Into the jungle
The first rule of a trip to the rainforest is to book a tour from a certified tour operator. A good guide will know where to spot birds such as parrots, macaws and aquatic birds, as well as tamarins, squirrel monkeys, and perhaps a troop of howler monkeys. Try to include a night hike to spot nocturnal creatures such as tree frogs, giant crickets and potoo birds. On a budget trip, you'll sleep in a hammock in local style dwellings, and eat simple meals such as beans or fish, rice and manioc. Bear in mind: conditions will be hot and damp, you will encounter disagreeable creatures such as stinging ants, mosquitoes (take malarial precautions) and black flies that seem to want their pound of flesh. But that aside, it will be a trip to remember.
• Manaus Jungle Hostel, +55 92 4101 9081, manausjungletours.com, £60 for a two-day, one-night tour including transfers from the city
Jungle cruises
Literally hundreds of boats, from budget to luxury, offer a range of cruise options for passengers. Smaller, tourist-standard boats can navigate narrow tributaries of the Rio Negro and Amazon River to take you deep into the forest. These quieter tributaries are home to abundant aquatic life such as river dolphins, giant otters, piranha and catfish. Among the trees, you'll spot sloths and primates such as tamarins and squirrel monkeys, as well as birds such as herons, kingfishers, parrots, macaws, oropendolas, kiskadees and anis. Green verdant lushness descends to the river's edge while the crowns of giant ceiba and ficus trees tower above the canopy. As time and budget allow, your cruise might include jungle walks, piranha fishing, boat rides to giant water lilies and visits to caboclo villages.
• Prices start around £595 for three days and two nights, +55 92 3656 1246, amazonclipper.com.br
Opera in the Amazon
Built at the height of the rubber boom, in the late 19th century, when Manaus was a byword for luxury, the Manaus Opera House (Teatro Amazonas) gives you an inkling of that glorious past. Once slated for demolition, the newly restored gold-domed edifice is on a par with any of its European counterparts. With the wealth of the time, and high ambitions of the rubber barons, no expense was spared in its construction. Marble from Italy, ironwork from Glasgow and 198 chandeliers of Murano glass make the theatre a must-see. For the World Cup, the theatre is offering several new performances including recitals, rock concerts and art exhibitions.
• Praça São Sebastião, within walking distance of the city centre, +55 92 3622 1880. Open every day except Sun, 9am-5pm. Admission $6 (£3.60). Guided tours available from £6, cultura.am.gov.br
Rubber plantation museum
The splendour of Manaus's past was built on the backs of slaves – local Indians who were indentured to work on the rubber estates. Perhaps the best way to acknowledge that reality is with a visit to the Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso. Restored from an original rubber plantation, the museum displays the conditions endured by rubber tappers. Exhibits include a replica of the store that was run by the plantation owner. Here, the workers bought goods such as manioc flour, salt and fish with their meagre pay. You learn about the back-breaking work from practical demonstrations, including tapping a rubber tree for its latex. Another demonstration shows how raw latex was heated over a fire to coagulate the sap into the huge rubber balls that were processed to manufacture familiar products such as tyres and condoms.
• Igarape Sao Joao, Taruma. A 20-minute boat ride (R$7(£1.90)) from Marina Daví near the Hotel Tropical. Admission is £1.30. Open daily 8am-4pm (except Mon)
Meeting of waters
Manaus sits at the confluence of two of the world's greatest rivers. The Rio Negro – with waters the colour of black coffee – flows south into the main stream of the Amazon (or Solimões), which is like coffee with cream. At the Meeting of Waters (Encontro das Águas), the two rivers merge in swirls of curlicues, spirals and whirlpools. The waters don't blend completely for another 6km downstream. The phenomenon is caused by differences in the speed of the currents and water properties. Freshwater dolphins are sometimes seen in the vicinity.
• Most Manaus tour operators offer a short trip, lasting half a day, +55 92 2123 4777, amazonexplorers.com.br. From £69pp, prices include transport, lunch and a guide
INPA science centre
If your budget or schedule can't accommodate a jungle tour, you can get the next best thing at the Brazilian National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) centre in Manaus. A short taxi ride from Manaus city centre, the grounds cover 13 hectares, including a botanical garden and park with labelled trees and plants, such as ceiba (kapok) trees, ficus and various medicinal shrubs and vines. Glass-walled tanks house manatees, otters, turtles, caiman, and a variety of fish such as armoured catfish. Other aquatic creatures on show include the electric eel and freshwater rays. Macaws flutter among the vegetation while sakis, tamarins and squirrel monkeys caper through the treetops. You might spot other wildlife, such as sloths and agoutis (a type of large rodent) roaming free. An elevated walkway allows visitors access to the lower canopy, home to small reptiles, frogs and epiphytes such as orchids and bromeliads. The Casa da Ciência offers a scientific background to Amazon ecology, including the threats facing the rainforest such as illegal lumber, mining, dams and urban sprawl. Most signage includes English translations.
