The Amazon rainforest is more accessible than you might think, as Anna Kenny discovered on a short trip that included piranha fishing and swimming with pink dolphins.
There are many reasons to visit Brazil, and the Amazon is only one of them, but if you ever fancy swimming with pink dolphins or taking a motorised canoe in search of alligators, piranhas or exotic birds, then a trip to the world's largest and densest rainforest is far more accessible than you might think. With upwards of five million species of animals and more than 25,000 species of plants, a memorable jungle experience is guaranteed.
Most people start their tour of the Brazilian Amazon from Manaus, a major city with little to recommend it. Manaus is full of independent companies that will take you into the rainforest - some good, some not so good. It is important to sign up for a trip that lasts for more than a day, otherwise you will find yourself on an uninspiring and well-beaten tourist trail. Better again, book your tour before you get to Manaus, so you will not end up wasting a few days of your holiday trying to find the right one.
Numerous jungle lodges offer varying degrees of sophistication and comfort; be sure to check what is offered in terms of air conditioning and hot water. Virtually all the lodges have programmes that include walks through the jungle. Unless you are very experienced, or have the right guide, you would not want to camp in the Amazon and would certainly not want to trek in the jungle proper, as you are likely to get lost in minutes. Take the time to research the programmes your lodge offers, to make sure you choose the one that's right for you. Prices generally include transfers, tours and meals.
We stayed at Ariau Amazon Towers, which advertises itself as the "only tree-top hotel in the Amazon rainforest". It is 60km northwest of Manaus, on the right bank of the River Negro and at the beginning of the Anavilhanas, the world's largest freshwater archipelago.
After a two-hour boat ride you arrive at the lodge, which consists of eight, round wooden towers on stilts, linked by three miles of walkways, 30ft above the ground. Screens encircle the towers to keep monkeys out.
When we arrived we had to negotiate our way past several monkeys, who seemed to know it was mealtime, to get into the restaurant tower. After a great buffet lunch we set off in a motorised canoe with our knowledgeable and entertaining guide, Mike, to fish for piranha. Unlike most types of fishing, you slap the water several times before dropping in the line for a piranha. This is to encourage it to think an animal is in trouble and bring it toward the surface. Chunks of bloody steak are used as bait. Our guide caught one in minutes; the rest of us just lost our bait.
Taking a boat ride on the Amazon is fascinating for the smells, the colours and the constant noises of the wildlife. (It is worth bearing in mind when booking that during high-water season, which lasts roughly from April to July, you will be able to navigate the Amazon at tree-top level through igapós, or flooded forests, which are too narrow to navigate at low water.)
That afternoon we visited what was described as a typical, local house. But it was one of the more disappointing parts of the tour. It was all just a little too staged, and far more developed than others we passed along the riverbank.
In the evening, after dark, we hunted for caimans, which are like small alligators. We slowly and quietly made our way up the river while one of the guides searched the black water with a spotlight for the reflection of the creature's eyes. Nobody was quite prepared for the moment when one of the guides jumped off the boat and into the water - in which we had been told there were both piranhas and leeches. However, he climbed back into the boat with a caiman for us all to hold.
The next morning, after a 5am wake-up call, we set out for a boat ride at dawn. Sitting in the canoe in total silence on this vast and spectacular river, more than 22km wide, watching the sun come up, was indeed memorable. After such an early start we napped on one of the many hammocks back at the lodge before breakfast. Next up was a morning hike through the jungle, during which we learned the medicinal properties of various plants. There seemed to be cures for everything from period pains to burns to ageing.
The afternoon was set aside to spot pink dolphins. After a short boat ride from the lodge, we pulled up outside a bar. We swam in the water holding fresh fish, which the freshwater dolphins gently took from our hands. Mike told us this was one of the few areas where it was safe to swim, as the dolphins kept the piranhas away. Afterwards, we sat drinking caipirinhas, strong Brazilian cocktails made from cachaça (or sugar-cane spirit), sugar and lime, as the sun went down.
Not everyone approves of jungle lodges, because of their impact on the surroundings. They do, however, convert many visitors to the idea that the rainforest is worth preserving. And there aren't many places where you can lie on a hammock, swinging above the canopy, to watch a crimson sun set over the Amazon, in the company of several squirrel monkeys and a spider monkey.
Anna Kenny visited Ariau Towers as part of a four-week tour of Brazil and Peru, and flew from Iguazzu Falls in the south of Brazil to Manaus with TAM airline on its South America air-pass package which offers five flights for $500. Most packages in Ariau are based on a two-night/three-day or three-night/four-day stay, costing from US$260 per person including tours and meals. See: www.ariautowers.com