Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel
In Amazonia, man and nature live in harmony within the greatest biodiverse reserve of tropical forest on Earth. I’ve led several groups to the Peruvian Amazon, however my April 4-11, 2008, Brazilian Amazon visit trumped them all.
After a 5-hour flight from Miami, followed by an overnight in Manaus at the deluxe Tropical Manaus (Manaus, Brazil; phone +55 92 3658 3001, www.tropical hotel.com.br), with rates of $120-$450, we boarded our boat for the 90-minute trip on the Rio Negro to Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel (in the US, phone 877/442-7428, www.ariautowers.com).
On arrival, we were greeted by macaws, parrots and about 50 resident monkeys. We were surrounded by a thousand miles of forest in all directions.
Imagine a huge hotel built entirely on stilts high over the treetops. Eleven miles of catwalks connect the 270 rooms and three elevated swimming pools. The entire complex was constructed with sustainable tourism in mind to protect the environment.
I had envisioned rough accommodations but was delighted to find a large room with A/C and a hot-water shower. We were pampered throughout our stay, particularly with fresh, bountiful meals. I gained three pounds.
Our local guides, Mike and Christoph, were like Eagle Scouts on a mission to make us happy. Every tour was by boat — a most enchanting way to explore this water world of flooded forest.
In the daytime we enjoyed fishing for piranha, which we later fried up for dinner. Floating past giant water lilies, we photographed the omnipresent colorful bird life. On one tour, local Indians in a dugout canoe passed over to us a baby sloth and a caiman (its mouth tied up) for me to hold. Some in our group held an anaconda.
On the village visits we tasted Brazil nuts and tapioca, visited a school and learned about the culture. At night we headed out in canoes with flashlights for caiman spotting as well as an Indian ceremony and a beachside carnival show presented by local dancers in amazing costumes. At other times we biked or walked for miles under the treetop canopy.
During our free time we became “lounge lizards” in hammocks by the pool. With bananas in hand, at one point I had over 20 squirrel monkeys lounging with me. It was monkey mania as they piled on us. Some felt it was too creepy, but I simply love monkeys.
Several of our group opted for the full-day “Jungle Survivor Tour” led by a former soldier ($75). They returned covered in mud and triumphantly boasted of eating bugs and cooking fish over a fire they had lit without matches.
The highlight for me was a swim with the dolphins, an optional trip arranged by the hotel. I had anticipated a canned photo op with one or two dolphins as I once experienced in the Bahamas. Here, for a mere $60, we were able to swim with 20 to 25 of them for 90 minutes! These were Amazon River dolphins, or pink dolphins, found in the Amazon and Orinonco river basins, aquatic mammals that measure up to eight feet long.
First, on a platform, we individually fed them fish for perfect photos. Then, adorned with life vests, we entered the Rio Negro, which was like swimming in warm cola. The water was so dark, we never knew when a dolphin would nudge us in frolic. As I petted their silky skin, I was shrieking in laughter. The experience, in my book, rated a 10. It was surreal.
Individual room rates at the Ariau Towers run $486 for a standard to $1,1254 for a deluxe treehouse room. Since I was leading the trip, I did not have to pay for my room for the four nights.
Two, for me, miracles occurred on this adventure unlike my other Amazon trips. First, no one got sick. Everything had been purified (including mineral water used for ice cubes and salad cleansing). Second, we had no rain. In spite of reports of “torrential downpours daily” for weeks prior, we had perfect weather. We were 33 happy campers.
SUZY DAVIS
Smyrna, GA