Uakari Floating Lodge

Located in one of the more remote areas of the Amazon, Uakari Lodge is an hour and a half’s boat journey from the city of Tefé, which is in turn an hour’s flight away from Manaus. For those with more time on their hands, there is also the option of taking a 12 hour boat journey from Manaus. This large state protected area known as the Marimauá Reserve is a research area and home to endemic species such as the red-faced uakari monkey and the black-faced squirrel monkey.

The lodge has been designed to be completely integrated with its surroundings and consists of five bungalows with two bedrooms per bungalow. Each room has its own veranda with hammock and views of the surrounding forest and river. Accommodation at Uakari is rustic in comparison to other lodges in the Amazon but comfortable with solar-powered showers, comfortable beds and mosquito nets.

There is also a central floating area with a small deck, natural swimming pool, library, bar and restaurant serving simple local dishes. Completely sustainable, the lodge is run on solar energy, recycles rainwater and uses tiles made from recycled plastic bottles. The lodge is jointly managed by the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development and local communities, which means that the majority of the employees at the lodge come from local riverine communities. Local guides accompany guests on daily excursions, imparting their traditional knowledge of the Amazon accompanied by a bilingual naturalist guide who can explain in scientific terms, more about the flora and fauna you come across.

Activities include forest trails or canoe trips into the flooded forest (depending on the season), boat trips out onto the lake to spot pink and grey river dolphins and visits to local Amazonian communities. There’s also the option to spend a night in the lodge’s jungle treehouse. An important area for conservation and biodiversity studies in the Amazon, guests can also learn more about the various research projects taking place within the Reserve or take part in specialist birdwatching, photography or jaguar spotting programs.