Home | Tours | Trip Reports | News | Team | Calendar | Links | Contact | Store | Mailing List
PANTANALWILDLIFE SAFARI!
August 6 - 15, 2023
Spectacular birds & mammals
in one of the world’s greatest wetlands,
the Pantanal,
in the heart of Brazil!
Plus:
Jardim da Amazônia
extension
August 15 - 19, 2023
Contact [email protected] to
reserve
your
space!
Trip
Cost> Registration
Form(pdf)> Tour
Registration,
Terms,
Cancellation
Policies>
The
vast Brazilian Pantanal
is one of the greatest
wetlands anywhere on
earth, where the incredible
number of water birds
has to be seen to be
believed. Reminiscent
of an African safari
but in South America,
the Pantanal has been
one of our most popular
tours, and rightly so.
This is an easy and
relaxed tour with excellent
opportunities to see
the wealth of wildlife
on offer at fairly close
range. Situated close
to the border with Bolivia,
the Pantanal astounds
everyone who visits
by its sheer size (around
55,000 square miles!)
and openness.
From the Transpantaneira highway, you can watch huge Jabiru wading in the shallow marshes, families of Southern Screamers, Sunbitterns and more storks, herons, ibis and water birds than it is possible to count. Parrots and macaws brighten the tree tops, while the truly spectacular Hyacinth Macaw, the largest parrot in the world is simply stunning and very easy to get close to allowing excellent photographic possibilities.
One of the many highlights of this tour will be our search for the magnificent Jaguar. One of our three special boat trips will go in search of this elusive species and lets hope we continue our run of luck seeing this huge predator. We also have chances to see Giant Anteater, Capybara, Brazilian Tapir, Giant River Otter and with luck an Anaconda or the rare Maned Wolf.
To complement the sprawling landscape of the Pantanal we will spend some of our time in Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park taking in its dry scrub, huge waterfalls, cerrado, and riverine forest, and its own selection of very special birds including hummingbirds, manakins, antbirds, motmots, tinamous and tanagers.
In addition, we are offering a very special extension to the fabulous Jardim da Amazônia a tropical lodge that supports a whole range of species not possible on our main tour and this is also the only place in the world to see the newly discovered Cone-billed Tanager.
Here are just a few of the fabulous possibilities on this tour:
|
|
Trip Cost> Registration Form> Go here for past trip reports>
PANTANAL - MAIN TOUR ITINERARY:
Day
1: Arrive Cuiabá, transfer to Chapada dos Guimaraes
Plan
on arriving today at Marechal
Rondon International Airport
in Cuiabá (Airport
code: CGB) where the group will meet. In th afternoon, we will make our way toward
the dry Chapada dos Guimaraes
for a three night stay. (D)
Day
2: Cuiabá to
Chapada
dos Guimaraes
Here, in the dry Chapada dos Guimaraes, the
high
plains of central Brazil
abruptly come to an end,
with the habitat changing
to reveal red rocky outcrops,
canyons, riverine and
cerrado forest with ferns,
orchids and bromeliads.
This stunning area offers
excellent birding amidst
spectacular scenery. A
whole new range of bird
species await us among
the dry Chapada habitat.
Red-winged Tinamou, Channel-billed
Toucan, King Vulture,
American Swallow-tailed
Kite, Crested Black-Tyrant,
Peach-fronted and White-eyed
Parakeets, Curl-crested
Jay, Red-and-Green Macaw,
Blue-headed Parrot, Biscutate
and Greater Dusky Swifts, Horned
Sungem (Photo:
Diego Calderon),
Dot-eared Coquette, Cinnamon-throated
Hermit, Fork-tailed Woodnymph,
Blue-crowned Motmot, the endemic
Rufous-winged Antshrike, Chapadas
Flycatcher, Plain-crested
Elaenia, Southern Scrub Flycatcher,
White-eared and Spot-backed
Puffbird, Large-billed Antwren,
Planalto Slaty Antshrike,
Masked Tityra, Band-tailed
and Helmeted Manakins, White-bellied
Warbler, Campo Flicker, Thick-billed
Euphonia, Guira, Black-faced,
Grey-headed, White-banded,
Cinnamon, White-rumped and
Swallow Tanagers, Stripe-tailed
Yellow Finch, Coal-crested
Finches, Collared Crescentchest
and possibly the mighty Crowned
Eagle are among the a host
of species available. We
have even been lucky enough
to see the elegant and rare
Maned Wolf here! (B,L,D)
Day
3:
Chapada dos Guimaraes
Today, we
explore this fabulous
area and look for such
species as Ornate Hawk-Eagle,
Laughing Falcon, Rufous-bellied
Thrush, Green-barred
Woodpecker, Masked Tityra,
Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch,
Rusty-backed Spinetail,
White-backed Fire-Eye
and the fantastic Horned
Sungem. Pheasant Cuckoos
are also in the area
but are incredibly difficult
to see so we would need
luck on our side to
actually see one. Beside
a wonderful waterfall
we can see Biscutate
and Great Sooty Swifts
as well as White-eared
Puffbird, Blue-shouldered
Macaw and with luck
the elusive Blue Finch.
