Things to do in Brazil

Guy Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, explains how to choose your Pantanal tour: “The Pantanal is a bit like the jungle without the trees; there are lots and lots of different species, and you can see them without them being hidden by the jungle. There are anteaters, deer, lots of different birds, capybara, caiman... wild boar of different sorts, white-lipped peccaries, hyacinth macaws... lots and lots of stuff!

The Northern and the Southern Pantanal are divided by a river – you visit one or the other. The Southern Pantanal ties in well with Bonito, which has a lot of other things to do such as caves, adventure activities and “fish floats”, where you float down the warm water of the river looking at tropical fish underneath you – it’s amazing. It’s close to the Southern Amazon too. The Northern Pantanal is better for pure wildlife fans as it’s actually the best place in the world to see jaguars. At Porto Jofre, the jaguars have been habituated and there’s a very good chance of seeing them on the riverbanks during the day, without them running off. It’s very expensive to go to it, but well worth it.”

There are awesome views, white-sand bays, tropical islands, buzzing nightlife, dance and drumming classes – all to the intoxicating beat of samba and bossa nova, with the lilting melodies of Brazilian Portuguese. Ride a cable car up Corcovado, escape to the famed city beaches to discover where the beautiful people hang out – or tour a favela with a local guide for a glimpse into the other side of this eclectic metropolis.

While many of the Amazon’s thousands of species remain shyly concealed in the dense vegetation, a good guide will still be able to point out several of the 550 bird species, 2,000 butterfly species and seven monkey species. Even if you don’t see the howler monkeys, you’re sure to hear them! Strange capybaras – giant rodents – graze on the riverbanks, and the crescendo of sounds of the world’s largest jungle is utterly captivating.

The vast Amazonian city of Manaus is the leaping off point for tours into the northern region of this rainforest, including the waterfall, wildlife and pristine jungle environment of Jaú National Park. Take a cruise past tropical archipelagos, see the meeting of the waters and look out for pink river dolphins and giant otters. Bruce Parry wannabes can canoe out to Yanomami and Tukano villages.

There are actually over 270 falls here, straddling the Argentina-Brazil border, and you’ll need to border-hop for the full experience. The Brazilian side has rainforest walks and catwalks above the cascades, while Argentina allows you to cruise upriver on a zodiac – navigating rapids to reach the notorious Devil’s Throat Canyon. The spray covers everything and you’ll end up being engulfed by the Great Water whether you like it or not – bring your waterproofs!