The Best of Pantanal

Brief trip description

An all-inclusive expedition for those who want to immerse themselves further in the Pantanal and Brazilian savannah. Activities are varied to give you be the best chance of seeing wildlife. We’ve included incredible jaguar watching opportunities, amazing birdwatching and great photo opportunities all in one voyage through fantastic terrain and accompanied by the best guides in the region.

Duration: 11days / 10 nights Highlights

You’ll be amazed when you see the biggest cat in the Americas, the elusive Jaguar. Beautiful and rare birds inhabit the Pantanal and Brazilian savannah, such as small hummingbirds, Jabiru Storks, Agami Herons, Hyacinth Macaws, Blue Finches, Blaze-winged Parakeets, and many more. You may also see world's largest rodent, the capybara, along with reptiles, fish and mammals, including giant otters, giant anteaters and Brazilian tapirs. You’ll snorkel down a crystal-clear river face-to-face with the many native fish and the peaceful vistas of the Brazilian savannah will leave you breathless.

Approximate number of bird species on this expedition: over 350 species Approximate number of mammal species on this expedition: over 30 species Travel plan

Day 1 – CAMPO GRANDE – SOUTHERN PANTANAL

Arrival in the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul State, Campo Grande. The three-hour drive will take you to a traditional ranch where our first ecolodge is located. Along the road you’ll want to keep an eye out for Greater Rheas, Red-legged Seriemas, Southern Caracaras, Guira Cuckoos, and Yellow-headed Vultures. After crossing the Maracaju mountain range we will enter the Pantanal itself, where the pavement ends leaving us on a dirt road for the last hour of our journey. This road is a great place to spot some amazing wildlife, including the Hyacinth Macaw, the largest macaw in the world, and the Giant Anteater, which is one of the most endangered animals in the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah).

After checking in at the Lodge, you’ll have a chance to explore, as the lodge is surrounded by wildlife.

The Southern Pantanal are truly grounds for the exotic Giant Anteater

Day 2 – SOUTHERN PANTANAL

We’ll start our day with an early-morning walking tour through the natural open areas and gallery forest near the Aquidauana River. You can expect to see plenty of birds, including the Black-hooded Parakeet, Buff-necked Ibis, Hyacinth Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Blue-fronted Parrot, White-fronted Woodpecker, Planalto Woodcreeper, Campo Flicker and many flycatchers.

We’ll also look for mammals, such as the yellow armadillo, giant anteater, brocket deer, and brown capuchin monkey.

In the afternoon we will take our first driving safari. This will allow us to cover more distance on the farm in search of new animals like the pampas deer, crab-eating fox, white-lipped and collared peccari, South American Coati, Jabiru Stork,

Rufescent Tiger Heron, Whistling Heron, various species of ducks, pantanal caiman, and more. In the left corner the emblematic bird of Pantanal the largest stork in the Wolrd the Jabiru Stork.

Dinner will be followed by a night driving safari in search of nocturnal animals and chances are good that we’ll spot lesser anteaters, giant anteaters, owls, nightjars, pantanal caimans, ocelots and even tapirs.

Day 3 – SOUTHERN PANTANAL - BONITO

After breakfast we’ll take our first boat ride along the Aquidauana river, which is one of the most important rivers in Pantanal and is full of wildlife. Common sightings along the river include the giant otter, black-and-gold howler monkey, Brown capuchin monkey, Toco Toucan, Neotropical Cormorant, Striated Heron, Chesnut-capped Foliage-gleaner, and the Band-tailed Manakin.

The southern Pantanal harbours the largest population of the biggest macaws in the World the Hyacinth Macaw-

The southern Pantanal harbours the largest population of the biggest macaws in the World the Hyacinth Macaw

After lunch we’ll bid farewell to the first Ecolodge and head to Bonito. Our four-hour drive will take us across the Bodoquena mountain range, which forms the southern border of the Pantanal. The city of Bonito is located near the Bodoquena National Park, which encompasses 70,000 hectares of pristine wilderness.

We will stay in a lodge that is top choice for nature lovers as it is set in the gallery forest next to the Formoso River. You’ll have a chance to explore the grounds before enjoying dinner at the hotel.

Day 4 – BONITO

This day’s adventures take us to Buraco das Araras (Sinkhole of the Macaws). This is an enormous dolina, located on private land, which is home to 40 pairs of Red-and-Green Macaws who make their nests in the sandstone walls of the crater. Two platforms located at the edges of the hole allow visitors a unique opportunity to see the macaws flying below, and make for some great shots!.

