Northern Pantanal Iconic Wildlife - Small Escorted Group Safari September 2027. ONE ROOM REMAINING

Day notes

Arrive into Sao Paulo and transfer to the Hampton by Hilton, close to the airport.

Day notes

Connecting from Sao Paulo, we arrive at Cuiaba airport to meet our guide.  Lunch will be en route as we drive to our first lodge. 

Driving to our first lodge will take around 4.5 hours.  The first 2.5 hours on a paved road and then on for another 2 hours on unpaved roads.  We will stop along the way to photograph the wildlife with stunning bird species such as Hyacinth Macaws, Red-and-Green Macaws, Parakeets, Burrowing Owls, Red-Legged Seriema, Greater Rhea.... With luck we may spot the Six-banded Armadillo.  Keep an eye on the trees for Capuchin Monkeys and Marmoset.

Settle into Hotel Baiazinha, which will be our home for our first 3 nights in the Pantanal.  On the banks of the Paraguay River and close to the Taiama Ecological Reserve, its location makes this a fantastic base for us to explore the peaceful waterways for jaguar and other wildlife.  

After an early morning breakfast, we will set out on a speedboat safari in the Paraguay River, exploring a large area situated around the lodge, searching for Caiman, Capybara, Giant River and Neotropical Otter amongst other wildlife.  Jaguars are present here, but with so few people in this area, they tend to be shy and can be harder to spot compared with the Meeting of the Waters State Park.  Birding is fantastic here and we will see a great variety from the boat, including the Jabiru Stork, the tallest flying bird of the Americas.

Breaking for lunch at the lodge, we will go back out on the boat in the afternoon until sunset.

The next day, we will be back out on the boat to explore the Taiama Reserve.  This will be a full day safari, so we'll take a packed lunch with us and find a place to stop, eat and view the surroundings. The Taiama Reserve is a large river island of 11,000 hectares and has a variety of aquatic environments from grass fields, riparian forests (woodland adjacent to water), streams and lagoons; all influenced by the seasonality of the Paraguay River.  This is an "off the beaten track" location, and we can enjoy the wonderful landscape in tranquillity.

A night drive is included.  We may see Owls, Greater Potoo, Common Pauraque (nightjar) and, with luck, Tapir.  With even more luck, Ocelot.

Day notes

Today we have a change of scenery from the river as we drive to the Pantanal of Poconé, where we will have lunch at a local churrascaria (BBQ) restaurant.

From there, onto the famous Transpantaneira Highway.  It’s less of a “highway” in the conventional sense and more a long dirt road, stretching about 147 km from the town of Poconé to Porto Jofre. We will cross over 120 bridges (originally wooden, some are still the original, and some have been replaced) 

The real magic of the Transpantaneira is the wildlife. Because the road cuts through the Pantanal’s seasonal wetlands, there are ponds and roadside pools, even in the heat of the dry season, that attract a range of species, often visible right from our car.  Whenever we see something interesting, we will jump out to take a look.  Expect to see large numbers of Yacare Caiman, basking on the banks, or floating in the ponds, alongside Capybara grazing or wallowing. Marsh Deer are sometimes seen feeding near the water. There will be countless birds... several species of Hawks, Ibis, Kites, Herons, Egrets....

Once we have settled into our rooms at Pouso Alegre Lodge, we will head out on foot for a walk or use the lodge car to explore the area in the afternoon and at dusk.  We'll be looking out for a variety of birds and mammals, and as it gets dark, we'll try to spot Crab-eating Fox, Giant Anteater, Tapir and Ocelot.  The rarely-seen Ocelots are mainly nocturnal, and the last hour of daylight is the best chance we have, but this is one of the best places to see Tapir.

Day notes

If you wish, get up early this morning for a walk and to see the sunrise.  Along the road there are ponds full of caiman and capybara. We may see the South American Coati and Crab-eating Fox.  On occasion, we have spotted Southern Tamandua (Lesser Anteater) in the woods.

The lodge has feeders that attract a great variety of birds, so we can drink a coffee, take some photographs and head into the restaurant for breakfast. We should see smaller birds such as Cardinals and Tanagers, and larger birds like the Bare-faced Curassow and Chaco Chacalaca.  If lucky, a Toco Toucan or Chestnut-eared Aracari may visit the feeders.

After breakfast, we set off on our drive down to Porto Jofre.  This is a 3-hour drive but with plenty of opportunities to stop along the way as and when we spot wildlife.  We'll have lunch at a lodge en route.

On arrival at Porto Jofre, we will board a speedboat to take us to our base in the heart of the world's prime jaguar territory.  The journey to the Transpantanal Flotel takes about 20 minutes.

Our floating hotel is simple and comfortable, with 24-hour electricity and air-conditioning. En-suite bathrooms are small but have plenty of hot and cold water for showers.

Our time here will give us the best chance of wild jaguar sightings.  We will take morning and afternoon boat safaris each day, exploring different rivers and side channels.  Jaguar sightings can be anything from a brief encounter to several hours, as the jaguars here are accustomed to people.  If we are lucky, we will get the chance to spend a prolonged period viewing.  From the moment we leave on our speedboat to the moment we return to the houseboat, keep your eyes peeled on the banks and the edges of the river.

The Cuiaba River is also great for Giant River Otter sightings.  Watching a family group in the water, swimming or fishing, or on the banks would undoubtedly be a trip highlight.

As well as Jaguars, there is the possibility of seeing other mammals.  Tapir, Tayra (uncommon but possible), Brocket and Marsh Deer.  Of course, there will be no shortage of the two main prey species of the Jaguars - Yacare Caiman (estimates are that up to 20 million live here!) and Capybara.  Our excellent birding opportunities will continue.

Day notes

We leave our floating hotel this morning after breakfast.

We will stop overnight at Rio Claro Lodge, a rustic lodge located beside the Rio Claro, which provides some good birding in the grounds.

An afternoon boat cruise looking for Great Black Hawk, Black Coloured Hawk and there is the possibility we might catch a glimpse of Brazilian Tapir on the riverbanks.

Day notes

This morning we have an early breakfast at 06:00 and drive to Pousada Piuval, a lodge at the top of the Transpantaneira Highway, where we will spend the morning

At 08:00 on arrival, we will take a safari drive to explore the grounds.  This is a good place for the Giant Anteater and Southern Tamandua.

After lunch, we drive for a couple of hours to reach Cuiaba and the airport to fly back to Sao Paulo.

Note: Depending on domestic and international flight times, we may need a night either in Cuiaba or Sao Paulo.

Day notes

Morning flight to Sao Paulo to connect with international flights.