Another great area holds
the rare Yellow-faced
Parrot, plus Chapada
Flycatcher, Swallow-wing
and both Least Nighthawk
and Little Nightjar
towards dusk. This is
also a super place to
see Red-legged
Seriema. A patch of
woodland offers us the
chance to see Band-tailed and
Fiery-capped Manakins as
well as White-backed
Fire-eye, Channel-billed
Toucan and Amazonian
Motmot. (B,L,D)
Day
4: Chapada
dos Guimaraes to
Piuval Lodge
This
morning after breakfast
we begin our journey
toward Pocone and the
start of the Transpantaneira
Highway which traverses
the northern Pantanal. Even before we reach the entrance gate to the Pantanal, we will likely see Greater Rheas in the open fields. As
we move south through Pocone to the first part of the 120 km long Transpantaneira, we should get our first taste of this truly magical area passing patches of natural forest surrounded by dry floodplain and savannas. Along the way, we will keep a look out for Red-legged Seriema plus Buff-necked Ibis, Plumbeous Ibis, the huge Jabiru, Golden-collared Macaws, Long-tailed Ground-Dove and Guira Cuckoos. 
As
we progress further
into the Pantanal,
patches of scrubby
forest and surrounding
area should offer
Great Rufous Woodcreeper,
Rufous Cachalote,
Chaco Chachalaca, Chestnut-eared Aracaris,
White Woodpecker,
Masked Gnatcatcher,
Black-fronted Nunbird,
Planalto and Mato Grosso
Antshrikes, Yellow-billed
and Red-crested Cardinals
plus a host of other
species. The many roadside
ponds hold numerous
Yacare Caiman and we
can search for smart
looking Capped and
Whistling Herons and
possibly our first Southern Screamers.
Our first lodge along
the Transpantaneira
is Pousa Alegre, famed
for its birds around
the rooms as well
as the chance to look
for Brazilian Tapir
and even Giant Anteater
or the rarely seen
Giant Armadillo. In
the afternoon, we'll
explore the area and
the wealth of birds
here. We
also have opportunities
to see many species
of dragonfly and
butterfly. (B,L,D)
Day
5: Piuval to Rio Claro 
This
morning we will bird around
Piuval looking for
Bare-faced Ibis, Fawn-breasted
Wren, Greater Thornbird,
Amazonian Motmot, Rufous-tailed
Jacamar, Striped Cuckoo,
Lesser Seed-Finch, White-tailed
Goldenthroat, Crested Oropendola,
Black-collared Hawk, Fuscous
Flycatcher and Green-barred
Woodpecker, Band-tailed
Antbird, Little Woodpecker,
Rusty-collared Seedeater,
Masked Gnatcatcher, Large
Elaenia, Wattled Jacana,
Maguari Stork, Capped Heron,
White-wedged Piculet, Yellow-billed
Cardinal, and Red-pileated
Finch. Then we will move a short distance to our next lodge, Rio Claro. On the way in, we'll stop along the entrance road to look for Whistling Heron, Sunbittern and Red-billed Scythebill. When
we reach the lodge, the
bird feeders around our
rooms may have Nanday
and Blue-crowned Parakeets.
