Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 8/17/2007

Question
My son is about to begin a backpacking tour of Brazil. He will fly into Rio and then also wants to visit Manaus, the wetlands in the south and the Iguasu falls before continuing into Peru. We need to know bus routes, prices, distances between places as he is on a very limited budget. Can you give us that information?  (or web sites to look at / we don't speak Portugese) What is the cheapest way to get to Manaus?

Answer
It will take you about 3 to 4 days by bus to go to Manaus from Rio.  You can fly, that will cost you at least $450. Brazil is very expensive and if you are on a tight budget...dunno who tight is "tight"...your itinerary is for a rich man and not a poor man. Also, the Brazilian Real is very strong. Right now its about two to one, but that could easily change. It's been $1 = R$1.84 only recently and only rose to R$2 on US mortgage news.

The wetlands are called the Pantanal and all of this is EXTREMELY far away. Pantanal to Rio is like the equivalent of going to Boston from Chicago and Pantanal from Manaus is like going from LA to Dallas! Youre covering a lot of territory and going by bus will take you WEEKS. By that I mean you will be on a bus for a very long time, three days here, four days there, three days again.  Very tiring. And if you dont speak Portuguese, this will all depend on your sense of adventure, because odds are, NO ONE on your bus is going to speak a lick of English except for Terminator English: Ill be back. Or How'r you?

Look here: www.brazilnuts.com and www.brazilmax.com

ken