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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Xixuau
Skip unless you have 5+ days and a deep interest in Amazon community-based ecotourism: 30 hours by boat from Manaus, no phone signal, basic huts.
Xixuau is a riverside community inside the Baixo Rio Branco-Rio Jauaperi Extractive Reserve, reachable only by a 30-hour boat trip from Manaus. There are no hotels, no restaurants and no internet. Visitors stay in malocas (palm-thatched huts), eat fish caught that day and explore the flooded forest or sandbars depending on the season. It is for travellers who want to live with a traditional Amazon community, not for a quick stop.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Jun–Nov (lower water, more wildlife, sand beaches)
- Avoid
- Dec–May (high water, more mosquitoes, harder trails)
- Stay
- 4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- All-inclusive package (via NGO) R$ 250–400 per person per day (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Boat Manaus–Moura (one way) | R$ 100–150 |
| Motorised canoe Moura–Xixuau (one way) | R$ 50–100 |
| Community package per day (all meals, guide, accommodation) | R$ 250–500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MAO · Manaus Eduardo Gomes International
- Then a 30-hour boat trip to Xixuau via Moura village
Typical fares
- Boat Manaus–Moura
- R$ 100–150, about 20 h (check)
- Canoe Moura–Xixuau
- R$ 50–100, about 10 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot along trails, by canoe on the river; the community guides all activities.
See and do
Known for
- Community-based ecotourism in the Jauaperi reserve
- Pink river dolphins and giant otters
- Handicrafts made from seeds and plants
- Maloca accommodation in Waimiri-Atroari style
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Manaus | Boat via Moura, about 30 hours each way | 30 h |
| Barcelos | Boat down the Rio Negro from Moura, about 8–10 hours | 10–12 h |
| São Gabriel da Cachoeira | Boat up the Rio Negro, about 2–3 days | 2–3 days |
Sleep
- Community malocas
- Palm-thatched round huts, shared or private, no electricity or running water; book through the Amazonia NGO.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Oláoh-LAH |
| Thank you | Obrigadooh-bree-GAH-doo |
| How much? | Quanto?KWAN-too |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?ON-dee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
| I need a doctor | Preciso de um médicopre-SEE-zoo dee oon MEH-jee-koo |
| Help | Socorrosoh-KOH-hoo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- No phone signal, no internet, no electricity in the huts; bring a power bank and a satellite device if you need contact.
- Yellow fever and typhoid vaccinations required; malaria prophylaxis strongly recommended.
- Book ahead through the Amazonia NGO – the community expects prior contact.
- The boat from Manaus takes about 30 hours; bring food and water for the journey.
The main risks are malaria, snake bites and isolation. Vaccinations and prophylaxis are essential. No medical facilities in the village; the nearest hospital is in Manaus.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Xixuau yet. Suggested stay: 4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Community-based ecotourism in the Jauaperi reserve
- Pink river dolphins and giant otters
- Handicrafts made from seeds and plants
- Maloca accommodation in Waimiri-Atroari style
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Amazonia NGO (community contact): www.amazonia.org.br/
- Wikivoyage: Xixuau, revision 5078829 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5078829
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Xixuau
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US consulate is in Manaus; most other countries have embassies in Brasília or consulates in Manaus.
No phone signal; carry a satellite communicator for emergencies.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/xixuau). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.