Amazon River and South America

[Canadian Sunset]

My husband has fallen in love with the cruise that starts in Rio and ends in Florida. The big question is what we might see when we're on the Amazon. Do we get into small boats and do any exploring? It's the Amazon portion that he wants more than anything, but if we just get to see things from the deck of the boat he wouldn't be interested.

 

Any help would be most appreciated.

[LittleRedJohn]

We did the Amazon on Oceania several years ago. The cruise didn't go well. The ship was five hours late to one port, which cheated us out of shore time, and we skipped a couple of other ports in the Caribbean. Oceania skipped some ports on a European cruise that I was on last year, so I no longer consider Oceania. But the Amazon is a wonderful place to go. We loved every minute of it. You see great scenery from the deck of the ship, and the shore excursions were great, too. Fine scenery, some awesome wildlife, and instructive sociology. We booked our own shore excursions, and had excellent experiences. Far better than the ship's excursions. Manaus was a great place. We spent two days there and could have spent more. The expedition ships would do an even better job of showing you the Amazon, though they would be more expensive. LittleRedJohn

[Floridiana]

Our Amazon cruise on the Regatta was excellent. However, the river is wide and not many excursions take you into side arms where you can observe wildlife. None of ours did. We knew that and looked for an opportunity for a closer experience. As LittleRed John said, the smaller ships of similar comfort level as Oceania are very expensive. In Peru, the river is still very wide.

 

The other option was to book with the Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador. It is located in a protected area off the Napa River, a tributary to the Amazon. I can highly recommend our choice. While we were there, we saw wildlife thanks to our native tracker provided by the lodge. Friends of ours were in a different Ecuadorian lodge at the same time and saw nothing.

 

My husband took this video on the property of the local tribe who owns the lodge. It's very professionally run with individual cabins on their lake and instant hot water showers! The video shows the parrot lick, the reason we booked there. Scroll to minute 2 for more action and turn the volume up.

[Mura]

What a great video. Thanks for posting!

 

Mura

[KirkNC]

We did a very similar cruise on the Maasdam last year. It was fantastic. What you see largely depends on what you choose to do in each port. Through our roll call, a few of us arranged several great excursions that were a combination of walks, rides in small boats (including dugout canoes in the flood plain) and bus rides. Let us know your ports and I can give you more detailed feedback. its a cruise I would do again with no second thought.

Edited March 23, 2016 by KirkNC

[Floridiana]

One more thing, we cruised with the Regatta at the end of the dry season in November. The floodplain is dry at that time. On the other hand, no rain and no mosquitoes.

[Bobocasey]

WE are going in November any private tours would be greatly appreciated here are the ports on the Amazon

Alter do Choe

Boca Da Valeria

Manuas

Parintins

Santarem

[hrprof]

If you are truly interested in the Amazon experience, consider an expedition cruise - a few years back we went the length of the river from the Peruvian border to Belem at the delta - a smaller (100 pax) ship and well equipped for the experience. Oceania is our favored "cruise" cruise line, but is not equipped for exploration. Take a look at Lindblad's site.

[Floridiana]

In Parintins we booked the show on shore via the ship, highly recommended! Colorful and energetic!

[sammiedawg]

WE are going in November any private tours would be greatly appreciated here are the ports on the Amazon

Alter do Choe

Boca Da Valeria

Manuas

Parintins

Santarem

 

I'm glad you posted the ports. We had a marvelous trip two years ago this month on your itinerary.

There is little to no infrastructure in the first two ports listed. You tender ashore and explore on your own. Boca de Valeria is dirt poor, people live in the most primitive conditions yet the village is neat, tidy and everyone is gentle and kind. Locals come from miles around to greet the tenders. Area kids are totally deprived by American standards and a ship tendering is very exciting for them. Kids by the dozens vie to be your personal escort. Kids want to have their pictures taken with you. Everyone passes out dollar bills to the kids, we had fifty bills with us and wish we had more. The smiles on the beautiful faces will break your heart.

Passengers take school supplies to the village school, a one room schoolhouse. The cruise line donates many pallets of supplies.

We were told not to take candy ashore but I wish I had taken a bag of lollipops. One little girl cried and cried because all she wanted was candy.

Upon tendering we hired a local to take us deeper into the Amazon, the boats are rickety. He told us about life and he showed us his dirt poor house built on stilts. Try to get a boat with a canopy.

This was the most rewarding day ever, we will never forget.

 

Alter de cho is a little more prosperous, not by much. We hired a local who had a motorboat and he toured us around the local waters. Then we walked into a small town that was neat and tidy.

 

Parintins- everyone goes to the local folklore show, Booi Bumba. It is pricey but worth it. You are forced to pay a high price through the cruise line, it is a show put on for passengers only. There was no other way to buy tickets.

We walked around the town, some people hired pedicabs.

 

We had private tours in Manaus and Santarem, I don't remember the company names. Go back and read trip reports, reviews, roll calls. Manaus is a most interesting city, then the guide took us out on a boat to see the meeting of the waters, wildlife, a rainforest that we toured by canopy.

Santarem is another very poor city but organized tours take you to water craft and more sights on the water.

 

Oceania had a most impressive Brazilian expert on board, Dr. Klein. He presented fifteen one hour lectures mostly about Brazil and the Amazon. It was like a crash college course on local culture,geography, history, politics.

I highly recommend this Oceania trip. We went in March when the rivers were high and overflowing. March was a great time to visit.

Edited March 24, 2016 by sammiedawg

[Canadian Sunset]

My husband prefers a larger ship which is why we are looking into Oceania. We also liked the fact that everthing is included in the brochure we were reading. We're not as young as we once were and as agile either, although we're not too bad for our age (70s). I guess we will have to book the tours to really see the wildlife.

