Brazil

Days 1 – 2

FLY TO MANAUS

Our birdwatching and wildlife holiday begins with an overnight flight to Sao Paulo, followed by an internal flight to the Amazonian city of Manaus, where we arrive on the afternoon of day 2.

We will make the short journey to our hotel where our Brazilian-based guide Regina Ribeiro will be waiting to meet us.  If flight schedules allow, there will be a short (and entirely optional) trip to a remnant forest patch not far from our hotel where we will look our first birds, primates, and other wildlife of our trip.  This site is one of the best we know for the highly localised Pied Tamarin and locating this critically endangered monkey will be our major priority for the afternoon. Golden-faced Saki is also present, and we could also find a couple of species of sloths as well as Red-rumped Agoutis.

Although only a matter of acres in size and surrounded by the city of Manaus on three sides and the mighty Rio Negro on the other, this small fragment of habitat is also home to some great birds and will be a fantastic introduction to some of the species we can expect to see over the next couple of weeks.  The possibilities include Little Chachalaca, White-throated Toucan, Black-necked Aracari, White-eyed Parakeet, Black Nunbird and Yellow-rumped Cacique.  Night Manaus

 Day 3

MANAUS, CANOPY TOWER AND SOLIMOES RIVER

We will make an early start to ensure we are at an excellent canopy tower on the outskirts of Manaus shortly after dawn.  We have previously seen both Guianan Red Howler and Pied Tamarin here and other primate possibilities include Golden-faced Saki, Guianan (Brown-backed) Bearded Saki and Guianan Brown Capuchin.  This tower is also excellent for birds, and we could find Black-spotted Barbet, Guianan Toucanet, Scarlet Macaw, Flame-crested Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper and a host of other birds.

We plan to sail from Manaus by late morning, as we want to spend the late afternoon looking for Spix’s Black-headed Uacari.  If we are exceptionally fortunate, we could find Spix’s Night Monkey here with three individuals seen on our 2024 trip.

Day 4

ARIAU AND SOLIMOES RIVERS

During the morning, we plan to look for Golden-backed Squirrel Monkey and Humboldt’s White-fronted Capuchin and there is also a chance for Colombian Red Howler.

Our emphasis for the afternoon will be quite different, as we intend to visit a site where it should be possible to “swim” with Amazon (Pink) River Dolphins.  These are completely wild dolphins, and some have described the interaction as being as memorable as visits to the Grey Whales at Baja California or Mountain Gorillas in Africa!

Day 5

ANRA, “MEETING OF THE WATERS” AND AMAZON RIVER

Our morning excursion will be another opportunity to locate Golden-backed Squirrel Monkey and we could also find Gray’s Bald-faced Saki and Chestnut-bellied Titi here.  Three-toed (or Brown-throated) Sloths are also reasonably numerous.

There are a number of new bird possibilities which could include Hoatzin, Black-throated Mango and Red-and-white Spinetail.

By late morning, we will need to depart for the Madeira River, and we should have an opportunity to see the “meeting of the waters” where the Solimoes and Negro Rivers meet to form the mighty Amazon.  As we cruise downstream and dusk approaches, it is likely that a range of parrot species will fly overhead on the way to their night-time roosts, and these could include White-eyed Parakeet, Festive Amazon, and Chestnut-fronted Macaw.

Day 6

MADEIRA AND CANUMA RIVERS

We plan to wake early as our targets today are two very special primates, the Lake Baptista Titi and Golden-White Tassel-eared Marmoset, both of which are highly range-restricted.  Other primates that occur here include Spix’s White-fronted Capuchin and Gray’s Bald-faced Saki.

We also hope to find a few different parrot species which could include Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Short-tailed and Mealy Parrots as well as Tui and Golden-winged Parakeets.  There are a number of other interesting birds here too with one of the possibilities being the stunning Crimson-hooded Manakin.

Day 7

CANUMA RIVER

This will be our opportunity to look for the extremely elusive Sateré Marmoset, a species which was only described in 1998.  Another possibility is Ashy Titi, and we could also find Two-toed Sloth.

Depending on our success on our morning excursion, we may continue looking for Sateré Marmoset in the afternoon or begin our search for Maués Marmoset.

Day 8

PARACONI RIVER

This is another area for Maués Marmoset, with Hoffman’s Titi also being a possibility.  On our 2018 trip, we found a different species of titi which showed characteristics of the recently described Vieira’s Titi, but we are keen to get further views and photos.

We also hope to find Bald Parrot, Kawall’s Amazon, and Crimson-bellied Parakeet amongst a host of bird possibilities.

Day 9

MAUES AND PARAUARI RIVERS

We plan a birding excursion in the morning and then, whilst our crew purchase further supplies, may make a short visit to the town of Maués. This is often known as ‘Guaraná City’ as there are extensive plantations of the berry which are used to make the famous Brazilian soft drink.

