Secluded Relaxation: A Trip of A Lifetime to The Amazon, in Brazil
- D Marino
- 4 hours ago
- 15 min read
After a full year of seemingly endless meetings, deadlines, and managing difficult personalities, we longed for nothing else but to unwind and completely unplug. The goal was something new, relaxing and off the grid.
The thought of visiting the Amazon first emerged (as many ideas have before) from enjoying a television program and asking each other, what about going there? As world travelers, we are open to any destination, and often research locations we hadn't previously considered on a whim. We were engrossed in the National Geographic docuseries Pole to Pole with Will Smith, and the second and third episodes focused on the Amazon. How difficult would it be to get to the Amazon?
After some preliminary research, we decided that visiting the Amazon would be the ultimate remote destination, exactly what we were looking for. Surrounded by natural beauty, we knew being amongst the trees and near water would absolutely relax us. The Amazon Rainforest, the world's largest tropical rainforest, spans across multiple countries, the majority of it landing in Brazil. Accommodation options vary from rustic and minimal eco-lodges to luxurious high-end cabins. Juma Amazon Lodge was the best of both worlds.
LUXURY TRAVEL TIP: If you're unable to travel to your lodge via sea plane but want to enjoy the beauty of The Amazon from the sky, consider a unique sea plane tour over the Amazon rainforest, available direct from Manaus, Brazil.
Nestled deep in the Amazon Rainforest, we boarded two planes, two buses and two boats to reach the remote Juma Amazon Lodge. This land and water transfer from Manaus to Juma Amazon Lodge, in total, exhausted approximately three and a half hours. We could have opted for the much shorter (twenty minutes) sea plane flight from Manaus to Juma Amazon Lodge direct, but the cost for those few minutes was too much to justify. We had the pleasure of travelling on a sea plane in the Maldives, and would have loved to experience that again in the Amazon, but alas it was not in the cards, this time.
We flew into Manaus, Brazil on Avianca Airlines, but had an extra long stop-over in Bogota, Columbia. It was our first time on Avianca Airlines, in Business Class seats, and were pleasantly surprised with the quality and overall service. Taking advantage of the time, we booked a private layover tour with Hansa Tours, and took the opportunity to explore Bogota. The original plan was to make our way to Monsterrate Sanctuary, located high up on a mountain's edge (over 10,000 ft above sea level), but instead we explored the main squares, La Candelaria (Graffiti area) and visited the Botero Museum.
After a full day of walking, we headed back to the airport, where after a long stretch in the Diamond Lounge, included in the cost of our Business Class tickets, we boarded the second plane to Manaus, Brazil. In the early hours of the morning, a Juma Hotel representative picked us up from the airport, and after a quick stop at their sister hotel Juma Opera, drove us to the main port. The crew helped loading the bags onto the first speedboat, which took us across the Amazon River and to the infamous "meeting of the waters", the natural phenomenon where the Amazon River meets the dark waters of Rio Negro, but refuses to mix.
After a little over an hour on the Amazon River, we disembarked on a remote stretch of land and boarded one of the waiting buses for a long bus ride to the next port stop. We stopped once at a small shop for a bathroom break (and for some refreshments) before continuing on the journey. At the next port, the large bus was forced to back up onto a narrow dirt road, as there was not enough room to turn around. We emerged from the cool interior and waited outside in the humidity for our second speedboat to arrive.
Many stood in the shade by the eccentric Armenio's small wooden shop stand, a local man selling fresh coconuts and delicious Brazil nuts. Speaking in fast Brazilian Portuguese, Armenio entertained his visitors by slicing open and offering everyone freshly cleaned Brazil Nuts (castanhas-do-pará) soaking in cool water. Delicioso!
Tip: Do buy fresh Brazil Nuts but be careful how you store them. We love Brazil nuts and eat them regularly, but the Brazil nuts that you can purchase/order outside of Brazil are dry and crunchier than their fresh counter part. Armenio kept his fresh Brazil nuts soaking in water, and though they were crunchy, they were softer and moist. After we purchased two bags for $10 Brazilian Real, he advised us to keep them in water, which we didn't do immediately. We kept them in the bags he provided and once we got home, put them in the fridge without putting them in an airtight container. They very quickly went bad and we sadly lost them all.
