Tour 16: Premium Pantanal-Travel

21 days/20 nights arr./dep. Cuiabá (only from June until October possible)

The Pantanal scenery is unique in the world, but not to be confused with a swamp. It is rather an incredible mixture of various ecosystems, combining the most diverse landscapes such as savannahs, flooded plains, forests with an Amazon character, jungle and steppe areas. On the one hand this nature travel offers the visitor the unique opportunity to get to know three different ecosystems on one tour, plus the Lagoa Azul (near Nobres, more beautiful and untouched than the caves of Bonito in southern Pantanal). On the other hand, due to its special routing, it gives you the chance to watch more animals than on any travel like it.

Itinerary

1st day: Cuiabá – Hotel Odara

Arrival at the airport in Cuiabá. Here you are picked up by our guide – transfer to Hotel Odara (4 stars) at the centre of Cuiabá. Here you lodge in the president or executive suite (depending on availability). The rest of the day is free. Relax by the hotel swimming pool and get some rest after the long flight. About 50 m from the hotel there is the best barbecue restaurant in Cuiabá, “Churrascaria Gauchó”, our dinner recommendation.

2nd day: Cuiabá – Amazon rainforest

After breakfast our guide picks you up and our drive (about 300 km) into the Amazon region to São José do Rio Claro begins. On the way you have lunch at a local restaurant. Check-in at the Jardim d´Amazônia lodge. Welcoming drink by the pool. After dinner short hike to the nearby lake to listen to the melody of the rainforest by night.

3rd day: Amazon rainforest

After breakfast you hike along the “Angelim trail” to watch wild animals. Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon we invite you to swim and skin-dive in natural spring water with diverse regional fish. You enjoy the sunset at the “Arara Lagoon”. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

4th day: Amazon rainforest

After breakfast we take you deep into the jungle. Here you will get to know the flora and fauna of the rainforest, and your chances of seeing a tapir and many different bird species are very good. We continue with a boat trip on Rio Claro, you explore the “Anaconda lake” and swim on the beach of Palmeira, afterwards picnic and rest in a hammock. After lunch canoe tour on Rio Claro. Experience the jungle and its foreign noises and discover its diverse fauna. Dinner and overnight stay at the Jardim d’ Amazônia Lodge.

5th day: Amazon rainforest – Nobres (Lagoa Azul) – Bom Jardim

After breakfast drive to the Lagoa Azul near Nobres (approximately 3 hours). After lunch at the Pousada “Recanto Ecologico da Lagoa Azul” you first visit Lagoa Azul, gleaming up blue from a crater cave. Visit to a stalactite cave, then you are equipped with skin-diving gear (life jacket, diving goggles, snorkel and flippers, which are of course disinfected and cleaned after every use). In the crystal clear basin you marvel at the fantastic underwater world. Fish such as Pintado, Dourado and many other species live in this section.

Afterwards you skin-dive in a river with equally crystal water. In the evening you proceed to Bom Jardim (ca. 30 km from the Pousada Recanto Ecologico) where you spend the night (very simple but clean accommodation). Dinner at a local restaurant in Bom Jardim (also very plain). Unfortunately, there are no better accommodations near Lagoa Azul.

6th - 8th day: Bom Jardim – Chapada dos Guimarães

After a simple breakfast at the Pousada Bom Jardim you go on a drive to Chapada dos Guimarães, which is located in a completely different biosphere. Here you spend two nights at the Pousada Penhasco. You experience the unique beauty of these mesas. In the afternoon visit to the national park. During the hike through the highlands you will get the chance to take a bath under one of the many waterfalls. Visit to the cave of Casa de Pedra (with an underground river), view from Morro de São Jerônimo (865 m).

After breakfast next day we take you to the Centro Geodésico (the centre of South America). From this interesting vantage point you can overlook up to 100 km of panorama when the view is clear. On to the village of Chapada dos Guimarães, where lunch is waiting for us at a local restaurant. Many inhabitants of Cuiabá have their weekend cottages in this village. That makes it very busy on weekends.

