(gentle relaxing music) (birds chirping) - This is the Amazon, both the world's largest tropical rainforest, and its mightiest river.

Coursing 4,000 miles from source to sea.

I'm Robson Green, and this is my journey of a lifetime.

I've got a feeling this adventure is gonna be spectacular.

2 million square miles of rainforest is home to a profusion of species, hundreds of mammals, thousands of birds and fish.

Its sheer scale is absolutely staggering.

(soaring bright music) I am stepping way outside my comfort zone as I learn how to appreciate the rainforest, and what it offers the world.

(soaring triumphant music) I'll be meeting the people.

Thank you.

And the wildlife.

Hello mate.

That call this place home.

(soaring triumphant music) I want to understand its problems.

That's just acres, and acres of trees that have been cut down.

And learn to meet its challenges.

Ah, ah!

Aye aye aye!

I've caught the eye of my next door neighbour.

(soaring triumphant music) This journey isn't gonna be easy.

But it's one I'll treasure for the rest of my life.

(upbeat music) (soaring triumphant music) My journey so far has taken me 450 miles up river to the great inland port of Manaus.

(soaring triumphant music) Here, the mighty Amazon still measures up to six miles across.

(soaring triumphant music) You know, during my career, I've been privileged enough to travel along some of the most iconic rivers in the world, the Zambezi, the Nile, and the Fraser.

But for me, none of them compare to the greatest of them all.

The big one.

(triumphant music) The Amazon.

(triumphant music) And Manaus lies at its very heart.

(triumphant music) This is the jumping off point for the next leg of my journey as I head northwest deeper into the rainforest.

(triumphant music) I'll be travelling by boat from Manaus up to little Novo Airão, 110 miles further up river.

(triumphant music) Along the way, I'll rescue endangered turtles, learn indigenous archery skills, and take a trip into the heart of the jungle.

(ship horn blasting) (gentle music) (speaking Portuguese) I'm Robson.

But first, I want to see one of the Amazon's greatest wonders (gentle music) and it lies a short ferry trip east of Manaus.

(gentle upbeat music) Abrigado.

Abrigado.

This sandbank sits close to the so-called Meeting of the Waters, where the Amazon is joined by its vast tributary the Rio Negro, itself, the world's sixth largest river.

This is the greatest meeting of rivers on Earth.

But to see it properly, you need a local guide.

- Yeah.

- Robson.

- Eduardo.

- San.

- Robson.

(San speaking Spanish) - [Robson] And a vessel offering a raised view above the water.

These are the bicycles we're using today?

- Yes.

Do you like?

- Yes.

- Did you?

It's necessary use.

- Excellent.

I like the look of that.

Yes, that's good.

What's the top speed of this fine vessel?

Do they go fast?

- No, no, not fast.

- [Robson] Water bikes are designed to be easier, and quicker than a kayak for novices, and utterly uncapsizable.

I hope.

In the highly unlikely event of me falling .. is there anything in that river today that can eat me?

- In the river?

No, no.

Relax (laughing).

- [Robson] Right, let's go.

- Let's go.

(gentle bright music) All right.

Just get used to the bike.

Few manoeuvres.

Turning left.

So after a quick test drive.

Three point turn.

Look at that.

We make straight for the Meeting of the Waters.

Oh, you're flying.

These things can move.

(gentle upbeat music) Whoa.

Whoa, surfing.

Right now I'm on the Amazon's tributary, the Rio Negro.

It began 1,400 miles away in Columbia, and it joins the Amazon proper right about here.

This is the scene that just amazes scientists, and visitors alike.

This is what they call "Encontro das Águas," The Meeting of the Waters.

Look at that.

Where two of the largest rivers in the world collide.

But the astonishing thing is they don't mix.

(gentle upbeat music) The Rio Negro darkened by decaying plant matter is denser, and slower.

Whilst the sandy Amazon coloured by sediment from the Andes is faster and lighter.

And for nearly four miles, they simply run alongside each other.

(gentle upbeat music) Brown river, black river.

Brown river, black river.

