Hi guys! We are Tati & Gabriel from the travel blog and Instagram Trip to Follow (@triptofollow). Thanks for stopping by our travel guide on the amazing Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Before we tell you all about this stunning region of South America, allow us to introduce ourselves.
Tati is from Sao Paulo and her profession is journalism. She has worked in major newsrooms since 2007 while completing her studies at university. For many years she covered some of the biggest and most famous fashion weeks in the world including the London and Paris fashion weeks.
In 2011, Tati moved to San Francisco. In 2013, she spent a long time in Barcelona where her postgraduate degree in Fashion Journalism started. She also worked as an International Correspondent in Barcelona.
Throughout this journey in the fashion world, she has had the opportunity to visit some special places and discover that her true passion in life is travel. Her greatest pleasure is having interesting stories to tell.
Tati has been working in travel journalism since 2014 but in 2018 she decided to go her own way and founded Trip to Follow. Additionally, she writes for travel magazines like Qual Viagem, Rich Report and Exame.
Gabriel was born in Sao Paulo in 1986. He has been passionate about taking expeditions around the world since he was very young. Gabriel graduated with a degree in Tourism and Events. He has travelled to all four corners of the globe and has lived in countries throughout the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, South America and North America.
He works as a Motorcycle Tour Guide and Riding Instructor, taking hundreds of clients annually for motorcycle trips around the world. This is mainly done in Europe where most of his family live. Having this hectic life allows Gabriel to create exclusive content for Trip to Follow – which he helped found in 2018 – while stamping his passport around the globe.
Both of us decided to join our passions together in 2018 when we launched Trip to Follow. We believe travel goes beyond a vacation after a year of work. Travelling has to be a complete experience with cultural immersion, nature exploration and gastronomical experiences.
We want people who consume our travel content to remember our experiences and have this desire when planning their next trip. It’s been an incredible journey so far and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Visiting the Amazon in Brazil
The Amazon has always been on our wish list. But like a lot of people, we end up leaving trips in our own country for later (we always think we can leave it for later since we have these places so close). With the pandemic, we ended up cancelling more than ten trips abroad. After many months of isolation, we decided it was time to travel somewhere within Brazil.
We also wanted to take advantage of the date (November 15) to celebrate our first anniversary. Our honeymoon took us to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Dubai and we were looking for something with heaps of immersion in nature. It didn’t take long for us to choose the Amazon in Brazil.
Juma Amazon Lodge has been one of our dream hotels for some time and it was the perfect match. We wanted a few days in the jungle, of course, but we also wanted to see waterfalls. That is why we added Presidente Figueiredo – which has more than 150 waterfalls – to our itinerary.
Two Nights at Juma Amazon Lodge
Travelling to the Amazon in Brazil was transformative: the energy, wealth of activities and contact with nature – all of this made us think a lot! We really don’t need much to be happy. The Amazon is a Brazilian grandiosity that we should value. This place must be preserved, cared for and loved.
It wasn’t by chance that after visiting we decided that we would plan a trip to the Amazon every three years. One of our life goals is to plant a tree and it has to be there! We spent two nights at Juma Lodge but we would recommend at least three. This jungle hotel is absolutely secluded with no neighbours, restaurants and nothing close by – only nature.
We saw a multitude of birds, alligators, pink dolphins and fish. It was so exciting! The hotel we stayed in is three hours from Manaus, the capital of the Amazon in Brazil. You need to travel by car, boat and bus to get there. This transport is normally included in the hotel package with Juma Lodge.
The first part of this route takes you by boat to the meeting point of Rio Negro and the Solimoes River. It’s one of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world. The composition, acidity, density and temperature of the water means that the rivers don’t mix. In the photo below you can see this demonstrated perfectly.
Everything was 100% organised by our hotel as you are located in the middle of the jungle. We went hiking in the forest, saw an alligator, fished for piranhas, watched the sunrise from the boat and witnessed beautiful sunsets from our swimming pool by the river. There are many more activities which the hotel offers but those were some of our favourites.
