Introducing Manaus
Manaus is the Amazon’s largest city, an incongruous pocket of urbanity in the middle of the jungle, a major port for ocean vessels that’s 1500km from the ocean. The rain forest has a population density half that of Mongolia’s, but the journey there invariably begins in (or passes through) this bustling city of two million souls. Don’t be surprised if you feel a little out of whack.
Advertisement
The city itself has some genuinely rewarding sights, including a leafy zoo with as many animals out of the cages as in them, and a beach-and-museum combo that gets you out of the city center. It’s a place to stock up on anything you forgot to pack, or to refill your tank with beer and internet after a week in the forest.
Manaus is also where most Amazon tour operators are based; plenty are honest professionals, but the city is also full of scammers. And remember that Manaus is not the only place to book a jungle tour! There are numerous options in cities further up- and downstream that may give more options off-the-beaten path than possible in well-worn Manaus.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Tips & articles
-
10 best boat journeys
9 November 2010
Boats are often overlooked as a way to see the world; we invariably have limited time to get from A...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
RE: Return flight from Argentina (For Canadians)
by hkwoody 13 September 2011
Monty333 Because we didn't have a fixed schedule and the Machu Picchu trail needs so much advanced booking we only went to the site itself.…
-
Sailing down the Amazon...
by Bobalina 12 September 2011
Hi Guys Me and partner are in Brazil at the moment and hope to travel through the Amazon in December (3rd/4th.) There seems to be endless…
-
Re: experiences travelling from manaus to colombia via the amazon
by Wendy79 11 September 2011
I had a blast doing the boat trip from Tabatinga/Leticia to Manaus last month. The food was repetitive, but decent--rolls and coffee (someti…
