Wild Brazil

Arrival in Rio, reception and transfer to the 3* Copacabana Rio Hotel.

After breakfast, a half day visit to the Tijuca forest, a luxuriant tropical forest only minutes away from this huge metropolis of Rio. Return to your hotel.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Iguazu. Reception and transfer to the 4* Hotel Carima.

Full day excursion to the fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Iguazu falls, the most voluminous falls in the world and more than three times the width of the Niagara falls. The falls lie on the three borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The tour will include a "Macuco Safari" an exhilarating boat ride on the Parana river, heading towards the Iguazu falls themselves. Return to your hotel.

Today, we will cross the border and enter Argentina for a closer view of these magnificent falls. Set in a subtropical rain forest reserve of over 180,000 hectares, Iguazu is home to jaguars, pumas, caiman and over 400 species of bird. It also offers a chance of seeing the falls close up. Return to Brazil and your hotel.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Campo Grande. Reception and transfer to the Pantanal Lodge, Caiman Refugio, some 200 Km away. The journey will take around four hours but affords the passengers a fabulous opportunity to see this largely unknown part of Brazil. (*Alternatively, an aircraft shuttle service exists between Campo Grande and a landing strip just next to the lodge).

The Ecological Refuge in the middle of the Pantanal has four comfortable lodges and tewo retreats each with different styles to combine with the landscape. They are strategically constructed for tours in far-off areas and all the lodges have independent infrastructures for meals, tours and bilingual guides. They are equiped for your comfort, with air conditioning, ceiling fan, private bathroom with hot water, living rooms and swimming pool. The tours include several trekking routes into the Pantanal, horseriding, safari in 4X4 vehicles, and canoe tours on the lakes and rivers. Animals seen in the Pantanal include capybara, capuchin and howler monkeys, caiman, anteaters, small wolves, puma, jaguar and anaconda. Amongst the birds that commonly inhabit the area arecommorants, anhingas, skimmers, herons, egrets, toucan, parakeets, blue macaws, ibis and jabiru storks.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Manaus. Trip by boat to the Amazon Eco Lodge, located on the Rio Tarumã - a tributary of the Rio Negro and about an hour from Manaus. Set in the heart of the Amazon Forest, with an uncatalogued amount of wildlife in the surrounding area, which includes rainforest, natural savannahs and creeks. With over 6 miles of jungle trails, there is plenty of opportunity for exploration of the jungle for orchids, giant trees and various wildlife. After dinner, evening tour in search of caiman by canoe boat.

After breakfast, a jungle trek into the rainforest in search of local flora and fauna. After lunch, excursion to see the local Amazonian inhabitants, known as caboclos. Return for free time to explore or enjoy the setting of the lodge.

After breakfast, an excursion to the "meeting of the waters", a natural phenomenon caused by the joining of the Negro River's darker water with the muddy water of the Solimoes River. For over six kilometers, the rivers run side by side, without mixing. This happens due to the difference between their temperature, density and also, the speed of their currents: Negro River runs at about 2 km/h at a temperature of 22 C, while Solimões River runs at 4 to 6 km/h with a temperature of 28 C. Chance for some piranha fishing before returning to the lodge.

After breakfast, a visit to the "monkey jungle" before returning to Manaus for a panoramic city tour of Manaus heading for the airport and your return flight back to Rio de Janeiro