Brazil the perfect honeymoon destination

Recently married, Joanna & Steven from the UK, treated themselves with an unforgettable honeymoon to Brazil. They fully enjoyed their time visiting Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu falls, Pantanal, Salvador and the beach extension to the gorgeous beaches of Morro de Sao Paulo.

"Steven and I just wanted to say a big thank you for arranging our honeymoon schedule for us. We had a simply amazing time in Brazil - we loved everything we saw and everyone we met was so friendly.

 

If we ever can we will be back one day!

 

Thanks again"

Some impressions:

24 hours in Rio de Janeiro

Footprint Travel Guides provide independent information for travellers and as you may know, BRAZIL NATURE TOURS - BNT is featured and recommended in their Brazil guidebook.

They have recently created a digital guide to help people make the most of their first 24 hours in Rio de Janeiro.

These new guides are free and contains information on visas; climate; currency etc; how best to get around; What to do on your first night; five must-see sights and finally where to go next!

Here is a link to the guide download page;
http://www.footprinttravelguides.com/footprint/free-24-hours-in-pdfs 

Mating jaguars

We have received some unique photos of jaguars mating, taken by our client Kelvin Brown, who travelled with us to the Jaguar Ecological Reserve in the northern Pantanal last October. 

The Pantanal is probably the best place in the world to see jaguars, but to see two together is very unusual, and to see them mating is even more unusual.
Kelvin’s story: "On our holiday to the Brazilian Pantanal, nature treated us to a rare spectacle. During a boat safari down the fast flowing Cuiaba River, our guide Eduardo, owner of the Jaguar Ecological Reserve where we stayed, spotted a beautiful female Jaguar on the riverbank. She was quite active and there seemed to be a lot of growling going on. Then another Jaguar came into view, a male. Eduardo told us these were probably a breeding pair and to our surprise, the female laid down on the bank facing us in full view and the male immediately responded. Our pictures tell the rest of the story. We felt very privileged to have witnessed such a rarity. Nature truly is a wonderful thing, every now and then allowing us to glimpse something really special."

Some picture of this unique scene:

Oncilla kitten at the Embiara Lodge

In recent months the Embiara Lodge has had some good sightings of a female oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus). We are very pleased to announce that this oncilla now has a kitten which is old enough to walk around with her on some of her daytime outings. Below camera trap photo shows the oncilla kitten in the foreground, with her mother ambling along in the background. The photo was taken at 08:30am on the road leading to the lodge's runway.

Source: embiara.com

Feedback Henk & Magda Schagen

Itinerary: Rio de Janeiro, MY Tucano Amazon Cruise & Cristalino Jungle Lodge

We thought we would just like to thank you for all the fantastic arrangements you made for us.

Everything worked like clockwork. There was always somebody at the airports waiting for us to take us to the hotel.

The hotels were just fine. The Golden Tulip in Rio was close to the Copacabana, and we even went for a swim. 

The Tropical hotel in Manaus was really interesting. It is HUGE. I have never seen such long passages! It reminded us a bit of

the hotel in ‘The Shining’ (the scariest film we ever saw). We enjoyed our stay there.

Of course the trip on the Tucano was amazing. The food was great and so was the guide. Only 9 passengers. We also saw pink and grey dolphins.

The stay at the Christalino lodge was excellent as well. We saw a large snake catching and swallowing a large lizard, right next to our bungalow.

The guide and the food was top-class.

So we had a great time.

Thanks again for everything.

Alles van die beste,

Groete,

Henk and Magda

Feedback Judith Densky & Justin Coopersmith

Itinerary: Amazon Ecopark Lodge, Jaguar Ecological Reserve & Araras Eco Lodge

I want to thank you for all the work you did for our trip to Brazil. The program worked pretty much as planned and Justin and I had a fabulous time.He may never duplicate those experiences anywhere again.