This boundary is so stark, you can actually see it from space.

(gentle upbeat music) So the next time you get a flight on the International Space Station, and you're travelling over South America, take a look down.

You might see this.

(gentle upbeat music) You know when you're in a restaurant, and you've got your little bowl of olive oil, and you put balsamic vinegar into it?

It's like that.

And it doesn't mix until you give it a good whisk.

(upbeat music) The meeting of these two great rivers is not just an astonishing sight for humans.

It's also a hotspot for fish.

(upbeat music) And all those fish can sometimes attract rarer visitors too.

Oh, it's pink dolphins, San.

(gentle upbeat music) (dolphins calling) Woo-hoo.

Yeah!

They're everywhere.

These are endangered pink river dolphins found only in South America.

Up to nine feet long, they're the largest river dolphin in the world.

Look at that.

That was a huge pink dolphin.

(gentle upbeat music) Beautiful.

(gentle upbeat music) Born grey, their skin gradually turns pink as they age.

(gentle upbeat music) I honestly think dolphins are put on this planet just to make you smile.

Today the world is mine.

It really is.

Man, I'm blessed.

(gentle upbeat music) That is an experience I shall never forget.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Ah, thank you.

Thank you, obrigado.

Obrigado.

- Bye.

- Well for me, that is definitely a natural wonder of the world.

But just when I thought it couldn't get any better, there was so much marine life on display there.

And I'm thinking to myself, well how am I gonna top that on this journey?

(soaring triumphant music) The Amazon River and its tributaries drain a vast rainforest-covered region 24 times larger than the UK.

And I am on a mission to explore its heart.

(soaring triumphant music) Having already come 450 miles up the Amazon from Santarem, I want to go deeper into the jungle, and around here there's only one way to do that.

My mode of transport for the next week.

Look at this.

On the aptly-named Aqua Amazon.

How are ya?

(gentle upbeat music) This is a classic Amazon riverboat with raised cabins, easier to keep dry in heavy rain, and a narrow hull to reduce water resistance when going against the flow.

And that's crucial for us as we head up the Amazon's greatest tributary, and sixth largest river in the world, the Rio Negro.

Not a bad view (laughing).

Right, let's have a look around this vessel, that's gonna be my home.

So skipper, (speaking Portuguese).

(skipper speaking Portuguese) - This is a man who's gotta naviga.. that's the size of the sea.

Ah, the kitchen!

Or as we say in nautical terms, the galley.

(chef speaking Portuguese) I think we're having eggs tonight.

This is my room, with the greatest view on the planet, look at that.

This stretch of the lower Rio Negro is surrounded by a conservation zone the size of Scotland for me to lose myself in.

Luckily I have a guide to this wilderness waiting for me at the stern, Saru Olivier Didier.

At last.

- Nice to meet you.

- You too.

I'm so looking forward to this adventure, 'cause I understand you grew up in this area, and you know this place like the back of your hand.

- That's true, that's true.

- So for the next few days you're my guide, and you're my protector.

- For sure.

- Because I know there's things ou.. that can hurt you, Saru.

- The most dangerous, to be clear,.. - The snake?

Not the jaguar?

- The jaguar, okay you can see the jaguar.

You cannot see a snake.

In the water, anacondas.

You cannot see.

- Oh right.

(exhaling) No, I'm really looking forward to it.

Adventure of a lifetime.

Let it begin.

- Look at the jungle, waiting for you!

(Robson laughing) (soaring upbeat music) - We're heading to a portion of jungle, some 30 miles up river from Manaus.

The plan is to leave the Rio Negro and take a succession of smaller waterways into the depths of the forest.

(soaring upbeat music) So we brought a motor launch, and canoes to explore the shallow waters.

(soaring upbeat music) (gentle music) I've always wondered if I was lost in the jungle, you know, genuinely isolated and stranded, would I have what it takes to survive?

Well, today I'm about to find out.

(gentle pensive music) (insects chirping) Saru and I are going to be spending the day in the jungle, and with the sun twinkling through the canopy, and the temperature peaking at a bearable 34 degrees, it looks almost inviting.