It was another hour of speeding down the winding rivers, before we finally arrived at Juma Amazon Lodge. Along the way, we admired the lush vegetation and variety of birds. Similar to residential roadways, it speedboats were required to slow down in certain areas where locals lived along the river. The primary concern is to prevent large waves (wakes) caused by the fast boats, that could easily damage canoes and wooden boats used by the locals and flood stilt houses and floating docks.
Many rustic homes were perched at the waters edge, with long stairs leading them to the water, their boats floating in the water or docked on the land nearby, but even more fascinating were the homes floating on the river itself. Balanced on huge logs, we passed many homes and businesses erected directly on the water.
Finally at Juma Amazon Lodge, we climbed the steep staircase from the water level to the main common area, a lovely outdoor space that overlooked the glistening water, and a cool indoor area with refreshments. This small welcoming bungalow houses the bar, reception desk, and is the only area in the entire lodge where WIFI is available. The newly arrived guests were split into groups with their designated guide. Ours, the only who spoke English, was an older gentleman named Feliciano. He translated as the main representative explained the rules of the lodge, including meals, excursions and water conservation. After which, we were escorted across the many wooden (and very tall) catwalks to our private bungalow.
Having decided to splurge on the best accommodation available at Juma Amazon Lodge, our huge bungalow was the furthest away from the main common area, a full fifteen minute walk. All of the bungalows at Juma are connected via wooden catwalks on long wooden stilts, to accommodate the rising waters throughout the year. Having visited in April, the water level had begun rising (fairly quickly), but most of the catwalk and bungalow stilts remained exposed.
The Juma Bungalow exceeded our expectations. A large circular bungalow with a full wrap-around deck, it was fully equipped with a king sized canopy bed, large ensuite bathroom with double sinks, double showers and a deep barrel tub. The wrap around deck lead to a full platform deck with outdoor shower and sun bed, overlooking the calming waters of the river. It was secluded and spectacular.
After a quick walkthrough, we changed and made our way back across the catwalks to the restaurant area, where we admired the caiman lurking in the waters below. They floated in the shallow water, staying absolutely still, waiting for unsuspecting prey. We often stopped to watch them, seemingly a family in various sizes, having never had the opportunity to observe them so closely in the wild.
Lunch, as most of the meals were at Juma Amazon Lodge, was served buffet style in a large screened circular bungalow, with each group sitting at assigned tables with their guide. Guests were always coupled with their guide, but depending on the number of days booked by each guest, the group changed. Sharing the table with strangers was sometimes awkward for us, not being very sociable people, but we were polite and made nice as best we could.
After lunch, while the remainder of our group headed out on their first excursion, we headed back to our bungalow to unpack and relax. Juma Amazon Lodge offers excursion packages for three, four and five day stays, but we had booked six, so we had the option to repeat certain itinerary activities, when available.
Having spent a full day walking in Bogota, and not having slept very much since we left Toronto two days earlier, rest was the best option. We casually unpacked and took in the view of the river and forests from our private deck. It was exactly what we had hoped for, beautiful and relaxing.
With the majority of the guests away at excursions, we decided to enjoy the quiet to visit the pool. Yes, Juma Amazon Lodge has a pool. Located down a set of steep steps, at the water level the "pool" is in fact a section of the river. A beautifully decorated floating wooden deck surrounds river water, equipped with a protective barrier to keep out the larger, more dangerous inhabitants (while allowing some fish to pass through). It was warm and very relaxing. We swam in the Amazon River!
TIP: Don't drink the pool water! One of the guests thoroughly enjoyed swimming in the river but accidentally swallowed gulps of the water and subsequently suffered from a very upset stomach for a few days afterwards.
After dinner, our group planned on a night excursion on the river to see caiman, and once again we opted out. In years past, the guides would actually attempt to find and catch baby caiman for the guests to touch, but it has since been deemed dangerous and inhumane. We relaxed and caught up on some well needed sleep. The next morning, as we did every morning, we rose early and soaking in the view from our deck.
Near the restaurant, we were greeted by a family of capuchin monkeys, who sat on the railings, hoping someone would offer them some fresh fruit. Signs advise guests not to feed the wildlife, but the staff do leave fruit out for the monkeys and sometimes toss food into the water for the caimans.
After a delicious buffet breakfast, the plan was for the group to go on the first hike in the Amazon Rainforest, but the weather had other plans. As typical for the location and time of year, the skies opened up and unleashed a major rainstorm.
We tried to wait it out in the common area, but after an hour of heavy rain, it was deemed too dangerous and we headed back to our bungalow, protecting our cameras. We relaxed on our deck, watching the rain fall and sipping coffee until lunch.
