Finding Lucivaldo was a gift of life. You know when you expect nothing and life gives you everything? It was like that.
I planned a short two-day stretch in the forest after a work event in Manaus, and found Lucivaldo on Instagram. While traveling alone, it was the comments here on Trip Advisor that made me overcome my fear and embark on this adventure into the unknown. So sit that there comes textile, to tell a little bit of what were those days.
My request was to meet indigenous communities and participate in an Ayahuasca ritual. Lucivaldo said he would answer me and did not give much details about the program. I went without much expectation and with the fact focus on the ritual.
But when the tour started on Friday, I already saw that it would exceed my expectations. Lucivaldo is kind, attentive, deeply knowledgeable of the forest and passionate about what he does, so he did so well. Your faithful scout, Cleu, is also a case apart, and in these two days I did not discover what this caboclo good people do not know how to do: fishing, cooking, crafts, camping, pilot... all this very well! Oh, and above all is a wonderful company that makes the ride a delight.
On the first day we were just the three of us. And even if it did not compensate financially - the structure of displacement and accommodation involves many intermediaries, so the cost for one person becomes almost impossible -, Lucivaldo kept his word and provided the best trip of my life.
I knew the encounter of the waters and then we traveled into the interior. We spent the first day fishing with a technique of artists, and we guaranteed a delicious lunch of piranha meat (huge, by the way) that the river provided us. We stopped on the banks of the river and baked the piranhas. And Lucivaldo is so wonderful and attentive that he took salt, pepper, lemon and even coca cola, and made our lunch an outdoor banquet, always very carefully with the garbage we produce. On the first day he realized how much I liked coca cola and didn’t let go of a day. Customer experience, we see around here!
At the end of the afternoon of the first day we went to a Tatuyo community, where a super welcoming and joyful indigenous family welcomed me wonderfully well, with stories and lots of laughs. The experience of this deep Brazil that teaches us so much.
The next morning Lucivaldo arrived with another tourist, American, and we went swimming with the boots in pink color (which is a delicious experience), and the Cleu me and a utilities was already “bote”, so he entered with us in the water and provided a more complete muuuuito experience than that of the tourists on huge boats that passed, took pictures and went away. A experience of who was born there, who loves, respects, protects and deeply knows our forest.
Then we took our way to the Kubewa community, where we would do the Ayahuasca ceremony. The journey there was an amazing adventure, with scandalously low rivers, which required a lot of skill and knowledge from our pair of super guides. We took twice the time, but we arrived safely and in a super mild and partnership atmosphere, not of service provision. I consider the wonderful Lucivaldo and Cleu my travel partners, in addition to the dear Kevin who I also had the pleasure of meeting.
We arrived in the Kubewa community, we had lunch at a floating restaurant on the banks of the river, where I made another little friend of 5 years, the dear Felipe, a super friendly curumim and who from early shows how much he knows and loves his forest.
The community was another case apart. We received extremely well again, and were very happy with our arrival. The Ayahuasca ceremony was conducted extremely carefully, respectfully, deeply and connected with nature. I've had other experiences before, but nothing comparable. During the process I was extremely cared for by everyone: the cacique, his wife, Lucivaldo and Cleu were there the time to ensure that we were well, without interfering with the intimacy of the process.
On Sunday morning we return by boat to Manaus. I also write from the plane, because I could not help but recommend the world the work of a person who generates so much impact, who genuinely cares about the well-being and quality of life of the communities in which he operates, and promotes ecological, sustainable and ethnic tourism in a completely natural way. He is an impact self-taught and extremely promising entrepreneur!
Lucivaldo, I thank life for connecting us, and I become a partner of the beautiful work you do with Amazon Forest Tours. Success, you deserve so much!
Tourists, know the deep Amazon and “root”. Value community-based tourism and contribute to bring back together a little bit of all the forest protection work done by these communities, which is what keeps us alive as humanity. Be sure and confident that Lucivaldo will build a custom scenario and provide you the best Amazon experience! Good trip!
Nomad02887875740
10 Sep 2024
So I usually write out all the bad first as I have less bad than good, but this time around it’s more bad than good.
The good
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You get to see the pink dolphins and participate with them
You get to try out traditional food.
Buffet food; it’s pretty good
You see where the 2 rivers meet; they stop and let you take pictures there
The bad
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Ethically, you should not be holding wild animals but in this tour it’s advise not to but the way to the village there are people that do just that. From the monkeys, Macau, Caymen, and even a boa constrictor. For a fee you can hold them and take a picture. I think nature should be left alone for the eyes to see.
I signed up for this tour to swim with the pink dolphins, but not like this. They put a boat full of people(usually 50 people, and who ever would like to jump into the water and chill there you can. The tour guide splashes fish in the water to entice the dolphin to swim to the bait and you get photos with the dolphin. But to be crowded with 50+ people in the water does not make a good shot nor does it make a good experience. And get this; it is only around 5 minutes long. Lower the number of people, but 5 minutes is a reasonable time though short
Summary
The rest of the tour is acceptable as it’s visiting the aboriginals and seeing their dance, along with fishing. I can say it’s pretty average from a tours like these.
Overall I think if u have a day in Manaus it’s worth it, but visiting The waterfall is a better idea, or more of a private group to swim with the pink dolphins.