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The Amazon Jungle

amazon forest
The Amazon Rainforest is comprised of 7 million km2 (1.2 billion acres), with parts located in nine countries- Brazil (60% of the rainforest), Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is more than half of the planet's remaining rainforests. States in four nations bear the name Amazonas for the Amazon. Amazonian rainforests comprise the largest and most species rich area of tropical rainforest that exists in the world.
amazon wtaerfall
The region is home to around 2.5 million insect species (dont forget that repellent!),counteless plant types, and more than 2000 birds and mammals. The diversity of plant species is the highest on earth. The Amazon is the largest area in the world with a typical equatorial climate. Rainfall throughout, is above 60 inches a year and in much of the region over 80 inches. There is no real dry season but there are some variations in the amount of rainfall during the year. Temperatures are normally tropical throughout the year with average midday temperatures in the range 27° C/80° F  -32°C/90° F.
Frost is unknown, although in the southern parts of the region occasional cold spells, lasting a day or two and known as"friagem", cause night temperatures to fall below 10° C/50° F. Excessively high temperatures are almost unknown in the Amazon basin; daytime temperatures of 38° C/100° F are very rare. The high humidity and the monotony of the temperature from day to day make this area unpleasant for those unfamiliar with, or unacclimatized to, the hot, wet tropics, but conditions are not physically dangerous.

Belém at the mouth of the Amazon is the wettest area and the heaviest rainfall is during the months January to May, but all months have many days with rain. Manaus, a thousand miles up the river is not as wet and the period June to September is drier than at Belém.
Although Brazil has tough laws to combat deforestation , enforcement is very difficult, 9,000 square miles of rain forest were cut down in 2003 alone.Since the 19th cenury around 90 indian tribes have been wiped out by colonists. You may think tourisim will increase the destruction but if handled correctly it can assist in the forests preservation by bringing work and money to the peoples who live in the region and hopefully make them better able to resist the lure of work from the illegal loggers and ranchers who cut down the forest.

 

Manaus Opera House. The famous Manaus Opera House built at the time of the Brazilian rubber boom in the 19th Century. Recently restored to its former glory.

Manaus is the main starting point for trips into the Amazon. There are lodges and hotels all within a few hours of the city where the wild nature of the Amazon can be experienced through jungle treks, boat rides etc. Many of the lodges can only be reached by boat and that adds to the experience. If you stay at a hotel or lodge in the jungle you will probably take a boat like these from Manaus. Check with your Doctor for vaccinations and Malaria pills required for Manaus and the Amazon. Check our Health page for general guidelines

 

Accommodation in Manaus

 

Accommodation Resorts in the Forest