Tour
Brazil – Jaguars and More, 2024
| Starts | Sep 4th 2024 |
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| Ends | Sep 14th 2024 |
| Leader | Steve Gettle & Nicole Sudduth |
| Price | $9,650 |
| Deposit | $1,000 |
| Participants | 8 (Just 1 spot open for a male to share a room with another male) |
The Pantanal is the best place on earth to photograph Jaguars and we will take you into the heart of it! The pure muscle and raw power of these cats will impress you as you see them hunt, swim, and even interact with each other often just yards from us. We timed this trip for the dry season when wildlife is concentrated along the river. Giant River Otters, Hyacinth macaws, Giant Anteaters, Jabiru storks, jacanas, herons, kingfishers and more will also be in our sights. Our group size is limited to just 6 participants for a small group experience.
Logistics
We designed this trip to give you the best, most intimate jaguar experience possible. The lodges we stay at offer not only comfort but also great access to incredible wildlife. On the river, our lodge puts us into the best position to enjoy jaguar sightings and a wild array of bird and other wildlife in that area.
In addition to this, because the Pantanal has such diverse wildlife, we also added two different land-based lodges for bird and other mammal photography. Here we’ll look for Giant Anteaters, Hyacinth maccaws, wetland birds, ocelots, tapirs, crab eating foxes, and more.
This tour gets you into the best situations and best locations to make this once in a lifetime trip a real winner!
Our transportation is customized for our group as well. The Trans Pantanal Highway is a bumpy, dusty road but we have chartered our own private enclosed bus to make the trek comfortable.
On the water, we will be in motor boats, giving each photographer their own row and the ability to not only have space for your gear but also to shoot from either side of the boat.
***If you plan to arrive early, before the start of our tour***
You will need to make your own extra/early arrival lodging and airport transfer arrangements at Hotel Deville or be at Hotel Deville by September 4.
Itinerary
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Travel Day
Tuesday, September 3 – Travel Day
Depart for Cuiaba, Brazil. Most flights require an overnight flight that flies into one of the main cities (Sao Paulo, Brasilia) and connects to a domestic flight in order to fly into Cuiaba.
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Day 1
Wednesday, September 4 – Arrive in Cuiaba, Brazil
Arrive in Cuiaba, Brazil. Transfer to Hotel Deville.
***If you plan to arrive early, before the start of our tour***
You will need to make your own extra/early arrival lodging and airport transfer arrangements at Hotel Deville or be at Hotel Deville by September 4. -
Days 2 and 3
Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6 – First steps into the Pantanal
We will transfer via a closed, air-conditioned vehicle into the Pantanal. We will spend our first two days at a special lodge known for its bird life as well as the possibility for Giant Anteaters and Crab-eating foxes!! This lodge is also known as one of the best places for Hyacinth Macaws! The habitat here is a mix of pasture, wetlands, forest islands and scrub, giving us a wide variety of species to stalk and photograph. Often seen here are Blue-fronted parrots, Southern screamers, Savannah Hawks, Red-legged Seriemas, Snail Kite, Great-Rufous Woodcreeper, Long-tailed Ground dove, Buff-necked Ibis and more.
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Day 4
Saturday, September 7 – To the River!
This morning we will traverse the Trans Pantanal Highway to our lodge along the river. After settling in and having lunch, we will have our first river safari in search of jaguars and more!
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Days 5 thru 8
Sunday, September 8 through Wednesday, September 11 – River Safaris! Jaguars, Giant River Otters, Birds and more!
Each day, we will have both morning and afternoon boat rides to find and photograph jaguars, caiman, capybara, and an array of exotic birds and other wildlife that call the Pantanal home. Giant River otters are often seen in this area and will be another species that we will work to photograph.
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Day 9
Thursday, September 12 – Back inland for birds and more
This morning, we will transfer via enclosed vehicle to our last lodge where Toco Toucan, Jabaru Stork, and other great birds are found. We will have the rest of the day to photograph birds and other wildlife around the lodge and enjoy a boat ride in the Paxaim River to photograph kingfishers and other species fishing this river. Once the sun sets, we will check the blinds for Ocelots and Tapirs.
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Day 10
Friday, September 13 – Kingfishers, Jaribu Storks, Parrots, Ocelots and more
Today we will enjoy all that our last lodge, located on the Paxim River, has to offer. We will take a small boat to photograph agame herons, sunbitterns, sungrebes and scores of other beautiful birds and experience as many as five different species of Kingfishers as they dive into the water and hunt for fish. Mammals are also prevalent at this lodge with capybaras, marsh deer, three species of monkeys, Brazilian tapirs and even ocelots coming to the property. We will visit night blinds once again to try to photograph ocelots and tapirs that come close to the lodge.
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Day 11
Saturday, September 14 – Travel day
Transfer to Cuiaba for flights home. Please make sure your flight out of Cuiaba does not depart before 2:00pm.
Please note you will actually arrive home on September 15th
Booking
Deposit of $1000 due with registration
Payment #2 of $4,650 due January 15, 2024
Final Payment of $4,000 due June 1, 2024
* Pricing based on double occupancy
*** Single supplement (if available) add $1365
* Please inquire about potential non-photographer spouse/partner discount
Included
– All lodging while in Brazil
– All meals while at the lodges
– All ground transportation
– All boat safaris
– Comprehensive Pre-trip Booklet that includes all the photo gear and other packing information for the trip as well as all other pertinent details to help you make the most of this adventure
– Air travel to and from Cuiaba, Brazil
– First night’s meal in Cuiaba since everyone arrives at different times
– Gratuities
– Travel Insurance
– Any alcoholic beverages