In the afternoon we will begin the journey south to the Amana River and will use the excellent top deck to look for wildlife.  As we continue south, this will be our first opportunity to find the stunning Golden Parakeet.

Day 10

AMANA RIVER

We hope to find both Amazon Black Howler and Red-nosed Saki with another possibility being Gray’s Bald-faced Saki.

There are also some spectacular parrots here with our major target being Golden Parakeet which we saw exceptionally well here in 2018. Other potential species could include Vulturine and Bald Parrots, as well as White-crested Guan and White-tailed Cotinga.

Day 11

MAUES MIRIM AND CURACA RIVER

Our main target this morning will be the extremely localised Santarem (or Black-and-white Tassel-eared) Marmoset.  We plan to explore an area where we have previously had good success with this species and in 2024 watched two marmosets grooming each other for over an hour.

It is a long journey to our next destination, so we expect to leave by mid-morning.  There will be plenty of wildlife to look for and enjoy from the top deck as we travel with one of the possibilities being Toco Toucan.

Day 12

JURUTI VELHO, AMAZON AND TROMBETAS RIVERS

We plan to spend the morning looking for Collins’s Squirrel Monkey which is mainly found on the eastern side of the Tapajos River, however, there is a population in this area.  If we have not already seen Hoffman’s Titi, this will be our final opportunity to find this species and we had good success with both in 2024.

After a morning excursion, we will sail down the Amazon for a couple of hours before crossing to the northern side and heading up the Trombetas River.  In the late afternoon, we may start our search for Martin’s Bare-faced Tamarin.  Other mammalian possibilities here include Giant Otter.

Day 13

EREPECURU RIVER

During the night we will continue northwards and by dawn expect to be about 60kms from the mouth of the Erepecuru River.

We plan to spend the morning looking for Midas Tamarin, Guianan Squirrel Monkey, Red-faced Spider Monkey, Chestnut Weeper Capuchin, Guianan Red Howler and White-faced Saki.  Although tricky to find, the stunning Guianan Cock-of-the Rock is occasionally seen in the area.

During the heat of the day, we will head back downstream and, if we have not seen it already, will go in search of Guianan Bearded Saki in the late afternoon.

Day 14

TROMBETAS RIVER

We intend to spend the early morning looking for the extremely localised Martin’s Bare-faced Tamarin which we saw in both 2019 and 2024.  We also located a lek of the extraordinary Capuchinbird of one of our previous trips and will aim to visit this again if time allows.

Later in the day, we will begin the long journey to our final location, Alter do Chao.

Day 15

ALTER DO CHAO

Our reason for visiting this area is to look for Silvery Marmoset and Spix’s (Red-handed) Howler and we hope to find both before departing in the late afternoon for Santarém.  Another possible primate here is Red-bellied Titi and the birds could include Spot-backed Puffbird and Peach-fronted Parakeet.

Depending on our flight schedule, we may disembark in the late evening in the city of Santarem.

Day 16

DEPART SANTAREM. FLY TO UK

We will reluctantly disembark from Iracema and fly to Sao Paulo where we will connect with an overnight flight to the UK.

Day 17

ARRIVAL IN UK

Morning arrival in the UK, where our wildlife tour to Brazil concludes.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A 17-day wildlife holiday to the Brazilian Amazon with thirteen nights on the comfortable, but not luxurious, river boat, Iracema.

We will be spending much of our trip exploring remote regions well away from ‘civilisation’ with, for example, only occasional access to a mobile telephone signal !

Although focussing on seeing some of the region’s highly localised primates and parrots, this is nevertheless a general wildlife holiday and we can expect to see a fantastic range of birds and animals as well as cruising past many miles of rainforest.

Most of our excursions will be made using our vessel’s three motorised canoes, although on some days we will go ashore to search for our target species with gentle walks in the forest. At times, we may be in the canoes for 3-4 hours at a time but are usually able to find somewhere to land to stretch our legs or for a “comfort break”.

When we do occasionally offer longer walks, there will generally be a second option of a canoe ride for those who prefer this.

Boarding the motorised wooden canoes requires reasonable mobility but should not be a problem for average individuals. If in doubt, please contact us.

As with all wildlife tours to the tropics, be prepared for early starts, getting out in the field at daybreak, typically followed by a siesta during the hottest and least ‘birdy’ part of the day before venturing out again mid-late afternoon.

On some mornings, we are likely to have breakfast at approximately 05:30 but there will be other occasions when we go out for a couple of hours and then come back for breakfast, although there will invariably be coffee and cake available beforehand.

There is no compulsion to join the excursions and you may, of course, elect to stay onboard the main vessel at any time if you wish.

On some evenings, we will offer canoe rides after dinner to look for nocturnal birds and other wildlife. These trips may be for a couple of hours or so and occasionally longer.