(gentle pensive music) (insects buzzing) But this is no place to take for granted, even with an expert guide.

(gentle pensive music) (insects buzzing) - [Saru] Back, back, back, back, back, back, back.

Pull it in.

(Robson shrieking) Ah, ah!

Aye aye aye!

Aye aye aye!

(dramatic music) Aye aye aye!

Aye aye!

Ah!

(dramatic music) Aye aye aye!

(dramatic music) Aye aye aye!

Ow!

(gentle tense music) Did we hit a nest or something?

- Yeah, it was a bee like this.

- My life flashed before my eyes I tell you.

- And this is the price.

- This is the price of the jungle.

We good?

- Gonna feel (indistinct).

Gonna feel... - Good.

- I'm all right.

- Welcome to the club.

- (laughing) Okay, let's go.

- Yeah, I'm okay.

- Yeah, for sure.

- I've never been so okay as this.

(gentle upbeat music) The priority now is to avoid more insect bites.

(gentle upbeat music) (insects chirping) So Saru is hunting for a natural insect repellent, which turns out to be more insects.

- Hey Robson.

You see that?

These are tapiba ants to keep bugs away from us.

They're not coming to us.

I'll show how, there you go, all right?

This.

(insects chirping) - Oh, and you're just rubbing them on your skin.

- See?

- Oh my gosh, there's many of them.

- And now.

- Oh my goodness!

Just like eucalyptus.

That is amaz.. - You.

You now.

- I just keep it on?

Okay.

(insects chirping) - [Saru] Yes.

(Robson shrieking) You got the name.

- On, and on, and on!

(insects chirping) Sting a little bit.

It's for your own good.

So how doe.. Is it the smell?

- The smell, yeah.

The smell, yeah.

Pheromones, you know, pheromones.

(gentle upbeat music) - [Robson] These pheromones are chemicals secreted by the ants to repel other insects that might attack them.

They should keep me bite free, but jungle survival requires more than just insect repellent.

Experts, like Saru, speak of four survival priorities.

Shelter, fire, food, and safe drinking water.

(gentle upbeat music) - I'm thirsty.

Are you?

- Yeah.

- I'm gonna show you right now.

- What we can get water from something here?

- Yes.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- Is it a river?

- [Saru] No.

- Oh, okay.

- You see my friend, you have water here.

- You have water where?

- [Saru] In this vine, you see?

You see the vine?

- Oh yes.

And you can get water from this vine?

- Yes.

- It seems incredibly dry.

- You need this.

(knife thumping) For safe water.

You have enough for water now.

(Robson laughing) - How much water are we gonna get outta this vine?

Enough to survive?

Oh my goodness, look at that.

It's pouring out.

(knife thumping) You could get about a pint of wate.. And it's not gonna make my stomach poorly or anything?

- Nah, it's coming to you.

Wow.

Plenty of water for us.

- That's incredible.

That is utterly mind blowing.

Wow man.

The aptly-named water vine is one of 80,000 plant species in the rainforest, which together can supply most of our survival needs.

- You see the palm leaves?

- [Robson] The palm frons, yes.

- Yeah, its for shelter.

This is your job.

(knife thumping) (birds chirping) - There's one.

- This now, I'm gonna put in there like this.

Up a little bit.

- Up, up, up.

How's that?

- [Saru] Okay.

I think.

- Palms are the commonest of all rainforest trees.

And this is the plentiful maripa palm used by indigenous people for everything from making blow guns to thatching their homes.

What, just leaning on it like that?

- Yeah.

Yay.

- Oh my goodness.

- See?

- And that would keep the rain off us?

- Yeah.

- [Robson] Great.

- [Saru] Like that.

- Okay.

Fire will keep animals away, and the smoke will signal our position to any rescuers.

(fire cracking) Wow!

There you go.

Look at that.

- You have a fire.

- My goodness.

Roof over our head.

Cosy fire.

And we've got water.

Could last for weeks here.

(fire crackling) What's on the jungle menu today Saru?

- So it's too late to make traps to get some animals.

We try to find a, I see a big tree.

It's a Brazil nut tree.

If you take three nuts, be okay for us.

I try to find it?

- [Robson] Yeah, let's have some Brazil nuts.

- Okay, this way please.

(gentle pensive music) You see the big tree?

- [Robson] Wow.

That's a Brazil nut tree?

- [Saru] Yeah, it is.

- [Robson] I've never seen where Brazil nuts grow.

- Okay, I try to find a nut.

You too, please.

- What I'm just looking for the shells that you normally get in the supermarket?

- Yeah, the shell, yeah.

It's like a ball.

- It's what?

It's like a ball?

- [Saru] Yeah.

- There's a ball here.

- [Saru] Show me.

- [Robson] This looks like a fruit.

- [Saru] Show me please.

Wow.

You find one!

You have our dinner.

- What?

- You have our dinner.

- That's not a Brazil nut.

- [Saru] Yeah, it is!

The inside.

- What, there's a big nut inside here?

- Yeah, the nut is inside.

This is the shell.

- The nuts are inside.

- The nut is inside.

- This is where the Brazil nuts reside.

- Maximum of 16 inside.

- You're joking.

- No.

- [Robson] That's our main course sorted, now to find dessert.

- You see the palm tree?

- I do.

What, this big one here?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, yeah.

- The fruit is so delicious.

- How are you gonna get the fruit .. - They're falling down.

So many there, see look.

- Oh yeah.

- See?

(gentle music) - Oh wow.

In no time.

Saru has found protein, and fats from the Brazil nuts, and natural sugars from the palm fruit.

We'd be okay here for days.

(gentle upbeat music) (birds singing) We've got fruit, we've got nuts.

We've got so much material here to make a camp.

Look and the rainforest will provide if you know what you're doing.

- Of course, yes.

(gentle music) - My survival day trip is nearly at an end.

But before we leave the jungle, time to put my feet up.

(gentle relaxing music) (insects chirping) Just listening to the sound of the jungle.

This is lovely.

(gentle relaxing music) (insects chirping) We started this by asking the question, could I survive in the jungle on my own?

And the answer is a resounding, yes.

If I was alone with Saru.

There's the rub.

(gentle relaxing music) (Robson exhaling) As the sun sets, we trek back to our motor launches, and return to our cabins for a night on the Aqua Amazon.

(gentle relaxing music) (thrilling music) Dawn in the upper Amazon, and our boat is already on the move.

(thrilling music) Around here, the rivers are highways for locals because the jungle is not just an uninhabited wilderness.

Clustered by big river junctions, lie small villages like this one, Tres Unidos.

Its home to a village school that I'm told has transformed the fortunes of an entire tribe.

(gentle pensive music) (exhaling) You sleep well?

- Yeah.

- (laughing) Yeah, very, very good.

So this is the school we're gonna visit today.

- Yeah this is.

(gentle pensive music) - Is that similar to the one you went to?

- My school?

- Yes.

- Oh (tutting) no.

Totally the opposite.

- Yeah?

- I think it's got easier now.

You know, in my time I should be padd.. to go to school.

- Really?

- And here they have a school boat.

And now the kids going four years old to school.

In my time was 13, see?

- Did they teach traditional subjects?

Your native language?

- In my time, unfortunately it was a shame to be called even a native, because most of the natives were slaves, no?

- So it was seen as something bad.

- Really, I mean really sad about that see?

Really, really.

But now if you ask for somebody else.

"Oh, I'm a native, yes!"

(both laughing) - Jungle's so proud, got pride back.

- Proud of it, yes.

- Really cool.

Yeah, really, really nice.

(gentle pensive music) - Saru's taken me to a school establis.. for the Kambeba people.

One of around 400 ethnic groups in the jungle.

(gentle upbeat music) Centuries ago the Kambeba were believed to be the largest tribe on the Amazon.

But by the 1980s they had been suppressed with less than 100 Brazilians identifying as Kambeba.

The creation of this school was part of a revival.

Orise.

(Robson speaking Portuguese) (Orise speaking Portuguese) Yeah, your school is so beautiful.

Orise is one of the teachers.

This is some reception area.

Is this a classroom where students study as well?

(Orise speaking foreign language) - Fantastic.

How many students study here at the school?

(Orise speaking foreign language) And is it important to you that you teach traditional subjects to your students?

(Orise speaking foreign language) So it's important to you that the young people who come here understand their history, their heritage, their origins?

(Orise speaking foreign language) (gentle upbeat music) Today there are an estimated 1,500 Kambeba in Brazil.

And it's not only their language that has been revived, but their traditional skills, with some remarkable results.

(gentle upbeat music) Astonishingly, this tiny school has produced two archers for Brazil's Olympic training squad, (arrow thudding) including former pupil Nelson Silver.

Oh.

Nice shot.

(speaking Portuguese) Robson.

- Nelson.

- Nelson, pleasure to meet you.

Nelson, like all pupils here, learned his craft with a traditional Kambeba bow.

(arrow thudding) (Nelson speaking foreign language) May I take a look at this?

'Cause it's very different to the one Orise is holding.

Was it difficult, the transition to this?

(Nelson speaking foreign language) So Nelson's gonna try and teach me how to use a traditional Kambeba bow and arrow handmade in the forest.

(Nelson speaking foreign language) And let go?

So, first time.

(arrow thudding) Not so lucky.

(Nelson giggling) I can't get any worse.

(Nelson speaking foreign language) (arrow thudding) Go on, get in!

Did you see that?

Get in!

(Nelson laughing) All right, here we go.

(gentle music) (arrow thudding) Not bad.

No, I am pleased with that Orise.

Nelson, I think you've got a team member here.

I didn't wanna jump the gun, but I think I'm travelling to the next Olympics.

I think I found me vocation.

(gentle music) Word has clearly reached the school kids of a new archery star in the rainforest.

But can the hero of the Kambeba defeat me?

Plucky outsider against the people's champion.

(arrow thudding) - [Children] Woo!

(arrow thudding) Woo!

- [Robson] Woo!

(arrow thudding) - [Children] Woo!

(Robson laughing) - Genius.

Genius.

Oh, that's why you're an Olympian.

(Nelson and Robson laughing) - Look, he just got dead centre, three shots.

Privilege to watch man.

(Nelson speaking foreign language) Yeah.

(gentle upbeat music) These days Nelson is a professional archer, and an inspiration to his people with a new generation of proud Kambeba archers hot on his heels.

Come on, knock 'em dead in the Olympic stadium in 20 years time.

You can do it.

Ciao.

- Ciao.

(Robson laughing) (gentle upbeat music) - The roots of bow and arrow are of course in hunting for food in the forest.

But there is another traditional source of food around here.

And one, I'm much more at home with.

(gentle upbeat music) The Amazon teems with 3,000 different species of fish, more than any other river system on earth.

(gentle upbeat music) So this afternoon I'll be indulging in my greatest passion.

And I can't come to the greatest river in the world that's home to over 3,000 species of fish, and not cast a fishing line.

So me and Saru have decided to go fishing.

So Saru, are you taking me to one of your secret fishing spots?

- I am, yes.

I know a good place for piranhas.

(thrilling music) Piranhas come with a fearsome reputation, and when water and flood levels are low, it's wise to avoid piranha-filled pools.

But today we want the piranha to come to us as we compete to catch the most.

We need about 15 of these salty snappers for lunch.

(thrilling music) So we've moored up at Saru's favourite fishing spot.

And I have to say I've been to some beautiful fishing locations in my lifeti.. and this has to be one of the best.

(gentle jaunty music) To catch my piranha, I'm fly fishing where fish are lured by a fake insect.

While Saru is using prime steak as bait, and a traditional homemade rod.

(gentle jaunty music) I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to be slaughtered today.

(gentle jaunty music) - One hour?

- [Robson] One hour.

- Okay.

- After three.

Yeah, three.

- (laughing) This is not fair.

(gentle light music) (water sloshing) - Is that to attract the fish?

