Brazil
Wildlife of Brazil: Iguazu, Pantanal & Amazon cruise
15 days from £7,170pp
Includes: accommodation, most meals, domestic flights & transfers, 8 day cruise, itinerary as below.
Overview & Highlights
Brazil is home to huge areas of tropical forest and steaming wetlands brimming with wildlife.
This wildlife focused holiday combines two contrasting regions of wild Brazil: the wetlands of the Pantanal and the Rio Negro of the Amazon region. Therefore, two different wildlife experiences. Firstly land-based in an eco-lodge followed by a whole week’s expedition cruise on MV Tucano.
Starting in the south of Brazil at Iguazú Falls, one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the world. A total of 275 falls thunder over a 60m high rust-coloured cliff surrounded by dense tropical forest.
Step out of your hotel room to a riot of birdsong and the thunderous roar of water crashing over lofty granite cliffs. Being fringed by tropical rainforest. Toucans and parakeets dodge the spray, while inquisitive coatis will try to investigate the contents of your bag!
Thereafter, move north into Brazil’s central heartland and the Pantanal wetlands where you stay in a nature lovers dream lodge.
Heading into Amazonia, enjoy an expedition cruise for a week on a traditional-style wooden craft. This includes several days sailing along the black waters of Rio Negro. Here you are well away from the tourist routes. Passing a few settlements, there is little river traffic… beyond the beautiful Anavilhanas archipelago there is a real feeling of remoteness.
INCLUDES:
- Services of team of experts both in the UK and local representatives & guides.
- All land and domestic air transport within Latin America
- Breakfast daily, full board days 4-6, 8-14.
- Excursions as specified, including entrance fees
- Guided tour of the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls
- Safari expeditions from the Pantanal lodge
- Daily guided explorations during your Amazon cruise
- 14 nights accommodation: Iguazú Falls 2, Cuiabá 1, Pantanal lodge 3 Manaus 1; Amazon cruise 7.
“For wildlife enthusiasts, this is a true trip of a lifetime. Immerse yourself deep into the heartlands of Brazil and its abundance of wildlife. From the vast wetlands of the Pantanal to cruising down the Amazon, you’ll have superb opportunities for wildlife spotting. Travelling down the black waters of the Rio Negro will give you a true sense of remoteness and closeness to wild Brazil.”
The Pantanal wetlands cover a large basin half the size of France. This basin is seasonally flooded and is drained by the Paraguay River. Thereafter flows into the south Atlantic via the River Plate estuary.
Overall, this is an open area of swampy grasslands, where wildlife co-exists harmoniously with the cattle, on ranches in the area. According to season, sightings include alligators, flocks of thousands of roseate spoonbills, ibis, macaws and giant storks. This region is a paradise for nature lovers and home to Jaguar conservation projects.
In the heart of the Amazon, a huge variety of flora and fauna is found. These include macaws, sloths to anacondas. Many species are shy but your experienced guides are experts at wildlife spotting!
ITINERARY (Departures run between April and November).
- Day 1: Arrive in Foz do Iguaçu. Transfer to your accommodation on the Brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls.
- Day 2: Guided excursion to the Brazilian side of the falls.
- Day 3: Guided excursion to the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls.
- Day 4: Fly to Cuiabá in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s remote interior.
- Day 5: Transfer to your lodge in the Pantanal wetlands.
- Days 6-7: Wildlife-spotting expeditions from the lodge. Depending on local conditions, daily expeditions may include boat rides, walking trails and horse-riding through the Pantanal’s watery landscapes. You could visit a fazenda (farm) on the banks of a shimmering lake for sunset, when birds congregate for evening feeding with a raucous cacophony of sound. You may set off on an excursion by safari vehicle or boat to view wildlife in the crystal clear waters on a remote section of the Mutum river; seize an opportunity to fish for piranha, or take a boat trip to a small fishing community on the Cuiabá river.
- Day 8: Fly to Manaus, Amazonia; transfer to riverside hotel.
- Days 9-14: Cruise on the Amazon river and Rio Negro. A small (9 guest cabins), 3-storeyed traditional wooden Amazon riverboat, custom-built locally, the Tucano is beautifully constructed and finished using hard rosewood. It has a marvellous nautical atmosphere. As you glide slowly along the river, you will feel as though you are at one with the rhythms of the rainforest. The ship navigates north up the mosquito-free Rio Negro towards Rio Branco and the border with Colombia. There are a number of excursions every day, from dawn and late afternoon canoe trips to forest walks, piranha fishing and nocturnal wildlife spotting.
- You can swim in the river, visit isolated riverbank family farms and the evocative ruins of once prosperous rubber estates. These all receive very few visitors where the handful of people who live there will give you a warm welcome. The return journey follows the west bank. On the last day you drop anchor close to Manaus after witnessing the impressive spectacle of the Meeting of the Waters, where the dark tannin waters of the Rio Negro converge with the opaque brown water of the Amazon river proper.
- Day 15: Optional city tour. Transfer to Manaus airport for international flight home.
This is just one example of a wildlife holiday to Brazil. Contact me for a tailor made quote including international flights and dates of your choice.
A few impressions…
“For the last 10 years we have been using Jules to arrange our holidays including trips to Brazil, India, Bhutan, Africa & Alaska. We have enjoyed travelling stress free, with someone else taking care of all arrangements. We would thoroughly recommend using Travel with Jules to anyone wanting to book a wildlife & sightseeing adventure.”
David and Maureen
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