Frommer's Review
The Flotel is unique among all the lodges in that it floats on varzea -- flooded forest in the richer "white water" of the Solimões river system. White-water systems flow through younger, richer soils, and are thus richer in dissolved nutrients. Forests in the upland areas of white-water rivers have bigger, taller trees (though don't expect the trees close to the lodge to be huge -- trees of the flooded forest, on both white and black rivers, don't grow to enormous sizes, simply due to the stress of getting covered for 4 months of the year in water). White-water rivers support richer, denser populations of aquatic life -- more fish, and consequently, more birds. The catch in all this, of course, is that the base of the food chain is also more abundant; white-water rivers are much richer in insect life, including mosquitoes.
To avoid mosquitoes, all other lodges are on black-water rivers, but the Piranha decided that the benefit was worth the cost. And in truth, the mosquitoes aren't that bad. They're worse than on black-water lodges, certainly, but they're nowhere near as bad as they are, for example, in the hardwood forests of the eastern U.S. or Canada. You'll need repellent when you go for a walk in the forest, but out on the floating lodge it's only an issue for the 2 hours or so around sunset. The lodge has good screens on the rooms and dining areas. The benefit is you get to see and hear constant splashes from jumping fish, and see more and larger birdlife, particularly wading birds.
Rooms on this floating hotel are small but tidy and pleasant -- like cabins on a ship. Beds have mosquito nets, though windows are screened. A generator powers air-conditioning in the evenings.
Lodge Checklist: Distance: 90km (56 miles); Biome: Varzea; Size: 20; Boat Capacity: 12; Boat motor: outboard; Canoes: Yes (1); Library: No; Biologist: No; Nature Talks: No, but planned for the near future; Other excursions: Horseback riding (dry season only).
Facilities:
Restaurant; bar; swimming platform
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