After lunch you pay a visit to the best-known waterfall of the region, “Veu da Noiva”. Here the water plunges down into a 96-m canyon. Afterwards hike to the smaller Andorinhas waterfall. There is plenty of time to take a bath, maybe you are even brave enough to jump down the waterfall, which is a test of courage in these parts. After this refreshment you go back to the Pousada Penhasco. After a shower and a bit of relaxation dinner at a local restaurant in Chapada. Overnight stay at the Pousada Penhasco.

8th – 10th day: Pantanal – Fazenda Carandá

After breakfast you go from Chapada dos Guimarães to Poconé in an air-conditioned minivan or car (depending on the number of travellers) on ca. 170 km of asphalt road. In Poconé you have lunch with a typically Brazilian family and enjoy the local cooking of Mato Grosso. After lunch you fly from Poconé to the Fazenda Carandá in a small Cessna (about 15 minutes’ flight). The environment of this accommodation is different to that of other lodges in that it is very wide and has untouched and varied landscapes. Animals here won’t flee until you get very close, which makes watching them a lot easier.

The best way to get a sense of the diversity of the flora and fauna is by going on a horseback ride. Hyacinth macaws are particularly numerous around here, but you can also watch common potoos or great potoos (Nyctibius grandis). You may also want to take a look at rare parrot species such as the Nanday conure (Nandayus nenday). The variety of animals, particularly birds, in this region is all but inexhaustible and singular in the Pantanal. Here you experience the Pantanal in its primordial nature, far from civilisation and common tourism along the Transpantaneira.

Getting to this place is an adventure in itself. From December to May you can reach this lodge from Poconé only via airplane (which we organise accordingly). After arrival assignment of rooms, opportunity to rest, take a shower, relax.

Even on the way to the Fazenda Carandá you will see countless parakeets, a flight of at least 10 hyacinth macaws, a few blue-fronted amazons, toucans and many other kinds of birds. The Fazenda Carandá is a real bird paradise. There are currently three hyacinth macaw nests in the vicinity of the farmhouse, and you can watch their occupants extensively. In the high trees around the Fazenda you can find blue-fronted amazons, golden-collared macaws, white-eyed conures, peach-fronted conures, yellow-chevroned parakeets, monk parakeets, blue-fronted parakeets, aracaris, cardinals, caracaras and numerous other bird species. However, it is not only the birds that make the Fazenda Carandá one of the nicest lodgings, but also the warm and personal atmosphere.

The first smaller hikes and horseback rides in the vicinity of the Fazenda are offered on the day you arrive. In the evening nighttime safari to track nocturnal animals.

In the morning you rise early for a sunrise tour before breakfast to watch the awakening of the bird world. During your stay at the Fazenda Carandá you will go on extensive tours on horseback, on foot and by boat and experience the uniqueness and the beauty of the Pantanal, far from civilisation. Enjoy the kindness and hospitality of the fazenda owners, who will make your stay unforgettable. The tours and trips will be organised and executed according to your wishes. For this our guide will be at your disposal 24 hours a day.

In the environment of the Fazenda Carandá you can watch a great number of bird species, here only a few: hornbills, toucans, aracaris (Aulacorhychus), white-headed marsh tyrants (Arundinicola leurocephala), blue-fronted amazons (Amazona aestiva), blue-fronted parakeets (Aratinga haemorrhous), golden-collared macaws (Ara auricollis), peach-fronted conures (Aratinga aurea), Nanday conures (Nandayus nenday), American rheas (Rhea americana), nun birds (Dermophrys Hodgs), white-eyed conures (Aratinga leucophthalmus), vermilion flycatchers (Pyrocephalus rubinus), woodpeckers and plenty of hyacinth macaws. As mentioned before, a true El Dorado for bird lovers.

