Luxury Travel Extends Into the Amazon

by Catherine Bodry on

Which of these items doesn’t belong in the Amazon rain forest: an anaconda, a piranha, a giant spider… or a masseuse?

That was a trick question; they all belong, even the masseuse, since at least a dozen new resorts have sprouted up in the Amazon.

Larry Rohter of the New York Times visited several new hotels in the heart of the jungle. One is right on the river, another up in trees, but all are built with the comfort wealthier travelers have come to expect. While Rohter claims most of the lodges aren’t “luxurious” (you might not be able to run the air conditioner and the shower at the same time), they are far cry from a $3-a-night hammock hanging over a dirt floor.

Read is his captivating report here.

Photo of the Day (7/7/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Butterflies are some of nature’s most delicate fluttering creatures. So when they are captured with wings fully spread, relaxing on the soft pink petals of a flower and posing for a passing photographer in the Ecuadorian Amazon they must also be granted a moment of fame on Gadling. This POTD was taken by fiznatty and several other beautiful butterflies and creepy crawlers from Ecuador can be found in the Gadling Flickr pool.

Surfing the Amazon

by Willy Volk on

The pororoca is a Brazilian tidal bore boasting waves up to 12 feet high that roll as much as 8 miles up the Amazon River. Originating where the River meets the Atlantic Ocean, the phenomenon occurs in February and March. Though beautiful, the waves are dangerous, as they often carry with them lots of debris, including entire trees.

Not surprisingly, the wave action has become popular with surfers and kayakers. In fact, every year since 1999, an annual championship has been held in São Domingos do Capim. In 2003, Brazilian Picuruta Salazar won the event, riding an amazing 7.7 miles for 37 minutes. Basically, it went something like this:

If you want to learn more about surfing the Amazon, check out this stellar documentary or visit Fogonazos’ photo gallery of pororoca surfers.

[Via Neatorama]

Shamanizing

by Erik Olsen on


Admit it, you’ve always harbored a secret desire to getaway to the Amazonian rain forest, where you will hack your way into the deep, dark jungle to find a tribe that welcomes you, that offers you a potent drink containing a powerful hallucinogen, and after you try it, the heavens open up and all of life’s mysteries reveal themselves to you. Unfortunately, you end up with one heck of a hangover. Oh, and you forget most of what you learned. Sorry about that. After effects, you know. But you did take away one morsel of wisdom: those big green leaves in the jungle: they make really cool hats.

Alas, you and I are not likely to fraternize with shamans any time soon, but the folks over at National Geographic did just that recently, and they brought along a video crew. Yes, two Americans, including one of my current writing idols Kira Salak, went to the Peruvian rain forest to try ayahuasca, a kind of jungly LSD/Mescaline drug that the locals use for ceremonies… and to play jokes on their bosses (Memo? I wasn’t supposed to have that memo done today? What, are you on ayahuasca?). 

But seriously, this is wonderful story-telling and a cool story. I spent a wee bit of time in the Amazon years ago and very much dreamed of taking the time to plunge into the forest to do exactly this. Of course, I didn’t. Couldn’t stand the mosquitoes.