Brazil

Starting Price:	$11,163.00
Trip Length:	9 days
Includes airfare allowance from Miami (US)

Interests:

Ecotourism/Wildlife

Jaguar

Golden Lion Tamarin

Caiman

Wildlife and Nature Safari

Description Pricing Itinerary Hotels

Let Yampu guide you through Rio and the Pantanal in a unique way featuring wildlife encounters and nature. In Rio, you will visit a wonderful project, a reintroduction farm where the Rare Golden Lion Tamarin are living in the wild in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve and the surrounding private land. This tour is only be marketed in our deluxe package in order to insure a limited few passengers to this special place. In the Pantanal, our wildlife expert has opened a lodge in a remote area of the Pantanal, 3 times the size of New Jerseys. After years of working with the local farmers and fisherman, the lodge is now able to offer rare up close sightings of the Giant Otters, Capybaras, Tapirs, and Jaguars. This is one of the few places in South America where sightings in the wild of the mammals are a certain.
The Pantanal is a combination of flooded savannahs and tropical forests that offer some of finest wildlife viewing opportunities in South America. It is located in the central western region of Brazil and is approximately the size of the UK. The Jaguar Research Center is located in the center of the Meeting-of-the-Waters State Park which is home to between 4,000 and 7,000 Jaguars. 99.5% of visitors have seen a jaguar, and they average 1.8 sightings per day.

There are ten, large African-style elevated tents made of thick canvas for the visitors to stay in. Each tent has hardwood floors, 2 queen beds, 2 stand-up, moveable fans, electricity for 5 h per day, an en suite bathroom with a dry ecotoilet and warm shower, and electrical sockets for charging cameras and computers. Both 110-volt and 220-volt electricity are available at the camp. Our dining room/lounge is an even larger, elevated tent with hardwood flooring and excellent fans. Both the dining room tent and the sleeping tents are nestled in the shade on the wooded banks of the 70-m-wide Three Brothers River. The Jaguar Research Center is the only lodging inside this enormous Jaguar preserve.

This trip can be customized to fit your individual travel dates and any specific requests you may have. Your travel consultant will prepare a customized itinerary for you. We offer the best accommodations in Rio and Sao Paolo. In the Pantanal we offer the best experience for wildlife viewing. The tented camp is not luxury but it is comfortable and pleasant.
This tour includes international airfare from Miami (US), on non-holiday dates. You do not need to fly via Miami; Yampu will fly you the most direct way to your city of destination. Depending on your travel dates and proximity of travel, we will quote you the most economical surcharge from your city or country of origin.

This tour includes airfare allowance from Miami (US), on non-holiday dates. You do not need to fly via Miami; Yampu will fly you the most direct way to your city of destination. Depending on your travel dates and proximity of travel, we will quote you the most economical surcharge from your city or country of origin.

Additional information on this trip:

Days of Week the Trip can Start:
Saturday
Visited Cities:
Rio de Janeiro, Cuiaba, Sao Paulo

Day 1

Saturday Overnight flight to Rio De Janeiro.

Day 2

Sunday Upon arrival transfer to your hotel. Afternoon Private Tour to Corcovado. From any place in the city, the visitor can see the most beautiful postcard of Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer statue in the mountain of Corcovado, located 710 meters above the sea level and inaugurated in 1931. The tour begins in Cosme Velho's neighborhood. The cog train rolls through the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world and up to the statue. Once there, enjoy a panoramic and extraordinary view of Rio, including the Sugar Loaf, the Guanabara Bay, the beaches of Southern Zone and the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. After the visit of the Corcovado, the tour continues to Săo Conrado area with a brief stop at the Pepino beach where you can appreciate hang glidingers overhead.

Day 3

Monday Full Day Visit to the Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Project - Poço das Antas Biological Reserve This tour is for wildlife enthusiasts who want to see the Rare Golden Lion Tamarin. Note: The Park is run by scientists who have worked to save this species, they are not tour attraction experts so the park is rough around the edges and the two hour drive to get there may not be smooth, but the sightings of this wonderful Rare Golden Lion Tamarin is fantastic. You will depart Rio at 7:00am and and return at 5:30pm. There is light hiking on the trails involved. One of the best-known rainforest conservation efforts in Brazil, the Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Project (GLTCP), is a mere two-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro.The Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), a strikingly beautiful squirrel-sized primate, that exists only in the lowland Atlantic Rainforest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, is one of the most endangered primate species on earth.All of the approximately 1000 remaining wild individuals are found in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve and the surrounding private land. We will arrive at apporximetely 9:00am to the reintroduction area, where Golden Lion Tamarins are being reintroduced to their natural habitat, with the supervision and guidance of Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Project technical staff. Tracking through trails in the forest to observe the specimens in reintegration in their natural habitat. After our Hike we will visit to the Environment Educational Center. Then we will go to Bom Retiro Farm for lunch. The place has an informal but warm atmosphere where travelers will have a Brazilian regional meal. Buffet service. Important A percentage of visitors' fee will be hand out to the Golden Lion Tamarin Project. hiking boots, mosquito repellent. Optional Gear Video and/or photo camera(s) & films, penknife, raincoat, small backpack. Note - A contribution to the project is included in the price. Due the research character of this project, booking capacity is very limited. ( Capacity Maximum of 15 travelers.) Program not available on weekend.

