by Will McGough
Last updated: 4:00 PM ET, Sun January 12, 2020
Though everyone has heard of the Amazon Rainforest, few realize the true scope of its presence. It's two-thirds the size of the continental United States, sprawling more than two million square miles across three countries. The bulk of it is located in Brazil, with access through the frontier city of Manaus.
Many people visit the gateways to the Amazon, poking around the headwaters of various rivers via day tours. Few make the trip into its tangled interior. After all, it's not a place that's easy to explore on your own, with staggering changes between the wet and dry seasons, limited services, dangerous wildlife, unpredictable weather and, you know, legendary tales of unfriendly tribes.
But, while these are all things that impede travel in the Amazon, they are also what makes it so interesting, what adds to its allure. And it turns out there is a way to go deeper into the world's largest rainforest-via a multi-day, overnight boat trip. One company operating out of Manaus, Amazon Nature Tours, is owned by an American and runs expeditions upriver.
Just like an African safari-only in the Amazon.
As a whole, the Amazon is vastly underexplored. But why? Part of it is because while the Amazon has succeeded in capturing the imagination of the world, it has done so in a way that doesn't exactly scream "come visit"-tales of missing explorers and giants snakes (see below) and all that good stuff have no doubt made some skeptic. Unlike, for example, Africa, which despite similar history and similar dangers, has succeeded in softening its image and getting its name on bucket lists around the world (i.e. Lion King).
I think there's room for this to change, though, because the experiences are quite similar. Different terrain, for sure, but a similar experience in many ways.
First, nature is the main event, and the entire adventure is based around understanding and exploring an ecosystem. Second, the logistics are the same, except you are swapping out a wilderness lodge and a safari van for a boat and a rainforest-worthy dingy. Each day with Amazon Nature Tours, you scoot off in a smaller, more-mobile boat on a "safari"-once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night-to search for wildlife and get an explanation of the terrain.
A different itinerary on a different river in a custom-built boat.
Amazon Nature Tours is owned by an American named Mark Baker, a former boat builder who claims to be a descendant of Daniel Boone (I'll take his word for it). So, you might say he was the perfect fit to build and design an Amazon expedition boat.
The Tucano is a three-story vessel built in the classic image of an old-world Amazon adventure boat, almost as tall as it is narrow to allow it access to the nooks and crannies of the rainforest. Life on board is comfortable but simple, enough to make it a pleasant experience but not too luxurious as to where you feel too separated from reality. You'll definitely eat better than the early explorers: Meals are hearty, with soups, stews, fresh-caught fish and local specialties making up the bulk of the menu.
One of the major competitive advantages of the Tucano is that its route takes you up the Rio Negro, not the Amazon River itself. While the Amazon River has the name recognition, it is not necessarily the best option for a remote cruise-it is filled with boat traffic (lots of industrial boats) and has more villages along its banks. The Rio Negro, quieter and more remote, lends itself more to a wildlife expedition.
The world's most dense concentration of life, in an ever-changing terrain.
We could spend a hundred articles discussing the incredible biodiversity found in the Amazon, an assortment of plant, animal and insect life found nowhere else on earth. But, at the same time, the Amazon is famous for its inhabitants' incredible ability to camouflage themselves-at first glance, despite the hundreds of beating hearts around you, the forest looks lifeless.
Guides aboard the Tucano will bring the seemingly still forest to life, not only tracking big animals-monkeys, sloths, caiman, toucans, snakes-but educating on the fluctuating seasons. High season, for example, brings water levels that are often 20-40 feet higher than low season (which I had a hard time believing until I saw the watermarks on the trees).
In the dry season, you'll walk on a solid forest floor. In the wet season, you'll explore the flooded forest by boat. In this way, each excursion is an educational adventure, and the opportunity to see something new, especially at night, when the animals are most active.
Retracing the paths of explorers-and ex-Presidents.
If you're not fascinated by the Amazon already, it won't take long-just pick up a copy of The Lost City of Z and read about the plight of Percy Fawcett. Or check out The River of Doubt, a book about Teddy Roosevelt's attempt to map a new river after he lost the presidential election of 1912 (Google the Rio Roosevelt).
These tales (and others) are both inspiring and terrifying, breathing life into the lore of the Amazon, adding an important historical component to the journey. It is charming to understand that when you travel into the Amazon on a boat like the Tucano, you are, with the exception of a few modern conveniences, traveling in very much the same way as the explorers who came before you.
Living like a local: Visiting villages and fishing for piranhas.
While nature is surely the main event, it is far from the only point of interest. The Tucano's itinerary also includes cultural activities, such as village visits and fishing outings. The guides will lead you through remote villages and teach you about survival in the rainforest. Often, you can take part in a soccer game (along with your crew, who are always keen) or tour the insides of the houses.
Finally, one of the most memorable experiences along the journey is the opportunity to fish for piranhas. Using nothing more than a bamboo stick, a couple feet of line and chopped meat, you can turn the tables on the blood-thirsty fish (your guides will help you take them off the line, don't worry). Later, the chef will cook the piranhas you caught, and if seeing a fish with razor-sharp teeth on your dinner plate doesn't convince you that you're doing something special, then I'm not sure what will.
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