travelling by slowboat through Amazone

Well, yes, it is basically a very long boat trip. There isn't really much of a view--the riverbank looks basically the same all the time, and you certainly aren't going to see any animals. (Maybe dolphins.) Nothing ever happens and there's "nothing to do".

But at the same time, I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat. Lying around in a hammock reading, making friends with Brazilian kids and other tourists, great sunrises and sunsets, peoplewatching the others on the boat with you--it was exactly what I'd hoped for.

Everyone in the hammocks just left their luggage underneath it. It's not like you ever get too far away. Everyone says to stay with your luggage in port, which makes sense, but we only had vendors come on twice--I don't know whether you'll have any between Manaus and Tefe. I had a computer and an ebook with me, no worries. People leave their cellphones scattered all over the boat, anywhere they can find an outlet.

So... I would recommend it if you are interested in a few very mellow days, and if you're not going to feel later like you wasted time on the boat that you could have spent doing something else.

Are you going to Mamiraua?

Hi Wendy,

Thank you for your reply. I'm really in doubt. I'm only in Brazil for 3,5 weeks. And there is so much I want see! Which I'm not going to make of course. :-)

Yes I'm going to Mamiraua. Have you been there?

Yes, I absolutely love it there. Where do you go from Tefe? Any chance you could take the boat from Tefe downstream instead? (this is a shorter trip)

Unless the boat trip is a priority for you and there's nothing else you'd be cutting out by doing it, I don't think I would. But I would note that since you're going to Mamiraua there isn't much point in spending more than a day in Manaus(if you want to see the opera house or anything else) or the area. Likewise, Tefe doesn't need any time (though it's a pleasant place). So I wouldn't forgo the boat trip if it means spending the extra days in either of those two places.

I arrive in Manaus on Thursday evening. I will be at Mamirauá from Monday to Friday. Then I go back to Manaus and travel to Campe Grande or Recife.

When I travel by slowboat, I leave Saturday morning at 6:00 AM from Manaus and arrive in Tefe on Sunday at 6:00 PM. I also would like to go tree climbing for a day near Manaus.

That should be plenty of time to go tree-climbing in Manaus (your full day on Friday), and to buy a hammock for the boat if you need to. If your other option is flying, that would give you another whole day or two in either Manaus or Tefe--and don't get me wrong, I enjoy both cities, but I think I'd rather be on the boat (especially since you'll already be seeing something of both places). I also took the fast boat once from Manaus to Tefe, and while it was interesting, the slow one is a better experience.

Twelve hours on a speedboat doesn't sound very appealing to me :-)

Another option is to fly to Tefe and go from Friday to Monday to Mamiraua (but maybe that's a bit short to see the Amazon). I'm not particularly interested in both city's. It's just that I need to cross them.

The Friday-Monday tour is actually what I did. I love the jungle and happily spend weeks there, so I would be glad to go for Monday-Friday--but, on the other hand, since that wasn't my first (or last) jungle experience, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. If I had the time and money to do the slightly longer tour I would (especially after spending the time/money to get to Tefe), but then, I'd rather be in the Amazon than anywhere else in Brazil, so your wishes might not be the same.

I've never been to Brazil. The Amazon is the main reason. And Rio. I would also like to see the Pantanal. Bonito is supposed to great as well. :-)

Bonito is awesome :) I highly recommend it.