Exploring the Brazilian Amazon on the Riverboat Tucano
When the call of the wild comes to you, what do you envision? Are you a hardcore adventurer that wants to go to the woods and sleep in a hammock with arachnids running amok? Or are you like me, where you want a bug-free comfortable bed, delicious food, and a crew of expert locals to help you maneuver a wild environment?
If you’re like me, exploring the Brazilian Amazon on a charming riverboat would be the perfect way to visit the greatest wilderness on Earth.
I arrived in Manaus the day before my 6-night river cruise on the Tucano. This industrial Amazonian metropolis is home to around 2 million and is a bit rough around the edges. However, in the historic city center there is old-world charm anchored around the stunning Teatro Amazonas. Built in the late 1800s this rose-colored theater is a glimmering jewel that harkens back to Brazil’s rubber boom.
I stayed at the Juma Opera, a recently renovated gorgeous hotel with an amazing location across the street from the opera house. I happily sipped on a sunset caipirinha in the rooftop pool and listened to macaws squawk as the light sparkled on the blue and green tiled dome of the famed theater. The restaurant was a fantastic spot for people watching—from gussied up locals on a date night, to wayward travelers sharing adventurous tales. After a great night’s sleep, Juma Opera’s breakfast spread in the morning was heavenly. In my opinion, Brazilian breakfast buffets are some of the best in the world. Featuring pão de queijo or cheese puffs and baked goods galore; but it’s the array of fresh local fruit that puts them in a class of their own.
I met my fellow shipmates on the front terrace as we had a round of hellos in the early morning light. I have never been a “cruise person” but smaller ships seem to attract avid travelers and nature enthusiasts. Everyone was super nice. We had a 30-minute private bus ride to the marina where the Tucano awaited us in the Rio Negro. We were all giddy to board the handsome three storied wooden ship that resembles river vessels from 100 years ago.
We gathered in the delightful walnut-brown dining room with floor to ceiling windows and got a rundown of safety protocols and the activities to come. Our charismatic local guides were named Alex and Osmar. They both grew up in remote areas of the rainforest and have decades of experience as Amazon guides between them. Our schedule was action packed – wake at dawn, have an option to kayak or explore by launch (little motored boat) in the morning, followed by breakfast, then a jungle walk, eat lunch, have an afternoon break, go for a sunset launch tour, then dinner, finished with a night launch excursion.
I went to unpack and get myself situated in my lovely cabin. The Tucano is not a “modern luxury” vessel, but it is certainly first class, well taken care of, and has an aesthetically pleasing vintage appeal. Despite its classic riverboat design, the Tucano features fabulous air-conditioning, and solar energy systems that provide up to 25% of its energy. In 2018, it was named the most sustainable vessel in Latin America by the Latin America Travel Association.
As we embarked on the tea-colored waters, leaving civilization behind, I sent a couple of texts to family. I couldn’t remember the last time I wasn’t reachable by phone for 6 days straight!
We went out on the launches in the afternoon for our first sweaty wildlife sighting attempt. The Rio Negro is the largest blackwater river in the world, and it boasts an enormous amount of diversity. However, the density of wildlife is not as abundant as the leaves and the trees, so being patient as an ecological hunter here is key. We spotted some macaws and went back to the Tucano to relax.
For our sunset launch excursion, we went into the flooded forest. I sat behind Alex as he expertly paddled and at times hacked into the tangle of vines with a machete. We saw tiny long-nosed bats, massive enchanting blue butterflies, and bright green parrots. This was as up-close and intimate as one could get in this lush and untamed environment.
After an extremely delicious and abundant dinner buffet (hats off to the chef Dione and helper Vanuza) we went to the open-air top deck and had an inaugural cheers with a couple of bottles of wine that Osmar opened up for us. We chatted with the guides about what we hoped to see. I put it out into the universe that I wanted a high sloth/ low spider viewing adventure if at all possible.
Osmar regaled me with stories of his youth, where he felt like he had been living with olhos tapados (eyes closed) before going to study in Manaus. After school he joined the military and then started working as a guide. He even spent some time on documentary crews with National Graphic and alongside the Sir David Attenborough. Not too shabby of a resume for an Amazon expert!