The small ponds and wet
areas are a great place
to see the wonderful Sunbittern and
this evening we have
an opportunity to do an
evening boat trip along
the Rio Claro River which
can offer such delights
at Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher
and if we are lucky,
Zigzag Heron. (B,L,D)
Day
6: Rio
Claro to Hotel Mato Grosso
This
morning we will bird areas
of the highest bird diversity
in the region. Birds are
literally everywhere, and
by covering various forest
types and swamps we may
find Toco Toucan,
Rufescent Tiger-Heron,
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture,
Aplomado and Bat Falcons,
Pearl and Snail Kites,
Crane and Black-collared
Hawks, Sungrebe, Buff-necked
and Green Ibises, Undulated
Tinamou, Brazilian Teal,
Capped and Cocoi Herons,
Sunbittern, the endemic
Chestnut-bellied Guan,
Blue-throated Piping Guan,
Bare-faced Curassow, Toco
Toucan, Red-and-Green
Macaw,
Peach-fronted, Yellow-chevroned
and Monk Parakeets, Turquoise-fronted
Amazon, Chestnut-eared
Aracari, Pale-crested
Woodpecker, Red-billed
Scythebill, Great Rufous
Woodcreeper, White Monjita,
Gilded Hummingbird, Buff-bellied
Hermit, Glittering-throated
Emerald, Rufous-tailed
Jacamar, Pale-legged Hornero,
Yellow-chinned Spinetail,
Chalk-browed Mockingbird,
Black-capped Donacobius,
Yellowish Pipit, Flavescent
Warbler, Silver-beaked
Tanager, Blue-crowned
Trogon,
Solitary Black Cacique,
Thrush-like Wren, White-headed
Marsh-Tyrant, Purplish
Jay, Yellow-billed Cardinal,
Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher,
Unicolored
and Scarlet-headed Blackbirds
among the many, many other
possibilities. (B,L,D)
Day
7: Pixiam River – Porte
Jofre
Dawn
is shattered by the
territorial calls of
Chaco Chachalacas,
the haunting cries of
Southern Screamers,
and the distinctive
calls of Buff-necked
Ibis. First thing,
we will take a fabulous
early morning boat
ride onto the quiet
waters of the Pixiam
River. Here, along
weedy river edges and
floating vegetation,
we can hope to get
close and personal with
many wonderful species.
Sunbitterns
are often absurdly
approachable, Agami
Herons incredibly shy
and the Sungrebe is
always a challenge
to spot. Our tranquil
time spent on the river
should produce other
excellent species such
as Blue-throated Piping
Guan, Bare-faced Curassow,
Chestnut-bellied Guan,
Boat-billed Heron,
Pale-legged Hornero,
huge Jabiru, Grey-cowled
Wood-Rail, American
Pygmy Kingfisher, Green
Ibis, Black-collared
Hawk, Blue-crowned
Trogon, Cocoi Heron,
Roseate Spoonbill and
a few other creatures
such as Caiman, Capybara,
Black-and-gold Howler
Monkeys and if were
lucky the superb Giant
River Otter. Returning
for a late breakfast
we will then search
some of the nearby
forests and open wetland
habitat for a multitude
of species such as
Whistling Heron, Plumbeous
Ibis, Long-tailed Ground-Dove,
Campo Oriole, Greater
Thornbird, Rufous Cacholote,
Rufous-tailed Jacamar,
Mato Grosso Antbird,
Ashy-headed Greenlet,
Dull-capped Attila,
Forest Elaenia, Pale-crested
and Golden-green Woodpeckers,
Campo Flicker, Rusty-backed
Spinetail and the gorgeous Helmeted Manakin.
Later
on, we will then continue
our journey along the Transpantaneira through the heart of the Pantanal, with plenty of opportunities to appreciate and enjoy one of the greatest avian spectacles anywhere in the world, as an amazing abundance of water birds, including a wide variety of ibis, storks, herons and egrets compete for our attention. We can expect extremely close views as many species feeding next to the road, allowing superb photographic opportunities. Eventually we will arrive at the end of this road and our lodge where we spend the next 2 nights. Hopefully, we will have enough daylight to look around the grounds of this lovely lodge situated on the shores of the Cuiabá River. Night Porte Jofre. (B,L,D)
Day
8: Porte Jofre
Our
well positioned base allows
us ample opportunities
to find some of the areas
best birds, including the
world’s
largest parrot, the fantastic
and noisy Hyacinth Macaw
which is often in the
palm
trees just outside our
rooms. This is sure to
be a memorable experience
and one of the major highlights
of the tour, as we watch
these spectacular birds
feeding and flying to
and from their roosting
trees. T
he
main focus of today will
be to embark on a boat
trip onto the Cuiabá
River
where our primary target
species is the magnificent Jaguar,
and absolutely awesome
predator that is on
many
enthusiasts most
wanted list. In the
heat
of the day these animals
come down to the river
banks to rest in the
cool breeze that comes
off the water’s
surface. Other times
of day, we may see
Jaguars
swimming in the river,
hunting Caiman
along the shore or
walking
the sand bars of the
river. The success
rate
of seeing Jaguars
here has improved enormously
over the last few years
as the locals guides
knowledge on how to
find them has also
improved.