The rain tapered off to a trickle and after lunch, we finally headed out on our first excursion, a calming canoe ride on the river. Loading into the long speedboats (called canoes by the staff) the group were taken to a place on the river where a half dozen wooden green canoes were tied up together. One by one, we somehow balanced ourselves and settled into the very low sitting canoes.
Wooden, hand carved paddles in hand, we explored the river, secretly hoping for a distant sighting of an Anaconda. Paddling was tough at times, (luckily we were accompanied by our bush guide in our canoe who was a powerhouse), but we were surrounded by the forest and birds, it was beautiful and very relaxing. These were the moments we had hoped we would experience in the Amazon.
The next day, the weather was on our side and we managed an Amazon rainforest hike. The terrain was relatively flat, but the forest was dense and extremely humid. Having hiked many times in dense rainforests in Costa Rica, in fact we eloped in the middle of a cloud forest hike, we had some idea what to expect. This specific area was very dense and allowed for little air flow. We trekked through the vegetation, stopping to hear facts from our guide or focus on specific trees or insects. Wearing hiking pants that were cut off mid calf, my ankles were brutally attached by tiny fire ants, but even with that and the overwhelming humidity, it was a wonderful experience.
After a near two hour hike, we hopped back onto the speedboat and headed to another section of forest, where a rickety wooden staircase lead us to an open air picnic area. The staff had prepared a BBQ feast in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Grilled chicken, sausage, vegetables and the most delicious Brazilian fish called Tambaqui. It was absolutely fantastic and loved by all.
Click the arrows below to scroll through the gallery of photos taken in the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil
Back at the lodge, while the rest of our group headed to a local village for a tour and demonstration, we cleaned up and headed back to a quiet afternoon by the pool. With all the guests out and about, we once again enjoyed the quiet relaxation of the pool alone. We could feel the stresses we left behind melting away in these quiet moments, often reminding ourselves, we were in the Amazon.
That night, the rain clouds cleared up and exposed the most beautiful star-filled sky. Out in the wilderness, with minimal light pollution, the sky sparkled. It looked as if someone had grabbed a handful of sparkles and tossed it across the night sky. Constellations were easily identifiable, and even the beauty of the Milky Way was clearly visible to the naked eye. These were the skies we had expected to see on our trip of a lifetime in Africa, but the skies in Kenya and Tanzania during our visit remained cloudy.
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In addition to the standard itinerary, we had booked a "Romantic Experience" with Juma Amazon Lodge, which included a special breakfast served in our bungalow. The next morning, as we waited for the breakfast to be delivered, we once again stood on our deck gazing out at the water, and a huge flock of dozens of parrokets (known as a pandemonium) flew overhead. It was magical.
Not feeling up to an excursion that day, I stayed back while my husband joined the group. As the staff came to clean the bungalow and collect the breakfast dishes, I relaxed on the deck. Without warning, a large family of capuchin monkeys emerged from the trees, jumping onto the bungalow's straw roof and onto the deck.
All sizes and ages, the older monkeys continued on, while the mothers with babies hugging their backs and the younger, braver monkeys lingered.
The staff offered them some of the leftover fruit from our breakfast and the monkeys came close to take them from the railing.. It was an amazing spontaneous experience, but I wished my husband was there to experience it with me. Click Here if you'd like to see a video of the monkeys visiting the bungalow.
After lunch, we enjoyed a long speedboat ride along the river, stopping to see birds resting on tree tops peeking out of the water, the majority of the trees hidden under the rising waters. We disembarked to get up close and personal with one of the oldest Sumaúma trees (approximately 300 years old) and attempted to take photos that captured it in its entirety. After another short ride, we diembarked again, this time on a floating shop run by locals. We enjoyed refreshments on the dock, watching dolphins peek out of the water as the sun began to set. We were on the lookout for the infamous pink dolphins that inhabit the Amazon, but alas, they alluded us.
The next day, we hiked the Amazon rainforest again, this time in a different section, less dense than the first location. The terrain was mainly flat and the path among the trees narrow, but it felt much more spacious and with a lot more flowing air between the trees. The heat and humidity persisted, as did the small fire ants, but it felt open and breathable. Another group joined us, but walked a different path. Even knowing they were there, in the denseness of the vegetation hid them from us completely.
