The Uakari Lodge is composed by seven floating structures made out of wood and covered with thatch. These structure float because were built on floating timber. They are all connected through floating runways. The Lodge was designed for minimum environmental impact, with appropriate technologies such as rainwater collection, solar power for lighting and water heating, and a sewage filtration system. The lodge has only 10 apartments with bathrooms and the capacity to accommodate in total 20 people at a time. The lodge also has a central floating structure with reception area, restaurant, bar, TV room, library and conference room. We also have laundry services.
Accomodations
The lodge has 10 comfortable, simple and ample (25m²) apartments. Each one has its own terrace, bathroom and two single king size beds. The apartments’ windows have nets and the roofs are covered with thatch. All apartments have a view to the forest from the terrace.
Food and drinks
The lodge offers three meals a day. The menu was created from Brazilian cuisine, focusing on products and dishes that are typical from the Amazon, with a lot of fresh fish, regional fruit and juices (we do not serve red meat). The bar offers national and foreign wines, caipirinhas, beer and soda (not included).
Infrastructure
The Uakari lodge has transport infrastructure with speedboats, motorized and regional canoes. The 40 hp engine speedboats are used in the transfer from Tefé to the lodge, and are covered and can take six people at a time. (Please beware that you should only bring a maximum of a 15 kg baggage item). Leisure infrastructure is composed of interpretation and observation trails, and also a structure built inside the forest for photographing and observing animals. There is also a VHF radio communication system (there is no telephone). You can charge your batteries only a few hours a day, so please bring extra ones.
Team
The lodge has a team of permanent workers – the manager, leisure, maintenance and food and drink supervisors, and the naturalist guide. Also, cooks, chambermaids, waiters and local guides work in temporary basis in a rotation system. All members of the Lodge’s team are local people – apart from the naturalist bilingual guide.
The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve had been the first unit of conservation this category implemented in Brazil.Location: The Reserve Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve is located in the Amazon Region known as the Middle Solimões, at the confluence of the rivers Japurá and Solimões, the State of Amazonas, northern Brazil. It is the largest reserve made exclusively to protect the Amazonian floodplain. Because the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve is a flooded area of international importance, it is one of Brazilian sites covered by the United Nations Ramsar Convention, which protects floodable areas all over the world.
CHARACTERISTICS
The season flooding of the river Solimões causes a rise in the water level of 10 to 12 meters from the dry to the flooded season each year. The movement of the water is caused by rains in the river springs of region associated with the annual defrosting of the Andean ice caps. The floods, with the resulting annual sediment deposition, define the floodplain geomorphology, its fauna and flora, its biogeography and even patterns of human occupation. The flood brings a large amount of sediments from the Andean slopes with a high concentration of nutrients. This is the main cause of the huge productivity in Amazonian floodplain, observed in both aquatic and terrestrial system. The fauna observed in environments within Mamirauá is highly endemic. On the one hand, the harsh conditions imposed by prolonged floods every year limit number of species able to survive such drastic conditions. On the other hand, in the course of time, they allow the emergence of unique adaptations that may define speciation and endemism in that environment. The present human occupation in the Reserve exists since beginning of the twenty century. Nowadays the local populations are basically result of the interbreeding among people, they are called Ribeirinhos.
THE BIRTH OF MAMIRAUÁ RESERVE:
1983 – The biologist Márcio Ayres starts the socio-ecological studies on the white-uakari. 1984 – Proposal for the creation of the Mamirauá Ecologic Station is presented to the government. 1990 - State of Amazonas decrees Mamirauá Ecological Station with an area of 1.124.000 hectares. 1992 – Mamirauá Civil Society is created by researchers of WCS, Goeldi Museum and INPA. 1996 – The State of Amazonas creates a new category of protected area – the Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR) and Mamirauá is the first under the new legislation.
In 2003, the Mamirauá Reserve won the Best Ecotourism destination Award granted by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. In that same year, it received the prize for Sustainable Tourism in the category conservation granted by Smithsonian Magazine and USTOA Conservation Traveler’s Foundation.
