Most people believe visiting the Amazon Rainforest is out of reach when traveling with small children. Well, think again! We recently completed an incredible tour of the Rio Negro in the Amazon with our five young kids.
We booked the tour through Gero Tours and cannot recommend them enough. Gero Tours is based out of Manaus, Brazil, and can assist you in making all the accommodations you may need when visiting with children.
Many trips into the Amazon include overnight land camping, but this can be a challenge with small children. We are not big campers in general, so we opted for the more “glamping” version, which included sleeping on a boat.
Access to Manaus certainly presents some challenges as it is surrounded by rivers. The ONLY road from Manaus to another destination leads to Columbia.
To get to Manaus, you either need to take a boat ride, which is typically ferries ranging from 5 to over 40 hours long, or arrive by air.
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Flights can be a bit expensive but are certainly the fastest option. We opted to fly, and the airport is actually a pretty decent size (you can search for flights here).
One fun fact about Manaus is that due to its remote location, the city supplies much of its own resource needs. Therefore, costs are much lower than in locations that import everything.
For shopping flights, we typically start with Google Flights. We also love Skyscanner!
Before you embark on your adventure to the amazon, there are some things you need to do:
When considering international travel in general, it pays to talk to your doctor or a travel clinic beforehand to ensure you are prepared. In Utah, we visit the local Health Department Immunization Clinic. They have travel nurses on staff, and you can walk in to talk to them directly.
The nurses will search your destination and let you know what vaccines are recommended or required by that country for entry.
For Manaus, you’ll want to be up-to-date on these vaccines:
You’ll also want to obtain Malaria medication. There are several options for this medication with varying side effects. We went with a generic form of Malarone, which I would recommend. Even Grace, age 4, could take it. I believe they offer a liquid version, but because we were rushed, we just taught her to swallow the small pill!
In addition to your regular packing list, I would recommend adding the following:
There are endless tour options when visiting the Amazon and you can make it whatever you’d like it to be. You can choose from the following:
You can make your excursion as long or as short as you’d like! Our tour was 4 days and 3 nights, and honestly, we felt like it was about a day too long. Next time, I’d stick to three days with kids.
However, if you are a serious adventurist looking to dive deep into the Amazon, the opportunity is there. Our guide told us he had done tours up to 22 days long! Of course, these extended tours include lots of hiking and camping in the Amazon. This experience can really be whatever you want it to be.
Our boat had four bedrooms, with three on the upper deck and one on the lower deck. All bedrooms had a private bathroom. It’s important to know that the bathroom water comes straight from the river, so you’ll need bottled water to brush your teeth.
The beds were adequate, and all rooms included a bunk bed. The master bedroom had a queen bed and a bunk bed.
All bedrooms also have A/C, which was very welcome! The generator does have to run at night to power the A/C, which can be a bit noisy but well worth it.
There is a shower in your room, but I found it easier to just shower off the back of the boat after swimming.
Our meals were fantastic and made fresh daily by the lovely cook on the boat. Each meal included very traditional, delicious, Brazilian food. There was always more food than we could eat, and we were never disappointed.
Breakfast is served fairly early, before getting ready for the day’s activities. There was plenty of downtimes, especially in the afternoon when we would all nap or play quietly. This time of day is extremely hot, so we would utilize the boat’s hammocks to relax and cool down. Sometimes we would even turn on the A/C and nap in the rooms.
At night, we would close the doors and try to play cards. However, you tend to adopt the schedule of the sun, so bedtime was fairly early. The wildlife and jungle noises may keep you up, but relish where you are and enjoy the amazing opportunity.
Each night before bed, we would review the itinerary for the following day with our guide and could dictate changes as we wished. We adapted many of the suggested activities to the children’s needs.
There are endless activity options when visiting the Amazon, which are incredible. The options we had on our boat tour included the following:
While this was not a sponsored trip, we were offered a small discount for sharing our honest reviews. Overall, we had a great experience working with Gero!
He was very kind in picking us up from the airport, showing us a local place for dinner, ensuring we had all we needed on the boat and more. The hospitality and extensive knowledge of the Amazon was obvious.
Gero himself does not go on the river tour with you but instead arranges the boat and the guide and buys the food. He also helps with all arrangements in Manaus, including recommendations and transportation.
Overall, the tour was a bit more expensive than I would like, especially considering how affordable the rest of Brazil is. We did pay quite a bit for our large group.
That being said, it was such a cool experience, and one I’m not sure could be replicated in another way on the same level. This unique experience felt very “once in a lifetime.” Gero and his family were also very welcoming and kind, which helped make it very special for the kids.
I really loved our guide, Anselmo, and I’d recommend you ask for him if you book with Gero!
You can find more information and book your tour with Amazon Gero Tours here.
We had a fantastic time exploring the Rio Negro of the Amazon! If you are planning a visit, leave a comment with your questions and be sure to let me know how it goes!
Leslie
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