Host: Mamirauá Sustainable Development Project
When: Anytime Length of stay: A four-day itinerary is proposed but stays of other lengths are also possible Minimum number of guests: One Languages: English, Portuguese Fee: The 3-night sample itinerary below costs US$ 360 per person in a double room. Prices per person a bit higher for single rooms, lower for triple rooms, and the longer the stay, the less one pays per night. Prices include transfer in/out Tefé airport - Reserve, overnight, all meals, water, juice, coffee and tea, standard tours and guiding. Prices do not include soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, insurance of any kind, extra transfers or special programmes. Reservations can only be confirmed after payment. All payments must be made 1 week prior to date of arrival. The cost for one person packages is high. However, they can be lower if we arrange the same dates for small groups. Prices for the peak of the dry season (usually October) are different (please consult us).   At Mamirauá, the largest area of protected flooded forest and the first Sustainable Development Reserve in Brazil, you will will be able to see very much Amazon wildlife. Besides the endemic white uakari, animals like howler monkeys, brown capuchin and squirrel monkeys, caymans, sloths and river dolphins are easily sighted. During the dry season even more allusive animals like jaguars are seen more frequently than in other areas. For birdwatchers Mamirauá has almost 400 identified species, including the majestic Harpy-eagle (harpia), the largest bird of prey in the world, and the curious hoatzin, which still shows characteristics of primitive birds. The fauna in Mamirauá is very rich in fish, the pirarucú (Arapaima gigas) is also among the flagspecies of the area. Ecotourists will also be fascinated with the trees, orchids and bromeliads, and also various types of insects and arthropodes. It was discovered in Mamirauá two species of primates, more than fifteen species of fish and one bird species.
Mamirauá used to be a well-kept secret among scholars, photographers and film crews. The decision to invest on Ecotourism means that a greater number of people will have the opportunity to visit this fascinating place. The Uakari floating lodge is cosy and comfortable, but uses alternative technologies like solar energy and natural system of ventilation. An adequate sewage system for minimum environmental impact is being experimented.  Visitors will be taken on tours both during the day and evening in small groups and will always be accompanied by local guides. They will visit the trails on canoes during the flood or on foot during the dry season, in the latter period tourists may be bothered by mosquitoes on trails. The tours will take place on the same trails that were used by researchers collecting data about the fauna and flora of the area. Ecotourists will also get to know the work of researchers through talks, videos and depending on the opportunity, accompanying the researcher on field. The profits of the Ecotourism operation will be invested in community and research projects thereby guaranteeing the conservation of the Reserve. Click here to see a map of the reserve area.
This Itinerary is based on VARIG Airlines Monday arrival and Friday departure First Day: You go to Manaus (capital of the state of Amazonas) and catch a flight to Tefé (where the Project´s headquarters are located). At Tefé airport you will be met by an English-speaking Mamirauá staff, who will take you to the Hotel in town (Hotel cost not included in the package). The day after, at 07:30, your host will pick you up and take you to the harbour to catch the boat to the Lodge. The boat trip takes one and a half hour to the Reserve. On the way you can enjoy the breeze and the magic scenery. You might even be able to spot wildlife, such as pink river dolphins at Lake Tefé and tucuxis in the Solimões river.
Lunch will be served from 12:30 to 13:30. After lunch, you can rest in a hammock, watch another video about researches done at Mamirauá or a award-winning BBC documentary on Mamirauá, grab a fishing hook and fish some piranhas on the shade, read a book, or just chat - outings will only be carried out when the sun goes down a little. At around 15:30 you can start getting ready to go out. You will be taken in a motorized canoe to Araçazinho, a beautiful lake inthe heart of the forest, where you will have the opportunity to view various species of birds. You will be there until sunset and on your way back you can spot nocturnal fauna. Upon return to the floating lodge, your dinner will be served. After dinner, if you are not too tired, you can watch a video on the Project, which explains how it was conceived, who are the partners and how it is divided. If you wish further explanation about the Project, our staff will be prepared to give you more information and reading material. You should start thinking about whether you would like to pay a visit to a local community or not, so the staff can inform the village in advance.
Second Day If your first outing did not take long, you might wish to go on a canoe trip to a channel or lake. At around 3 o´clock you can start getting ready to go out. This time you will be taken on a motorised canoe to lake Mamirauá, a beautiful lake inside the total preservation area of the Reserve. At the lake you will probably have memorable encounters with pink river dolphins, hoatzins and perhaps the pirarucu fish. You will stay there until the sun sets and on your way back you will spot nocturnal fauna. After dinner, you might have the opportunity to meet a researcher for an informal chat about his/her work. However, this depends entirely on researchers' availability.
Third Day If you chose to visit a local village, the afternoon will be a good time to do it. You need to set out earlier than the afternooon before because the villages are a little further. The Ecotourism program has had plenty of discussion with the local communities about those visits and agreed an informal itinerary with a series of attractions they would like to show and talk about. A person from the community will meet your group and show you around (please see the detailed information sheet about village visits). Depending on the village, you might have the opportunity to buy locally produced handicrafts - take small change with you. After the visit, you will go back to the floating house, sighting wildlife on the way and enjoying the sunset.
Fourth Day Before leaving, we would be grateful if you could fill in an evaluation form. It is very important for us to know your thoughts about the trip, in this way we can always improve our services. |
At the Uacari Floating Lodge, our field manager and naturalist guide will be waiting for you. Both are fluent in English and will be with you during your entire stay. Our staff will give you a rapid explanation about recommendations and the running of the lodge (meal times, solar power, water, no swimming, etc) and you will be asked to fill in the visitors registration form. At thia time you will be able to meet all the employees responsible for making an excellent stay. You will be taken to a small canoe trip along the channels and lakes. Our local guides are very good and will be happy to be your eyes and years in the forest.
Animals in the forest wake up at sunrise, so if you are interested in sighting as much wildlife as possible, you have to wake up early (breakfast is served from 06:30 until 7:30 a.m.) and be ready to go on a walk in one of the trails. Our trails are designed not to be physically straining and most of them can be walked in three hours at the longest. All outings have to be accompanied by a local guide and you must listen to the their recommendations at all times, specially those regarding your own safety.