10th – 12th day: Pantanal – Pousada Piuval – flight over the Pantanal

After breakfast you bid the Fazenda Carandá farewell and set out on your one-hour flight over the Pantanal. A unique experience: the Pantanal from a bird’s eye view. When you come back you will be guest in the house of Dona Dalva and Senhor Antonio once again, for lunch in a typically Brazilian family in Poconé. Here you can freshen up a little.

After this special experience we drive about 17 km to the next pousada, Pousada Piuval, by lake Piuval.

In the late afternoon you embark on a boat tour to watch various bird species and howler monkeys in their habitat. Nighttime safari with torches and flashlights to watch nocturnal animals after dinner. In the next morning sunrise tour to witness the awakening of the Pantanal. After breakfast you go on a horseback ride in the vicinity of the lodge. After lunch we drive back to Poconé (depending on the weather) and start out on your one-hour flight over the Pantanal. Return to the lodge. If there is still time another boat tour on the nearby lake Piuval. After dinner another nighttime safari to watch nocturnal animals (by request).

12th – 14th day: Fazenda Santa Tereza

Before breakfast sunrise tour. Afterwards drive to the Fazenda Santa Tereza, located by Rio Pixaim (Transpantaneira, milestone 67). In the vicinity of this lodge there are plenty of animals to be spotted, among them monkeys, caimans, macaws, water pigs, lots of bird species, snakes and giant otters, and with a bit of luck the giant anteater, too. From a boat you have the best chances of catching a glimpse of these animals.

On a nighttime safari even a group of lowland tapirs has been sighted. There are also black-collared hawks, Toco toucans and Brazilian smooth snakes (Hydrodenastes gigas).

In the next morning at around 6 am you set out on a hike to witness the sunrise. After breakfast horseback ride in the vicinity of the lodge. Return to the lodge and lunch. After lunch you will have time to relax a little by the swimming pool or on the shore of Rio Pixaim. In the afternoon you go on a boat tour to track giant otters as well as many other bird and animal species. Return to the lodge and dinner. By your request there will be another nighttime safari to track nocturnal animals after dinner.

14th – 17th day: Jaguar Eco Lodge - Jaguar safari from/to Porto Jofre

At 6 am you go on a hike to witness the sunrise. After breakfast there will be another horseback ride in the environment of the lodge. After lunch drive to the Jaguar Eco Lodge. This lodge marks the starting point for your jaguar safari. In the afternoon you go on a hike in the environment of the lodge as well as into a nearby gallery forest. With a bit of luck you will be able to spot a population of hyacinth macaws that have been living here for years. Return to the lodge and dinner.

On the 15th and 16th day you will have to rise early: day trips to Porto Jofre (the end of the Transpantaneira) are on the schedule. You leave the lodge at 5 am. After arrival in Porto Jofre you will have breakfast in the form of a picnic. Afterwards there will be a 4-hour boat tour on the river system into the untouched nature of the Pantanal to track jaguars, tapirs, giant otters and other animal species. At noon return to Porto Jofre and picnic lunch. After lunch another boat tour on Rio Cuiabá and Rio Piquiri. At around 4:30 pm return to the Jaguar Eco Lodge where you have dinner. In the evening we offer another nighttime safari to track nocturnal animals.

17th – 19th day: Curicaca Lodge

After breakfast we continue to the Curicaca Lodge (ca. 2 hours’ drive). This fazenda is preferably visited by ornithologists and biologists, for here in the past few years steps have been taken to recreate the old habitats of birds in particular. In the immediate vicinity of the fazenda flocks of birds can be found, but also other animals such as giant otters, various monkey species, coatis etc.

On a morning hike you can see black skimmers (Rynchops niger) hunting fish in ponds. This fazenda is a must-see for nature lovers and photographers and offers a wide range of activities. After dinner hike into the environment of the lodge to watch nocturnal animals such as caimans, sometimes tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), rufous nightjars (Caprimulgus rufus), pauraques (Nyctidromus albicollis) and perhaps a common potoo (Nyctibius grandis).

