Manaus is the center of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, a busy commercial center and tourist staging spot for expeditions into Amazonia. Old and new rub together along the waterfront and in the city itself. Since this is a duty-free city, thousands come to shop as well as to explore the Amazon and it tributaries.
Manaus enjoyed unbelievable wealth during the rubber boom at the turn of the 20th century. Lavish living, splendid buildings like the Teatro Amazonas, huge plantations and rubber barons sprang up out of the jungles. The boom died out just before World War I, and Manaus suffered a decline that lasted until the Duty Free Zone was created and tourism created a new industry.
Here you'll meet caboclos, the residents of Amazonia, who may be descendants of native tribes, of immigrants or Brazilians from other states. They work the land, they navigate the rivers, they live in the city, they live in the jungle. They are poor or rich and everything in between.
Manaus is downriver from the famed "Wedding of the Waters" or Encontro das Aguas, where the dark Rio Negro and the ochre-tinted Rio Solimoês meet and run side by side for some miles before they finally mix. This spot is on every tour boat excursion's itinerary, but it is also visible by ferry. The Solimoês is the Brazilian name for the river coming from Iquitos, Peru. It is only after the "wedding," that the river becomes known as the Amazon.
Due to the intense rubber harvesting, agricultural methods and other means of deforestation, you won't see forest near the city. This is why tour boats or lodge boats pick you up in Manaus and take you by river to experience the true Amazon. There are plenty of choices for tours in Manaus and include trips off the river into the small tributaries called igarapés.
There are three separate port areas in the city, and you'll use them according to destination and water flow. Boats go downstream, arriving eventually in Belém, others go to Porto Velho and Tabatinga, which is southeast of Manaus on the way to Iquitos.
A cruising expedition may be as rough and ready as you can take, arranged by barter on site with the boat owner or captain, or it may be arranged in advance through a tour operator. If you choose to make your own arrangements in Manaus, be prepared to haggle over costs, provide some if not all of your provisions and hammock, as well as pay for some of the gas.
Either way, you will probably see the same expanse of river, the same trees and wild life, but the degree of comfort and up-close viewing will vary.
Some cruises have both air conditioned ships with showers and comfort for the major part of the expedition and then use canoes with motors to navigate the smaller tributaries. It is on these canoes that you'll get the full experience of Amazonia, very much up close and personal.
Some tours include jungle walks, with overnight camping either in tents or in hammocks slung between trees. While all expeditions provide great photo opportunities, there are tours specifically for photographers. Others are for birders, botanists or any customized group venture.
You'll find detailed resources for accommodations, sightseeing, history and geography for Manaus and the Brazilian rainforest in North Brazil .