Day 4

Tuesday Cuiabá - Pantanal Wildlife Center Transfer to the airport for flight to Cuiaba. Upon arrival, transfer to the Pantanal, driving for about 2 hours to reach the famous Transpantaneira Road. This is one of the best wildlife viewing areas in the world. As you travel along the Transpantaneira, a dirt road that traverses the Pantanal, you will have your first introduction to this incredibly rich area with abundant wildlife. You can admire the flora and fauna along the Transpantaneira, and we will also make several stops on the way take photographs. Arrival at Pantanal Wildlife Center late in the afternoon, check-in and enjoy a nice dinner. The Pantanal Wildlife Center was once called Fazenda Santa Tereza. The "Fazenda" was a traditional cattle ranch. Today, it is an eco-lodge on 3,500 hectares of flooded lands situated at the end of Rio Pixaim River. Here you are deep into the Pantanal where you can take boat safaris on the rivers, see monkeys, many bird species, capybaras, caymans, and giant otters. You can also explore the marked trails through the forest surrounding the Pantanal Wildlife Center. Canopy towers are strategically located at fruiting and flowering trees. Overnight at Pantanal Wildlife Center. Dinner included.

Day 5

Wednesday Pantanal Wildlife Center - Jaguar Research Center After breakfast we will travel south along the Transpantaneira to the Jaguar Research Center. The Tranpantaneira Highway provides some of the best opportunities to see a great variety of birds and wildlife. It is a photo safari in and of itself. We will continue to the very end of this famous road, at km 140, to Porto Jofre. Here we find the 250-m-wide (820-foot-wide) Cuiabá River, which is the border between the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. We will complete the journey to Jaguar Research Center by boating 1-1.5 hours upstream on the Cuiaba River and then to Three Brothers River. The 270,000-acre Meeting of the Waters State Park begins about a third of the way up the river to the Jaguar Research Center. The Jaguar Research Center is in the very heart of this remote, wild park, and is composed of five 12-by-14-foot, walk-in tents made of thick canvas. The roof of the tent reaches more than 8 feet high, allowing even the tallest guests to walk around most of the tent. Each tent also features electric light, an electrical socket for charging cameras and other equipment (both 110 volt and 220 volts available), and a bathroom. Lunch at the Jaguar Research Center. A small, well-equipped house boat is anchored at the Jaguar Research Center and acts as kitchen, dining room, lounge, and electric generator to power the tents, which lie 100 yards away from the riverbank, in open forest on the edge of a large, African-like savannah. There is also a 10-by-10-foot research lab for analyzing recent jaguar photos and jaguar tracks and for relaxing. Overnight at Jaguar Research Center. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 6

Thursday Exploring the Meeting of the Water's State Park The Jaguar Research Center is a tented camp, as no buildings can be erected in the pristine core of the park. It is located on a key piece of riverbank terrain in the center of the park, and that is where we anchor the house boat. In addition to the jaguars, there are two groups of Giant Otters. One group is near the mouth of the Piquiri River and the other near the 330-acre island that lies seven minutes by boat upstream on the Three Brothers River. Overnight at Jaguar Research Center. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 7

Friday Full Day Search for Jaguars by Boat After an early breakfast, we leave the Jaguar Research Center for a full day boat trip to observe the diversity of the animals in the region. We will watch for jaguars, tapirs, anteaters, giant otters, birds and other animals common to this region. We'll use small motor-boats to explore narrow and wild rivers in the core of this huge park. Recent guest have seen several of these huge predators, during the day, many of them at very close range for extended periods. Return to the Center at the end of the afternoon in time for dinner. Overnight at Jaguar Research Center. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 8

Saturday Transfer to Cuiabá for flight After breakfast 1 hour boat and 2 hours (non-stop) drive back to Pantanal Wildlife Center for lunch. After lunch drive 1.5 hours along the Transpantaneira back to the town of Poconé and then 1.15 hours on asphalt to Cuiabá. Breakfast and lunch included. Flight to Sao Paolo. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Day 9

Sunday Morning of leisure in Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo has great museums, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Afternoon, transfer to the airport to take the flight back home. Note: hotel check-out is at 12 p.m. Late check-out may be granted same day, subject to availability.

Suggested Hotels by City and Category *

Rio de Janeiro
3-star	South American, Copa Sul or similar.
4-star	Golden Tulip Regente, Porto Bay Rio Internacional, Astoria Palace, Royal Rio Palace or similar.
5-star	Sofitel, Pestana, Ipanema Plaza or similar.
Boutique	Relais & Chateaux Santa Teresa
Deluxe	Copacabana Palace, Fasano Hotel, Caesar Park or similar.
Cuiaba
4-star	Deville Cuiaba Deluxe room or similar
5-star	Deville Cuiaba Executive Suite or similar
Sao Paulo
3-star	Quality Faria Lima or similar.
4-star	Best Western, Regent Park Suite Hotel, or similar.
5-star	Porto Bay L Hotel or similar.
Deluxe	Fasano or similar.

* Subject to confirmation at time of booking

Occupancy Type	Deluxe
Double	$11163
Single	$13612

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