The Amazon Manaus and Santarem

[JSR]

I am researching segment 4 of our GV. We are able to do a boat tour into the Amazon river where the cruise ship will not be going in both Manaus and Santarem. We can not decide if we should do both or just one, and if one which place is best to do it from. Please share your input and experiences. 

Thanks

[Lirio]

10 hours ago, JSR said:

I am researching segment 4 of our GV. We are able to do a boat tour into the Amazon river where the cruise ship will not be going in both Manaus and Santarem. We can not decide if we should do both or just one, and if one which place is best to do it from. Please share your input and experiences. 

Thanks

I know Manaus pretty well but never went to Santarem. What exactly are you looking for?

[jjs217]

Do both.  You may not make it back to do the other.

[Fletcher]

2 hours ago, Lirio said:

I know Manaus pretty well but never went to Santarem. What exactly are you looking for?

Hello Lirio - any idea which hotel Silversea favours in Manaus?  We're there next April on the Wind.

[Dan'l B]

23 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

Hello Lirio - any idea which hotel Silversea favours in Manaus?  We're there next April on the Wind.

Fletcher, My wife and I stayed at the Juma Opera Hotel in May before boarding the Shadow. It is a small hotel across the street from the Opera House (predictably).  It is about a 5-10 minute Uber ride to the port.  We met a few fellow passengers at the hotel, some boarding, some leaving and some just visiting.

Have fun.

[Lirio]

27 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

Hello Lirio - any idea which hotel Silversea favours in Manaus?  We're there next April on the Wind.

No idea. I was in Manaus until yesterday, working. For my pleasure, in the weekend, I stayed at Villa Amazonia (second time, always good) for working days I was at Quality Hotel (business hotel 3 stars).

[Lirio]

2 minutes ago, Dan'l B said:

Fletcher, My wife and I stayed at the Juma Opera Hotel in May before boarding the Shadow. It is a small hotel across the street from the Opera House (predictably).  It is about a 5-10 minute Uber ride to the port.  We met a few fellow passengers at the hotel, some boarding, some leaving and some just visiting.

Have fun.

Juma is a great hotel as well, just one block from Villa Amazonia. Should you consider one of those, try also the restaurant of both. All good, but Juma´s a bit better.

[JSR]

 

 

@jjs217 and @Lirio

 

What I am trying to do is make the most of our Amazon experience. I have read that going into the tributaries, and smaller sections provide a different experience then we will get from the cruise ship. I am just unsure if the boat trips in Manaus and Santarem are redundant or different enough to do both or if we should plan for something different. Below are the details of both boat trips and the other activities in those two ports. Parintins and Boca Da Valeria are limited choices and we are doing a pedi bike tour and Boi Bamba show with the ship. Boca is locals boarding the cruise ship with an outside possibility of going ashore based on the tides.  I am also trying to not plan too much or too little, given the heat. Here is what we have booked and what our options are. We are 3 -my husband and sister-in-law can hike and I can not hike or walk. Here is the itinerary for that portion of our cruise:

 

Tues.	2/23/2024	Amazon River
Wed.	2/24/2024	Santarem, Brazil		8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thurs.	2/25/2024	Boca Da Valeria,	T	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Fri.	2/26/2024	Manaus, Brazil		1:00 PM
Sat.	2/27/2024	Manaus, Brazil			6:00 PM
Sun.	2/28/2024	Parintins, Brazil	T	12:00 PM	7:00 PM
Mon.	2/29/2024	Santarem, Brazil		8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Tues.	3/1/2024	Amazon River

Santarem - options - we are there twice so we want to do 2 things. We need to prioritize which one first. 

- Private Boat Tour 

-We'll start by seeing the meeting of waters and understanding why the waters do not mix it.
-We'll see some parts of Santarém and learn of its history.
-Around 45 mins later, we'll reach the entrance of Maica, so keep an eye on the water because you might spot dolphins!
-We'll enter Maica and start spotting a variety of birds.
-Once there, we'll get a speedboat and will be able to enter even deeper into Maica where a normal boat cannot go, to spot the animals even closer and to try to find the prehistoric animal Hoatzin!
-After this speedboat tour, we will get back to our original boat and have an Amazonian lunch prepared by our local chef, accompanied by an amazing view of the jungle and the river.
-After lunch we'll go back to Santarem.

 

Private Forest Tour - will be somewhat adapted for my inability to hike

-We will head to the National Forest of Tapajós (FLONA).
-Arriving there, we will take you to a hike into the forest accompanied by the guard of the National Park and myself as the tour guide. The hike time is normally around 1 hour. The trail is very easy and there's no up's and down's, the terrain is very even.
-Along the hike you will get to see the real rainforest giants: Piquiá tree (Caryocar villosum), Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) and many other big trees.
-After the hike, there will be some fruits and juices waiting for you!
-After the snacks, we will take the car and we will go to Belterra, the utopian city constructed by Henry Ford in the 1930's. You will learn the rise and fall of his rubber empire and understand how an american city was built in the middle of the Amazon.
-After Belterra we will go back Santarem and drop you off at the original pickup spot.

 

Manaus (2 days/ 1 night) arrive 13:00 (1:00 PM) leave next day 19:00 (7:00 pm)

 

• Night one GV event-  concert at the Opera house with canapes and cocktails

 

• Transfer by private speedboat.
  We'll start the tour navigating through Manaus waterfront, explanation about the Manaus floating port, The Adolpho Lisboa public market, the riverboats terminal, where every day many people embark and disembark using the boats as the main transportation, passing through the industrial area in Manaus and explanation.
  Arrival and visit at the meeting of the waters with explanation, shortstop for pictures and then visit the local village called Catalão where the people live over floating houses, navigation through Xiborena river, where you can see the local fauna and flora, navigation on the Amazon river, arrival at January Ecological park, walking tour to see the giant amazon water lilies and after tour by boat to enjoy the flooded forest and trip back to Manaus, transfers to your place.

 

• Also an option for a walking/driving tour of the city landmarks only or this can be added. 

 

Than k you for your input. 

 

 

 

[jjs217]

I don't think the two boat tours in the two different ports will be redundant.  But then, we enjoy wildlife spotting, and so would want to take advantage of the ability to see up close on the little rivers and inlets.  You may see sloths on one tour and beautiful birds on another.  Also, visiting historical sites and such will be different in the two locations. 

[JSR]

11 minutes ago, jjs217 said:

I don't think the two boat tours in the two different ports will be redundant.  But then, we enjoy wildlife spotting, and so would want to take advantage of the ability to see up close on the little rivers and inlets.  You may see sloths on one tour and beautiful birds on another.  Also, visiting historical sites and such will be different in the two locations. 

Thank you, I am like you interested in seeing animals etc. This is very helpful. My husband is off fishing for another 5 days so I have no one to bounce things off of. LOL