In the morning, after a 5:30 a.m. wake up, the jungle was jostling to life in the sunrise. I sleepily clambered into a kayak. Osmar led me and 2 other families of 3 out on the calm waters. The morning took a turn when we went “adventuring” as Osmar called it into the flooded forest. It was challenging, trying to paddle through the vines while dodging dew-covered spider webs. But it was definitely worthwhile! From seeing scarlet macaws and toucans, to a troop of squirrel monkeys, early morning kayaking immediately became my favorite way to connect with this magical forest.
I had a quick rinse and a hearty, scrumptious breakfast of purple potatoes, tapioca pancakes, fried sweet plantains, eggs, ham, cheese and glorious fresh-baked corn cake. As I was digesting, the Tucano passed a chonker of a Brazilian porcupine in the trees on the river’s edge. It was adorable and looked almost pettable, as if the spines were shiny fur or feathers.
For the jungle walk, we donned gear that looked like cricket shin guards to protect us from possible snakes or thorns. Alex pointed out the different ferns and plants as a strange siren filled the air – the raucous call of a small bird named screaming piha. The tapestry of this forest enveloped us as we quietly trudged along, my clothing clinging to me as the sweltering heat of the day really set in. We stopped to check out a bullet ant colony – a distinctive pocket at the base of a tree. These suckers are enormous, and you want to tread lightly around their habitat as their stings are extremely painful.
After the jungle walk, we climbed back into our trusty forest green launch and motored back to the Tucano. Alex produced a cooler and passed out washcloths that had been rolled up, soaked in water and then frozen. It was like an ice cream surprise on the Fourth of July, the childlike joy I felt to press that cold cloth on my face, neck and wrists was simply divine.
Dinner was another mouth-watering meal of fresh white fish, stewed chicken and fresh veggies all infused with homecooked goodness. The Tucano’s Brazilian buffets reminded me of southern cooking or soul food. I proceeded to stuff myself silly.
We once again set out on the launches to explore the jungle at night. Osmar is an expert at finding snakes with his spotlight, even though he fears anacondas from his time in the military where his friend lost his leg to one of these dangerous predators. We didn’t see any anacondas, but we were lucky enough to see a few boas in their natural habitat hunting in the darkness. We also spotted a couple of crazy birds – a hoatzin (a prehistoric turkey creature with claws on its wings) and a nocturnal nightjar (a fluffy, cute yet creepy black-eyed thing).
I decided after that first night’s outing not to sit in the front where the branches bowed, and spiders dangled in ways I was less than enthused about.
When I returned to my room to shower again, I found an unwanted stowaway of a spider with her eggs on my clothes. Luckily Alex was passing in the hallway and helped get the 8-legged mama and her babies off to safety and not where I would be sleeping.
The next days passed in a state of hypnotic wonder. There are so few chances nowadays to truly unplug from the constant flood of online information. There’s nothing like living in the moment while traveling!
I will never forget kayaking at dawn with the haunting sound of howler monkeys off in the distance. Wandering through the forest and tasting “latex milk” that was sweet and earthy, with a bit of flower blossom at the finish. Climbing vines and feeling like Indiana Jones. Waking up from a nap to a double rainbow and pink river dolphins making funny sounds with their blowholes! We fished, caught and ate piranha. It was surprisingly delicious, but still made me feel like I was eating a small scaley Dracula. We saw so many sloths I lost count. It was my personal cherry on top and definitely made the close encounters of the arthropod kind worth it.
On the sixth and final evening, as we made our way back to Manaus, civilization seemed harsh and invasive. After days in the extensive nature, we had only passed three other boats. Aside from the two times we stopped to meet with some settlers and see their small farms, we hadn’t been around other people, just us on board the Tucano in the vast forest. We were in our own little world of observation and learning; all while being extremely well fed and looked after by the superb crew.
We went to the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro’s blackwaters tinted by decayed leaf and plants join with the light brown sediment-laden Amazon River. I had the Talking Heads version of “Take Me to the River” on a loop in my head, feeling nostalgic already for the ethereal jungle.
Discovering the Amazon from the Tucano was adventure at its finest. My only regret is that I wasn’t there with a loved one. Not to say that my shipmates weren’t amazing companions. I cherished my time with them! But a truly exceptional experience like this would be next level spectacular if you could charter the Tucano and share it with family and friends. One in ten known species in the world lives in the Amazon rainforest. I feel like I just scraped the tip of the iceberg with this visit. It is a miraculous mystery of a place that I would return to in a heartbeat. Perhaps a family trip is on the horizon?
Check out the Tucano cruise here. If you’d like to explore the Brazilian Amazon and stay in luxury on land, Vaya highly recommends Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge.