Brazil wildlife holiday, Pantanal & Rio
Or £2,675pp excl flights. Discounts for families of 4 or more.
Minimum age 5.
Description of Brazil wildlife holiday, Pantanal & Rio
This Brazil wildlife holiday, in the Pantanal and Rio, is a wildlife and cultural journey in Brazil. We are a specialist operator offering holidays with a difference and insider experiences. We have a unique approach to working with local people and places.
On this trip, you'll kick off with the insider experience of Rio de Janeiro. You'll also get a chance to tick off the main sights if you wish. Then it's a day trip to a reforestation project, this Atlantic rainforest contains more birds than in the whole of Europe!
Then onto the vast Pantanal teeming with animals ranging from otters as big as a man, caiman (like alligator, but don't eat humans) to giant anteaters and birds of prey like black-collared hawks. (If you are very lucky, you may spot a jaguar, the Pantanal is considered the best place to spot the world's third biggest cat, although if this is what you are particularly interested in, look at our 'Jaguars and Waterfalls' itinerary.
You'll end the trip iin the the crystal-clear waters of award-winning Bonito, some of the finest freshwater snorkelling in the world.
This is a private tour (just you and who you are travelling with). Perfect wildlife adventure for a couple or friends travelling together.
It can also be taken as a family adventure. Minimum age usually five but we may be able to accommodate younger children, please email us with details of your family.
If you can travel for longer, it is possible to extend your trip with a visit to the famous Iguacu waterfalls or a beach extension. Just make an enquiry to be put in direct contact with us - we even work evenings and weekends!
Itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro. Regional departures are possible. It may also be possible to have flights from other countries arranged (or arrange your own). |
| Day 2: D | Arrive in Rio in the morning (due to time zone difference). Pick up by driver in a private car and transfer to a beautiful private home where you will meet your hosts and settle into your bedroom (with its own bathroom). Time to settle in and enjoy amazing views over Rio. Later on your driver will take you to visit the botanical gardens. Evening dinner with your hosts. |
| Day 3: B | Day sightseeing in Rio including the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugar Loaf mountain. Time to relax and change. Later on, your driver will take you out in Rio and wait for you (choose a restaurant from the insider tips in the pack we give all our customers) |
| Day 4: L | You'll be driven out of Rio to an Atlantic rainforest area for a nature walk and a chance to spot some of the beautiful birds (there are more species of birds here than in the whole of Europe!) |
| Day 5: BD | Transfer to airport and fly to the Pantanal. Pick up and transfer to ranch. Settle in and enjoy the pool. Dinner at the ranch. |
| Day 6: BLD | Time to look for widllife including giant anteaters & caiman. You'll also have a night safari in the evening. |
| Day 7:BLD | Activities on the ranch. |
| Day 8: BLD | Time to pack up and head into the deeper Pantanal. Private 4WD safari. |
| Day 9: BLD | Boat trip to look for giant river otters and other animals. Hiking in the forest. |
| Day 10:BLD | More boating and hiking. |
| Day 11: B | Pack up and transfer to nearby Bonito, a small town in an area of caves, sinkholes and some of the best freshwater snorkelling in the world. Time to settle into small hotel. |
| Day 12: BL | Birdwatching in a huge sink hole and freshwater snorkelling amongst tropical fish. |
| Day 13: B | Today you'll be driven to Campo Grande to stay in a comfortable central hotel, close to restaurants, in readiness for your flight home tomorrow. |
| Day 14: B | Transfer to the airport and internal flight to Sao Paulo for an official connection back to London Heathrow. |
| Day 15: B | Land back at London Heathrow. |
Price information
Or £2,675pp excl flights. Discounts for families of 4 or more.
Minimum age 5.
Departure information
Travel guides
Responsible Travel
Planet
This wildlife holiday in Brazil focuses on the greener side of life.Even when sightseeing in Rio de Janeiro, you will be exploring the greener side of it. Yes you will visit famous sights like the Christ the Redeemer statue to tick them off, but did you know it is in the middle of a national park? Your day will take this park in. You will also visit the botanical gardens.
When you go the Pantanal, you will be staying in ranches, not big hotels. They are also working ranches. Transport on the ranches will be mainly be by foot or boat or horses. Wildlife is viewed from a sensitive distance and with expert local guides including indigenous people. Bonito won the World Responsible Tourism award (best destination) in 2013.
Accommodation throughout this trip is in old buildings converted for existing use (e.g private home) or working ranches. The one exception is the hotel you stay in for some R&R but this is a small building, built sensitively to the environment.
When you go the Pantanal, unfortunately you do have to fly there (Brazil is vast, nearly as big as the USA), but do read our tips on reducing your carbon (through lifestyle changes, not tree planting).
People
Throughout this wildlife trip, you will meet a variety of local people.You will not be guided throughout by one person from the big city. It's not just 'local guides' but people local to a particular area. You will meet expert guides, wildlife, birding and otherwise and you will have different drivers and you will meet local people who don't work in the tourism industry. They range from professionals in Rio to ranch owners and cowboys in the Pantanal. You will also have one on one interactions with indigenous people who do not usually benefit from 'tourism dollars'. You will learn about their traditional ways which will benefit both you and them, helping keep their traditions alive for future generations.
We believe in 'trade not aid' and pick people we work with carefully and support them as much as we can through business. On this trip, we also support initiatives like a reforestation project. However, we do also make charitable donations including one which helps street children in Brazil with care and support, particularly training them with useful skills and helping with reintegration with their families where possible.
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