Tailor made Brazil Wildlife Holidays
Brazil is the largest country in South America. It straddles the equator and is dominated by 60 percent of the Amazon Rainforest. This immense country has a huge diversity of wildlife in over 100 parks, reserves and protected areas, including coastal forests, savanna and the world's largest wetland area, the Pantanal. Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet with new species still being discovered on a regular basis. As well as a simply staggering array of birds, fish, amphibians, insects and reptiles, larger animals here include Jaguar, Puma, Giant Anteater, Coati, Giant River Otter, Maned Wolf, Tapir, Capybara and over 70 species of primate including Howler, Capuchin and Squirrel Monkeys. The country's other major attractions include the mighty Iguassu Falls, dazzling white beaches, magnificent colonial architecture and of course the world renowned Rio Carnival.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the seductively friendly and hedonistic city of eastern Brazil. This tropical, coastal city is well known for its stunning location between lush, forested mountains and breathtaking golden beaches, most famously the Copacabana. The symbols of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer are known worldwide, but other attractions include the massive shrine to football - the Maracana Stadium, museums, botanical gardens and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Tijuca National Park is worth a visit, it is the last remnant of the Atlantic rainforest that once surrounded the city, and is a marked contrast to the urban mayhem just 15 minutes away. Here, you can walk on well-marked trails through a dripping green forest full of creeks, caves and waterfalls - home to many different species including iguanas and monkeys. Also nearby is Poco das Antes Biologic Reserve, home to the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin.
Rio International Hotel - This stylish modern hotel has a superb waterfront setting. Magnificent ocean views and direct access to the world-famous Copacobana beach make this a good stopping off point at the beginning or end of your holiday. There are rooftop leisure facilities, a private beach service and sophisticated wining and dining options. The rooms are beautifully and all have balconies and sea views.
Orla Copacobana - This is a mid-sized hotel overlooking Copacobana beach and within walking distance of Ipanema. As you would expect of a modern Rio hotel it has a bar, a beautiful swimming pool and an excellent restaurant ... and of course it is very well located to access all the key places in this fascinating city.
Iguassu
A 2-hour flight from Rio takes you south to the border with Argentina and the mighty Iguassu Falls. Set amongst lush tropical forest there are 275 waterfalls, which stretch for a total of three kilometres. Higher than Niagara and more impressive than Victoria Falls, the surrounding national park is home to over 2,000 species of plants, 400 species of birds and an array of mammals. Visits to both the Argentine and Brazilian side of the Falls are highly recommended.
Hotel Das Cataratas is a colonial style hotel that overlooks Iguassu Falls with a total of 200 spacious rooms. Facilities available at the hotel include tennis courts, and an outdoor pool bar and restaurant. Panoramic viewing walkways start in front of the hotel and zig-zag their way down to the end of Devil's Throat. This is the only hotel on the Brazillian side of the Falls to offer such a high standard of service and an unrivalled location next to one of the true wonders of the natural world.
Pantanal
The Pantanal is an immense landlocked river delta, located in the heart of South America, taking in vast areas of western Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Often overlooked because of the higher profile given to the Amazon basin to the north, this is one of our planet's most spectacular wetland systems - and as such is unmissable for any lover of wildlife or the natural world. Here the annual floodwaters regularly rise several metres and then recede, providing a unique ecosystem for an extraordinarily concentrated and diverse flora and fauna. This ecological paradise contains hundreds of species of birds, thousands of varieties of butterflies, myriad of brightly coloured flowers and shoals of fish. Its wildlife density is considered to be the greatest in the neotropics, making it a paradise for naturalists, photographers and eco-tourists. Larger mammals here include Capuchin, and Howler Monkeys, Capybaras and Tapirs, and over 160 species of reptiles include the infamous Anacondas and caimans. Some reports say that the Pantanal has the highest concentration of fauna in the New World, comparable with the dense animal populations of Africa. There is a huge diversity of bird species here as it is one three major migratory paths, bringing Ospreys from the Arctic latitudes to the north, Wood Storks from the pampas to the south and flycatchers from the Andes to the west. The result is one of the planet's most diverse avian communities, with 656 species of birds, belonging to 66 families identified so far. Some of the birds that you may see here include Great Blue Heron, Orange-backed Oriole, Horned Screamer, Keel-ridged Toucan and Blue-Winged Macaws.
The nature of the Pantanal varies depending on the season and cycle of the waters. Depending on the season exploration is by vehicle, boat, horseback and on foot. There are four key periods:
January, February and March
The Pantanal is flooding at this time and the mammals are seeking the higher ground. There is a stunning explosion of colours as flowers bloom.
April, May and June
The floodwaters recede at this time, migratory birds return from the north, reptiles tend to gather in number, and the young caiman are born.
