The largest capital in the Amazon, Manaus is the main consumer in the hotel sector in business tourism. From December to February, when industries go into recess, it is low season in Amazonas. But it was never as low as at the beginning of the year, according to ABIH-AM (Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry in Amazonas).
In February, a month after the health system collapse that led to a lack of oxygen for Covid-19 patients in hospitals, hotel occupancy rate reached 7%.
Eight months later, with the advance of vaccination, another tourist profile is moving the sector and creating an unseasonable high season.
With the demand for open places on the rise, the Amazon has attracted more and more tourists. The sector’s expectation is to reach the end of the year with 40% occupancy in hotels.
Tours such as Teatro Amazonas, Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, Bosque da Ciência and Museu da Amazônia, make Manaus a tour full of urban options that compete for the tourist’s time, also seduced by exquisite regional restaurants.
But what pandemic tourists are mainly looking for is not in the city. “They look for nature, without agglomerations. And we have the ideal conditions”, says Wildney Mourão, manager of entrepreneurship and sustainable business at FAS (Sustainable Amazon Foundation), which supports community-based ecotourism in the Sustainable Development Reserves Rio Negro and Puranga Conquista , 70 kilometers from Manaus.
In jungle hotels, in treetop bungalows or riverside community inns adapted to receive tourists and make them feel at home, you can disconnect from the big city and connect with nature – and even with yourself: Holistic schedules and meditations are also among the attractions offered.
All following protocols against Covid-19, such as the mandatory presentation of proof of vaccination, use of a mask, social distancing and, in some cases, requirement of PCR or negative antigen from guests, as guaranteed by those responsible for the spaces.
From 30 minutes from Manaus it is already possible to do an “urban detox” at Refúgio Samaúma, in the Livramento community, where day use costs R$ 70. For those who want to stay overnight, daily rates range from R$ 150 to R$ 300 per couple having breakfast. Lunch and tours are separate.
For those looking to immerse themselves in the forest or deepen their connection with the Amazonian culture, community-based tourism is the most authentic option, especially in the homes of riverside dwellers and indigenous people.
At 1:30 am by fast boat from Manaus, it is possible to experience the routine of traditional communities, participate in fishing and flour production, learn to weave handicraft baskets and produce soaps with oils, spot alligators, observe birds and porpoises, or simply enjoy a bath in the scent of herbs in the igarapé and enjoy the sunset on the Rio Negro.
At Pousada Garrido, in the Tumbira community, the owner, Roberto Garrido, 55, says that after seeing the number of visitors drop from 350 in 2019 to 58 in 2020, reservations are returning. Until November, 170 guests had passed through the inn and, by December, another hundred will arrive.
The inn already has reservations for New Year’s Eve and the entire month of January. “People who spent the whole year locked up are now looking to travel closer to nature. And that’s what we offer: a connection with the tranquility and beauty of forest life. We want to make tourists feel at home.” , says Garrido, who involves the family and part of the community in the inn, restaurant and craft center.
And it’s not just Roberto’s inn that is on the mend. After losing half of their reservations in 2020, going from 600 in 2019 to 360 guests in 2020, the 21 community-based tourism enterprises in the region are expected to close the year with 415 visitors, betting on the simplicity of life in the forest.
Packages for this type of experience range from R$350 to R$500 per day, with food and transfer included. “People are looking for the simplicity of these experiences, the authenticity of this way of life, the happiness of simple things”, says Wildney Mourão.
Two hours from Manaus, Caboclos House offers 21 attractions for tourists to feel part of a riverside community — with the right to sleep on stilts and have the river as their backyard (in floods).
With a similar proposal, Manati Lodge, 1h45 from Manaus (1h by road and 45 minutes by boat), has a private balcony with a hammock in the bungalows, built on suspended walkways, for R$921 per night, all-inclusive.
For those who do not give up the comfort and luxury of jungle hotels, but want to save money, you can take advantage of the day use system. At Mirante do Gavião, three hours by boat from Manaus, visitors can enjoy the structure and tours for R$950 to R$1,408 (with transfer Manaus-Novo Airão-Manaus).
Another upscale option is the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge, in front of the Anavilhanas National Park, where you can go canoeing through the igapós, artisan piranha fishing, archery techniques or simply watch the sunset. Day packages vary from R$ 3,200 to R$ 13,500 per person (with transfer from Manaus, accommodation, full meals, except drinks and tours).
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