Then we spent a night in Manaus. We stayed in a very well located hotel in the main square, right in front of the Amazonas Theater (Juma Opera). After that, we rented a car and drove two hours for our two night stay in Presidente Figueiredo. Here you can immerse yourself more in nature!
To get to the waterfalls you need to take a short walk through the jungle. It was just amazing! We visited Pedra Furada, Iracema, Araras, Gruta da Judeia, Maroaga Cave and Mutum Waterfall. Everything was incredible!
6 Best Things To Do in the Amazon, Brazil
Being in the jungle and just feeling the nature, listening to the noises and smelling the aromas was the highlight of the Amazon for us. We remember thinking: “wow – this really is the Amazon!” Sleeping in a windowless bungalow over the river and waking up with the sunrise was a dream. The Amazon in Brazil has such a strong energy that you feel right away.
There is so much to experience in the Amazon especially for those who love nature, wildlife, adventures and indigenous culture. Below are our top six recommendations for your visit to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.
- Sleep in a jungle hotel for at least three nights: there is no better way to experience the Amazon and immerse yourself completely in nature.
- Explore the jungle/rainforest: walk through the rainforest with a local who knows absolutely everything about the flora and fauna. This makes your trip to the Amazon in Brazil more complete. On this journey it’s possible to gain an understanding of the medicinal power of the forest.
- Watch the sunrise from a boat on the river: we did this on the Juma River and it was one of the most beautiful scenes of our lives.
- Plant a tree in the Amazon: we haven’t done this just yet but we left with an extreme desire to go back and put a little more life into the region which is so important to the ecosystem of South America.
- Experience the rainforest in a deeper way: take the risk of eating babassu larva (it tastes like coconut), put your hand on the anthill of the Capiba Ant (they have repellent powers) and climb a jungle vine.
- Discover the different rivers of Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes: put your hand in the water and feel the difference in temperature (literally) between these two amazing rivers as they converge but don’t mix.
Best Memory of the Amazon
The fact that we live in Brazil and know that this immensity called the Amazon is “ours” already made the trip even more incredible. It’s important to go there and be ready to live literally every second of your trip. Brazil is a giant country with varied cultures. We left Sao Paulo, known as the concrete jungle, and arrived in the most important rainforest on earth.
Being there is a milestone. Seeing everything we studied at school was also special. But the most unforgettable moment for us was when we were watching the sunrise over the river. We were lucky to have a photographer with us (@managollo). She immortalised this experience. Whenever we look at this photo it feels like we are reliving that moment.
Need to Know Before you Go
Firstly, we recommend staying at both the Juma Amazon Lodge and Juma Opera when it comes to accommodation. These two places will make your visit to the Amazon that much better. Secondly, we believe it’s important for tourists to immerse themselves somewhat in the indigenous culture.
We didn’t get the chance to travel through the indigenous trail of the Amazon in Brazil but we would definitely recommend it. Even so, it’s still possible to meet the locals of the Amazon on a trip similar to ours. They all love and adore the Amazon and you can see how special it is to everyone.
As you may already know, the Amazon is hot and humid. So it’s vital to bring the right clothes. Think of bringing gear that helps you walk more comfortably through the rainforest like hiking boots, breathable layers of clothing, waterproof jackets, thick socks, walking poles and sun hats.
Depending on the region you visit in the Amazon, there may be a lot of insects and bugs flying around. This normally depends on your proximity to the river. We recommend taking insect repellent no matter where you go.
Your experience in the Amazon will be different depending on the tide of the river. For example, we went during low tide and absolutely loved it. But the experience at high tide would also be incredible since much of the rainforest is immersed underwater. The Juma River can go up 15 metres!
Jungle tourism invites you to visit with an open mind and heart so you can live abundantly in nature. We loved the Amazon and so will you. Thanks for reading and enjoy your experiences in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil!