July, August and September
This is the dry season, the time when there is the greatest concentration of birds and reptiles in and around the remaining pools.
October, November and December
This is when the floodwaters are advancing. It coincides with the return of the rains, the migratory birds are preparing to depart. This is a good time for observing predators.
South Pantanal
The southern reaches of the Pantanal are about three hours drive from the airport at Campo Grande. Although no one can guarantee Jaguars sightings in the wild, this is one place where your chances of seeing one are maximized. During the dry season here they generally have a 25% success rating - which in terms of Jaguars is pretty high! This area is home to the Hyacinth Macaw project and there will be opportunities to travel by boat through the Pantanal's watery channels, fish for piranhas or even go horse riding.
The small town of Bonito is on the southern fringe of the Pantanal. Here you can visit the Natural Aquarium to snorkel on the surface of a river which is said to have the most transparent water in the world or the nearby Prata River Complex which offers a similar but more demanding experience. With luck you may see Spectacled Caimans, Anacondas or perhaps Giant River Otters! The outstanding Blue Lake Grotto is one of the world's largest flooded caves - minerals in the rocks filter the water giving it a unique blue colour. Bird lovers should not miss the incredible Macaw's Crater, a huge depression in the ground, which his home to a large macaw population.
Caiman Lodge is a comfortable eco-lodge situated in the Caiman Ecological Refuge in the southern Pantanal. This highly-acclaimed lodge is actually divided into two mini-lodges, surrounded by the refuge and a 56,000 hectare cattle ranch, and is home to the Hyacinth Macaw Project. There are a number of activities on offer at the lodge in addition to game-drives with expert naturalists. These include horse-riding, canoeing and numerous walking trails (with expert local guides). It may also be possible to take part in a traditional Pantanal cattle drive along with guides and ranch workers.
San Francisco Farm is a working rice farm which offers rustic accommodation, game-viewing and birdwatching by boat, foot or on horseback in the southern Pantanal.
Pousada Olho D'Agua just outside Bonito is a simple lodge surrounded by woodland filled with native flora and fauna. It has rustic decoration in its 12 rooms each with a verandah and a hammock!
North Pantanal
The northern Pantanal is reached by regional flights to Cuiaba and then a drive into the pristine interior where the largest populations of wild animals and huge flocks of birds can be found. Spectacled Caiman, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Tapir, Ocelot, Margay, Puma (and perhaps Jaguar!) are all possible sightings during the day, whilst at night you may see owls, nightjars, armadillos, foxes and maybe even Maned Wolves. Birds here include Jabiru, Roseate Spoonbill, Southern Screamer, and Hyacinth Macaw.
Fazenda Santa Tereza is a comfortable lodge on a working farm located in the margins of the Pixaim River, considered one of the best birdwatching sites in the northern Pantanal. Game watching trips are organised by boat, horseback or on foot.
Jaguar Lodge is located in the heart of the Pantanal. Search for birds and mammals by day and at night. Boat trips along the river reveal Howler Monkeys, Capybaras, Tapirs, Spectacled Caimans, and possibly Jaguars.
Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo is a lively, cosmopolitan city in the south of the country. Founded by Jesuits in 1554 as a mission for the early settlers and native people, the settlement grew rich from the surrounding coffee plantations and today it is the industrial and financial centre of Brazil. It has a spectacular skyline of skyscrapers, ranking alongside Hong Kong and New York, and with its ethnically diverse population its restaurants are famous for their variety and creativity. The city has a number of interesting museums, parks and gardens. Visitors to this enormous country often find themselves using one of the two airports for regional flight connections and overnight stops are often required here.
L'Hotel is an elegant hotel located near to the financial and cultural centre of Sao Paulo. It has a restaurant, bar, spa, pool and fitness centre and is surrounded by theatres, museums, restaurants and shops. It is part of the 'Leading Small Hotels of the World' group.
The Amazon
The Amazon Basin is the largest river basin in the world at over seven million square kilometres and around 6,500 kilometres long. The mighty Amazon River itself has over 1,000 tributaries which hold over 20% of the planet's fresh water and much of northern Brazil is drained by the Amazon's enormous tributary, the Rio Negro.
Flooding generally occurs between June and October and the temperature across the region is steamy and tropical. The rainforest occupies 40% of Brazil's total geographical area and spreads into eight other countries including Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana. It is believed to be the oldest tropical forest in the world and is made up of millions of species of plants and animals, making it the most diverse ecosystem in the world with perhaps 30% of the world's species. Its biodiversity is astounding: a single bush in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the entire British Isles, while a lone hectare of forest may have more than 480 species of trees. Over 300 species of mammal are found in the Amazon, the majority of which are bats and rodents - including the worlds largest, the Capybara, which can weigh up to 91 kilos. Other residents include Tapir, Jaguar, monkeys, deer and otters.
