from Colombia to Recife via the Amazon travel options

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d2thel
d2thel

Ola! I'm going to Recife for a couple of World Cup matches and need to be there by June 24 or 25 at the latest. I'm currently in Colombia and planning to fly from Bogota to Laticia, cross to Tabatinga, then take the 3-day boat to Manaus. I'm looking for suggestions on getting from Manaus to Recife, as the flight is 400usd+ one way.

1) What days and times do the Tabatinga-Manaus boats go and arrive?
2) Are there buses from Manaus or only boats and flights?
3) I've heard the boat from Manaus to Belem takes 5 days, then the bus(es) from Belem to Recife another 3-4 days. Are these estimates accurate? What are the costs of each?
4) I've heard there's not much to see in Manaus. Not worth staying a night? And Belem?
5) Any other must sees on the route? (my interests are general - cities, nature, whatever as long as it's wonderful)
6) given the above, when do I need to be in Laticia in order to make all of this happen?

Cheers for any info/suggestions you can provide!

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rokatoo
rokatoo

can only answer parts of it.
Belem to Recife bus costs R$330 one way:
http://www.buscaonibus.com.br/en/timetable/belem/recife?dt=28/05/2014

you can find one way flights on Gol from Manaus to Recife for less than R$700 on certain dates (June 22 and 24 for example). and for about R$600 on Tam on June 21... you have to play around with dates as prices vary wildly depending on which WC matches are played in each city around those days. make sure you check all Brazilian major airlines: Tam, Gol, Azul.

when you add up costs, the long boat+bus option may not necessarily be the cheapest option.

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anonymous
anonymous

There are buses out of Manaus but they aren't useful for you because they don't run in the direction you would need.

Not sure how much time takes the bus from Belem to Recife but you could take a look at the web of the bus company making the route to see if they say it (or to ask them about it if you find the relevant contact details). In any case, don't forget that Belem and Recife are more than 2000 kms away...

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wendy79
wendy79

It's three nights from Leticia/Tabatinga to Manaus, so the better part of four days, really. Boats run Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, I believe, the last time someone around here checked. Manaus is worth stopping in for several nights (in order to go to the jungle) but not really for one night. I think the whole trip, Tabatinga to Belem, takes seven days, not five--I've only done half of it.

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d2thel
d2thel

Thanks for the very helpful comments, all. With the expensive buses, I'm looking at flying to Leticia, taking the boat (hoping it's still Wed, Fri, Sat) to Manaus, then flying to Recife.

Can anyone confirm the boat dates? And price? Any word on how World Cup will affect the boat prices?

I'll also be searching the web for those dates.

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d2thel
d2thel

Trip report.. the amazon trip didn't happen. Avianca overbooked my Bog-Leticia flight so I got bumped. They offered to put me up in a hotel and fly me the next day, but then I'd miss the boat and have to wait a couple days (and then miss USA-Portugal in Manaus), so in the end I was able get them to fly me to Manaus instead.

But I heard the boats were running Wed and Fri, with extra boats sometimes on Tues and/or Sat (if there's greater than usual demand).

Thanks again for the info, all.

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