Wildlife & Nature

01

Rio de Janeiro

Day 1–3

2 nights

No city introduces Brazil like Rio. One of the country's two international gateways, and the only metropolis on Earth wrapped around a rainforest, its granite peaks rising straight out of the Atlantic. Two nights ease you into the country and put you face to face with the Atlantic Forest before you've even left the city limits.

1. Day 1

   Welcome to the Cidade Maravilhosa

   Your guide meets you at Rio's international airport and brings you to your hotel by the beach. Depending on your arrival time, the rest of the day is yours. A first caipirinha on Copacabana, toes in the sand, jet lag melting into the sunset.

   • Private transfer
   • Arrival day
2. Day 2

   Tijuca, rainforest inside the city

   With your private guide you spend the day in Tijuca National Park, the world's largest urban rainforest and a living piece of the Atlantic Forest. Trails wind past waterfalls and viewpoints while capuchin monkeys, toucans and coatis move through the canopy: a first, gentle immersion into wild Brazil.

   • Private guide
   • Atlantic Forest
3. Day 3

   Corcovado, Sugarloaf & flight to the falls

   In the morning the cog train climbs through the forest up Corcovado to Christ the Redeemer; in the afternoon the cable car floats you to the top of Sugarloaf, with the whole bay at your feet. In the evening, a short flight carries you south-west to Foz do Iguaçu.

   • Corcovado
   • Sugarloaf
   • Evening flight

02

Foz do Iguaçu

Day 4–5

2 nights

275 waterfalls thunder over a nearly three-kilometre cliff where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. You'll stand on both sides: the sweeping Brazilian panorama and the Argentine walkways that lead right over the Devil's Throat. Each day with your private guide. He will pick you up at your Hotel and after the day-trips get you back there.

1. Day 4

   The Brazilian side, the grand panorama

   The Brazilian trail is the postcard: a walkway along the gorge with the full sweep of the falls in view, ending on the platform where the spray of the Devil's Throat hangs in the air. Coatis and great dusky swifts keep you company; your guide knows when the light is best.

   • Brazilian side
   • Private guide
2. Day 5

   The Argentine side & on to Mato Grosso

   With your guide you cross the border for the Argentine park, where walkways lead through the forest to the very lip of the Devil's Throat, the falls no longer in front of you but all around you. In the evening you fly on to Cuiabá, the gateway to Mato Grosso, where your driver is already waiting.

   • Devil's Throat
   • Evening flight

03

Springs of the Pantanal

Day 6–8

3 nights

North of Cuiabá, the little-visited Serra das Araras rises at the ecological crossroads of the Amazon, the Pantanal and the Brazilian highlands: one of the most biodiverse corners of the country. Three days take you snorkeling through crystal-clear spring rivers, to hidden waterfalls in primary forest, and into an officially recognized indigenous reserve on the Rio Paraguai.

1. Day 6

   Nobres, snorkeling the crystal rivers

   After a night in Cuiabá, your guide picks you up for the two-hour drive to Nobres. Here you drift down spring-fed rivers so clear it feels like floating through an aquarium, shoals of fish beneath you in the gallery forest. At dusk, dozens of macaws return to their roosts over Lagoa das Araras: an unforgettable spectacle. Dinner and overnight at Pousada Reino Encantado.

   • Snorkeling
   • Lagoa das Araras
2. Day 7

   Deeper into the Serra das Araras

   After breakfast the journey leads deeper into the mountains, with a regional lunch on the way. In the afternoon, a short hike through primary forest ends at a hidden waterfall. A paradisiacal spot for a swim in crystal-clear water, with a second cascade nearby if time allows. In the evening, a homemade dinner awaits at Pousada Curupira, in the heart of the Serra.

   • Waterfall hike
   • Primary forest
3. Day 8

   A day with the indigenous Umutina

   The cultural highlight: a respectful visit to an officially recognized indigenous reserve on the Rio Paraguai, home of the Balatiponé-Umutina. You experience traditional dances and festival dress, hear the community's myths and stories, try your hand at archery or take a small boat out on the river, and share a traditional lunch of regional ingredients. Late afternoon return to Cuiabá and evening flight to Manaus.

   • Indigenous culture
   • Rio Paraguai
   • Evening flight

04

Manaus & the Amazon

Day 9–12

4 nights · Manaus + jungle lodge

The grand finale. From Manaus you travel by boat and road to a comfortable lodge about 70 kilometres southeast of the city, deep in the rainforest on Lake Mamori: exclusive bungalows, daily excursions with an experienced guide, and the forest's soundtrack all night long. The Amazon at a relaxed pace, far from the urban bustle.

1. Day 9

   Meeting of the Waters & into the forest

   Around 8 am your English-speaking guide collects you in Manaus. By speedboat you pass the Meeting of the Waters, where the dark Rio Negro and the sandy Rio Solimões flow side by side, with luck, river dolphins surface alongside. Via fruit market, minibus and the Araçá and Mamori rivers, past giant Vitória Régia water lilies, you reach the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon: your first motorized-canoe outing on Lake Mamori: capuchin monkeys, sloths, iguanas.

   • Meeting of the Waters
   • First canoe safari
2. Day 10

   Sunrise, jungle survival & caimans by night

   At 5:30 the sunrise tour catches the Amazon's birdlife waking over the water. After breakfast, a guided jungle hike: survival techniques, medicinal plants, and what the forest offers to eat. After dark, the spotlight goes on: a night river expedition in search of the glowing eyes of caimans.

   • Sunrise tour
   • Night safari
3. Day 11

   Life on the river, communities & cassava

   A morning with a family on the riverbank: the customs, cooking and everyday life of the river dwellers, plus a visit to a cassava and rubber plantation, the staples of Amazonian life. The afternoon is yours: canoe, swim, explore further with your guide, or simply enjoy the pool and a drink at the lodge bar as the forest sings.

   • River community
   • Free afternoon
4. Day 12 · Finale

   Farewell to the rainforest

   A last morning walk to the sounds of the forest birds, a final breakfast full of Amazonian flavors, then, depending on your departure time, the return to Manaus in the morning or after lunch. Your transfer brings you to the airport for the journey home, or onward: Many guests extend their stay to spend a few more days relaxing on the beaches of Bahia or Rio. Rio is a particularly good option for avoiding the extra costs of an open-jaw flight. Just ask us.

   • Return to Manaus
   • Departure