Planning Your Own Amazon Adventure

Where to go in Amaz⌠nia

   Peruvian Amazon

  Brazilian Amazon

   Other Amazon
   Locations

Necessary Precautions

Things to Take With You

Getting There

Places to Stay

Internet Connections

Companies and Services

Elsewhere in the Amazon Basin

The places described in  the previous pages mostly all follow the course of the main river – but there are plenty of other places located along other rivers, or on newly-built roads.

There are numerous small cities and towns in the Brazilian states of Acre, Rond⌠nia, Roraima, Amapß, Mato Grosso and Tocantins. Many of these are the new "frontier" settlements located on the edge of rainforest being cleared for new developments. There is the historic river port of Leticia, located in Colombia along the small stretch of river where the Amazon river separates the countries of Colombia and Peru., and you can experience the Amazon rainforest (or similar) in parts of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guyanas. If you planning to explore further afield you should buy a detailed guide of the country that you plan to visit and examine the options available for travelling. The advantage of these locations may be that they are generally more remote and may prove more rewarding. But these locations may also mean more difficult travel arrangements and fewer comfortable places to stay.

The Pantanal

The Pantanal isn't part of the Amazon Basin, but is frequently covered in Amazon travel guides. The reason for this is that it is the other major location in South America for viewing wildlife. You'll probably see more wildlife in the Pantanal than in the rainforests. The word "pantanal" is Portuguese for swamp – which pretty much describes it. The area was formerly covered by a giant inland ocean which also covered the Amazon Basin. The land is now prone to flooding caused by the overflow of rivers during the wet season, and results in wetlands similar to Florida's everglades . . . but much bigger. The Pantanal covers an area half the size of France, incorporating parts of two Brazilian states (Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul) and parts of Bolivia and Paraguay.

Today, the Pantanal is farmed – with herds of cattle roaming the area. Fortunately, the release of cattle into the area hasn't significantly changed the ecology. The Pantanal still provides a home for a wide variety of birdlife, caimans, snakes, capybara, ocelots, and even jaguar (though numbers have declined as a result of hunting). The Pantanal is becoming increasingly popular with tourists – particularly with wealthy or middle-class Brazilians keen to experience the wild. Tourists can drive through the area on their own, keeping to the roads to avoid getting stuck, or can stay on a Fazenda (cattle ranch) to explore the Pantanal on horseback or in a canoe.

Although the ecological significance of the Pantanal is widely recognised, the area may soon become the victim of a huge industrial project called Hidrovia. The plan is sponsored by Mercosul, the newly-established South American trading bloc, and aims to construct a massive canal to link and widen the Paranß and Paraguai rivers. This would give Paraguay access to the ocean and facilitate increased trade. If this project goes ahead as, ecologists warn that it will drain much of the Pantanal and will destroy this unique and ecologically-abundant environment.