Amazon, Manaus

For those expecting to see only a sea of green of the Amazon rainforest when they fly into Manaus, the sight of a modern city with high-rises and a busy port comes as a surprise. Located on the north bank of the Rio Negro, 11 miles (18 km) above the Meeting of the Rivers where the Negro merges with the Rio Solimões, there is Manaus.

The city is 900 miles (1,450 km) inland from the Atlantic and as the largest city and a major port on the river, Manaus is an important commercial spot. Local industries include brewing, shipbuilding, soap manufacturing, the production of chemicals, the manufacture of electronics equipment, and petroleum refining of oil brought in by barge.

There is a very amazing point in the Amazon: the Meeting of the Waters, a fascinating spectacle as the Rio Negro and Amazon River crash into one another without the differing light and dark tones overflowing into the other side. Only in this part of the world, a mythical land of magic and mystery, could such an incredible natural occurrence take place. The next miracle is the Januari Lake Ecological Reserve, an area teeming with tropical wildlife. Beautiful giant water lilies fill the lake and turn it into a lilac bed, the total silence interrupted only by the gentle floating of your canoe in the water or by the distant cry of a howler monkey. Before lunch you will visit the magical floating houses that hug the shore of the river, often vibrantly colourful huts that are home to the many indigenous communities in the area.