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Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Bela Vista, Novo Airao, Amazonas
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By Alison McGowan
March 10, 2010
Pousada Bela Vista does not have a lot of competition. Apart from the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge where the price is 10 times higher, there really isn't anywhere else decent to stay in Novo Airao. Run by Dona Laura, daughter Claudia and son Paulo, the pousada is beautifully situated overlooking the Rio Negro river and very close to where the dolphins come to feed daily. The 21 rooms are certainly small and basic, and come with occasionally brown water and cold showers. However they are also clean, largely bug free, and very good value - and who needs a hot shower when the temperature is up in the late 90s? As we had breakfast a very cleverly camouflaged 3ft iguana lazed out on the branches of the tree opposite and the river stretched out endlessly like a millpond in front of us. The pousada might not be a luxury option, but it is a great place to stay nevertheless.
Novo Airao is situated around 180kms from Manaus down the Rio Negro. It is a new town, as the name suggests, built in the 1940s after Velho Airao (100kms further down the river) was hit by a plague of ants, or political intrigue, or both, depending on who you are talking to. Although the town has grown substantially since the road was built 10 years ago, and subsequently asphalted, it still feels like a very small town, graced incongruously with wide avenues, empty of any traffic, and countless cheap restaurants and bars.
The main attraction of Novo Airao is its situation on the banks of the Rio Negro at the entrance to the Anavilhanas archipelago, which has some 400 islands and beautiful sandy beaches when the river is low (July through November), but the main reason that most people come here, specifically, is to swim with the pink dolphins which feed at one of the beach bars. A lot of fun and as yet totally un-touristy.
Not to be Missed
- feeding and swimming with the dolphins
- sunset from Paulo's boat
- a boat trip round the Anavilhanas
Starpoints
* fabulous views over the Rio Negro
* Paulo and his great boat trips
* easy going family atmosphere
Try a Different Place if...
... you want a hot shower, or a mobile phone which works
Alison is a British writer, musician, and marketing consultant, based in Rio de Janeiro. She can be contacted on alison@hiddenpousadasbrazil.com. Visit her site at http://www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com/.
Previous articles by Alison:
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Beijo do Vento, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Agua de Coco, Ceara
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Artjungle Eco Lodge & Spa, Itacare, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Alcino Estalagem, Lençois, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada 0031, Cumbuco, Ceará
Brazil: Maguire's Guesthouse, Manaus, Amazonas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel Casa do Amarelindo, Salvador, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel BeloAlter, Alter do Chão, Pará
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Fazenda Santa Marina, Santana dos Montes, Minas Gerais
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casarão da Amazônia, Soure, Ilha de Marajo, Pará
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casa Mila, nr. Ubatuba, São Paulo
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casa Beleza, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Bambu Bamboo Pousada and Spa, Parati, Rio de Janeiro
Random Ramblings on the Weather in Brazil
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Beijamar, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel 7 Colinas, Pernambuco
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada dos Quatro Cantos, Pernambuco
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Estrela do Mar, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Vivenda, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada da Terra, Minas Gerais
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Mirante de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada do Caju, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada da Amendoeira, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Estalagem Caiuia, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Lagoa do Cassange, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Ponta do Muta, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Santa Clara, Boipeba, Bahia
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3/10/2010
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