Sept 07/Sept 25: The tour host will meet you in São Paulo Int’l Airport for the flight to Campo Grande, departing at 09:15. Arrival at 10:05 local time and car transfer on spacious van to Cabanas Hotel (5 hrs). Lunch at a restaurant on the way. Free afternoon to wind down from the trip, exploring the easy forest trails of our lodge, looking for birds like Blue-crowned Trogon and Amazonian Motmot, some mammals are around too like Capuchin Monkey and Azara’s Agouti. Evening presentation of the trip. [Incl.: lunch, dinner]

Sept 08 to 09/ Sept 26 to 27: These two days will be devoted to getting the best possible shots of macaws in flight at a huge natural sinkhole where dozens of Red-and-green Macaws (plus the odd Blue-and-yellow Macaws) nest and roost. At this private nature reserve there are two conveniently placed wooden terraces installed at the edge of the sinkhole, ideal spots for our photography as the macaws fly below us and at eye level. Expect dozens of great opportunities a day for flight shots. The habitat surrounding the sinkhole is good for birds such as Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Plush-crested Jays, among others. We stop for a great lunch and a siesta at a neighbour fazenda. This region is also very good for Giant Anteaters and we will look for them as well in the late afternoons. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 10/Sept 28: After breakfast and some quick photos around the lodge we drive to the town of Aquidauana (4 hrs) to catch the chartered flight to Fazenda Barranco Alto, about 30 minutes away into the heart of South Pantanal. This and the other flight on this itinerary is done with small twin engine airplanes due to airstrip size limitations. This is a wonderful exclusive little lodge with an immense area inland for our explorations with 4×4 vehicles or by boat on the river, which is pretty much a private river, as its mouth is blocked to other boats by an intricate maze of wetlands and small canals. Jaguar sightings here are increasingly more common, and there are also many opportunities for birds and varied wildlife. Afternoon photographing here. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 11 to 12/Sept 29 to 30: Two full days at Barranco Alto. Daily activities include safari drives, short walks and boat rides, always focused on producing the best photos. The landscape here is among the most beautiful of the Pantanal, with hundreds of lagoons, forests and native grasslands. Wildlife often encountered here include Giant Anteater, Tapir, varied deer species, lots of parrots and macaws, Giant and Neotropical Otters, Caimans, Crab-eating Fox and even Jaguar and probably the best chances for Puma in Brazil. The habitats here are surprisingly different than at North Pantanal, with some notable differences in avifauna too. At this time of the year the water levels will be dry, exposing sandbars where different birds breed and forming small channels with big concentrations of Caimans hunting small fish. Many drying lakes inland will also have a big concentration of migrating aquatic birds. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 13/Oct 01: Morning photography and before lunch flight to Porto Jofre region (1:20 hr), crossing the Pantanal to its northern part. We will fly directly to the air strip of our hotel (Porto Jofre Hotel). The hotel is considered the best in the region, with excellent structure and equipments. The same is true for our smaller boat used for the river cruises, very spacious and comfortable, equipped with modern 4-stroke engine and radio. Afternoon looking for Jaguars and other wildlife along the myriad of rivers and canals of this region. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 14 to 18/Oct 02 to 06: Five full days of boat outings for Jaguar and much more. Expect a lot of different Jaguar sightings (average 3 per day or more), plus Giant Otters, Capybaras, Tapir and lots of birds. We usually return to the hotel for lunch, unless there is a lot of action going on during the middle of the day, which we then can choose to stay the whole day out and carry a packed lunch. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 19/Oct 07: After breakfast car transfer to Araras Ecolodge, at the middle of the Transpantaneira (3 hrs), stopping along the way for photos. This is an excellent lodge with a 25m tall modern observation tower standing above the surrounding forest, where we get different angles to photograph birds, monkeys and landscape. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 20/Oct 08: Full day at Araras where we will explore its property, full of varied wildlife around which will result in great photos. Our van and driver will be with us here so we can use it to explore different parts of the property. [Incl.: brkfst., lunch, dinner]

Sept 21/Oct 09: We will leave the lodge after breakfast for Cuiabá (2 hrs), and fly back to São Paulo Int’l at 12:15, arriving at 15:25. Check our optional Atlantic Rainforest extension as well for incredible bird photography in a completely different environment. [Incl.: brkfst.]

HOTEL CABANAS

Located near the town of Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul State, this lodge, like all others in the region, receives mostly brazilian tourists who come to Bonito for its world class freshwater snorkeling and other water activities. We come here for the incredible opportunities to photograph the Red-and-green Macaws though. This lodge is located about 30 minutes by car from the private reserve with the natural sinkhole where they nest.

The property of the lodge is quite big and includes a few well-kept forest trails and two clear water rivers crossing it. Birds and animals like monkeys and agoutis can be seen around the lodge area.

Rooms are on stilts, cabin-like, comfortable and private. Dinner is ordered a la carte.

BARRANCO ALTO LODGE

This is a very exclusive little lodge located in a remote area of South Pantanal, accessible during most of the year only by airplane. The property, a very traditional fazenda, is immense and allows us the opportunity to explore its vast interior with a 4×4 open vehicle. The fazenda has hundreds of natural lagoons, a unique geological formation of this area of the Pantanal, known by the strange name of Nhecolandia. These lagoons, interspersed with forests and pockets of native grasslands, are a magnet for wildlife, including mammals coming to drink or migrating birds feeding at the shores of the lagoons.

Rooms are mostly located at the original fazenda main house, converted into very comfortable guest rooms.

The boats used here are more simple than at Porto Jofre, because the river here dictates that. The river is much smaller and shallower, so we must use a smaller boat to access different areas. While you can’t shoot standing up here, it’s stable enough to comfortably shoot while seating down and get close to wildlife. Here we use two boats, dividing in groups of three guests each.

Food is delicious with a touch of fine cuisine here and there. It is served at a buffet with a variety that should suit your tastes. Natural juices with fruits of the season are served with every meal.

HOTEL PORTO JOFRE

The best hotel on the Porto Jofre region, located on the edges of the Cuiabá River and with their own air strip. The hotel is ample, with very good, large rooms and common areas. Food is excellent and with many options.

The boat where we go out on river cuises is large and spacious, very stable. It is equipped with modern and fast 4-stroke engine and radio to communicate wth other boats on the river. The boat drivers are very competent at positioning the boat for photos and excellent Jaguar spotters.

ARARAS ECOLODGE

Probably the best lodge in North Pantanal, with very good, comfortable rooms. Food is excellent. The property is quite large, with several trails passing through a variety of habitats plus a renewed, great observation tower standing 25 meters high, above the forest canopy, providing us opportunity to shoot birds from a different angle. Marshes next to the lodge attract a number of birds and mammals.

TRILHA DOS TUCANOS LODGE (OPTIONAL ATLANTIC RAINFOREST EXTENSION)

A simple small family-run lodge fully devoted to bird photography and birdwatching. This is the most simple accommodation during our tour. The rooms are basic but clean. Food is home-made and excellent. The hospitality of the owners make the place special, not to mention the incredible bird feeders, of course.

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This trip requires a 20% confirmation deposit, payment is made through wire transfer or credit card (7% fee for credit card). Instructions will be sent after registration.