[Canadian Sunset]

Thank you so much sammiedawg for the excellent information. It sounds like a wonderful trip.

[LHT28]

My husband prefers a larger ship which is why we are looking into Oceania. We also liked the fact that everthing is included in the brochure we were reading. We're not as young as we once were and as agile either, although we're not too bad for our age (70s). I guess we will have to book the tours to really see the wildlife.

Not sure what you are reading but do not be surprised when you find out "everything" is not included

 

Meals, non alcoholic drinks, airfare (if you want to use it) are things included

If you have the O Life package some things will be included according what you choose in the options

[Bobocasey]

Sammiedawg thanks for the info. I especially want to be sure and take some school supplies since I am a retired primary school teacher. I can take advantage of the back to school sales in the fall. I understand why they ask not to take candy since these children don't have access to good dental care.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Bobocasey

[Canadian Sunset]

LHT28, we know alcohol isn't included and it's not important to us.

 

This trip sounds wonderful and I am planning to stock up on crayons, pencils and stickers for the children.

[Floridiana]

Go easy on the stickers or give them to the teacher. Everything lands on the ground, paper, wrappers ... There is no garbage collection. Personally, I did not like this stop because this gifting of nonsense items encourages begging. Oceania had boxes of supplies for the school and the village, much better.

 

I am not against seeing a native village who makes money off tourists. My house is full of items that I bought all over the world from the local people who produced them: water color paintings, handwoven scarfs, braided bracelets, shell necklaces, small rugs, baskets, candles, bags, you name it. I like to support productive people who are proud of their work and enjoy earning money due to their skill. I don't like what I saw in this Amazon village: a mother pushing her very young son to join the line of begging children. He cried.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Floridiana

[Canadian Sunset]

I had planned to give the items to a school. It's the only way that I would give them out. Any other way creates jealousy.

[Mura]

When we did our African safari in 1987 (Kenya and Tanzania) it was recommended that we bring little gifts for children: notebooks, pencils, that sort of thing. It was amazing how grateful they were for these very practical gifts. I don't remember there being a problem in giving these gifts to individual children, but then we only saw them a very few at a time.

 

Mura

[Floridiana]

There is one very small school. We were there on a Sunday and the door was open but no teacher and no class. Maybe talk to the ship's crew who unloads packages on such a day. They know where to put them.

 

In Vietnam, our guide told us she has a room full of school supplies for one specific poor village. Not needed right now, she said. She preferred articles of hygiene like toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, soap etc. Anyway, there are some children who live in the village (not taken there from the surroundings for the purpose of begging) and who dress up in feathers. At least they make an effort.

[rialannah]

We are currently onboard Regatta taking the very cruise that is being discussed. We exited from the Amazon yesterday.

We have had a wonderful time, due to a very significant degree to having arranged independent tours in every port other than Boca de Valeria and Paratins. I believe that other members of our 'group' would vigourously agree. We have had two people with significant walking difficulties and they have been able to fully participate and have been very well assisted by the operators.

I intend to post a full list of our tours when the cruise concludes as there is not a lot of information on the boards.

The information about the visit to Boca de Valeria mirrors our experience - it is a really worthwhile visit and the children are delightful but some people are a little troubled by the ethics. In Paratins we also went to the Boi Bumba show which is expensive, but really excellent.

[rialannah]

We are currently onboard Regatta taking the very cruise that is being discussed. We exited from the Amazon yesterday.

We have had a wonderful time, due to a very significant degree to having arranged independent tours in every port other than Boca de Valeria and Paratins. I believe that other members of our 'group' would vigourously agree. We have had two people with significant walking difficulties and they have been able to fully participate and have been very well assisted by the operators.

I intend to post a full list of our tours when the cruise concludes as there is not a lot of information on the boards.

The information about the visit to Boca de Valeria mirrors our experience - it is a really worthwhile visit and the children are delightful but some people are a little troubled by the ethics. In Paratins we also went to the Boi Bumba show which is expensive, but really excellent.

[LHT28]

We are currently onboard Regatta taking the very cruise that is being discussed.

Can you tell me if there are any nor cases on Regatta at present or have you had problem free cruise ?

 

Thanks

Lyn

[rialannah]

Can you tell me if there are any nor cases on Regatta at present or have you had problem free cruise ?

 

Thanks

Lyn

 

Lyn

 

Boarding out of Rio was delayed for extra cleaning after some problems on prior cruise. Second day out we were advised of a small number of cases. Precautions were introduced which were gradually increased to include removal of salt, pepper, condiments, bread baskets, butter from tables, laundry closed, books removed from library etc. Two passengers were disembarked in Recife from reported "breach of security protcols". This continued for about a week. All clear was given as we left Manaus and no further problems have been reported and life is back to 'normal'.

 

Mike

[LHT28]

Lyn

 

Boarding out of Rio was delayed for extra cleaning after some problems on prior cruise. Second day out we were advised of a small number of cases. Precautions were introduced which were gradually increased to include removal of salt, pepper, condiments, bread baskets, butter from tables, laundry closed, books removed from library etc. Two passengers were disembarked in Recife from reported "breach of security protcols". This continued for about a week. All clear was given as we left Manaus and no further problems have been reported and life is back to 'normal'.

 

Mike

 

Thanks for coming back with the report

Hope all stays "normal"

 

What was the breach do you know ??

Enjoy the rest of the cruise

Lyn

[rialannah]

Lyn

 

There is no official information. The general understanding (aka gossip) is that the people involved broke the requirement to remain quarantined in their cabin.

 

Mike