 

It was VERY hot on most days even in the dry season and the pools at Amazon Eco Lodge and Araras Lodge were a god send. But despite the heat, we just went out on the trails and on the boats, and horses, and saw the most wonderful array of animals, insects, sea otters and dolphins ( tho no pinks ones on the Negra river), and birds birds birds galore. The Amazon and Pantanel regions were better than I expected and we were lucky enough to see a

 

1- handsome male Jaguar at 3:45 PM on Aug 12 sitting alone on the edge of the Rio San Lorenzo near a shady bush, proudly gazing at us in our small boats watching him with fascinations. We arrived first as Tito spotted him and within 15 minutes the other guides brought their boats behind us to see this glorious animal. He seemed the real lord of the realm in his complete comfort and dominance as the king of the Pantanel. He looked at us with cool disinterest after a nap or a filling meal and shortly later he walked along the rivers edge and then disappeared into the bush.

 

2- giant anteater walking under the wooden foot bridge leading from the Araras Lodge to the 30 meter platform we climbed to see the sunset. As we walked the wooden walkway, Tito, our very excellent guide, heard a rustling and we were in awe as the ant eater came out to the bushes, crossed under the walkway we were on !! (he didn't hear us), and continued fanning his head out to sniff for ants and termites. It all took about 30 seconds but was a memory of a lifetime. We later saw a small ant eater on one of the truck rides. 

 

3- an Anaconda snake of about 3 meters (10 Ft) which was discovered in an old decrepit house an old farmer was occupying right on the TransPantanel Hwy who brought it out of the house and was going to set it loose in the river. Before he did, Justin and I watched the man hold the snake and let Justin touch it and feel it curling around his arm, before he released it. We watched him hold it as it climbed up onto a tree trunk but he pulled it down to remove it from his area. He was pretty relaxed handling it as he has probably found them before.

 

4-sea otters with little pups swimming on the San Lorenzo river and frolicking on the shore as they sunned and rolled over in the sand to scratch themselves

 

5- 3 Timor in the bush viewed during a evening flood lighted truck ride we took to spot animals along the property at the Araras Lodge.

 

6- A Mongoose with a hurt rear right leg who haltingly ran across the front lawn at the Amazon Eco Lodge the last morning at 6:30 AM after Justin missed the boat for the tree top sunrise walk near the monkey preserve where we saw Howler and red faced monkeys the day before.

 

7- Quati families in several places as well as so many Capybaras and Caiman and flocks of Egrets in all the lakes along the highway.

 

8- Lot's of Piranha fish that Justin caught in the first boat ride in the Amazon and later at the dock of the hotel/restaurant we stopped at for lunch at on the way to the Araras Lodge.. Justin caught about 34 fish, mostly Piranhas, until the last one bit his finger while he was throwing it back for releasing. He has a scar for life and a great memory and story to tell his friends. later he fished again on the river at the Araras Lodge the day we trucked over to their local river nd used a Brazilian fiberglass canoe which Justin and Tito paddled for 1 and 1/2 hours till our barbecue lunch was ready. We saw a tribe of marmoset monkeys in the trees above the cooking area who came down to get our leftovers, he fished again a the small pond near our loge with one of the guides and later with Tito as night fell. He couldn't stop fishing!! best catch he ever got.

 

We never saw a pink dolphins. But did see gray ones on the River Negra as we took the boat back along it to Manaus from Amazon Eco lodge to see the meeting of the rivers Amazon and Negra just beyond Manaus..

 

All in all it was one of the most memorable trips ever.

 

Thanks you and we hope to revisit the region again sometime

 

Best Regards,

 

Judy Densky

Feedback Mary Schaefer & Ernst John Schaefer

Itinerary: South Pantanal - Fazenda Baia das Pedras

we are safely back at home and I just want to tell you that the trip to the Pantanal was quite spectacular! We had a great time, saw so many things and learned a great deal. Rita is unbelievable, her knowledge of her fazenda and the wildlife and her enthusiasm! Rafael was a great guide, very solicitous and fun to be with. Food at the fazenda was wonderful, accommodations were very comfortable and all in all, both my husband and I were thrilled that we went. Many thanks for setting it all up for us and many thanks as well for your amazing efficiency and speedy communication around all my questions! We will certainly recommend you should we have any friends who are looking for a BNT-type trip. Thanks. Mary