A superb trip of Brazil!
Michel and Meike
In October 2022, we travelled with Sapa Pana Travel for the second time, this time on a four-week trip of Brazil. Meike and I had never been there before; for Meike, the Amazon – including the pink dolphins – was number one on her bucket list.
We’d actually planned and booked a wonderful trip of Brazil with Petra and Johan from Sapa Pana Travel. That was until, late last year, we met a Brazilian couple through them in Tulum, Mexico, and told them about the trip we were planning to take through Brazil a year later. They reacted very positively, but did ask us: “Why aren’t you going to the Pantanal? That wetland is so special and there are so many beautiful and unique animals there.” A day later, we sent Johan a message asking if they could add the Pantanal to our itinerary. We flew directly to São Paulo with KLM and continued on to Campo Grande the following morning. Our rental car was already waiting for us there. We drove through beautiful countryside to the Pantanal in about three hours.
PANTANAL
What a beautiful lodge with a huge variety of birds and capybaras – a sort of giant guinea pig. The atmosphere was really lovely because the family running the lodge went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Mum was an excellent cook who served new and special local dishes every afternoon and evening, whilst Dad was a brilliant barbecue specialist. Their son Leo, who spoke excellent English, was our guide. Leo took us on wonderful boat, jeep and horse-riding trips through the Pantanal, the wetland area with its beautiful water lilies. He chattered away about the many animals, such as giant otters, tapirs, capybaras, monkeys, jaguars and the countless birds and butterflies. What a wonderfully relaxing start to our holiday this was.
“ After that, we drove back and then flew to Rio de Janeiro. ”
We’d chosen a hotel right on Copacabana Beach. In the evenings, we’d sip delicious caipirinhas at the rooftop bar and enjoy the view of Rio de Janeiro, where we could also admire the enormous Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado Mountain all lit up.
The next day, we were picked up by our very enthusiastic guide, Alex, who told us loads about Rio de Janeiro. He took us to the 38-metre-high Christ the Redeemer statue and then to Sugarloaf Mountain. Rio de Janeiro is so beautifully situated by the ocean, with lovely mountains and lots of greenery. With Alex, we also visited the city centre, including the famous ‘Escadaria Selaron’ steps, which are covered in tiles from all over the world.
The next day, we went on a bike ride with our Dutch guide, Marco. We cycled with him along various beaches – Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Red Beach – and also visited other parts of Rio de Janeiro. He shared some very interesting background stories and also told us what life is like in the current situation.
In the evening, Alex picked us up again for a ‘night trip’. We started in the Lapa district, where live samba bands were playing, and had a caipirinha in a lovely little square. Then we went to the Beco do Rato (‘the rat’s hole’), a fantastic bar with live samba music and a really cosy atmosphere. Even though we were the only tourists there, we felt very safe and danced along with the locals for over three hours.
PARATY
After a wonderful experience in Rio de Janeiro, we were taken to Paraty the following morning. A colonial harbour town situated between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In the past, gold and diamonds were brought here from Minas Gerais and shipped on to Portugal. A lovely little town with colourful houses, charming shops and lovely bars and restaurants. The next day, we went on a boat trip and had a swim in the lovely water. On our last day, we hired a local guide to tell us even more about this special little town.
UBATUBA
We were then taken to Ubatuba, just under an hour’s drive further along the coast, where the beautiful Pousada Picinguaba was located. An oasis of luxury and tranquillity overlooking a stunning bay. We went on a really lovely kayaking trip there and enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach. On the last day, we ate delicious prawns in the little fishing village. After that, we headed back to Rio de Janeiro and hardly noticed that Lula had been re-elected as Brazil’s new president. Bolsonaro’s supporters were there with flags and banners, but fortunately we were able to carry on as normal.
