Maraã Paradise Lake (9 days)

The only Amazon tour you should even consider - an authentic experience that will change your life! This is an extremely long review, but I feel it is necessary to communicate the reasons why we enjoyed this trip, why it was an unforgettable experience, and why we would highly recommend Amazon Deep Jungle Tours.

My husband and I were looking for a tour operator in the Amazon, as he wanted to do some fishing (specifically for peacock bass) and I wanted to sleep in the jungle (rather than in a lodge or on a boat). We were not happy with all of the "Eco Tours" and house boat fishing trips on offer operating out of Manaus, as they all offer the exact same package and appear to be pandering to tourists. We found Amazon Deep Jungle Tours (ADJT) through a review on TripAdvisor, and by just looking at the website, we could immediately sense that this operator was different - I especially connected with the "About us" section of the website, as it read of someone that is committed to giving you the best experience on the river. When we emailed the company, the owner, Eduardo, immediately replied. Even though we would only meet Eduardo 7 months after our initial contact, you could sense his enthusiasm and passion for what he does in all correspondence.

We chose to do the 9 days/8 nights trip to Maraa, and Eduardo was happy to adjust the itinerary so that we could focus on fishing. From the website, we knew that the first two days would be travel by boat and since we live in Africa, we had very little expectation. However, we were surprised at how luxurious the speedboats were! All seats were large and comfortable, and reclined to levels where you could actually sleep comfortably. All boats serve large meals (you will not be hungry!) and coffee, hot chocolate, and water. The morning we left Tefe, we were amazing that we were already seeing toucans and macaws flying over the river! I remember thinking at the time that it really payed off to take time to go deeper into the jungle rather than going a few kilometers out of Manaus like what the other tours offer.

When we arrived in Maraa, we met Eduardo's family and had lunch with them. We spend the rest of the afternoon walking through the village and we were able to see and eat so many fruits that we have never seen or tasted before! At this point we had met the team that would be taking us into the jungle. When we got onto the motorized canoe the following morning, we were surprised at how prepared the team actually was. Drinking water was brought onto the boat, and I did not need to use my water purification tablets at all (as I assumed we would be drinking boiled river or tap water). There was more than enough food for the trip and from my own observations, the team had taken all possible safety and first aid precautions. Although we were far from civilization, we never once felt unsafe.

The ADJT team is absolutely incredible! Although not everyone spoke English, this didn't bother us at all (and to be fair, we don't speak Portuguese!). The team operates very much like a family and made us feel like we were a part of this family. Additionally, the team is extremely professional, competent, and very knowledgeable concerning all aspects of life on the river. They could even identify fish based on the sound of its splash in the water...(this blew my mind). At the end of our trip, we were convinced that this team would do almost anything to make our trip unforgettable.

Adilon, who we nicknamed Captain Catfish (as he is the maker and captain of the boat we were on), I'm pretty sure would have paddled the entire length of the Amazon to see my husband catch a monster peacock bass. He is also a master spear fisherman! His wife, Maria, is an excellent cook. The food was delicious and there was always more than enough so you don't ever feel hungry. We nicknamed Maria the Fish Whisperer (seriously though, if you want to catch big fish, you NEED Maria on the boat; we only caught piranha when shes wasn't around!). Mikeias, who we nicknamed Mr Delivery (because there isn't a thing this man can't deliver on), did a lot of the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that you sometimes may take for granted, but we were extremely grateful that he was always setting up our hammocks (this seems easy, but I could not sleep the night my husband set up my hammock...), paddling the canoes, and doing all the other tasks that may go unnoticed. If you are planning to do some serious fishing, ask for Samir (Sabretooth). He is the only person other than Eduardo that speaks English and he would be able to help out with what you need regarding your tackle/set up, as he is a keen rod-fisherman himself. Eduardo (King Cayman - as he can call cayman!) was also with us the entire time, and the excitement, passion, and child-like wonder he has for the Amazon is contagious!.

Although we did not catch monster fish (but to be clear we did catch a lot of reasonably sized fish), we were amazed at the diversity and number of fish in the lake. Every few minutes you could hear fish (including arapaima!) jump. Unlike other tour operators that take you specifically for a single species (piranha, peacock bass, etc), we were able to fish for all species and caught some amazing fish - piranha, monkeyfish, catfish, peacock bass, and although we had an arapaima taking our bait, we couldn't land him. We also saw a lot of bird species: toucans, macaws, parrots, giant kingfishers, herons, ospreys, and hummingbird eggs, as well as frogs, river dolphins, and monkeys.

I honestly cannot recommend ADJT enough! No other tour operator will take you so far into the jungle that you have literally sailed more than 1000 kms on the Amazon. Also, since you are fishing in tributaries between the Japura and the Rio Negro, you have more diversity in fish species (if fishing is what you are after). One thing that is really important to us is community development - Eduardo not only employs local people, but also actively uses his tour company to empower other local and indigenous communities. He recently acquired federal permission to promote tourism on an indigenous reservation and this is where we fished. We were not interested in tours that parade tourists through the local villages (people are not animals in a zoo) and so Eduardo's passion for empowering local people really meant the world to us.

Coming from Africa, I didn't think this experience would have such an impact on us, but it changed our lives. There isn't a day that has passed since our trip that I have not thought about the river, the jungle, and the ADJT team (seriously, they feel like family and we miss them!). Of all the tour operators out there, I can guarantee you that even in the same jungle and on the same river, none of then can compete with what ADJT has on offer and they cannot provide an experience that ADJT can deliver.

The real jungle tour I had a great time joining Eduardos tours. If you wanna do a real jungle trip, choose one of Eduardos tours. You will never forget it. Eduardo is a warmly and open minded person. He offers you a individual trip based on your wishes. He knows the nature, the animals and the people of the different areas. Sleeping in the jungle in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the sounds of the jungle, eatting fresh fish and talking at the campfire- it was unforgetable!
The tours aren't like the normal tours, especially when you go to Eduardos hometown-Maraa. Stepping in contact with his family and the native people of this area was amazing. You can also see a difference between the area of Manaus and Maraa. In Maraa you will see the real jungle. If you have enough time, go for this trip. You won't forget it.
Thank you for showing me the wonderful Amazon, Eduardo! I hope to come back.