3 days 3 nights program - Friday to Monday
First day: Friday
At 14:20 am the TRIP flights company to get to Tefé and then the visitors will be received for the Sales and Marketing Manager at the Tefé’s airport. Around 10 minutes (by car) far away the airport is the “Flutuante do Areia Branca” where will be start the journey to Mamirauá Reserve. The trip to the Reserve is made by boat and takes about one and a half hour. In the way you can enjoy the breeze and the magic scenery also you will be to see the little boat across to the river. You might even be able to spot wildlife, such as pink dolphins (Inia geofrensis) at Tefé Lake and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Solimões River during the trip until the lodge. You will be welcomed for our staff at the lodge. There will always be an English-speaking person at the lodge. Our staff will give you rapid recommendations and explanations on the running of the lodge (meal times, solar power, water, no swimming, etc) and you will be asked to fill in the visitor’s registration form. At this time you will be able to meet all the employees responsible for making an excellent stay. The Naturalist guide will accompany you in some activities and all outings have to be accompanied by a local guide. You must listen to their recommendations at all times specially those regarding your own safety. The lunch will always be served between 12:30pm and 13:30pm. The outings in the afternoon are starting at 15:30 when the climate is not so hot. At 15:30 you will be ready to go on a walk (dry season) in one of the trails. You will be taken with your whole group to do an Interpretative Trail. The naturalist and the local guide, joining scientific and traditional knowledge will help you to interpret the varzea’s environment (flooded forest). In this first hiking, eight points strategically chosen are classified and explained for them. Whole the “Flooded season” you will make a trip by large canoe among channels and lakes into forest bring together all guests’ group. The local guides don’t speak English fluently. During the flood (May-July) all trails will be done in a small paddle canoe (your guide will paddle you through the trail). The dinner will be served around 19:30. After dinner you will watch a BBC documentary about Mamirauá Reserve.
Second day: Saturday The animals wake up with the sunrise and to maximize the wild life view you must also to wake up early to visit the trails. The break fast is served at 06:30am and at 07:00am the activities start. Another trail will be made, on foot or by canoe, in the new scenery chosen to observe the nature. Our trails are designed not to be physically straining and most of them can be walked in three hours at the longest. In the flooded season (May- Ago) the jungle trip will made by canoe as the level of river vary around 12 meters during the “Rainy season”. At 15:30 you are invited for the researchers that are working in the ecotourism area to participate of their field works complementing the technical information in the presentation. If you prefer you can go to another wildlife viewing. After the dinner, you will be ready to do a night tour (on foot or by small canoe) with high chances to see the nocturnal fauna, as tarantula spiders, opossum (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum), two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) and brown throated three toated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), amazon bamboo rats (Dactylomys dactylinus), bats (Rhynchonycteris naso and Noctilio leporinus), etc. This activity is short and spends around 40 minutes.
Third day: Sunday If you choose to visit a local village, the morning is the time to do it. The Ecotourism program has had plenty of discussion with the local communities about those visits and agreed an informal itinerary with a series of attractions they would like to show and talk about. A person from the community will meet your group and show you around (please see the detailed information sheet about village visits). Depending on the village, you might have the opportunity to buy locally produced handicrafts - take small change with you. If you don’t wish to visit the local community there is possibility to do another trip together with your the local guide. In this afternoon you will be taken on a motorised canoe to Mamirauá Lake, a beautiful lake inside the total preservation area of the Reserve. At the lake you will probably have memorable encounters with pink river dolphins (Inia geofrensis), hoatzins (Opistochomus hoazin) and perhaps the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) fish. You will stay there until the sunset and on your way back you will spot black caimans (Melanoschus niger), bats (Rhynchonycteris naso and Noctilio leporinus), night birds… The Dinner is at 20:00 so you will have the opportunity to hear a talk about the ecosystem and about the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute – its work, its research, etc. The naturalist guide will do the Mamirauá presentation at 20:30.
