Melo Villareal
Seven great experiences in the Brazilian Amazon Jungle now
Thinking of visiting the Brazilian Amazon Jungle? Visiting local communities, canoeing through igapós (flooded forest) and overnights in the forest are some of the attractions offered by the jungle hotels in the region, such as Juma Amazon Lodge, during the rivers’ flooding period.
Days are never the same in the Amazon Jungle, Brazil, South America. From sunrise, with the beautiful changing colors in the sky, to the strength of the rivers and wild variety in animal and plant species, there’s so much to explore.
Between February and May, the region became a unique show for tourists. The level of the river climbs up to 15 meters (about 50 feet), allowing for more areas inside the jungle to be reached by boat.
During this time, crossing the jungle in wooden canoes provides many memorable experiences, such as seeing the treetops reflected clearly on the water and watching the birds much more closely than in other seasons.
Immersed in the jungle, three hours away from Manaus by boat and land, Juma Amazon Lodge offers the ideal location for deeply getting to know the region’s beauty, with rides as crossing the jungle in wooden canoes and others that no hotel offers.
Canoe rides
Juma Amazon Lodge’s canoeing tour is done on paddling canoes through the igarapés (small rivers) and the igapós (flooded forest, better seen during the flood season). During the ride, it’s possible to swim, watch river dolphins and listen to the typical sounds of the jungle.
Jungle walk
The tour is done in off-the-beaten-track trails through the enormous preserved area of the hotel and is accompanied by Juma Amazon Lodge’s guide who talks about survival in the forest and the Amazon’s wildlife, showing plants that are edible and have medicinal purposes. See Amazon skies during the tour.
Picnic in the forest
After walking through the many trails, lunch is served Amazon-style. The food is roasted on wooden spits over red coals. Fish like Tambaqui and Pirarucu
Visit the caboclo’s house
Caboclos, as some rural area dwellers are locally called, are people with simple habits and usually from indigenous descent. Visiting
Visit the sumaúma
The sumaúma is considered the largest Amazonian tree, both in hight (reaching up to 130 feet/40 meters) and in trunk diameter. During Juma Amazon Lodge’s ride, visitors can walk through the forest and reach one of these trees.
Tree climbing
Juma has a partnership with Amazon Tree Climbing, a company specialized in the activity, which gives visitors another perspective of the jungle by exploring Amazon’s tallest treetops.
Night in the forest
After dinner, guests spend a night in the forest, sleeping in hammocks. It’s a unique experience to sleep in the middle of the jungle, listening to the animals’ sounds. Juma Amazon Lodge is a unique hotel that promotes this kind of experience at this Amazon region.
The Hotel – Surrounded by the jungle, in a preserved area of 7,000 hectares (around 17,300 acres) 3 hours away from Manaus by boat and car, Juma Amazon Lodge was specially created for an authentic Amazon experience. Its 21 bungalows (8 facing the jungle and 13 facing the Juma River) are stilt houses similar to native dwellings, built from wood and thatched with babaçu straw (a native palm tree).
Accommodations (8 standard, 12 especial, and 1 presidential) include private bathrooms, and balconies with hand-made hammocks, and are decorated with indigenous handcrafts. All bungalows have hot showers. There are no television sets or wi-fi signal for guests being able to fully immerse in the experience, watching the forest and listening to the jungle sounds in peace.
Gastronomy – Breakfast at Juma Amazon Lodge is served on collective tables so that guests can get to know each other and exchange experiences. Besides coffee, milk, bread, butter, cheese, and fruit (watermelon, orange, melon, and pineapple), the menu includes regional flavors such as fruit like ingá, umbu, and taperebá (both used to make juice), and delicious tapiocas (a kind of manioc pancake). Lunch always brings a fresh Amazon fish (pirarucu, tambaqui, pintado, among others), grilled or baked.
Sustainability – Besides using solar energy to warm the water and power its lights, Juma Amazon Lodge is very diligent with a correct discard for the garbage and sewer produced by the hotel. A sewage treatment plant is used and all the garbage is separated and sent to a recycling center. Charity auctions and educational projects are held for the local community, with donations of clothes, books, and toys, and lectures about environmental
Juma Amazon Lodge
- Address: Juma River, Autazes (city), Amazonas-AM, Brazil
- Website: www.jumalodge.com
How to get there
Juma Amazon Lodge is located in a remote and preserved region 100 km (62 miles) southeast of Manaus. It can be reached in approximately three hours by vans and boats. The trip can also be done by hydroplane (30 minutes) upon request.
Flights: Experiencing this natural wonder in 2016 will be much easier for the international public. Firstly because the Brazilian currency is sliding down – a single US dollar now buys you around 4 reals. Secondly: more flights. From the USA, American Airlines flies from Miami to Manaus, the entry-gate to the Amazon Jungle. In 2015, Insel Airlines started operating a flight to Manaus from Curaçao, in the Caribbean. Since June 2014, Europeans are able to come directly to the city from Lisbon via TAP Airlines, a flight that takes only five hours.
Extra Information: Juma is located in a black-watered region, so there are almost no mosquitoes there. The lodge is equipped with a telephone. As space is limited, guests are asked not to bring more than 10 kg (22 lbs.) of luggage per person. It is recommended to be vaccinated for yellow fever ten days before traveling. And it is important to bring swimsuits, tennis shoes, long pants, a hat, sunblock, insect repellent, raincoat, flashlight, and binoculars.
Credit Photos: All images by Juma Amazon Lodge
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