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| Pantanal and Bonito |
| original encounter of much enchantment. |
| Duration: 7 day(s) / 6 night(s) |
| We Prepare Your Dream Trip Tailor-Made All Over Brazil |
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Pantanal
The Pantanal has the greatest concentration of fauna in the Americas.
In the center of the South American continent, south of the Amazon basin and east of the Andes, lies an immense landlocked river delta where annual floodwaters regularly rise several meters and then recede. For the abundant and diverse plants and animals living there, the flood pulse in normal and life giving. The Pantanal is one of our planet's most spectacular wetland systems.
The Pantanal of South America is one of the most immense, pristine and biologically rich environments on the planet. Often referred to as the world’s largest freshwater wetland system, it extends through millions of hectares of central-western Brazil, eastern Bolivia and eastern Paraguay. With its extraordinarily concentrated and diverse flora and fauna, and a landscape spanning a variety of ecological sub-regions, the Pantanal stands as one of the world’s great natural wonders.
This area is an unparalleled wildlife sanctuary of spectacular beauty, an ecological paradise containing hundreds of species of birds, thousands of varieties of butterflies, myriads of brightly colored flowers, and shoals of fish. Capuchin and Howler monkeys, capybaras, toucans, anacondas, caimans and tapirs help create an aquatic and sylvan theater of sights and sounds. The endangered jaguar, and increasingly rare Hyacinthine macaws and giant river otters, all make their home in the Pantanal.
Bonito
Bonito, a small town of Serra da Bodoquena, is in the middle of a region which is being discovered as the Caribe of the Centro-Oeste, due to the unbelievable blue color of its rivers and springs. Owing to the enormous quantity of limestone on the ground, the water of these rivers pass trough a real natural filter where impurities are deposited at the bottom of the river bed and the result is the absolute transparence of the water. The region stands out due to the conscious exploration of tourism and developed an infra-structure which receives and directs the tourists, at the same time as it cares for the preservation of every visited site, maintaining its greatest riches, the environment.
The local guides also function as real inspectors of Nature. Bonito is a region rich in caverns and waterfalls and presents countless attractions for travelers of all tastes and ages, outstanding Gruta do Lago Azul and diving into the transparent water of the region's river. Gruta do Lago Azul is a calcareous formation, greenish due to the deposit of vegetation sediments and its Lago Azul (Blue Lake) is 100m. below the ground (to maintain preservation of the site no swimming in the lake is allowed). However, diving in the Acquario Natural (Natural Aquarium) is fundamental, and is done among enormous aquatic plants and shoals of coloured fish. Another trip which cannot be lost is the descent of Rio Olho de Agua until its end, on Rio da Prata, in an extraordinary dive in crystalline water brimming with fish. Rafting on Rio Formosa provides a touch of adventure to the trip and the opportunity to appreciate the vegetation and the fauna on the river banks: a meeting with monkeys, toucans and macaws. Bonito is like that: an example of integration and conviviality with Nature. |
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| Detailed programs |
1st day: Campo Grande - Pantanal
Arrival at Campo Grande, reception at the airport and leaving for the Pantanal. Arrival, snack and presentation of our Farm. We take a stroll to observe the sunset in the Pantanal; dinner and information about next days activities.
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2nd day: Pantanal
After breakfast we take a boat looking for wild animals as well as for different features of the local landscape. This is the best way to get to know the Aquidauana River and the beauty and exuberance of its gallery forest. It is the natural habitat of birds, mammals and reptiles that lie out on river banks or simply hear the songs of the birds. This tour takes about 02 hours, and it is necessary to use a life jacket (provided by the lodge).
After lunch horseback riding to get to know various aspects of the Pantanal landscape. All the tours in the lodge go through unique areas, but the horseback tour is one of the main attractions of the lodge, because it’s the best way to know the Pantanal. Riding in its open pastures with patches of stunted vegetation, lakes, lowlands, and pond outlets, you can see a rich variety of flora and exuberant fauna, typically of a region that is well protected. The horses are calm and well trained and even a person that has never ridden before can make this tour. There are different trails, with long and short routes, that you can go on during the dry or the rain season, always with experience of local guides.
After dinner walking in the neighborhood, to focus the caimans and to observe the stars. This is an activity that is done in a 4X4 vehicle or in a boat, to observe the night animals like anteaters, foxes, capybaras and caimans. Also to hear the sounds of frogs and insects at night and to see the beautiful sky of the Pantanal.
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3rd day: Pantanal
After breakfast it's time to do the Piranha Fishing. The piranha fishing is made in a bay of Aquidauana River, that it is located near the lodge. The piranha is mainly used to prepare a typical dish of the region, piranha soup. It is also good way to see the caimans who watch the fishers to steal their piranhas.
After lunch we leave again either to take a walk or horseback riding; Trekking is done in dense bush, open fields and gallery forest. It’s in this tour that you will have a better contact with the flora and fauna of the region learning about their function and importance in Pantanal ecosystem. It is a good opportunity to see the animals more closely. There are different routes that you can go on that take between 1h30 to 03h.
Option: During the morning or afternoon, Cattle Handling; you can accompany the cowboys in their work routine with the cattle. Move the cattle to other parts of the farm (cattle drive), take care of the calves or see the cowboys working at the corral. It is also a good opportunity to learn a little bit more about the culture and habits of the people from Pantanal.
Dinner.
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4th day: Pantanal - Bonito
Breakfast; right after, let's do a Photographic Safari. The photo safari is done in a 4x4 open vehicle. This tour gives the opportunity to cover more territory of the farm going through different landscapes like cerrado (patches of stunted vegetation), open grasslands, “vazantes” (low-lying areas that are often seasonally flooded), “brejos” (swamps) and bays which are permanently flooded areas. It is also a perfect tour to see and observe the wild life of the Pantanal.
Right after lunch we leave for Bonito. Arrival and check-in at the hotel.
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5th day: Grotto of the "Lago Azul" - Boating on the Formoso River
ight in the morning we visit "Lago Azul" grotto with its beautiful lake. In the afternoon we leave for the Formoso river, where - during a trajectory of a few kilometers - we will explore, while rafting, its course and its waterfalls. On the shores of the river we will watch monkeys, toucans and macaws. There, immediately below the boat, a shoal of fishes - swimming in the limpid water - is escorting us. At the end of the trajectory we arrive at Padre Island; return to the hotel.
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6th day: Rio da Prata
We walk along a trail in a primary forest, among centennial perobas, "angicos", pepper trees, chestnut trees and others. The local rivers invite us to dive from the spring-heads of the Olho D'Agua river until its bar at the Rio da Prata river, always accompanied by shoal of fishes. We have our lunch right there and return towards evening.
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7th day: Bonito - Campo Grande
After breakfast, departure for Campo Grande.
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| We suggest to take with you |
A small rucksack, walking boots or anti-skidding tennis, bathing suit, canteen, rain-coat (anorak), a small towel, insect repellent, shorts, headgear, sun-filter, sunglasses and a camera.
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| Comments |
| *Fazenda Rio Negro: Additional fee for air transfer.
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| Comments |
| * All kinds of ecotourism activities depend on adequate weather conditions and accessibility. So, the above mentioned program is subject to modification, if the conditions could endanger the security or the comfort of the travellers.
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| Copyright © 2010 FreeWay Adventures. All rights reserved. |
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Rua Capitão Cavalcanti, 322 - 04017-000 - São Paulo - SP - Brasil - Tel: 55 11 5088-0999
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Contact 
Detailed programs
