Tailor made holiday in Brazil
| country: | Brazil |
| location: | Iguazu Falls, Pantanal |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor-made and departures can be arranged all year. The sample itinerary below can be modified to your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in each destination. |
| price: | From £2495 (15 days) including flights from the UK, private transfers, accommodation and services of an experienced driver/guide. This trip can also be booked without flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
This itinerary includes time travelling through the lush vegetation of the Emerald Coast, the Pantanal and around the magnificent Iguacu Falls. Top that with a few days in vibrant Rio de Janeiro and it makes for a good all round adventure.
The trip starts in Rio, famous for its yearly carnival extravaganza (normally in February). Sipping caipirinhas on Copacabana can be interspersed by a private tour up the precarious Sugar Loaf Mountain and the winding journey up to Corcovado, where the arms of the Christ the Redeemer stretch out above you - the views aren't bad either. Taking the road south along the beautiful Emerald Coast, you will reach the delightful colonial town of Paraty, nestled in a bay with a back-drop of towering forested hills.
Time here can be divied up between exploring the cobbled streets and multitude of ornate churches, and taking a boat out around the pristine bays.
Driving back inland to Sao Paolo you will fly up to Campo Grande, the step-off point for trips into the Pantanal. A few days here will mean being based at a local fazenda (working farm) and exploring the surrounding savannah by foot and by boat. Excellent for birders and butterfly enthusiasts, the region is also full of some rare mammals, and sightings of giant anteaters, armadillos, otters and marmosets are not uncommon.
The trip ends with a real treat, a visit to surely the world's most spectacular waterfalls, Iguacu Falls. 275 seperate falls crash over a horse-shoe shaped precipice, right on the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Walkways offering panormic views of the falls provide a stunning and powerful show, whilst toucans and parakeets cavort around in the surrounding vegetation.
The trip starts in Rio, famous for its yearly carnival extravaganza (normally in February). Sipping caipirinhas on Copacabana can be interspersed by a private tour up the precarious Sugar Loaf Mountain and the winding journey up to Corcovado, where the arms of the Christ the Redeemer stretch out above you - the views aren't bad either. Taking the road south along the beautiful Emerald Coast, you will reach the delightful colonial town of Paraty, nestled in a bay with a back-drop of towering forested hills.
Time here can be divied up between exploring the cobbled streets and multitude of ornate churches, and taking a boat out around the pristine bays.
Driving back inland to Sao Paolo you will fly up to Campo Grande, the step-off point for trips into the Pantanal. A few days here will mean being based at a local fazenda (working farm) and exploring the surrounding savannah by foot and by boat. Excellent for birders and butterfly enthusiasts, the region is also full of some rare mammals, and sightings of giant anteaters, armadillos, otters and marmosets are not uncommon.
The trip ends with a real treat, a visit to surely the world's most spectacular waterfalls, Iguacu Falls. 275 seperate falls crash over a horse-shoe shaped precipice, right on the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Walkways offering panormic views of the falls provide a stunning and powerful show, whilst toucans and parakeets cavort around in the surrounding vegetation.
best time to travel
Brazil can be visited all year round, but the best time for this itinerary is without doubt between April and September which coincides with the dry season in the Pantanal. This is when mammal-spotting is at its best as the waterholes are not so spread out. Rio and the south-east will be cooler but drier also during this period.day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly from London to Rio overnight. |
| Day 2: | When you arrive, you will be met and have a private transfer to your hotel in Rio. Rest of the day will be spent relaxing and getting over the flight. |
| Day 3: | Full day city tour of Rio, including trips up to Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountain. A delicious BBQ lunch is included. |
| Day 4: | A day to explore the rest of the city. There are a number of interesting tours including a half day in the old town, schooner trips out to the surrounding bays, and even exploring a favela. |
| Day 5: | Drive down the winding coastal road to Paraty. A little further, you will come to your beautiful accommodation, Pousada Picinguaba. |
| Day 6: | From your pousada, you can choose to either simply relaxing in the stunning surroundings or go and explore the colonial town of Paraty. Picinguaba hires out kayaks and you can row to one of the many beaches and have it all to yourself! |
| Day 7: | At Picinguaba. |
| Day 8: | At Picinguaba. |
| Day 9: | Drive inland to Sao Paolo from where you will fly to Campo Grande. You will need to spend one night in the town. |
| Day 10: | Pick-up and drive to Pousada Caiman in the Pantanal. |
| Day 11: | Excursions from the fazenda, including boat trips and night walks. |
| Day 12: | Retrace your steps back to Campo Grande for your flight to Iguacu via Sao Paolo. You will transfer to the national park and your accommodation right next to the falls. |
| Day 13: | Walking tours of both the Argentinian and the Brazilian sides of the falls. You can also take a spectacular helicopter trip over the falls (not included). |
| Day 14: | Fly back to Sao Paolo in time to connect with your overnight flight to London. |
| Day 15: | Arrival in the UK. |
travellers' tales
The arrangements went like clockwork and all the guides and drivers were very friendly and helpful...fantastic holiday. (more)
tailor made holidays
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.how this holiday makes a difference
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Refúgio Ecológico Caiman is home base for the Blue Macaw Project, which was devised by Neiva Guedes of UNIDERP (The University for the Development of the State and Region of the Pantanal) and inaugurated in November 1998. They collect young birds rejected by their parents and raise them until they are strong enough to be released into the wild, collect data on this endangered species and monitor existing nests. Since the project began and the Refugio Ecologico Caiman began educating residents in the area about preserving the wildlife as opposed to hunting it, the numbers of hyacinth macaws in the area have dramatically increased.
Since its creation, biologists from several different countries as well as students from Brazil's most important universities, have take part in the Hyacinth Macaw Project. Along with the support provided by the project base, the Blue Macaw Project also receives assistance from many other foundations and enterprises. Some of these include the Hyacinth Macaw Fund, which provides funds through the California Community Foundation, the Smart Family Foundation, Toyota Motor Co., Parrot Society, Ibama and the Manoel de Barros Foundation. Along with the normal planned activities, Caiman guests can also watch the work of the Blue Macaw Project up close by visiting the base during their stay. |
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