Amazon Arowana Lodge

There are so many choices of where to go for an Amazon adventure - after viewing many of them on line, we decided on Amazon Arowana Lodge. It was perfect for us. I like a rustic experience - my husband likes it a bit more fancy. Arowana was the best of both worlds! We were picked up right on time at our hotel in Manaus and driven to the river, where we boarded a small boat (along with our luggage - we had a lot as we were going on a cruise at the end of the week). Once we were on the other side of the river, we were picked up in a VW bus and drove about an hour to a small river for a fast 1 hour boat ride till we got to Arowana. It was pouring rain, but we were met with umbrellas and help taking our things to our rooms. The rooms were small, but extremely clean, and the beds were very comfortable. Each room had great AC and we could return to our room for a refreshing and cool rest. The WiFi throughout the lodge was great! After a wonderful homemade lunch we went out exploring with Thiago, our English speaking guide. We saw so many birds and butterflies as we explored the small rivers near Juma Lake. We even had an iguana fall out of a tree in to our small boat! During our time there we saw birds galore - including the hoatzin - incredible bird! We went fishing for piranha, saw caymen, pink dolphins, fresh water grey dolphins, large schools of fish, visiting a turtle farm, and enjoyed everything the area had to offer. One of the best parts for me was going out to the dock at night, when all the human noise was over and just listening to the sounds of the Amazon and enjoy the spectacular stars in the sky each night. Get up early and go out to the dock for a spectacular sunrise! The staff spoke no English, except for our guide, but they were all extremely helpful. Our boatman was wonderful, the cook made delicious meals for us and the staff kept the entire Lodge in great condition. Meals including fish, chicken, and/or beef, noodles, rice, an assortment of fresh vegetable and fruit. The meals ended with a delicious homemade dessert. My only regret in this visit to Arowana Lodge was that we didn't book a longer stay. We saw a lot and did a lot, but a few more days would have been great! We all highly recommend staying at Amazon Arowana Lodge for a wonderful Amazon experience!

Excellent lodge located right on the side of the water. The guide (we had Anderson) was excellent - spoke good English and Portuguese and was very well informed about everything we saw and did. The activities were well planned and held twice a day. The ranged from hikes, to boat trips and Piranha fishing. The food was delicious and there could not have been more. We left stuffed after every meal. There was free bottled water and the other drinks were reasonably priced. The rooms were well equipped and simple and we slept well for the entire stay. We would love to come back in the future.

Amazing trip to the Amazon. Our guide Anderson was fantastic and taught us a lot about the Amazonian flora and fauna. The area is beautiful and unspoiled. We saw many animals including sloths, monkeys, dolphins and alligators. Anderson even took us out at night to see the alligators. Although rustic, the rooms are very comfortable and clean. The air conditioning worked well and there was plenty of hot water. The staff are very friendly. I highly recommend this very special place.