Itinerary

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Aug 5th  – Arrival to Cuiaba, Brazil, transfer to hotel Prime DeVille.  Most flights arrive in the evening.

 

Aug 6th – Morning departure for the Pantanal.  Photography along the Transpantaneira Road followed by arrival at Piuval Lodge.  We spend the full day photographing at Pousada Piuval.  This excellent lodge has a great variety of habitats  which support a wide variety of birds and mammals.  Savannah Hawks, Red-legged Seriemas, Hyacinth Macaws, Snail Kite and Buff-necked Ibis are just a few of the birds we will likely photograph.  Piuval Lodge

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Aug 7th – We spend the full day at Piuval Lodge which is also excellent for mammals including Crab-eating Foxes which have had their den right under the lodge the past couple of years.  In the late afternoon we can search for the elusive Giant Anteater and photograph a lot of great birds.   Piuval Lodge

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Aug 8th – Morning photography at Piuval Lodge followed by transfer to boat hotel and first Jaguar safari. The boat hotel puts you in the best position to stay in Jaguar territory and get to the areas where they are sighted quickly.  Boat Hotel

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Aug 9th-11th – We will have 3 full days photographing Jaguars, Giant River Otters,  Caiman, Capybaba, Kingfishers and many water birds from small boats.  The area we will be exploring has the highest density of Jaguars of anywhere in the world and August is the best month to see and photograph them.  Accommodation: Boat Hotel

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Aug 12th – One more morning photographing Jaguars and Giant Otters from the boat then we will transfer to our next lodge, Rio Claro.  There are many great birds that hang out around the lodge including Bare-knobbed Curassow and often Blue and Gold Macaw.  Lodge: Rio Claro

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Aug 13th – At this lodge we will take a boat trip on the Rio Claro River.  Here we will be able to get flight shots of  Black-collared Hawks and Great Black Hawks as they are attracted with fish.  Caimans, kingfishers and herons such as the beautiful Cocoi and Rufescent-Tiger Heron can also be photographed on this trip.  After lunch we transfer to our next lodge, Pousa Alegre, which is probably the best lodge in the Pantanal for mammals other than Jaguar and Giant Otter.  It’s very good for both Tapir and Giant Anteater. Lodge: Pousa Alegre

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Aug 14th – We will spend the full day photographing at Pouso Alegre.  In the morning we will focus on the birds with nesting Hyacinth Macaws, fruiting trees which attract Toco Toucan and aracaris and lakes with Sunbittern, Jabirus and many waterbirds.  In the late afternoon we will focus on looking for Tapirs and Anteaters.  Lodge: Pousa Alegre

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Aug 15th – We spend the morning photographing at Pousa Alegre followed by lunch and an afternoon of photograhing along the Transpantaneira on our way back to Cuiaba.  Hotel: Prime DeVille, Cuiaba

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Aug 16th – Transfer to the airport to return home or to the airport for the Atlantic Rainforest extension.

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Atlantic Rainforest Extension

Aug 16th-21st – We will visit 3 lodges on the extension.  The first is at Peruibe on the east coast we visit locations with feeders that attract some rare species including Black-backed Tanager, next we visit Petar where there have been nesting Ornate Hawk Eagles the past couple of years.  Next is the highlight, Toucan’s Trail for 3 nights.  This location attracts up to 4 species of toucans, many beautiful tanagers, hummingbirds, Blond-crested and Yellow-fronted Woodpeckers and a lot of other great birds.  The numbers of birds at the feeders here and how tame they are is amazing.  On the 12th we return to Sao Paulo for evening flights home.  The Atlantic Rainforest is one of the most endemic rich areas on the planet. Cost: $2,950,  $2,450 nonphotographer spouse/companion, $400 single supplement.