Arrival in Cuiaba, Brazil
Transfer from the airport to your hotel.
Overnight at Gran Odara Hotel; breakfast included; lunch and dinner on your own
Day 1, October 08
Day 2, October 09
Transpantaneira Highway, Pousada Rio Claro
After breakfast, we start to make our way into the Pantanal via the Transpantaneira Highway, the main artery through the Pantanal floodplain. We will drive for a few hours via the town of Pocone and will be able to photograph along the way. We may see yacare caimans, capybara and the largest stork in the world, the jabiru. We will arrive at our lodge in time for lunch. After we settle into our lodge, we will take an afternoon cruise on the Rio Claro river to look for and photograph wildlife. On occasion jaguar can be spotted here, but we hope to find tapir, caiman and a vast array of bird species.Overnight at Rio Claro (B,L,D and drinks included)Day 2, October 09
Day 3, October 10
Pousada Rio Claro
Today we will take another boat cruise after our morning breakfast. When we return to our lodge, we can wander around the grounds looking for over 350 species of birds. Often times we can see capybara and coatimundi running across the grounds of our lodge. After lunch and our midday rest, we will go out again by boat to look for wildlife. Hopefully, we will spot the shy tapir!!Overnight at Rio Claro (B,L,D and drinks included)Day 4, October 11
Porto Jofre - Jaguars
After breakfast, we will be transferred by our air-conditioned mini van along the Transpantaneira Highway deeper into the heart of the northern Pantanal. On our way we will continue to look for mammals and birds as we journey south toward the Rio Cuiabá. We will settle into our lodge in time for lunch before heading out on our first boat cruise for an afternoon of photography. This evening we hope to find our very first jaguar!(B,L,D and drinks included)Day 4, October 11
Day 5-8, October 12-15
Porto Jofre - Jaguars
Over the next 4 days, we will explore the shores of the Rio Cuiabá and its tributaries by speed boat in search of jaguars, endangered giant river otters, capybaras, old world monkeys and many other mammals. Along the banks of the river, we have the best chances to see jaguars at this time of year as they hunt and move in search of food. During our recent trip here, our guests saw several of these amazing big cats during the day – many of them at close range for extended periods of time. We will stay at a comfortable lodge within jaguar territory. We will have many opportunities to photograph and observe these huge apex predators during our time cruising along this tranquil and beautiful river system.(B,L,D and drinks included)Day 09-10, October 16-17
Pousada Pantanal Mato Grosso
After breakfast this morning, we travel northward through the wetlands stopping to photograph whenever a good opportunity arises. We will arrive at a Pantanal backcountry lodge that offers us exciting photography opportunities. We will have opportunities to photograph during boat cruises, from a viewing tower and a hide during the night.Pantanal Mato Grosso (B,L,D and drinks included)Day 09-10, October 16-17
Day 11, October 18
Cuiaba - International flight home
After breakfast and our last morning to photograph toucans and jabirus storks, we make our way back to Cuiaba and transfer to the airport for our flights home.
End of services
We look forward to seeing you on your next Wild Focus Expedition!
Included
- Accommodations for 10 nights on a double-share/single room basis with private facilities.
- All land transportation from and to Cuiaba
- All boat trips
- National park entry fees
- All meals excluding lunch/dinner on arrival in Cuiaba
- Local English-speaking drivers/guides and two Wild Focus Expeditions leaders
Not Included
- International airfare to Cuiaba
- Any items of personal nature such as telephone calls and laundry in some lodges
- Travel / medical insurance (highly recommended)
- Items of a personal nature including laundry, bar, personal shopping and internet
- Tips/gratuities for drivers, guides and lodge staff
- All drinks except for mineral water on boats
- Any additional expenses incurred as a result of client changing itinerary
The Pantanal is a wildlife lover and photographer’s dream trip. This adventure is all about wildlife viewing and/or photography. Participants should be in good general health. This is an easy trip requiring a minimal level of exertion. Participants should be aware that several days of our itinerary require lengthy journeys along rough roads to reach the areas that are diverse and rich in wildlife. Most of our time will be spent on small but comfortable speed boats searching for jaguars and other wildlife. Temperatures may be high with most days reaching a high of 33ºC (95ºF} while the humidity can make it feel warmer.
There are mosquitos in the Pantanal so bring insect repellent. Malaria is not a risk in this region. Both dengue and malaria can occur on occasion but usually only during the wet season which is between December and March. Wearing neutral colored clothes and wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants provides protection from insect bites. Please keep in mind that mosquitos and most biting insects are attracted to the color blue.
Lodging in the Pantanal is very basic but clean with air-conditioned rooms. The meals are simple – “home cooked” style but good. Tourism in the Pantanal is still in its infancy and has only exploded in the last ten years. If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know on the Trip Registration Form. We can cater to all dietary needs.
For travelers who enjoy natural history, possess a sense of humor, and a true spirit of adventure, this expedition to Brazil will be a highlight of your life for years to come. Seeing a jaguar in the wild is about as exciting as it gets and we promise that this trip will be full of excitement!
Wild Focus Expeditions provides specialized, small group photography tours. Our photography expeditions are designed to get participants into distinctive, engaging locations around the world at the optimum times for photography. Our photo tours are created by our team of photographers who want to experience and photograph the world's top wildlife, nature and traditional cultures locations.