Planning Your Own Amazon Adventure

Getting There

You probably won't find any direct flights to the Amazon. You first need to catch a flight to a major city such as Sπo Paulo (Brazil) or Lima (Peru).

Getting There from Australia/NZ

Aerolineas Argentinas offer twice weekly flights from Sydney to Auckland, and then on to Buenos Aires in Argentina. This is advertised as the "gateway" to South America – at 11╜ hours from Auckland, it is the quickest and most direct route. Since the flight is a nightime flight, it's possible to sleep through it – though the cramped seats can be a bit of a struggle. Check http://www.aerolineas.com.ar for flight details.

Buenos Aires is a great place for a stopover – with a very cosmopolitan Paris-like feel, open-air cafΘs, restaurants, street artists and performers in the "Boca", and the Florida shopping district. You can learn about the real Evita, or go to a club where where you see the tango, and try the world's most delicious steaks. The weather gets hot in summer, but becomes quite nippy in winter.

Buenos Aires' international airport (Ezeiza) is located about 40 minutes away from the central city, but there's a bus service which offers regular shuttle rides into the city and some major hotels for US$ 15 (or US$ 25 including a return trip to the airport the following day). This usually works out cheaper than a taxi, and the service is now giving passengers a convenient pocket-size map to help find your way around the city. The major hotels are quite expensive. Each time through Buenos Aires I've stayed at the medium priced Hotel Deauville for the single-nights that I've been there. Budget travellers planning to stay a while longer might choose the Deauville for one night, then search for cheaper accommodation the next day. Lonely Planet's Buenos Aires city guide is a good investment for travellers wishing to explore the city further. My other advice is to take some $US and a credit card since the foreign exchange office at the airport is unreliable at cashing Visa travellers' cheques. Its easier to change $US currency, and small American dollars are accepted on a one-for-one basis in local markets (though its best to convert the currency since Argentine pesos are worth slightly less than a US dollar).

Air New Zealand and LAN Chile also operate a service. It goes from Auckland, to Tahiti, Easter Island, and then on to Santiago in Chile. Unfortunately, the service involves a change of planes and the stop at Easter Island probably isn't sufficient for sightseeing. But check this out with your travel agent.

Getting There from the USA and Europe

If you're travelling from the United States or Europe, you'll have more options for getting to South America. Varig has flights into Brazil from many locations worldwide (particularly from the USA), and even have a direct flight between Miami and Manaus. KLM and other airlines offer direct flights from Europe to Lima, Sπo Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Check with your travel agent.

Getting to the Amazon

Once you've reached South America, you'll still need to arrange flights or some other transport to the Amazon. From Buenos Aires I caught a flight to Sπo Paulo (Brazil) and then on to Manaus. If you wish to visit the Peruvian Amazon, catch a flight to Lima and then to Cuzco or Iquitos.

Flying isn't the only option (although it is the easiest). Most local travel by bus and, as a result, there is a huge bus network. The network in Brazil is particularly efficent and comfortable – which is necessary considering short trip take 11 hours, and longer trips may take several days. Many visitors to Peru will stay in Lima for several days sightseeing, then use buses or the Andean train for getting to other places in Peru and Bolivia. The train rides are interesting, whereas a busride through the Andes is said to be a real experience (but not for the nervously inclined). The buses are cheaper than flying – though travelling the high altitudes of the Andes (up to 16,000 ft) in a bus can be physically draining. You can catch a bus or train to Cuzco, but you'll need to fly to Iquitos since there aren't any roads. Flights in Peru are quite cheap if you're willing to be flexible with dates and times.

Its possible to take a bus to SantarΘm and BelΘm in the Brazilian Amazon – but the journeys are long. If you've just arrived in Brazil, I strongly suggest you take the easy option and fly. I also think Manaus is a more interesting starting point.

Notes about South American Airlines

There are three major airlines operating in Brazil. They are Varig, TransBrasil, and TAM. Of these, Varig is the most highly recommended. TransBrasil are also quite good, but are more prone to delays. The last few air accidents that I've heard about in Brazil have all involved TAM planes, so I refuse to fly them (most Brazilians I've spoken to seem to feel the same way).

The cheapest option for flying in Brazil is a Varig air pass. This generally involves three or five flights to be taken over a one month period – but you have to buy the air pass and book your flights before travelling to Brazil. Check this out with your travel agent.

The major airlines in Peru are AeroPeru and Fawcett. Both are "budget" airlines – cramped but quite cheap. You also have to get used to long queues at the airport offices for changing and reconfirming tickets. Fortunately most of the flights are quite short, and the service on AeroPeru really wasn't too bad. While in Cuzco, some travellers told me a story of lost luggage on a Fawcett flight – but this may only have been a one-off incident.

I 've flown several Aerolineas Argentinas flights within South America, and they are generally quite good. I've also flown Lloyd AeroBoliviano who were okay, but subjected me to several lengthy delays.