Travel
Travel to Brazil
There are several flight options for travelling to Manaus International Airport. Daily non-stop to Manaus operate from Miami, Panama, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Plan to travel to Miami by Sunday, to connect with the flight to Manaus (MAO Airport). We suggest you arrange your flight to Miami to arrive with plenty of time to make the connecting flight to Manaus. If you are flying from the USA, there are two nonstop daily flights from Miami (AA and TAM airlines). One departs Miami early in morning and arrives in Manaus in the early afternoon; the other flight departs Miami in the late afternoon and arrives in Manaus in the late evening. Once you arrive in Manaus International Airport, our host will be waiting for you for immediate transfer to the pleasant fancy Hotel located in a very nice part of the town.
TRANSFER INFORMATION
LAND ROUTE
Access to Xingu Camp can be done by land, from the cities of Marabá (7h), or Carajás (5h), to the city of São Félix do Xingu. To go up the river it is necessary to stay overnight in this city or in Tucumã. The boat ride takes place from Marina Xingu in São Felix do Xingu, where you can leave your car if you want to leave your city with your own vehicle. It is also possible to use larger aircraft (King Air type) to São Felix do Xingu aerodrome. The boat trip takes around 4 hours and depends on the river level and weather conditions (when there are very heavy rains you need to slow down the boat, or even pull over to the bank and wait for the rain to pass/ease).
AIR ROUTE
MANAUS - Charter Flight
Manaus is the easiest connection from travelers coming from USA, or doing an extension into the Amazon state.
Early morning, our host/driver will pick up the group at the Hotel and take them to the domestic airport for their private charter flight to the Kayapo village of Pukararãnkre on the right bank of the Xingu River. Flight from Manaus to Xingu is operated by an 8-passenger Grand Caravan plane, and normally departs around 6:30 am. The flight duration is 3:30 hours depending on whether a refueling stop is needed. Pukararãnkre village is located 590 miles southeast from Manaus and the plane will land on the airs trip right in the Indian Community.
CARAJÁS – Charter Flight
Carajás (CKS) Airport is a small commercial airport with daily flights from Belem, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, which makes an easy connection from travelers coming from Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro our southern states.
Due to the greater proximity and comfort of air transfers, the best arrival option is Carajás airport. The companies Azul and Gol operate daily flights, with arrival at the final destination occurring on the same day as the flight's arrival. To arrive on the same day, arrival at these two destinations must occur during the day with enough time for the charter flight to reach the village of Pukarãrãkrê.
Charter Flight to Xingu. We recommend flights arriving around noon in Carajás.
From Carajás you the charter flight goes directly to the village of Pukararânkre, and from there another 15/20 minutes by boat to Xingu Camp.
The flight to Pukararânkre will be carried out in a Cessna PT 210 plane for 5 people, or a Cessna Caravan plane for 8 people, which will land on an approved dirt runway directly in the village, located about 330 km from Carajás; the flight will last an estimated 1:15 h from Carajás, until reaching the village.
Visa
A Brazilian visa is generally not necessary when traveling to Brazil for tourism. Also, ensure your passport does not expire within 6 months of your trip.
Check more about VISA requirement ot Brazil, based in your passport and nationality here: https://apply.joinsherpa.com/map?affiliateId=sherpa&language=en-US
Vaccine
A Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is recommended to enter any Indian Territory in Brazil but is no longer required.
We strongly recommend securing insurance that covers medical contingencies while abroad and cancel for any reason travel insurance.
Please do not bring unnecessary weight to the lodge. We use small planes for air transfers to and from the lodge and we strictly enforce weight limitations. You will be able to leave items not needed in the lodge with the hotel concierge in Manaus if you are returning to the hotel at the end of the week. There is a strictly-enforced 40 pound (in total) weight restriction per person for the charter flights. Please avoid HARD BODY LUGGAGE.