There may periodically be the opportunity to go for a refreshing swim in the river and you will definitely want to bring some suitable clothes for our ‘swim’ with the river dolphins.

Birds and primates will be our primary focus on the tour but we will also enjoy looking for other mammals and an array of butterflies.

WEATHER

As Manaus is just three degrees south of the Equator, the climate is tropical with daytime temperatures typically reaching a high of about 31C (88F) in Manaus in April-May, although we generally back on Iracema from late morning until the middle of the afternoon.

To enable us to reach locations which are inaccessible during the dry season (when river levels are lower), our tour is scheduled at the end of the wet season, however, despite this we will probably only encounter occasional and sometimes heavy downpours with much of the rain likely to be during the night. Nevertheless, we would certainly recommend a poncho (to keep your gear dry) and an umbrella. Our experience is that “breathable” fabrics often do not work well in humid tropical conditions and your best option may actually be a cheaper plastic poncho, although please be mindful of the colour as we would ask all participants to bring subdued coloured clothing.

We would also recommend bringing some protection against the sun and a hat with a wide brim (to protect the back of your neck) is advisable.

INSECTS

Although mosquitos and other biting insects are present and you will need to check with your GP Practice about malaria, our experience is that for most people generally these types of insects are not a major problem in the locations where we will spend most of our time.

BIRDS

220-250 species

MAMMALS

20-30 species of primates and c.10 other species potentially including sloths, porcupine, bats and rodents.

ACCOMMODATION

Our vessel has cabins on two decks and an open but covered top deck which is great for wildlife watching. All decks are connected by a staircase which have handrails.

Each cabin is for two people with a private bathroom and air-conditioning, though this is only turned on at night for sleeping and during the heat of the day if we are travelling between locations. The private bathrooms have a sink, toilet and cool-water shower (the water is not heated but it is lukewarm and refreshing). There are also reading lights by each bed.

The cabins have comfortable bunk beds with a ladder to access the top bunk. There is also a cupboard in each cabin to store your possessions.

The main deck has eight of the cabins, the second deck has the other four passenger cabins, plus the bar/dining saloon/lounge and a small library.

A limited laundry service is available onboard although everything has to be line dried so there are no guarantees how long this will take. We suggest that ideally you bring enough clothes for most of the trip. You can wash small items yourself and hang them on the top deck where there is usually a breeze or ask one of the crew to wash items for you. There are no set rates for the laundry service but they will certainly appreciate a tip for their efforts !

For our night in Manaus, we stay in a good quality tourist hotel where all rooms have private facilities.

MEALS

All main meals (and drinking water provided during the day) are included in the tour price, commencing with dinner at our hotel in Manaus on Day 2 and concluding with breakfast on Day 16 prior to disembarking Iracema and our flight home.

Meals on Iracema are buffet-style and usually comprise a tasty range of meat, fish and vegetarian options for lunch and dinner. Due to the remoteness of our trip, we are unable to cater for very specific dietary requirements but vegetarians, for example, should have no major problems.

Mineral water is available from a series of coolers and we would encourage you to bring a suitable water bottle to fill this up.

There is a modest bar aboard which sells a range of alcoholic and soft drinks. This is run on a ‘chit system’ and you can pay in cash (US dollars or Brazilian Reals) or by credit card at the end of the trip.

WALKING

Most of our excursions will be in Iracema’s three motorised canoes and we may not land on all excursions. Where we do, walks are taken at a gentle pace. Most of the trails we are likely to be following are on relatively flat terrain.

Comfortable shoes or sandals should be fine when we are aboard Iracema but we would strongly recommend bringing some wellington boots for our walks as it can be muddy stepping from the canoe onto the shore and in the forest, with the possibility of occasionally having to stand in shallow water/mud to get in and out of the canoes.

TRAVEL

Despite the end of many pandemic restrictions, it is still proving extremely difficult to predict future flight prices and schedules. As a result, we have taken the decision to continue to price our holidays as excluding international flights.

To keep the process as simple as possible, we are working very closely with a dedicated agent at Travel Counsellors, Sacha Barbato, who is essentially now our “in house” flight consultant.

Sacha will be able to advise you which flights we are recommending for each holiday, and he will be able to book these for you.

This will also sometimes give you the option to travel from a regional airport if you prefer.

GROUND TRANSPORT

We will travel by private air-conditioned minibus between Manaus airport and our hotel and then when we disembark for the slightly longer ride to Santarem airport at the end of the trip. When on our cruise, almost all excursions will be by canoe will start with a canoe ride.

The canoes are open, with wooden bench seats, on which two participants will sit. Cushions are available onboard. The seats have back support.

• Amazon Primates and Parrots Systematic List 2019
• Amazon Primates and Parrots Systematic List 2018