On the next day morning excursion to Rio Nova in a canoe. In the gallery forest there are many bird species to watch. After lunch drive to a nearby lodge and extensive excursion on a trail of about 2 km through a gallery forest to a lookout tower. From here you will be able to see chestnut-eared aracaris (Pteroglossus Castanotis), fork-tailed flycatchers (Tyrannus savana) and point-tailed palmcreepers (Berlepschia rikeri) and many others, depending on the time of day. You also get a magnificent view on the Pantanal from the tower. Afternoon excursion to a forest with diverse trees unique to this area. Here nighttime safaris to track nocturnal animals are possible as well.

19th 21th day: Hotel SESC

After breakfast drive back on the Transpantaneira as far as Poconé where you are once again invited to have lunch with the Brazilian family. Afterwards drive of 45 km to Porto Cercado and Hotel SESC.

Your stay at Hotel SESC is first and foremost for rest and relaxation in the last days of your travel. The hotel facility offers very nice swimming pools, Internet access, bars, restaurants, playing rooms, tennis court etc. and offers whatever comfort you desire. From here you can also go on smaller trips into the environment (with guides employed by the hotel, our guides will not be available during this stay). If, however, you do not wish to stay at this hotel, you can also spend the remaing 2 nights in a different lodge accompanied by our guide. Should you choose this option, please let us know when booking. This option does not affect the total price.

21st day: Hotel SESC – Cuiabá

Depending on departure time the morning is free, then transfer to the airport.

Prices:

Due to the constantly changing dollar rate and gasoline prices, the prices for this tour are only available on demand. Thank you for your understanding. After we receive your e-mail, you will be sent a price offer promptly. To give you a rough idea of the prices, we can tell you that the total will come to approximately 3800,00 to 4500,00 Euros apiece.

Services (inclusive):

1 overnight stay at Hotel Odara in Cuiabá including breakfast (president or executiva suite)
3 overnight stays at the Pousada Jardim d’Amazonia in the Amazon region with full board
1 overnight stay at Pousada Bom Jardim near Lagoa Azul with breakfast
1 lunch on the day trip to Lagoa Azul, dinner in Bom Jardim with full board
2 overnight stays at the Pousada Penhasco in Chapada dos Guimarães with full board
2 x lunch with a typically Brazilian family in Poconé
2 overnight stays at the Pousada Piuval with full board
2 overnight stays at the Fazenda Santa Tereza with full board
3 overnight stays at the Jaguar Eco Lodge with full board and including jaguar safari from /to Porto Jofre
2 overnight stays at the Fazenda Carandá with full board and including transfer via plane
2 overnight stays at the Curicaca Lodge with full board
2 overnight stays at Hotel SESC with full board; if not available at a comparable lodge
1-hour flight over the Pantanal from/to Poconé in a small-engine Cessna on the 8th or 9th day
All rooms with air conditioning, bathroom/shower, swimming pool
All transfers, all tours by car, boat, on horseback and on foot
24-hour supervision by skilled and competent English speaking travel guide
All transfers and car drives in air-conditioned minivan or car, depending on the number of travellers

Not included:

Beverages, tips, personal expenses

Equipment:

Solid shoes (light hiking boots), long jeans or hiking pants, long-sleeved shirt or blouse, t-shirts and shirts for sleeping, hat, cap or bandana, sunscreen and mosquito repellent. No black clothing, since black attracts mosquitos. Sweatshirt or sweater from June to September; it can get very cold at night. Jaundice inoculation urgently recommended.

Please note:

Itinerary changes reserved due to unpredictable weather and flight schedules (concerning the order of accommodations). Price changes expressly reserved due to fluctuating exchange rates and reasons of organisation and security. Timely booking required since the smaller lodgings are usually booked for months in advance. Additional days or follow-up tours are possible, according prices and itineraries on demand.

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