“ We then flew to the Foz do Iguaçu Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world, situated at the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. ”
The stylish and luxurious (pink) Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas is the only hotel situated within the park itself. This means that, before most tourists enter the park from 9.00 am onwards, as a guest of this hotel you can see the falls even earlier. So that’s exactly what we did: we got up early to experience the sunrise at around 5.30 am by the falls. It was a unique experience to walk the 1.5 km Brazilian trail just the two of us. The ponchos were no luxury at all, as we ended up getting thoroughly soaked at the end of the trail leading to ‘Devil’s Throat’.
Back at our hotel, we had a shower and breakfast. We then went on a spectacular helicopter flight. Although it only lasted 10 minutes, it was a fantastic experience. We then went back to our hotel for lunch and went on a boat trip afterwards. What an adrenaline rush it was to speed towards the waterfalls, which are over 60 metres high, in this speedboat and come out soaking wet.
The following day, our local guide took us to the Argentine side of the falls , where around 80 per cent of the falls are located. There, you can follow three different trails, taking you right over the water and close to the many waterfalls. The fact that we were able to see the falls from all angles over the course of several days was a magnificent experience.
AMAZON
We continued our trip of the Amazon, starting in Manaus, the former ‘Rubber City’, on our way to the Amazon lodge. The stylish Anavilhanas jungle lodge is situated in an area on the Rio Negro, the ‘black river’, which is actually brown in colour, and where, due to a high pH level, there are no mosquitoes. This means there are few birds, but plenty of animals, such as caimans, snakes, frogs, and pink and grey river dolphins. Another remarkable feature is that in this section of the 20-kilometre-wide river – an extension of the Amazon – there are around 400 islands. Islands up to 10 kilometres long and hundreds of metres wide.
We were at the end of the dry season, which meant that these islands all had ‘little beaches’ because the water level is between 5 and 15 metres lower than during the half-yearly rainy season. What a lovely atmosphere there was at the lodge. There were lots of different nationalities who kept bumping into one another in the restaurant, as well as on the various excursions, without this ever compromising your own privacy.
We rounded off this fantastic Amazon adventure by flying back to Manaus in 40 minutes on a ‘hydroplane’ – a seaplane for up to eight people. We flew over the Amazon region and saw the many islands from the air at very low altitude. On arrival in Manaus, you can see the brown-coloured Rio Negro river merging with the grey-coloured Amazon river. What a spectacular finale this was!
“ The next day, we flew from Manaus via Brasília to Salvador, a beautiful colonial city in north-eastern Brazil. ”
Around 2 million slaves were brought here from Africa in the past, and these African influences are still evident in Salvador today. The traditional dress of various women, the drumbeats of many live bands and the African dishes (such as the famous moqueca, a fish stew with onion, tomatoes, peppers and coriander). We stayed in a beautiful colonial hotel right in the middle of Salvador’s liveliest square, in the old town. Two churches – out of no fewer than 270 in Salvador – stood on either side of the square, alongside charming shops, bars and restaurants where live drum bands also played regularly. The next day, we explored Salvador in more detail with a guide. And in the evening, we enjoyed a lively live show opposite our hotel. It was a really lovely addition to our trip, to have seen this part of Brazil as well.
Finally, we flew to Porto Seguro, where the Portuguese first landed and discovered Brazil. We were then taken to Trancoso, a charming coastal town with a style all of its own, to reflect on our colourful and varied trip. Our hotel was Uxua, owned by Wilbert Das, the former Dutch creative director of the fashion brand Diesel. A truly idyllic resort set in a beautiful garden, stylishly furnished. It is situated right next to the Quadrado, the lively and bustling square, with many bars and restaurants featuring live music. The hotel’s beach bar is a 10-minute walk away, past the idyllic little white church, and features lovely lounge sofas as well as fresh snacks and drinks.
Finally, we flew back via São Paulo and can once again look back on a sublime trip, which was, as always, superbly organised by Sapa Pana Travel.
Fancy a trip of Brazil?
Would you like to travel around Brazil independently and are you curious about the options? Then do have a look at the itineraries we’ve put together for inspiration. You can book these trips directly, but we’d also be happy to put together a personalised itinerary based on your wishes and ideas.
Do you have a question? Please feel free to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an email to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We’ll be happy to help.