We stand a very good
chance of seeing this
big cat, but no guarantees
as it is nature and
not a zoo! There will
be plenty of avian
distractions
as we search for Jaguars
and we can expect species
such as Large-billed
and Yellow-billed Terns,
Black Skimmer, Rufescent
Tiger-Heron and Wattled
Jacana. We could also
come across Giant
River Otters.
In the evening we may
make use of spotlights
to search for a variety
of nocturnal wildlife.
With luck we could find
Tapir, Giant Anteater,
Crab-eating Racoon,
Margay or Ocelot, as
well as both Nacunda
and Band-tailed Nighthawks.
Night Porte Jofre. (B,L,D)
Day
9: Porto Jofre to Pousa Alegre
This
morning we may spend time
catching up with any species
in the area that we may
have missed before driving
back along the Transpantaneira
towards and yet another
fabulous lodge. As we
leave those fabulous Hyacinth
Macaws behind us, we will
once again find that photo
opportunities abound and
we could add species such
as Pied Lapwing, Azure
Gallinule, Collared Plover,
Pectoral Sandpiper and
more. We'll
traverse the Transpantaneira
to Pousada Alegre where Red-legged Seriema is
a specialty. On arrival we'll explore the area to make the most of our time here. (B,
L, D)
Day
10: Cuiabá,
end of tour, or continue to Jardum
After
breakfast we will leave the
chapada and
drive back toward Cuiabá in
time
to get to Cuiabá Airport
for your international departures.
We would advise that we should
get to the airport between
noon and 1 PM so please do
not arrange
any international flights
to leave Cuiabá before
the
earliest 3:30 PM. (B)
EXTENSION
to Jardim da Amazônia
Day 10
/
1: Cuiabá – Jardim da Amazônia
For
those going on our fabulous
extension to the tropical lodge
of Jardim da Amazônia,participants
will continue to Jardim da Amazonia. Check-in is 3 PM so we hope to have some time explore the surroundings of our base before settling into our rooms for the next 3 nights. (D)
Day
2 & 3: Jardim
da Amazônia
We
have two full days to
explore this wonderful
area where many species
not available on the
regular Pantanal trip
can be seen. This superb
jungle lodge is the
only place in the world
you can see the critically
endangered Cone-billed Tanager (Photo: Eduardo Patrial) a species only rediscovered in 2003 after being lost for 100 years, and we will be making a special effort to try and find this rarely seen species. Today we will bird the area. We'll likely see the
common Brown
Jacamar (Photo:
Gina Nichol), our first Kingfishers
and perhaps a troupe of Gray's
Monk Saki Monkeys as well as
the local Capybaras on the lodge
grounds. At
sunset, we'll go out to the
entrance road of the lodge and
watch the Blue-and-yellow Macaws
come in to their palm tree roosts
for the night.
There are plenty of other superb birds in this area and we have lots of time to search a variety of habitats in search of a good variety. Among the Mauritia palms that abound around the lodge we will look for specialties like Point-tailed Palmcreeper and Sulphury Flycatcher, while Bare-necked Fruitcrows and a host of tanagers and flycatcher should entertain us. Nearby trails and a boat trip will have us searching for such avian delights as Razor-billed Currasow, Natterer’s Slaty Antshrike, Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Red-necked Aracari, Gould’s Toucanet, Rose-breasted Chat, Pink-throated Becard and a host of parrot species including the spectacular Blue-and-yellow Macaw, plus Red-bellied, Blue-winged and Red-shouldered Macaws. There are many superb smaller birds to look for including Tooth-billed Wren, Glossy Antshrike, Black-girdled Barbet, Spotted Puffbird, Flame-crested, Fiery-capped, Red-headed and Snow-capped Manakins, and many more species. With pools and a clear river nearby, if it gets too hot there will be a chance to relax midday. Nights Jardim de Amazônia (B,L,D)
Day 4: Jardim de Amazônia– Cuiabá
Today after some morning birding, we will make our way back to Cuiabá.
(B,L,D)
Day
5: Departures from Cuiabá
End of tour. Departures can be any time today.
(B)
Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!
 BRAZIL'S AMAZING PANTANALAugust 6 - 15, 2023 REGISTRATION FORM (pdf)> Jardim Extension, August 15 - 19, 2023 Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!
Once
the tour is confirmed
to go
ahead, we will send
you information
about booking your
flights.
**Please note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount. Cancellations
and
Refunds:
TRIP
INSURANCE:
There are many trip insurers. Here are two options to consider:
PLEASE NOTE:
|
