazon rainforest is hot and humid during the whole year and the average temperature is 26,7°C or 79°F. The region has only two seasons over the year, the rain and the dry season. The rain season lasts from December to May and the temperature varies between 23°C to 30°C. The level of the waters in the rivers can rise up to 20 meters. During the dry season, from June to November, the temperature varies between 26°C to 40°C and the level of water decrease to a normal level. The flooded land reaches the highest levels between March and April and the lowest between September and October. Each season has its benefits. During the rain season it is easier to go around by boat, when large areas are flooded and many shortcuts are created. The boats pass the top of the trees (because of the high water level) where you can catch some fruits and see straight into the birds nests. During this period appears fewer insects as well. During the dry season it doesn’t rain so much but it is the best period to see the wildlife, mammals etc.

WHEN TO GO: You can travel to the Amazon rainforest via Manaus during the whole year. Between December and February is the period of the most intensive rainfalls and tourists get usually wet during the activities. September and October can be quite hot and have low water levels, which makes it difficulty to travel by boat and small canoes in some areas. The best is between March and June when it rains less intensive but the water levels are still high and facilitate tours by boats and small canoes through narrow paths of the submersed forest.

HOW TO GO: The city of Manaus, capital of the Amazon state, is the gateway to the Amazon rainforest. You should fly to the airport of Manaus to visit the Amazon rainforest. Depending on your arrival time in Manaus, it will be necessary to stay one night in Manaus before going to a jungle lodge.

WHERE TO STAY: We strongly recommend you to stay in a jungle lodge instead of to stay in Manaus and take day tours to the forest. Packtours has carefully selected the lodges that are prepared to offer the best experience in the Amazon rainforest, taking in consideration its location, a reasonable degree of comfort in its accomodations and good service. Most of them are located along the river “Rio Negro”, between 30 to 80 km to the north and west of Manaus and are reachable by boat. The tannic acid that darkens the water and gives the river its name inhibits mosquitoes from breeding, so visitors don't have to worry as much about malaria or dengue or other typical tropical maladies.
Our packages already includes all transfers and activities necessary for a pleasant stay.
Another very pleasant option of accomodation in the Amazon rainforest is on board of one of our selected cruises.

HOW LONG TO STAY: We recommend 2 or 3 nights in one of the selected jungle lodges so that you have time to do all activities offered by them. Depending on the your arrival time in Manaus, it will be necessary to stay one night in Manaus before going to the lodge.

ACTIVITIES: The most common jungle expeditions provided by the selected jungle lodges are: piranha fishing, alligator spotting, visit to Amazonian dolphins, visit to the local community, canoeing in rivers and riverbanks, jungle trekking with lectures on trees, medicinal herbs, fruits and jungle survival, sunrise and sunset canoeing tours to contemplate the landscape and listen to the sounds of the forest, bird watching, sport fishing, visit to river beachs (from September to March) and folkloric night shows.

For those tourists that will spend some time in Manaus we strongly recommend a tour to the fascinating natural phenomenon – “The meeting of the waters”. The black water of river Negro meets the muddy water of river Solimoes and they flow side by side for six kilometers, without mixing, untill they join together and form the Amazon River. Differences in the density, temperature and speed of the water of these two rivers cause this wonderful spectacle. Some lodges, depending on its location, provide the tour to “The meeting of the waters”.

Manaus is famous for its opera house remained from its opulent period during the rubber boom that lasted from 1890 to 1920. Many of the historic buildings from that period can still be seen and admired in the city once considered to be the Paris of the jungle. Take a city tour and also visit the port side with its food market, customs house and the floating docks.

In the end of June takes place in Parintins the region`s main folkloric festivity, the “Boi-Bumbá”. Parintins is a calm island in the middle of the Amazon river, about 300km by air and about 420km by boat from Manaus City, that changes its routine by receiving thousands tourists in the occasion of this great event.