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Down the Amazon! No, not the online shop ....


Balaena
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We are off on the Aurora next January and the Amazon will be the first time for us. I wonder if any of you good folk have been along this mighty river and if you might have some suggestions to give as guidance. Have heard that there are plenty of nasty biters that like the look of tourists! again any thoughts and advice. We have 2 days in Manaus a day in Parintins and a day in Santarem before heading up to the Caribbean passing Devils Island.

 

Bal

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The Opera House in Manaus is worth a visit, as is the market, especially with a guide, it was designed by Gustave Eiffel of tower fame, are you stopping at Devils Island? as we had to have Yellow Fever vaccination.

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I think we had to have a yellow fever vaccination (or letter of exemption) willy nilly. We only sailed past Devil’s Island.

 

Didn’t get any insect bites, just using normal holiday precautions.

 

It’s fascinating. Have a great time

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Hi four of us doing this cruise. We all did it in 2006 so looking forward to repeat trip. Regarding yellow-fever jab, if you are over 60 you are not forced to have one but need an exemption letter from a registered Yellow Fever vaccination centre. The NHS changed criteria on this recently and we have written confirmation from P.O. that they will accept exemption letter at embarkation. Yes lots of bugs but nothing too nasty. Did rain a lot in Manaus last time so be prepared.

 

 

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My wife and I are on this cruise too. Never been to the Amazon, really looking forward to it. We had our yellow fever jabs a couple of years ago and are still current.

 

I would also be interested in advice on the visit from previous visitors, thanks.

 

Brian & Carol.

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Went to a luxury lodge on the Amazon after our tour of Peru. We flew into Iquitos so different area to you.

Take your malaria pills and get all your vaccinations and plenty of insect repellent. Loved it there, we went Pirana fishing, saw pink dolphins and went on a tuk tuk ride through a small town. Also went to a “native” village, but we think it was just put on for tourists. Enjoy it, never been anywhere like it. Wildlife and especially birds are amazing. Go on a boat ride along the river if you can.

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We have cruised the Amazon twice and one journey was nowhere like the other so yours too will be just that, yours. To your points of concern, the bugs were humungous but did not bite. But the fear of crushing underfoot beatles the size a pound coin brings much caution to one's dancing the decks. There will likely be a stop at a native village which, while interesting if not authentic, brings out the generosity of the passengers. The tour excursions proved to be well worth the time and money but in our case once was enough. Manaus is delighful and the first city visited that did not have an Irish Pub. Take a little time while aboard to observe the port commerce, especially the manual labour of loading cargo like vegetables. Another era. The meeting of the two rivers, Rio Negro and Amazon defies belief and is to be seen. Parintins was the highlight of our trip in attending the reenactment of the town's entry in the annual national Carnival. The music, dance, colour and costume was an unexpected unforgettable treat. It is a somewhat expensive excursion but I highly recommend taking this one. The state of the Amazon river may shock some as it did us for it is a river used in refuse disposal as none other we have seen. But above that in the evening and into the night the silent continuous lightning show on the horizon of the rain forests was the perfect backdrop for cocktails on the balcony. Bon Voyage

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We haven't been down the Amazon, but it does appeal. On a recent cruise we did speak to a couple that had (with P&O) and they said that the bugs were plentiful. It was apparently difficult to walk on open decks without a constant crunching noise (lol) and the staff were apparently sweeping up piles of them. There were clearly enough of them for it to be a major talking point. Perhaps time of year and/or atmospherics play a part in volumes?

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You will almost certainly need a yellow fever jab, you have to pay for that. Not available on NHS.

Some ships dim outside lights and ask cabin curtains to be closed - helps keep the bugs away.

The Amazon itself is not the most exciting place. Once is enough unless you are a bit of a David Bellamy. The idea of the thing is better than the reality.

But do visit the Opera House.

 

 

 

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Hi four of us doing this cruise. We all did it in 2006 so looking forward to repeat trip. Regarding yellow-fever jab, if you are over 60 you are not forced to have one but need an exemption letter from a registered Yellow Fever vaccination centre. The NHS changed criteria on this recently and we have written confirmation from P.O. that they will accept exemption letter at embarkation. Yes lots of bugs but nothing too nasty. Did rain a lot in Manaus last time so be prepared.

 

 

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I've been reading up about the Yellow Fever jab and qualify for the exception certificate .. must be our age!! smiles. Where would we go to to get this exception certificate, I can't seem to find this information.

Thanks

Bal

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We went Jan/Feb 2017 on Oriana's 50 night cruise and didn't really have any trouble with bugs at night although they did dim the lights.

Although we had our yellow fever jabs nobody checked at check in.

We thought the Amazon was the highlight of the cruise.

