The Amazon

A beginner's guide to Brazil

What do you get if you combine cinematic landscapes, kaleidoscopic culture, head-spinning biodiversity and a constant rhythm of carefree joie de vivre? Welcome to Brazil!

The world's fifth-largest country commandeers the lion's share of South America, all the way from the Amazon Basin – the world's largest tropical rainforest – to the pampas of southernmost Rio Grande do Sul, delivering 7500kms of sun-toasted sands in between.

Kevin Raub

Lonely Planet Writer

Welcome to the jungle: planning your Amazon adventure

The Amazon basin is a marvel of the world and the imagination, an ecosystem of unrivalled size and diversity, and a place of near mythical status among travellers. The Amazon River has more water than the next eight largest rivers combined, and is twice the area of India, and the basin spans eight countries. It’s a life spring of the planet, the source of so much of the air, water and weather we all depend on. However, unreasonable travel expectations – like seeing jaguars and semi-clothed Indians around every bend – can be a recipe for disappointment. For all its size, the joys of the Amazon are mostly subtle: the ghostly roar of howler monkeys, the remarkable variety of plant life, the kindliness of riverside communities and the quiet but awesome power of the river itself. Here we focus on the accessing the Amazon in Brazil.

May to June is a great time to visit, being midway between the rainiest months (February to April) and the hottest driest ones (September to November). It’s also when the water level in the Amazon River is highest and the surrounding forest is flooded. The Amazon rises and falls by an amazing 12 to 15 meters annually, and few experiences are more sublime, or uniquely Amazonian, than gliding silently in a canoe through the flooded forest. That said, the dry season is attractive for its clear weather and opportunities for long hikes.

Gary Chandler

Lonely Planet Writer

Tips for Amazon riverboat trips

Rivers are roads in Amazonia, and riverboat trips are a uniquely Amazonian experience: the slow pace, sleeping in hammocks, watching the river and forest and local life glide by. But they can also be tedious, with day after day of the same food, same scenery, same ear-splitting music and drunken banter on the top deck.

For most people two or three days is enough to get the experience, but not tire of it. Instead of taking one of the marathon five- or six-day trips (such as Belém to Manaus, or Manaus to Tabatinga), consider stopping off halfway, doing some fun stuff, and then either continuing or even flying the rest. In many cases, boat and plane tickets cost the same.

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet Writer