Manaus to Santarém by Boat

I cold contacted the operator via WhatsApp. Not sure what to expect. However, everything worked out great. They booked our passage on the ferry. Told us what to expect. Contacted us a couple of days before and arranged for pickup. Brought us directly to the ferry and made sure we were processed. Whatever surcharge they charged was worth it. I would recommend them.

We have been enjoying this trip despite some minor issues. The deck is indeed full of hammocks. There are only 2 other tourists. We are getting a authentic Amazon experience. The boat left a few hours late and will be getting in even later we are told. The cabin is predictably tiny. For a 75 year old climbing into the upper bunk was a challenge but successful. The food seems safe and that is about the best you can say for it. But, you really do get a very good sense of what this area is like. We have binoculars so we can see the homes, farms and forests and all the boats along the way. The river is massive. There is more development than we had expected. We had a great view of the meeting of the waters (black Rio Negro and the brown Amazon). Overall we are glad we came. If you want showers - bring a towel. Our air conditioner was not operable with the control but the folks in the wheelhouse rapidly replaced the batteries and solved the problem. Don't expect any language to be spoken besides Portuguese. The internet worked well for us. Everything is inexpensive. Amazon Amazing Tours picked us up 2 hours before sailing time which seemed excessively early. They had a Portuguese speaking staff member on board who showed us to our cabin. We did not realize that they were also providing a pick up service - so that has been welcome.

The trip on the Golfino do Norte is really only recommended for die-hard tourists. The ship was fully booked and every available space was taken up with cargo or hammocks. There are no places to sit, apart from your own hammock, and you can only stay on the bar deck for a short time because very loud music plays there non-stop (24 hours). The prices in the bar are high. There is rubbish lying around everywhere, and dogs sometimes run around among the passengers. If there was anything positive at all, it was the food provided by the "on-board restaurant" - you could eat the Prato Feito. You have to add around 50 RS to the price of the trip for the hammock, so for families it is worth having your own cabin. Leonardo's agency organized everything perfectly.

Super authentic and unique experience over the Amazon. The trip last 30hours so come prepared! We slept on hammocks and it was super easy to set everything up (but remember to bring your own hammock!) The boat has food service and a bar too, and at every stop there’s tons of people coming on selling all kind of food if you didn’t bring enough for yourself. Sunset and sunrise were just magical and despite the lack of real comfort we slept really well and really happy of the overall experience. Everything got booked by Leonardo who was fantastic and very responsive at all times! Absolutely recommend!

Unique experience! I highly recommend. Beautiful landscapes and tranquillity, everything I needed to rest.

Inspired by a TV report about a boat trip from Manaus to Belem (in the hammock on the Amazon), we decided to Enterprise this tour from Belem to Manaus. With Leonardo Mendes from the Amazing Tours we found a very good planner for this tour. Any mail or whatsapp was answered immediately (taking into account time difference). Always available in Brazil - even well after work. Small tips always on the sidelines for support. A photo of the purchased ticket was sufficient as proof of check-in. We booked a cabin with air conditioning and additionally two places for the hammocks. So you have always secured your luggage and can shower there and use the toilet. We enjoyed the 5 nights. Of course, the ticket costs a little more than bought on site, but the cabins were all booked up. Arriving and buying a card should not work. The quality of the ships can be disputed, but it is commonplace in the country and that is exactly what we wanted. For planning and the feeling of always having a contact person, I would always use Leonardo. If you would like more information about the ride, please contact me.