UNIQUE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: For something unique in the middle of Amazon Rainforest, forego the comfort of the lodge and opt for a multi-day Amazon Survival Tour, where you will maximize your exposure to the natural world, camping in the wilderness.
After lunch, the second part of our "Romantic Experience" occurred, a private boat ride with a charcuterie board of meats, cheeses and nuts, and another bottle of sparking wine to enjoy the sunset over the water. We sipped our bubbles and watched the sky turn shades of pink. We have witnessed many beautiful sunsets on our travels, namely in the Maldives, Costa Rica, Santorini, and though this sunset wasn't spectacular, the experience of being on a boat, floating in the Amazon River together made it very special.
We had "chaperones" of course, both our guide and bush guide joined us to guide the boat to the perfect location, but we were told to ignore them and pretend we were alone. Of course we didn't, and opted to share our food with them.
That night, our dinner switched from buffet to a la carte. At lunch, the staff shared the dinner menu and we made our selections. We discovered later, that when there are fewer guests at the lodge, they switch to a la carte meals to prevent food wasting with a large buffet. The food was high quality in both deliciousness and presentation, something completely unexpected so deep in the jungle. Once again, the Amazon delivered.
After dinner, as the other members of our group retired to their bungalows, we headed back onto the speedboat. In the darkness, we were escorted back to the open picnic area we had our BBQ lunch a few days earlier. Beyond the tables and small bathrooms, was a large open room with hammocks. The walls were open, with only a screen separating us from the wilderness. In the darkness, we nestled into the hammocks to spend the night in the jungle.
Before our trip, we were very excited about the idea of sleeping in the jungle, but as we were sprinkled with cool water, heading to the jungle in the complete darkness, we wondered why we spent the money for the best bungalow at the lodge but opted not to sleep there. Though a very romantic idea, the hammocks were not as comfortable as those available on our bungalow deck. Between the stiffness and the dust, we slept very little between us. We did hear the curious sounds of the jungle throughout the night, including the rolling growls of Howler Monkeys coming closer to us in the darkness, but overall it wasn't what we had envisioned.
After a delicious breakfast, while our (new) group headed out for their chance at a canoe ride on the river, we headed back to the comfort of our bungalow and took well needed nap. After lunch, we were back on the river, this time to plant a seedling in the Amazon Rainforest. My husband had planted his tree a few days earlier, on the outing that I didn't join, so this was my opportunity to plan a tree. Since my dad passed, we have been planting trees in every country that we travelled to, wherever possible. This tree in the Amazon was the tenth tree we have planted in his honour, who had at this point, passed away ten years earlier.
Back on the speedboat, we picked up the rest of the group at the lodge and headed to shaded secluded areas along the river to attempt piranha fishing with long wooden rods and pieces of raw meat. It felt so odd using chunks of raw meat as bait instead of worms or insects. After changing locations three times, our guide managed to catch one for us to see, but no one else was successful. We passed around the small fish and admired his sharp little teeth, sharing memories of old movies that portrayed piranha fish as human killing machines.
We shared another delicious a la carte dinner that night before heading back to the room to organize our things before heading to bed. The next morning, we finished packing and left our bags outside the bungalow as we headed across the catwalks to breakfast for the final time. We exchanged our sad goodbyes with Feliciano and new friends, before jumping on the larger speedboat for the long trek back to the main port in Manaus. Along the way, our guide spotted a sloth in the trees, and we stopped to capture a few photos. Having seen many sloths on our travels, this was the first we saw in the wild.
Back in Manaus, we were dropped off at the sister location, Juma Opera Hotel, where we had booked a room and some relaxing time in their spa. The weather cooperated, holding off on the massive downpour, until we were settled in our comfortable room. Very early the next morning, we were escorted to the airport for our flight back home, with yet another extra long stopover in Bogota, Columbia.
With our guide in Bogota, we travelled on the cable cars for a view over the city to reach the recently cleaned up Paraiso Neighbourhood. We sipped coca tea (and chewed the leaves), stopped to see the Santuario Nuestra Senora del Carmen Church, and then enjoyed a delicious lunch before heading to the Gold Museum. Exhausted and no longer able to walk, we were dropped off at the airport, where we enjoyed some refreshments at the Diamond Lounge before boarding our second flight back home.
With those memories fresh in our minds, we can now imagine returning to Amazon, exploring the rainforest beyond Brazil. Visiting the Amazon may have emerged spontaneously from a stressful time in our lives, but the experience was unique, exhilarating, and one that we will never forget.
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