Reflection of a sunset over a lagoon in the Amazon Rainforest Basin in Ecuador.

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Manaus

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Manaus is the Amazon’s largest city, an incongruous urban metropolis in the middle of the jungle and a major port for seafaring vessels that’s 932 mile (1500km) from the ocean. The Amazonian rainforest has a population density half that of Mongolia, but the journey there invariably begins in (or passes through) this bustling city. Don’t be surprised if you feel a little out of whack.


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At first light in the early morning, an express passenger boat that services between Manaus and Careiro da Varzea, on the banks across the meeting of the two rivers - Negro and Amazon - heads with only one passenger along the flooded banks of the Amazon´s varzea. This is the only means of transport, as no bridges span across the Amazon river, though quite a few small cities lie along its banks. It is at least twice as fast as the ferry, which will take over an hour to do the same journey.
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Wildlife & Nature

Lonely Plan-it: How to float down the Amazon and enjoy memorable meals around Manaus, Brazil

Oct 3, 2023 • 8 min read

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