Fourth day: Monday The departure of Lodge will be at 08:00am on Monday.After the breakfast you are be ready to return to Tefé. But before leaving, we would be grateful if you could fill in the assessment’s form. It is very important for us to know your thoughts about the trip; in this way we can always improve our services. When you came back to Tefé, the Sales and Marketing Manager will be waiting for you in Tefé’s port together with the driver taxi. Both accompany you until the airport around to do your drop off at 10:40am.
4 days 4 nights program - Monday to Friday
First day: Monday At 12:00 pm the TRIP flight company arrives at Tefé, the visitors will be received for the Sales and Marketing Manager at the Tefé’s airport. Around 10 minutes (by car) far away the airport is the “Flutuante do Areia Branca” where will be start the journey to Mamirauá Reserve. The trip to the Reserve is made by speedboat and it takes about one and an half hour. In the way you can enjoy the breeze and the magic scenery also you will be to see the little boat across to the river. You might even be able to spot wildlife, such as pink dolphins (Inia geofrensis) at Tefé Lake and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Solimões River during the trip until the lodge. You will be welcomed for our staff at the lodge. There will always be an English-speaking person at the lodge. Our staff will give you rapid recommendations and explanations on the running of the lodge (meal times, solar power, water, no swimming, etc) and you will be asked to fill in the visitor’s registration form. At this time you will be able to meet all the employees responsible for making an excellent stay. The Naturalist guide will accompany you in some activities and all outings have to be accompanied by a local guide. You must listen to their recommendations at all times specially those regarding your own safety. To enjoy your first morning at the Reserve you will make a short trip by canoe. The outings in the afternoon are starting at 15:30 when the climate is not so hot. At 15:30 you will be ready to go on a walk (dry season) in one of the trails. You will be taken with your whole group to do an Interpretative Trail. The naturalist and the local guide, joining scientific and traditional knowledge will help you to interpret the varzea’s environment (flooded forest). In this first hiking, eight points strategically chosen are classified and explained for them. Whole the “Flooded season” you will make a trip by large canoe among channels and lakes into forest bring together all guests’ group. The local guides don’t speak English fluently. During the flood (May-July) all trails will be done in a small paddle canoe (your guide will paddle you through the trail). After the dinner, you will have the opportunity to hear and talk about the ecosystem and about the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute – its work, its research, etc. The naturalist guide will do the presentation at 20:30.
Second day: Tuesday The animals wake up with the sunrise and to maximize wildlife viewing you must also to wake up early to visit the trails. But if you choose to visit a local village, this morning is the time to do it. The Ecotourism program has had plenty of discussion with the local communities about those visits and agreed an informal itinerary with a series of attractions they would like to show and talk about. A person from the community will meet your group and show you around (please see the detailed information sheet about village visits). Depending on the village, you might have the opportunity to buy locally produced handicrafts - take small change with you. If you choose not to visit a village you can go for another tour with your local guide. After lunch, you can rest in a hammock, watch a video about researches done at Mamirauá or an award-winning BBC documentary on Mamirauá, read a book, or just chat as the outings will only be carried out when the sun goes down a little. In the afternoon you will go to hiking or canoe tour, always exploring a different region of the reserve. The dinner will be served around 19:30. After dinner you can watch a video about the flooded forest or just to hear the song of animal night in your room and to relax to next day.
Third day: Wednesday A new and different trail will be the scenery chosen to view the wildlife into the jungle. Our trails are designed not to be physically straining and most of them can be walked in three hours at the longest. During the flood (May-July) all trails will be done in a small paddle canoe (your guide will paddle you through the trail). In this afternoon you will be taken on a motorized canoe to Mamirauá Lake, a beautiful lake inside the total preservation area of the Reserve. At the lake you will probably have memorable encounters with pink river dolphins (Inia geofrensis), hoatzins (Opistochomus hoazin) and perhaps the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) fish. You will stay there until the sunset and on your way back you will spot black caimans (Melanoschus niger), bats (Rhynchonycteris naso and Noctilio leporinus), night birds. The Dinner is at 20:00. So you can enjoy this night to talk to the staff or to see another kind of documentary.
