Ariau towers or Tropical Manaus?? please help
 

Hello there.. We are planing a trip to the amazons with two children ages 6 and 4. I am very concerned because all I have read about the Ariau is that it could be kind of too much outdoors for my small kids..2 hour boat trip to the hotel appropiate for a 4 yr old?, worried about mosquito bites, cold showers ? creepy insects in the room at night? is that all true?? Hotel does not answer these questions and their website does not show any photos of the rooms, and it makes me think that it is because they are awful... My question is.. if we stay at the Tropical Manaus and book a few tours to the river.. are we taking all the fun out of it?? Am I being too concerned and should just go on with the adventure?..Any ideas?? anybody been to these hotels recently??.. please advise...

It's the "Amazing Tours" tout again. I would NEVER use Amazing Tours because they advertise illegally on Fodors and Trip Advisor--probably others, too.

You may see a lot of photos of Ariau: http://picasaweb.google.com.br/ariauamazon

I have been to Ariau many times and did not find a lot of insects in the rooms. Suites have hot water showers.
Majority of tripadvisor reviews are very positive.
Jill
www.SouthAmericanEscapes.com/blog

I apologize for my bad English.
I think your kids will love
Ariau. The hotel receives tourists from everywhere. They will see monkeys, native dancers, aligators, the meeting waters, and anything else you choose. It is a jungle 4 or 5 stars hotel.

We stayed four days at the Ariau early last month.( May.) It was not very crowded, most tours had four or less people, only the piranha fishing tour had more, but we were kept busy. There were hardly any mossies, except on the jungle walk, but you would still need to take precautions (malaria, yellow fever) No problem at all with insects in the room.

Yes, the cheapest tower rooms are depressing, tiny and dark, especially when they are so expensive. We were so appalled when we first saw our assigned room, that DH said we would leave on the next boat in the morning. I spoke to the manager, mainly because I thought they should supply at least a couple of bottles of drinking water a day , which they don't normally. Anyway, we were upgraded to Tower 6, a ground floor, much bigger and better room, so we stayed. I'm so glad we did. I really loved it, and DH had a good time too. This room had a cold shower in an enormous bathroom, but DH was able to turn on the hot water as well. It is so hot there though, that cold water isn't a problem.

The family we met on the up trip had a six year old girl and an eight year old boy. Even the children objected to the first room they were given, and they upgraded to the suite opposite us too. The kids seemed to have a great time.

I enjoyed the meals very much, DH not so much.Each meal had a choice of chicken, beef or fish . I had delicious fish every time, DH said the beef was awful, the chicken OK. There would be enough for the children to choose from, I think, if they are not overly fussy. Caramelised condensed milk - yum! The stuff of childhood!

They now have a faster ferry instead of the old double decker with hammocks strung up on the top deck - shame, I think. They told us our trip up was the last on the old one - coming back on a normal boat with seats was faster, but not nearly as much fun.

I think either would be a great holiday with a four and six year year old, but the walkways and dozens of cute monkeys at the Ariau are special, and our assigned guide, Romero, was a gem. Driving yourself in an electric buggy around the 8km of catwalk is lots of fun. However, there is water all around, so the kids should know about water safety, and be watched at all times.

We also stayed one night at the Lord Manaus in Manaus, and did a day trip to the meeting of the waters (not worth it, except in the dry season) and the Ecological Park with the huge Victoria Regis lilies (well worth it).We organised this from the Floating Pier right in Manaus. The ones from the Tropical are a lot more expensive, and possibly better. The kids would love the small zoo there too. The Tropical is a long way from town, maybe 8 miles or so. Walking around town with small kids would NOT be fun in the heat and humidity.

We also attended a concert in the truly beautiful Opera House in Manaus. It's not expensive, and maybe would be an introduction for the children. It is quite small and intimate, and very ornate, with red velvet carved chairs. We saw a lot of children in the concert audience.

Hope this may help. Best wishes.

THE ARIAU HOTEL IS VERY CLEAN AND NO BUGS. TRY STAYING IN AN UPGRADED ROOM LIKE TARZANS SUITE IT IS AT THE WAY TOP AND HAS ITS OWN PLUNGE POOL. YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE CLIMBING UP THERE. ONE OF THE SUITES IS GOOD ALL BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ROOMS. THE MONKEYS PLAY WITH THE KIDS AND ARE VERY FRIENDLY. THE GUIDES ARE KID FRIENDLY AND IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN STAYING AT TROPICAL HOTEL (DON'T REALLY LIKE AMERICANS THERE).