Southern Brazil holiday, tailor made

When you visit Araras Lodge you are actively participating in their Environmental Preservation programme. In 1993 there were 27 Hyacinth Macaws living inside the Araras Eco Lodge borders and its neighbouring areas. Today, there are 42 of them!

This mark was reached through nest monitoring, inhibiting the capture of chicks for commercial purposes, and educating the locals regarding a more protective attitude towards the fauna.

The Lodge also distribute artificial nests and are systematically planting the manduvis, an indigenous tree where more than 87% of the macaw's nests are found. With the continuous occupation and the splitting of the large ranches in the Pantanal, these trees are being cut down and have diminished significantly. They are used to make salt trugs and they burn easily because of their soft consistency. They are also recuperating large areas with the palm acuri, which produces a nut that is these birds' principal source of food.

Brazilian born Marcelo Armstrong is the pioneer of tours in favelas in Rio. Since 1987 he has been working in tourism, and in 1992 he decided to organize visits to favelas. Given their bad reputation, he had a tough job gaining the credibility of local tour companies and hotels. But today Favela Tour is well recognised and becoming more accessible to any visitor, giving a better appreciation of local society and life in Rio.

There are close to 750 favelas in Rio. Mostly placed on former public areas on the hillsides they are now home to 20% of Rio's population, however they remain a mystery for most people who don't live there. The Favela Tour gives the visitor an opportunity to experience the reality of many people's lives in Rio, introducing them to the other side of Rio that they would not normally see, demonstrating that Rio is more than Copacabana beach and rather is steeped with culture and customs. It aims to changes the general idea that favelas are simply no-go areas dominated by criminals. The tour educates people to have a greater understanding of Brazilian society, shedding the preconceptions of Favela life of violence, poverty and drugs. Most Samba Schools participating in the Carnival parade come from favelas, which demonstrates how rich in Brazilian culture they are and what the favelas have to offer.

The three-hour tour (in a vehicle and on foot) takes the visitor to the community of Vila Canoas, with around 2500 people, and Rocinha, the largest favela in Brazil, having around 60,000 dwellers. Both are placed within the rich neighbourhood of São Conrado, which only emphasies the contrast of the way of life.

The tour benefits the local communities by creating awareness so that the people in the favelas aren't neglected by society. It also helps support the local community school which you are taken to to interact with the children. Funds from the tour, are donated to the school, and the visitor can also buy art work and crafts which helps the local economy. By employing only local people as guides it gives a true representation of the otherwise thought dangerous part of Rio that is misunderstood.