bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

HIDDEN deep in the Amazon jungle are up to a dozen hotels, so far from civilisation that they can generally only be reached by boat.

But they have become some of the most popular attractions for tourists eager to experience a night, or a week and more, in the world's most fabled jungle.

Incoming domestic flights land tourists at Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, to launch them on their journey.

 The trip takes about two hours in a 60-foot power yacht. The famous pink dolphins are likely to be seen frolicking in the boat's wake.

Many of the jungle hotels, for all their seclusion from the outside world, have the most modern facilities, including telephones, with some offering tree-top cottages.

To heighten the rain forest experience, guides take groups or individuals on hikes along jungle trails in the hope of encountering some of the Amazon's exotic animal life.

Houseboats can be hired by those who want to cruise the Amazon or any of the many other rivers which criss-cross the Amazonas, offering the opportunity to get close to the tribal people who live in the forest.

South of Amazonas lie the central states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Dul, through which extends Brazil's Pantanal, or swampland, although the 363,000-square-kilometre area is far removed from the normal connotations of a swamp.

The Pantanal is one of Brazil's greatest treasures, with rivers that have spawned more than 280 species of fish, forests that are home to more than 90 species of mammal, including the reclusive jaguar, 600 species of birds and 50 species of reptiles, including alligators and anacondas.

The season's are divided into the rainy period from October to March, when many parts of the Pantanal can be covered in up to three metres of water, and the dry season when the region unveils its true beauty.

Several top hotels have been established in the Pantanal, while houseboats are available for cruising on the Paraguay River or for fishing and animal-spotting safaris. Jeep safaris are also available.

With such a diversity and abundance of fish in its rivers, the Pantanal offers some of the world's finest sports fishing.

To ensure good fishing during the open season, angling is banned in the spawning period from November to January. Anglers must apply for a licence from any branch of Banco do Brazil.

  The best fishing season is from July to October.

Separate licences must be obtained for boat or bank fishing and strict measures are applied to ensure that the region's resources are not strained, including size limits for various species and a take-home bag not exceeding 30 kilograms.

Eighteen-foot boats can be hired to carry up to three anglers each, with the piloteiro, or boatman, also acting as guide and gillie.

For those with no interest in angling, the Pantanal's abundance of fish still offers one of the most spectacular sights. In November and December, millions of fish migrate up the Paraguay River to spawn.

A favourite spot to watch the fish, which leap over rocks and up waterfalls, is at the Palmeiras waterfalls near the town of Coxim.

Domestic air services operate from airports at Caceres, Corumba and Coxim, which are all inside the Pantanal.



Modern hotels built for tourists deep in heart of Amazon