(water sloshing) - Si.

- Like a feeding frenzy.

(water sloshing) (gentle soaring music) Saru hopes by mimicking a piranhas' feeding frenzy, he can entice more piranhas to join in.

(gentle light music) And seconds later... (Saru whistling) (Robson laughing) It's one nil to Brazil.

- [Saru] I need to take care of my fingers.

- [Robson] Look at the teeth on that.

- [Saru] Really sharp teeth.

(tense upbeat music) - Got another one.

That's two nil up.

Right, I think you're showing off.

Let's sink a bit more.

Three nil.

He's got the angling hat trick.

(Saru whistling) Oh.

And it quickly becomes clear - [Saru] Getting bigger.

- those teeth prefer fresh meat to flies.

And the score's getting higher.

(tense upbeat music) Oh, that was a good strike.

Oh look, he's got just a bucket full of fish.

That is getting fuller by the second.

- [Saru] The best fish.

- Yeah?

Oh my gosh, that's a stunner!

That's a yellow belly.

That's a yellow belly piranha.

As for me, what works on the Tyne doesn't quite cut it on the Amazon.

And at the moment my angling dignity is on the floor.

(Saru laughing) I just wanna catch one fish.

(gentle upbeat music) After an hour of fruitless fly fishing, it's time to swallow my pride.

Would you be so kind to lend me some of your rib-eye, or rump steak, please?

(gentle light music) Okay.

It's extra time.

It's the last roll of the piranha dice.

(gentle light music) Yes!

(laughing) It worked!

It worked!

(laughing) That is my first ever red belly piranha in this part of the world.

Get in!

(gentle soaring music) Dinner is served.

Not a bad day's fishing.

Saru has landed 20, and I'd managed one.

That was great man.

You're a fine angler, man.

(soaring upbeat music) It's the final morning of this journey, and we're moored up at an inlet on the Rio Negro known as Lake Acajutiba.

(gentle soaring music) It supports a quite spellbinding array of wildlife, but much of it is under threat.

This morning I woke up to a sunrise, and watching the dolphins, there's all sorts of snakes here, there's caiman and there's turtles.

However, many of them are on the endangered list.

So I'm off to meet a team of people who are trying to keep those turtles out of trouble.

All aboard.

(thrilling music) Today the greatest threat to turtles is from the pet trade with an estimated 1.7 million wild turtles taken from the Amazon every year.

- I saw people take as much as possible, you know.

Every weekend people arrive.

You see so many turtles, so many eggs.

This are really, really bad, really, really sad because if you took, took, took all the time in a few years, and don't have anymore.

- But most Amazon people want that to change.

(gentle pensive music) See you later this afternoon.

Ciao.

This is the main route into the village of Acajutiba, where locals are trying to save their turtles, and attract tourists at the same time.

(gentle light music) (Robson exhaling) Oh, what's that?

Hello little fella.

It's an escapee.

Let's get you back to where you were born.

(gentle light music) The turtle sanctuary is run by volunteers including Vasily Costa.

Vasily.

- Oi Robson.

- [Robson] I've got a present for you.

(Vasily speaking Portuguese) Oh my goodness.

(gentle pensive music) There are literally hundreds of baby turtles in this oasis.

There you go.

Tell me about the work you do here.

(Vasily speaking Portuguese) - They're under here?

- Yes.

- After seven weeks of incubating these eggs are ready.

Just gently dig, yeah?

And Vasily has already seen signs of movement.

Oh, ah!

There's one hatching.

Oh my goodness!

Hello.

(gentle upbeat music) Look at that.

Welcome to the Amazon you beautiful little creature.

These are Amazon river turtles.

One of 17 species of turtle living in the Amazon basin.

(gentle soaring music) They'll need to grow for another three months before release, though it'll take several years before they're fully mature.

I just thought that was a big rock there.

But that rock has just moved.

Don't tell me that is an adult, one of them.

(Vasily speaking Portuguese) (gentle upbeat music) - Amazonian river turtles can grow over a metre long, and weigh more than 14 stone.