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I've been reading up about the Yellow Fever jab and qualify for the exception certificate .. must be our age!! smiles. Where would we go to to get this exception certificate, I can't seem to find this information.

 

Thanks

 

Bal

 

 

 

Hi you have to go to a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination centre. Google this and you will be able to find one near you. They will need proof that you have had a y f vaccination in the past. Our centre charged £10 p p for this. P & O have confirmed in writing to me that they will accept exemption forms at embarkation.

 

 

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My wife and I are on this cruise too. Never been to the Amazon, really looking forward to it. We had our yellow fever jabs a couple of years ago and are still current.

 

I would also be interested in advice on the visit from previous visitors, thanks.

 

Brian & Carol.

 

 

 

Hi Brian & Carol. Not sure if you are aware that Yellow Fever inoculations are now life long and you no longer have to have a further jab after 10 years. The rules changed around September 2016. My certificate was due to expire in November 2016. I paid £10.00 at a travel centre for a new open ended certificate.

 

 

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Hi Brian & Carol. Not sure if you are aware that Yellow Fever inoculations are now life long and you no longer have to have a further jab after 10 years. The rules changed around September 2016. My certificate was due to expire in November 2016. I paid £10.00 at a travel centre for a new open ended certificate.

 

 

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Thank you. We had that confirmed today from our GP Surgery. We are still going to update our tetanus etc, as we are doing a lot of traveling anyway. We are also looking to purchase Malaria tablets for this cruise. It sounds like it might be easier to walk around the deck in a 6'2" mosquito net with all the other bugs around.:D

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If you do not have the recommended jabs etc. and you become ill with that disease when away, then your insurance company will not pick up the bill. A risk we would not want to take, especially when that far away from home in a less developed country or area. Read your insurance T&C's, I think that is more or less standard, they do not take onboard risks that could have been avoided.

 

Might have to fund your own airlift back to the UK - if you can afford it.........

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It's possible I might have to get an exemption due to a blood condition, anyhow I'll get advice. Rather have the vaccination as the last thing I will want to do is stay indoors to avoid getting bitten .. gaaaah.

 

Bal

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We did the Amazon 15 years ago, on P&O’s Arcadia, the old Arcadia.

 

It was an excellent trip, the Amazon itself fascinating, the small towns and villages along the route most interesting. The moths were everywhere and the size of dinner plates, but exquisitely beautiful. Ants the size of 50p pieces. I got bitten badly by mosquitoes, so the correct anti-malarials for that area recommended - one size definitely does not fit all - yellow fever jab was compulsary then.

 

I would definitely consider this a most worthwhile trip.

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When we did the long Aurora trip this year we made an appointment with the Travel Sister at our surgery and she looked at both of our medical records and said that there was no reason why we should not have the Yellow Fever jabs - I was 71 and my husband 72. She said that age was not automatically a reason not to have the vaccination. She also said that over the several years she had been working as the Travel Sister she had not known any of the people to whom she had given the jabs to have a reaction. So we had the jabs and neither of us suffered any after effects. We were lucky in that one of the GPs at our surgery was registered as the doctor in our area who was able to give the vaccination so we didn't have to travel to another centre.

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We did the Amazon trip on Adonia in Dec 2015. Good experience but, as others have said, once is probably enough.

 

As regards yellow fever - you must have the correct documentation; ie either the certificate or a valid exemption. On our cruise, one couple had an out-of-date exemption letter and were made to disembark in Tobago and then rejoin in Trinidad some 2 weeks or so later - an expensive mistake! The issue is whether ports of call after the Amazon require passengers to have the YF documentation. On our cruise, most people to be taking malarials, but a few chose not to. We took the daily one and had no apparent side effects.

At the time we visited, there were some security issues in Manaus. Passengers were mugged for minor valuables and there was a shooting outside the port early in the evening (resulting in shut-down of the port and no passengers/crew allowed ashore). We visited the Opera House under our own steam (very cheap and highly recommended) one day and did a ship's tour on the other. At the time we went, the river level was extraordinarily low, which meant the excursions were not quite as advertised (we got a partial refund) but at the time the Aurora is going it should be OK.

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While we did not encounter difficulties regarding security we should mention that there are area of Manus that are to be considered unsafe. Having seen a site on line regarding night life entertainment, we brought the address with us and presented it to the taxi driver. He refused to take us. The next driver looked at us cautiously but did drive on. But when he entered the district he activated the all door lock button. As it turned out the address was for a bar long closed and we happily returned to the ship. Finding a bar within sight of the ship proved to be interesting in that when ordering a beer it came in a one litre bottle and without immediate payment. When consumed, it's replacement arrives and the empty bottle is placed under your table. At the conclusion of your stay the server comes and count the empties and payment is then made.

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