It is considering on of the biggest dolina in the world and every year over 40 Red-and-Green Macaws pairs breeding in the captivities of the sand stones.

In addition to the macaws, the area is home to other bird species such as the Reach-fronted Parakeet, Toco Toucan, Rufous Hornero, Yellow-faced Parrot, several species of hummingbirds and many more. We will enjoy lunch and a break at Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata, followed by snorkeling in crystal- clear rivers full of fish and aquatic plants that form life-sized natural aquariums. As you float down the rivers you get face-to-face with the many native fish.

We’ll end our day with dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 – BONITO, CAMPO GRANDE, NORTHERN PANTANAL

After breakfast we’ll head back to Campo Grande, where we’ll take a one-hour flight to the Northern Pantanal in Mato Grosso. Our journey will include a stretch of the Transpantaneira Highway, the most famous road in the Pantanal.

It depends the time you visit the Transpantaneira road you can see this spectacle.

Day 6 – NORTHERN PANTANAL

Before breakfast we will take a nature walk through the island’s forests and fields, where there are many opportunities to see wildlife. Heading back to the lodge we have our breakfast and then we will spend most of the morning in the surroundings exploring the area full of amazing birds. Our main goal would be Greater Rheas, Hyacinth Macaws and Chestnut-bellied Guans.

In the afternoon we’ll take a ride to the “magic pond”. It is a small body of water in front of a beatifull Cerrado type of forest. Arriving there we will seat and wait for the wildlife comes out to drink water. It is an amazing place to sight a lot of animal and our aim is to sight the largest mammal in the southamerica the Lowland Tapir. After dinner we have our night drive to search for nocturnal animals.

In the twilight at the “magic pond” and two Tapirs came out to drink some water in the hot and dry sunset.

Day 7 – TRANSPANTANEIRA ROAD, THE JAGUAR KINGDOM

We will do another early morning and enjoy the wildlife around visiting the Caiman´s bridge and other areas. After lunch we must be packed once we have a long journey to cover the entire Transpantaneira Highway, traversing all 150km of the most famous road in the Pantanal to see the unique characteristics of the Northern Pantanal. We may do some stops at Campo Jofre, a beautiful watery open area which attracts many types of wildlife.

Day 8 – THE JAGUAR KINGDOM

After an early breakfast we will board a boat on the Cuiabá River. Like the other 120 rivers in the Pantanal, the Cuiabá River feeds into the Paraguay River, which is is the most important river in the largest wetland in the world. We will visit the jaguars’ favorite spots during the best time of the year for jaguar sightings. From the moment you step on the boat, you’ll have a chance of glimpsing the most elusive cat in Americas!!

After lunch and a break at the hotel we’ll continue to look for jaguars by boat while keeping an eye out for other frequently-spotted animals such as Giant Otters, Tapirs, Black Skimmers and many other water birds.

Day 9 – THE JAGUAR KINGDOM

This is our last full day to look for jaguars along the Cuiabá River, all the while enjoying the wildlife of this special part of the northern Pantanal. Keep your eyes open as every day brings surprises in this amazing wetland-

Day 10 – THE JAGUAR KINGDOM TO NORTHERN PANTANAL

Wake up early for a pre-breakfast visit to a lagoon full of Giant Water Lilies where we’ll watch the sunrise from the boardwalk. After breakfast drive back along the Transpantaneira Highway about 100 kilometers to a very special ecolodge, arriving in time for lunch.

Besides extraordinary wildlife we can enjoy the marvelous flora of the Pantanal – Giant water Lilies.

In the afternoon we will take a boat tour on the small river, a rich place for wildlife including one of most stunning herons in Brazil - the colorful Agami Heron. We’ll also hope to see Black-collared Hawks, Amazon Kingfishers, Cocoi Herons, and other water species. This is also a great place to look for giant river otters and tapirs.

The small streams are perfect habitat for Giant Otters families when we can see them quite often.

Dinner and accommodations will be provided by the lodge.

Day 11 – NORTHERN PANTANAL

We still have time to enjoy one more sunrise at Pantanal befor breakfast. After it we will do check out and return to Cuiabá International Airport .

What is included?

10 nights in double rooms at 6 different lodges
1 days accompanied by a bilingual (English/Portuguese) naturalist/guide
All park entrance fees
Private transportation to and from Campo Grande and Cuiaba International Airport and between the lodges.
All meals

What is not included?

International airfares
Domestic airfares
Laundry, internet access, miscellaneous expenses, beverages including alcohol are not included
Any vaccinations
Tourist visas
Travel insurance
Tips

Tour extensions suggestions

Southern Amazon
Caraça (Atlantic Forest)