This one, a mere six stone specimen, has been in rehab after being rescued from a fisherman's net.

But now she's ready to return to the river.

Go on, get yourself in son.

I'm in supervisory capacity.

- Yes.

- Hotcha!

Wow.

(gentle upbeat music) The turtle is carried on its back to stop it struggling, and will be joined by a handful of other rescuees, and hatchlings all ready for release.

(gentle upbeat music) (boat humming) We have to travel away from the sanctuary because if we released them here in the shallow water, they wouldn't stand a chance.

We have to take them further down, and release them on a beach into much deeper water to give them the best chance in life.

(soaring upbeat music) She's beautiful, isn't she?

Really beautiful.

We're all gonna release one each?

Come on.

Okay?

Excellent.

You all ready for this?

(waves crashing) - Yes.

- [Robson] Okay.

(speaking Portuguese) (man speaking Portuguese) Hey!

(gentle upbeat music) Bye bye.

Ciao.

(gentle upbeat music) Enjoy life on the Rio Negro (laughing).

There they go.

They've got the right idea.

(gentle upbeat music) (group applauding) Just give you a little helping hand.

There you go.

Wonderful.

With a little luck in a few years, these turtles will return to this beach to lay their eggs.

(water sloshing) The largest is the last to say goodbye.

Amazing.

(gentle pensive music) With the turtles released, all that's left is my final destination, and it's a stop I'm very much looking forward to.

This is the remote river port of Novo Airão, traditionally a centre of wooden boat building.

Today it's home to a growing number of guest houses for those seeking to really get away from it all.

Now there's a sight for sore eyes.

Look, after roughing it for a week, I think I deserve a bit of luxury.

And this is luxury, with a capital L. (gentle music) This is Mirante do Gavião, Portuguese for the Hawk's Observatory.

A boutique hotel where a premium double can cost two, and a half grand a night, all inclusive.

And the most pampered of visitors have everything they need.

Ah.

Infinity pool, check.

(gentle light music) High end restaurant, check.

(gentle light music) Room with a view, check.

(gentle light music) It's a design to grace any luxury resort.

Yet remarkably its builders didn't have any experience constructing fancy hotels.

They were traditional boat builders working under the direction of hotel owner, Hui Tone.

And do you know what?

Before I was an actor and a presenter, I worked in the shipyards in the northeast of England, and I worked in hull design, and I feel as though I've walked inside the hull of a wooden ship.

Is there kind of a nautical theme going on here?

- When we began the project, the goal was to get a relation between the nature and organic stuff.

And after doing that we realised that it looked like a boat made by wood.

'Cause it's the same wood that we used to produce the boats.

(gentle music) - [Robson] The commitment to using local people and their skills continues with 45 of them employed by the hotel, and Hui's also created a foundation funding local education programmes.

(gentle music) - We have a lot of people living here in the Amazon.

I think it's the Brazilian side, it's 25, or 26 million people.

We need to have economic stuff for .. That's why we have the people that works here, they are local and we are building 25 schools in the rivers here so that they can understand how to preserve the forest, and also have some income.

(gentle pensive music) Thanks for coming.

- Ah, beautiful.

Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

So if you have the cash, it is a wonderful place to visit, though remember it is still in the jungle.

So there I was just about to check into my accommodation, this beautiful room here, this wonderful hotel in this stunning setting.

And I caught the eye of my next door neighbour.

Turns out my next door neighbour is a scary spider.

(gentle dramatic music) Time to bid a hasty retreat.

(gentle tense music) A bit of peace if you don't mind.

(gentle upbeat music) Next time.

(gentle thrilling music) I experience the formidable forces of nature that shape the Amazon.

And we are just being battered by a storm of biblical proportions.

(gentle thrilling music) Master the art of fishing born in the rainforest.

Oh my God, I split the arrow as well!

(laughing) And bid farewell to this extraordinary natural paradise.

That's the thing about the Amazon, it kind of works its way into your heart, and it stays there forever.

(gentle thrilling music) (gentle upbeat music) ♪ Whoa!

(singing in Portuguese)