Fourth Day: Thursday The animals wake up with the sunrise and to maximize the wild life view you must also to wake up early to visit the trails. The break fast is served at 06:30am and at 07:00am the activities start. Another trail will be made, on foot or by canoe, in the new scenery chosen to observe the nature. If you prefer you can practise a traditional fish or piranha fishing. This activity is a means of survive belong the local communists and it is transferred from generation to generation. The local resident will learn you with his ability to fish with harpoon and the handling with bait and long line too. In the afternoon you have a choice to accompany a researcher’s team and participate of their field works and supplementing the technical information given last night. Or if you prefer, you can go to another wildlife viewing tour, travelling around the landscapes, channels and lakes system that compose part of the varzea’s ecosystem. After the dinner be ready to do a night tour (on foot or by small canoe) with high chances to see the nocturnal fauna, as tarantula spiders, opossum (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum), two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) and brown throated three toated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), amazon bamboo rats (Dactylomys dactylinus), bats (Rhynchonycteris naso and Noctilio leporinus), etc. This trail is short and spends around 40 minutes.
Fifth Day: Friday Now, you are more used to the forest, if you are really quiet and set out early enough, you might see even more wildlife like capuchin monkeys (Cebus paella), howlers (Alouatta seniculus), uakaris (Cacajao calvus calvus) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus and Saimiri vanzolinii), three toed sloths (Bradypus variegates), hoatzins (Opistochomus hoazin), etc. Another trail will be made in this last morning. The departure of Lodge will be after the breakfast around 08:00 am on Friday. Before leaving, we would be grateful if you could fill in the evaluation form. It is very important for us to know your thoughts about the trip; in this way we can always improve our services. The flight from Tefé to Manaus leaves at 12:10 pm, so when you come back to Tefé, our Sales and Marketing Manager will be bring together a driver taxi who will take your baggage and takes you at the Tefé’s airport.
7 days 7 nights program
This is a special package for people who have more time and want enjoy a little more of the amazon-flooded forest. You’re going to do longer hiking and canoes tour that you have the opportunity to view the fauna and longer interaction with the communities. This longer package was developed for people who don’t care with the discomfort of the forest like the heat, mosquitoes and for people wish to know deeply the wonders of the forest. It starts on Friday (together with 3 days package) or on Monday (together with 4 days package), this way the package 7 days will have the sequence of activities according with the respective packages. Look the example below the 7 days package started on Friday:
First day: Friday At 14:20pm the TRIP flight company arrives at Tefé, the visitors will be received for the Sales and Marketing Manager at the Tefé’s airport. Usually there is a fast crossing in the Ecotourism office to make payments of the some tourists, at this moment, is possible to go to the Mamirauá store to have a look. The trip takes about one and half hour by speedboat to the Uakari Lodge. You may enjoy the breeze and the magic scenery. You might even be able to spot wildlife, such as pink dolphins (Inia geofrensis) at Tefé Lake and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Amazonas River. Between 15:00 and 15:30 you will arrive at the Uakari Lodge where our staff will be waiting for you. There will always be an English-speaking person who will give you rapid recommendations and explanations on the running of the lodge (meal times, solar power, water, no swimming, etc) and you will be asked to fill in the visitors registration form. At this time you will be able to meet all the employees responsible for making an excellent stay. The Naturalist guide will accompany you in the some activities and all outings have to be accompanied by a local guide. You must listen to their recommendations at all times specially those regarding your own safety. At 16:00 you will be ready to go on a walk (dry season) in one of the trails. You will be taken with your whole group to do an Interpretative Trail. The naturalist and the local guide, joining scientific and traditional knowledge will help you to interpret the varzea’s environment (flooded forest). In this first hiking, eight points strategically chosen are classified and explained for them. Whole the Flooded season you will make a trip by large canoe among channels and lakes into forest bring together all guests’ group. The local guides don’t speak English fluently. During the flood (May-July) all trails will be done in a small paddle canoe (your guide will paddle you through the trail). The dinner will be served around 19:30. After dinner you can watch a video about the flooded forest or just to hear the song of animal night in your room and to relax to next day.
