'Preservation of nature is the main goal'

Camains await Katerre Expedition clients on sojourns into a part of the world where toucans outnumber tourists.

The tour company, based in the Brazilian Amazon community of Novo Airao — near the bustling metropolis of Manaus — and offers both lodge stays and river cruises in part of the world’s largest expanse of tropical rainforest, an area the size of Switzerland but which is home to only 20,000 people serving as its backyard.

And Katerre Expedition partner Ruy Tone says the region is ideal for those wanting to see untouched nature.

“Nature is still dominant here,” says Tone, an engineer by trade who travelled to such far-flung locales as Nepal, Tibet and Jordan before deciding to involve himself in Brazilian tourism.

It would be hard to dispute Tone’s claim given that the sprawling region Katerre operates in has a smallish population of people but does serve as habitat for a variety of jungle dwellers, among them sloths, jaguars, toucans, monkeys and the Amazon’s famed pink dolphins.

Katerre — the name of which translates as Everything is Good in an Amazon Indigenous language — now operates three cruise vessels with 3, 8 and 12 cabins on the Negro River, while affiliated Kairara Expeditoin has three other vessels on the Tapajos River, Those vessels offer a choice of 4, 8 and 11 cabins.

Among Katerre Expedition vessels is the Jacare-Acu, a 3-level boat that car carry 16 passengers in 8 air-conditioned cabins (adventurous guests can also sleep in a hammock on the top deck if they choose);, a main deck with a galley, pantry, washer, dining room where 3 buffets a day are served; and the rooftop deck that features a bar, loungers, tables and chairs, sound system and outdoor shower.

The crew of the vessel — which has a caiman figurehead — includes a captain, guide, cook and housekeeper.

Another vessel is the Jacare Tinga, which can carry eight guests in three air-conditioned suites and has a galley, pantry/dining area, while the upper deck has a solarium, loungers, outdoor shower, bar, tables and chairs.

Katerre Expedition has different tours on its cruises, offering such activities as safely seeking caimans; often large members of the crocodile family; jungle hikes that provide tips on wilderness survival; spotting pink dolphins, which are only found in the Amazon; and visiting Indigenous settlements.

Vessels have the likes of sonar and radar, a library, board games,  binoculars for birdwatching,  first aid kits for thecrews trained in first aid, goose feather pillows, private sound system in each cabin with I-pod dock. The vessels are routinely fumigated and inspected for transportation.

Tours are available in English and Portuguese.

Katerre Expedition also offers the Mirante do Gaviao Amazon Lodge, which has guest units that have king-size beds, terraces, minibars, air conditioning, and living rooms. Hot tubs are found in the luxury category. The lodge’s CamuCamu restaurant serves both Western and regional dishes.

Tone labels the area Katerre Expedition operates in as “the heart of the Amazon,” He says Katerre is committed to helping preserve the Amazon.

“For ecotourism, preservation of nature is the main goal,” he adds. “You have a mix of new jobs for the region, connected with the tourism movement, like restaurants, hotels, guides..essential for moving people that today work with activities that are destroying nature, for jobs that preserve nature.”

There is international concern over deforestation in the Amazon, something Tone says international travellers choosing the Amazon can help offset, with tourism having a benign impact on the region, able to provide locals with work that doesn’t involve clearing trees.

“By coming here, using our services, you’re helping preserve the ecosystem,” he states. “Just coming here is important.”

“We’re not telling them (those living in the Amazon)  to be poor,” he states. “We’re telling them it’s possible to preserve the forest and make money.

“Come to the Amazon to feel all the greatness of Mother Nature,” he adds.

Those wanting further information can access katerre.com/us or email [email protected].