Manaus – Gateway To The Amazon

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Look at Manaus on Google’s satellite map and it looks like it’s smack dab in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.  Geographically it is, but in reality it’s a large city many miles away from where eco-tourists would want to be.

Manaus

Manaus

The best thing about Manaus is that you can easily get there using miles and from there it’s an easy domestic flight to more interesting places or an adventurous boat down the river.  Bear in mind that the Amazon river is huge and you won’t see much from a river boat, you need to get off into a tributary.  I’ve already discussed getting to Brazil using miles and you can see all the mileage costs for my top 8 recommended programs.  Let’s look at getting to Manaus in particular.

ONE WORLD

American has a daily non-stop flight from Miami.  This flight is a bargain 12,500 Avios one way or 25,000 round trip and can be booked online at British Airways.  Using AA miles starts at 20,000 one way but you can travel from anywhere in the USA whereas using Avios is only a bargain if you start from Miami.

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In mid 2014, TAM will be leaving Star Alliance and joining OneWorld so that opens up a few more options too.

STAR ALLIANCE

Copa flies to Manaus from Panama City daily with good connections from the rest of the USA.  A sample itinerary might look something like this.

WHERE TO STAY

As you can see, most flights arrive at night so you will probably need at least an overnight hotel.  There are a couple of options if you have points with Priority Club or Choice Rewards, otherwise I recommend using Pointshound * to book an independent hotel and earn miles in your preferred frequent flier program.
* I don’t have any special affiliate relationship with Pointshound.  This link is the same one all members have access to.  If you use my link, both you and I get 250 miles when you book your first room.  Once you are a member, you will get a link of your own to use for referrals.

Holiday Inn Manaus – 15,000 points.

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Choice has 3 properties but they aren’t real bargains as they start at 16,000 points but could be useful if you have lots of Choice Rewards points you can burn.

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Pointshound actually has more hotels than this but I am just going to show you a snippet so you can see how many miles you earn if you book through Pointshound.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN MANAUS

If you want to spend a couple of days here or have to organize a stay at a jungle lodge, you will find plenty to keep you occupied.  Out of these sights recommended on Trip Advisor, I have been to the Teatro Amazonas, Meeting of the Waters and the market.  My trip was back in 1989 so I don’t have digital photos I can upload.  I wasn’t as keen on eco-tourism back then and was doing the usual backpacker trip down the river.  I bought a hammock in the market, booked space on a boat, tied up my hammock and had a 5 day adventure down the Amazon River!  I was disappointed the river is so wide, you really can’t see any animals from the boat though there may be birds flying overhead if you are lucky.  Since my trip was so long ago, I am really just offering advice on using Manaus as a gateway to the eco-lodges I will be writing about later.

MOVING ON

Our ultimate goal for this trip I am currently blogging about is Itaituba.  You will need to connect in Santarem, then either fly, take a speedboat or bus to Itaituba.  So here’s the flight schedule to Santarem and come back tomorrow for the information on this small city on the junction of the Amazon and Tapajos Rivers.

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