Second day: Saturday The animals wake up with the sunrise and to maximize wildlife viewing you must also to wake up early to visit the trails. But if you choose to visit a local village, this morning is the time to do it. The Ecotourism program has had plenty of discussion with the local communities about those visits and agreed an informal itinerary with a series of attractions they would like to show and talk about. A person from the community will meet your group and show you around (please see the detailed information sheet about village visits). Depending on the village, you might have the opportunity to buy locally produced handicrafts - take small change with you. If you choose not to visit a village you can go for another tour with your local guide. In the afternoon you can practice a traditional fish or piranha fishing. This activity is a means of survive belong the local communists and it is transferred from generation to generation. The local resident will learn you with his ability to fish with harpoon and the handling with bait and long line too. After the dinner, you will have the opportunity to hear and talk about the ecosystem and about the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute – its work, its research, etc. The naturalist guide will do the presentation at 20:30.
Third day: Sunday The breakfast is served at 06:30am and at 07:00am the activities start. In this first morning you will be ready to go on a walk (dry season) in one of the trails. You will be taken with your whole group to do an Interpretative Trail. The naturalist and the local guide, joining scientific and traditional knowledge will help you to interpret the varzea’s environment (flooded forest). The excursions are started at 15:30 when the sun is hot less. In the afternoon you have a choice to accompany a researcher’s team and participate of their field works and supplementing the technical information given last night. Or if you prefer, you can go to another wildlife viewing tour, travelling around the landscapes, channels and lakes system that compose part of the varzea’s ecosystem.
Fourth Day: Monday The animals wake up with the sunrise and to maximize wildlife viewing you must also to wake up early to visit the trails. Another trail will be the new scenery chosen to observe the nature during the morning. Our trails are designed not to be physically straining and most of them can be walked in three hours at the longest. During the flood (May-July) all trails will be done in a small paddle canoe (your guide will paddle you through the trail). In this afternoon you will be taken on a motorized canoe to Mamirauá Lake, a beautiful lake inside the total preservation area of the Reserve. At the lake you will probably have memorable encounters with pink river dolphins (Inia geofrensis), hoatzins (Opistochomus hoazin) and perhaps the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) fish. You will stay there until the sunset and on your way back you will spot black caimans (Melanoschus niger), bats (Rhynchonycteris naso and Noctilio leporinus), night birds. After the dinner, you will have other opportunity to see the mystery night fauna. However you will guest of the forest, as you will stay one night into the forest in one tree house specially designed for this end. Accompany of the local guide, you will make a trip by boat until this place and can enjoy making night-lights. When you stay in the tree house, like guest, you will hear the night sounds of the forest habitants.
Fifth Day: Tuesday In this morning you will make another visit to local community, there you have the opportunity to visit the preserved lakes, the brush where is planted the manioc – the main food of the river people. This time you can know more about the “ribeirinhos”, their reality and also to change experiences. The return will be around 12:00, so bring your sun block. After lunch, you can rest in a hammock, watch a video about researches done at Mamirauá or an award-winning BBC documentary on Mamirauá, read a book, or just chat as the outings will only be carried out when the sun goes down a little. In the afternoon you will go to another hiking or canoe tour, always exploring a different region of the reserve. After the dinner you can watch a video about the flooded forest or just to hear the song of animal night in your room and to relax to next day.
Sixth Day: Wednesday In the morning you go to a longer journey in another view trail together the local guide. At this moment you need to talk low to improve your view opportunity, because de sounds impact put to flight the animals. This activity spends all morning. In the afternoon day in the Reserve, you’ll visit another project of research, developed in the Ecotourism area. At the research floating station, you watch a presentation where you have the opportunity to go out with the researcher and understand their works. In the last night at Mamirauá together with the local guide you will have opportunity to see the night animals again to making second night tour,but at this time the trip will be made by canoe.
