Tour 8: Pantanal tour for bird watchers12 days/11 nights, offered all year, 2-person minimum  1st - 3rd day: Cuiaba – Pousada Piuval (2 nights)Arrival in Cuiabá. Transfer to Poconé and lunch in a typically Brazilian family (dependent on the time of arrival in Cuiabá.) After lunch journey (approximately 10 km) to the Pousada Piuval which is located directly beside the Transpantaneira. In the afternoon you take a boat trip on the nearby Piuval lake to watch birds. After dinner nighttime safari to track and watch nocturnal animals.In the next morning you get up at about 5 am for a sunrise tour. Experience the awakening of the animal and plant world in the Pantanal. After breakfast you return to Poconé where you go on a one-hour sightseeing flight (optional, not inclusive). A unique experience, seeing the Pantanal from a bird's-eye view.
After the flight drive back to the lodge and lunch. Should you not book the flight you can take a tour in the vicinity of the lodge on the fourth day. In the vicinity of the lodge capped herons (Pilherodius pileatus), vermillion flycatchers (Pyrocephalus rubinus), white woodpeckers (Melanerpes candidus), white-winged parakeets (Brotogeris versicolurus), saffron finches (Sicalis flaveola), bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata) and many others bird species can be watched in the pousada' surroundings. The special attraction here is the very rare hyacinth macaw. Your stay is topped off with an excursion to the Piuval lake, where you can see a variety of waterfowls, caimans and giant otters. On the next day we drive back to Poconé where you go on a 1-hour sightseeing flight over the Pantanal (optional, not inclusive).
3rd -5th day: Pousada Piuval – Pousada Rio Claro (2 nights)After breakfast drive on the Transpantaneira to the Pousada Rio Claro. This accommodation is the highlight of your tour, since it offers the largest variety of birds to watch.It is situated directly by the river Rio Claro, in the midst of an almost untouched and diverse landscape. A variety of kingfisher spiecies (Chloroceryle), Agami herons (Agamia agami), fork-tailed flycatchers (Tyrannus savana), blue-throated piping guans (Aburria pipile), Toco toucans (Ramphastos toco), and giant otters can be watched by the river.
In the nearby gallery forest there live many bird species, such as the blue-crowned trogon (Trogon curucui), rufous-tailed jacamar (Galbula ruficauda), the golden-collared macaw (Primolius auricollis), the lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) or the great rufous woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes major).
5th-7th day: Pousada Rio Claro – Fazenda Santa Tereza (2 nights)Via the Transpantaneira road with its many wooden bridges we go drive deeper into the Pantanal, to the Fazenda Santa Tereza. Among the birds you can see here are whistling herons (Syrigma sibilatrix), Jabiru storks (Jabiru mycteria), Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), great white egrets (Casmerodius albus) and great black hawks (Buteogallus urubitinga).With a little bit of luck you can even watch anacondas (Eunectes notaeus) sunbathing by the Transpantaneira in the early morning hours. Sometimes you can also see marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus).  The highlight is always the boat tour, on which you get to see all kinds of kingfishers (Chloroceryle/Ceryle), mangrove herons (Butorides striatus), blue-throated piping guans (Aburria pipile), snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) and many others.Always around is the black-collared hawk (Busarellus nigricollis) which only waits to snatch anglers' discarded fish out of the water. Even the very shy giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) can often be spotted from the boat. Their communication alone, by means of whistling sounds, is an impressive spectacle. In the twilight one can often see swallows such as common pauraques (Nyctidromus albicollis). common potoo (Nyctibius grandis) 7th-9th day: Fazenda Santa Tereza – Curicaca lodge (2 nights)Drive to the Curicaca lodge with many stops along the Transpantaneira. This fazenda is very popular among ornithologists, biologists and bird watchers since here, people have attempted to recreate the original habitats of macaws and other birds in the last few years. In the immediate proximity of the Fazenda flocks of hyacinth macaws can be watched (Andorohynchus hyacinthinus).Other animals species, like Toco Toucans (Ramphastos toco), rheas (Rhea Americana), jabirus (Jabiru mycteria), coatis, raccoons and giant anteaters (Nasua nasua, Procyon lotor, Myrmecophaga tridactyla), capibaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), otters (Lontra longicaudis) and large gatherings of caimans can frequently be watched here. Black skimmers (Rynchops niger) can often be seen catching fish in ponds. This fazenda is a must-see for nature lover and offers a wide range of activities.