Over 1500 bird species are found in the Amazon Basin, of which many are migrants. Macaws gather in flocks of thousands, reptiles and fish species also number the thousands with famous residents being the Anaconda and fearsome Piranha. Despite this incredible diversity visitors to the region are often disappointed by the fact that the wildlife is so hard to see in the thickness of the forest, where the forest floor is in darkness due to the canopy far above, and where the creatures are so wonderfully camouflaged as to be almost invisible to our eyes. A visit to the Amazon should therefore be looked at in a different way from say, an African Safari. It is a unique chance to experience the lush foliage of the jungle... where the raucous calls of the creatures within and the bright colours of the flowering plants and butterflies hint at even more complexity than we can imagine. Occasional and tantalising glimpses of acrobatic troupes of monkeys will rustle the branches of the canopy high above, and in the darkness you can hear the hacking cough of the Jaguar as he preys on the Capybara, deer and other small mammals. At the heart of the Amazon basin, on the banks of the Rio Negro, is the city of Manaus. This is where the two rivers meet - the 'black' waters of the Rio Negro and the 'white' (in fact rather muddy!) waters of the Amazon. The city has some wonderful colonial buildings, dating from the golden age of the rubber boom, in particular its splendid neo-classical opera house that would not look out of place in Paris or Vienna. Manaus is also an important centre for the local indigenous culture, and has some fabulous markets. The city is the gateway to Amazon river cruises, it is tropical, hot and humid.
Cristalino Jungle Lodge is nestled in a private forest reserve in the southern reaches of the Amazon. The lodge is only accessible by boat and borders the Cristalino State Park which contains many species found only in this part of the Amazon. The area contains pristine forest and aquatic habitats and the lodge facilities include an extensive trail system, a new 50 metre canopy tower, fly-camping trips, piranha fishing and a clean black-water river where you can canoe and swim. Accommodation here is in standard or deluxe rooms and there are good resident guides.
Uakari Lodge offers unique accommodation on seven floating wooden structures. Ten large, comfortable ensuite rooms with terraces overlook the rainforest beyond and floating walkways connect them with the central dining area. The lodge is within the Mamiraua Sustainable Development Reserve in the heart of the Amazon basin at the confluence of the rivers Japura and Solimoes. The lodge has been specially designed for minimum environmental impact. Activities include river trips, interpretative trails through the rainforest and an observation hide.
Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge is small and exclusive. It is situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest about three hours from Manaus by road and boat, at Anavilhanas, the world's largest fresh water archipelago. There are 16 elegant, well-equipped suites, a pool and a central dining area with views out across the Rio Negro. Activities here include rainforest hikes, and boat trips to fish for piranha or spot caiman.
Amazon Wildlife Cruising
A wildlife cruise on the Clipper Premium offers smallship cruising on a professional and well-maintained vessel which is large enough for 16 spacious cabins with lower beds and en-suite facilities, yet small enough to still dock at remote spots. The ship has an observation/sun deck and dining-room. Expert guides can take in motorised canoes up the smaller creeks to enable you to birdwatch, photograph and admire the scenery around you from lush floodplains and forest, to lakes and water-lily covered lagoons. The guides will lead you on informative forest walks, fish for piranhas, and take you on nocturnal trips. You will also see the local communities who live and trade along the banks of the rivers, and observe their way of life with floating docks and markets, and houses on stilts.
There is the option of 2-night, 3-night, or 5-night cruise. Do please ask us how this might fit in to your tailormade holiday itinerary.
Salvador
Salvador is a beautiful old colonial town situated in Bahia State on the central coast of Brazil. This former capital city and major port lies between green tropical hills and broad sandy beaches on the bay of Todos os Santos. It is the perfect final stop for a few days of relaxation at the end of your South American holiday. Sugar and diamonds passed through the busy port for centuries, and this golden age is reflected in the magnificent homes and baroque churches which grace the historic old town area (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The city has a strong African flavour which can be tasted in the spicy dishes and experienced at its cultural events and the surrounding beaches are important breeding areas for Green, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Loggerhead Turtles from May to December.
Praia do Forte offers en-suite modern rooms with verandahs overlooking the sea and surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds full of birds. The hotel is near to popular turtle breeding grounds. There are wonderful beaches here offering a relaxing sojourn at the end of your holiday. As well as the nearby beach there are six outdoor pools, three restaurants and a snack bar, a gym, tennis courts and a health and beauty treatment centre.
Go to our Suggested Brazilian Wildlife Holidays