Seventh Day: Thursday Now, you are more used to the forest, if you are really quiet and set out early enough, you might see even more wildlife like capuchin monkeys (Cebus paella), howlers (Alouatta seniculus), uakaris (Cacajao calvus calvus) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus and Saimiri vanzolinii), three toed sloths (Bradypus variegates), hoatzins (Opistochomus hoazin), etc. Another trail will be made in this morning. In the afternoon you go to know the Araçazinho Lake or Japura Lake, two of the most beautiful lakes of the Mamirauá Reserve, there leave howlers (Alouatta seniculus) e and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus and Saimiri vanzolinii), several species of birds like parrots (Amazona sp), toucan (Ramphastus sp), etc. The Dinner is at 20:00. So you can enjoy your last night to talk to the staff or to see another kind of documentary.
Eighth Day: Friday The departure time of the Lodge will be after breakfast at around 08:00 on Friday. Before leaving, please do not forget to fill out the evaluation form. His thoughts about their stay is very important to us, so we can improve our services. The flight from Manaus Tefé to depart at 12:10, then returning to the city of Tefé, the marketing manager waiting at the port of Tefé along with a taxi driver who takes you to the airport Tefé.
“It is important to mention that the activities described above can be changed because of environmental factors, water level variation and climate conditions.”
Recommendations
In order to make the most of your stay, please refer to these guidelines and recommendations below.
We recommend you to bring:
- Binoculars; - Comfortable trousers; - Long-sleeved shirts; - Comfortable boots or sneakers; - Cap or hat; - Insect repellent; - Raincoat; - Sunscreen; - Sunglasses; - Personal medicine – in case of any medical restriction, such as allergy.
The area you are going to visit in Mamiraua Reserve is part of the varzea ecosystem, a forest flooded by Amazonian rivers rich in sediment. In the tours through lakes and streams, you will go around in canoes or boats, and it is important that you protect yourself from the tropical sun. We recommend sunscreen and sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses can be very useful, as they reduced the sun reflection on the water. A trail system was built to access the forest. We recommend adequate and comfortable clothes and shoes (boots or sneakers) – some sections of the trails might be flooded. Do not use your best clothes, as the terrain might be muddy. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the varzea. They bite both day and night, mainly in the trails. Thus, do not forget to bring insect repellent. In the dry season, it is possible to walk in the trails. However, in the flooded season (march to july), possibly you will go through the trails by canoe.
Precautions for your visit:
- Do not touch bushes or trees – poisonous animals like scorpions, fire ants and spiders live in these places and are hard to spot; - Use the life vest during the canoe or boat tours; - Keep silent during the tours (it is vital not to scare away the animals); - Avoid using shiny or bright colored clothes – so that you increase your spotting chances; - Tact and politeness in the contact with the local people – remember, you are the visitor. Respect to the traditional populations is very important to Mamirauá.
It is not allowed to:
- Take any kind of material from nature; - Throw garbage in the reserve - Swim or bathe in rivers, streams, lakes or ponds; - Enter the forest without the presence of a guide; - Drink alcoholic beverages during tours.
You will be inside a protected area. By Brazilian laws, it is strictly forbidden to collect any kind of material from the reserve, like plants, animals, eggs, flowers, seeds, etc. The ecotourism administration will be attentive to this rule for the benefit of wildlife in the reserve. There are several garbage cans distributed throughout the lodge, where you can dispose your garbage (paper, plastic bags, cans, cups, etc.) These materials can be pollutant and cause serious damage to animals, plants and water. Due to the great number of piranhas and caimans that live in the reserve, it is not allowed to swim in the waters of the reserve. There are guides for all the activities in the reserve. Therefore, for you safety, it is not allowed to go out of the lodge without the presence of a guide. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is just allowed inside of Uacari Floating Lodge. Not fulfilling all of these rules may cause accidents, whose responsibility is exclusively of the guest.
General Conditions • Prices include full pension, naturalist guide in English and all activities. • Prices are per person in double room. • Prices don't include flight ticket or boat ticket to Tefé and vice-versa. • Children less than 12 years are not accepted in the lodge. • Children more than 12 pay full fare.