In the next morning canoe trip. Many bird species can be watched in the gallery forest. In the afternoon excursion on the lodge grounds and another nighttime safari are offered. 9th-12th day: Curicaca lodge - Fazenda Carandá (3 nights)After breakfast you pack your bags and go to the Araras lodge by car (about half an hour's drive). You walk about 1 km through an untouched gallery forest and experience the Pantanal's unique beauty. Afterwards drive to Poconé where you stop for lunch and enjoy the hospitality of Dona Dalva and Senhor Antonio. Transfer to the Fazenda Caranda by airplane (15 minutes).The vicinity of this accommodation is different to that of other lodges because of its vast and nearly untouched and diverse natural landscape. The best way to get an impression of the rich flora and fauna is by going on a horseback-riding tour. Particularly numerous here are Hyacinth macaws, but common potoos are to be found here as well. You can also see rare parrot species and Nenday conures (Nandayus nenday). The variety of the animal and plant life in this region is just about inexhaustible. Here you experience nature in its original state, far from civilization and mainstream tourism along the Transpantaneira.
After arrival you move into your room and have plenty of time to rest and take shower. Later the first short hiking trips and horseback-riding tours in the vicinity of the fazenda are offered. In the evening, nighttime safari to track nocturnal animals. In the morning sunrise tour before breakfast to witness the awakening of the bird world. During your stay on the farm extensive trips on horseback, on foot and by boat are possible. Enjoy the hospitality of the fazenda owners, who will make your stay unforgettable. The trips and tours will be planned and conducted individually and according to your wishes. For this, our guide is exclusively at your disposal 24 hours a day.
A great variety of bird species, such as Toco toucans, white-headed marsh tyrants (Arundinicola leurocephala), blue-crowned amazons (Amazona aestiva), blue-crowned conures (Aratinga haemorrhous), yellow-collared macaws (Ara auricollis), peach-fronted conures (Aratinga aurea), Nanday conures (Nandayus nenday), American rheas (Rhea americana), white-eyed conures (Aratinga leucophthalmus), vermilion flycatchers (Pyrocephalus rubinus), woodpeckers and many Hyacinth macaws can be watched in the proximity of the Fazenda Carandá. As mentioned before: a paradise for bird lovers. 12th day:Return to Poconé by airplane, then by car to the airport in Cuiabá or follow-up programme to Chapada dos Guimarães, Nobres or the Amazon region (on request).Prices:
Performances included:2 overnight stays at the Pousada Piuval2 overnight stays at the Fazenda Santa Tereza 2 overnight stays at the Curicaca lodge incl. soft drinks 2 overnight stays at the Pousada Rio Claro 3 overnight stays at the Fazenda Carandá incl. transfer in/out by airplane Full board (lunch, dinner and breakfast) in all accommodations All transfers from/to Cuiabá in an air-conditioned vehicle (accident and third-party insurance available). All tours on horseback, by boat, by car and on foot 24-hour support by trained and experienced English-speaking guides Upon booking you receive a list via e-mail containing all 690 bird species in the Pantanal in four languages (English, German, Portuguese, Latin) Not included:Other beverages, tips, personal expensesEquipment:Appropriate footwear (light hiking shoes), long jeans or trekking pants, long-sleeved shirt or blouse, t-shirts and shirts for sleeping, hat, cap or headscarf, sunscreen and mosquito protection. No black clothes, since black attracts mosquitoes. Sweatshirt, sweater or fleece jacket from June to September, since the nights can get very cold. Jaundice inoculation strongly recommended.Note:Programme changes reserved, due to weather and particularly flight schedules (arrival/departure and order of accommodations). Price changes expressly reserved, due to fluctuating exchange rates and organisation and security reasons. Timely booking required, since the smaller accommodations are usually fully booked for months in advance.The texts and photos on this site are protected by copyright: © by Günter Stysch |
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