• Avenida André Araújo, +55 92 3643 3192, bosque.inpa.gov.br. Admission is £1.30, free for children under 10 and seniors. Open Tue-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat- Sun and holidays 9am-4pm
Land of Waterfalls
If you want R&R away from the dust and heat of the city, you can't go wrong with a couple of days exploring the waterfalls near the small town of Presidente Figueiredo, the "Land of Waterfalls" (Terra de Cachoeiras). Two main waterfalls beckon the visitor: around 16km from Presidente Figueiredo, the Urubui River flows over Sanctuary Waterfalls. The surrounding vegetation and moss-covered rocks lend a fairytale atmosphere. At Iracema Waterfalls, enjoy a relaxing swim in the pools below the cascading water. The area also has several caves, notably the Maroaga cave, with a 30m-high entrance, which home to bats and lizards, as well as cave insects.
• Day trips from £100, +55 92 8831-1011, amazonecoadventures.com. Alternatively, take a two-hour bus ride to Presidente Figueiredo (£5.40) and stay at Pousada Aldeia MariMari which offers camping or hammock space for £6.70, or a room for £27, +55 92 9409 2923, pousadaaldeiamarimari.com
Anavilhanas archipelago
Like a giant Harry Potter maze on acid, the Anavilhanas Archipelago comprises about 400 islands among the labyrinthine twists and turns of the dark Negro River. About three hours' boat or bus ride northwest of Manaus, the best way to see the area is overnight at one of several lodges, or on a live-aboard riverboat. The black waters of the Negro are less mosquito-infested than other areas, while you can expect to see abundant birdlife, including parrots, hummingbirds and owls. Birders will be keen to look for area specialities such as the white-winged potoo, pompadour cotinga and a variety of antbirds. Wildlife fans will enjoy encounters with caiman and pink dolphins and, if you are lucky, manatees.
• Take a bus to Novo Airão (£9.40) leaving from Rodoviária bus station. Stay at Pousada Bela Vista, from £48 per night for a double room with views of the river. Here you can book a jungle tour with a local guide, +55 92 3365 1023, pousada-belavista.com
Bird's eye view
On a day-trip from Manaus, you can revisit your childhood by climbing 30m up a giant ceiba tree to explore the mysterious rainforest canopy up close. Here you'll see epiphytic plants unable to grow in the darker layers below, such as orchids, bromeliads and peperomias. Experienced guides "show you the ropes" as you sedately ascend into a strange world. Your low-key, minimal impact mode of travel is less disturbing to wildlife, increasing the chance of encounters with rarely seen creatures. At 30m, the mid-canopy zone is where the jungle action is, and you are likely to see woodpeckers, morpho butterflies and howler or capuchin monkeys.
• Day trip close to Manaus from £99, and you can combine a tree-climbing trip with a jungle survival course., +55 92 9245 3669, tropicaltreeclimbing.com
Life's a beach
The Ponte Negra area has sands to rival any ocean beach, and this is where Manaus locals come to socialise, listen to live music and watch the boi bumba folk dancing. Beach vendors sell take-away snacks, such as tacacá (manioc juice soup with shrimp), pamonha (mashed boiled corn wrapped in corn leaves, or tapiocas (manioc flour tortillas stuffed with nuts). For dessert, try an ice-cream made of fruit such as cupuaçú, açai or camu-camu, or rala-rala (flavoured shaved ice) as you watch the sun go down. Along the promenade, street musicians compete for attention, blaring passers-by with the local forró music. The water is a bit muddy and not ideal for swimming, but it's fun to paddle in for a while, and piranhas are nowhere to be found. The beach is best when the river level is low, usually from July to December.
• 14 km west of the city centre, a taxi ride is around £13. Among the best known nightclubs is Porão do Alemão (Estrada da Ponta Negra 1986, +55 92 3239 2976, poraodoalemao.com.br)
• Roger Harris is the author of The Amazon and Amazon Highlights, published by Bradt Travel Guide
