Amazon Cruise Jaú National Park 5 days/4 nights

At 9:00 we pick you up from your hotel or the airport in an air-conditioned van, and drive to the riverside town of Novo Airão. We arrive here in the early afternoon and give you a briefing on Amazon's biology, history, and the things you may see, along the way. After boarding the Jacaré-Açu, we start sailing through the spectacular Anavilhanas Archipelago while enjoying our first delicious lunch on board.

In the afternoon, we take a ride on the motorized canoes through the islands and lagoons of the archipelago. This is an area rich in wildlife, and we hope to see two species of river dolphin, as well as multiple species of birds, such as herons, egrets, macaws, parrots, caciques, oropendolas, and jacamars. Once back on the boat, we set sail to Madadá Observatory, a spectacular lookout over the Rio Negro, with basic bungalow facilities in the middle of the jungle. After dinner on board, you can choose if you want to spend the night in your cabin or a hammock at the Observatory.

After breakfast, we make a three-hour round-trip hike through virgin rainforest to Madadá Caves, with our guides giving a mini jungle survival course, along the way. We then visit an Amazon farmhouse to learn about local customs, farming techniques, and crops. In the late morning, we have a chance to cool off with a dip in the Rio Negro.

After lunch on board, we set sail for the Rio Negro State Park area and a chance to try our hand at piranha fishing before sunset. Once back on the boat we set sail to Sleepy Beach, on the Rio Jau, where we will anchor for the night and enjoy dinner and sit around a bonfire for a night of native folklore storytelling.

This morning we sail to the Jaú National Park Ranger Station, and then along the Rio Jaú, a river of mirror-like waters, with likely sightings of aquatic mammals and birds. The Park consists of three major rivers - Unini to the North, Carabinani to the South, and Jau in the middle - along with countless smaller black water tributaries.

The water level varies drastically during the year and the igapó forest found near the waterways can be flooded for up to eight months of the year. This type of forest is tropical and humid, with as many as 200 species per hectare. In the rainy season, we moor the boat and take the canoes through the Park’s creeks, looking for families of Giant Otters. In the dry season, we explore the Rio Pauini, a tributary filled with boulders and waterfalls.

On return to the Jacaré-Açu, we sail to the indigenous community of Aturia where we moor for the evening. After dark, we go looking for caiman and nocturnal animals in the canoes, using spotlights.

This morning, after breakfast, we visit Aturia village, where we can learn more about traditional life in the Amazon. The children of the village are always extremely happy to interact with visitors, so be prepared to get involved in a game of soccer or swimming or some impromptu arts and crafts.

Later we will be visiting a giant tree around the community, a very old lady from the ancient forest, before we begin an aquatic trail with regional canoes, keeping a lookout for Bicoh Monkeys and other animals.

Once back on the boat, we have lunch on board before we return to the IBAMA base and sail out of Jaú National Park.

Today we continue sailing from Jaú to Novo Airão. On the way, we may have the chance to swim with Pink River Dolphins. A real highlight. Once back in Novo Airão, we take a city tour to see the ship-building, the craftsmanship, and other attractions of this Amazon River town.

We have a farewell lunch on “Flor do Luar”, a floating restaurant in the Anavilhanas National Park. before taking the van back to Manaus, arriving mid-afternoon.