From Jaguars to Waterfalls
The story of Bart and Antonia
We had a very pleasant experience working with Petra whilst putting together our comprehensive, personalised and tailor-made trip through Brazil, lasting almost four weeks. Her knowledge of Brazil – including the options available, the best places to visit and the best times to travel, accommodation, and above all her attention to our wishes – made all the difference to us.
We spent the first part of the trip (travelling by rental car from Campo Grande) in Bonito (Rio de Prata: snorkelling in a crystal-clear river teeming with fish; Buraco das Araras: a sinkhole home to a huge number of red macaws), the Pantanal and Iguazu.
The Pantanal (southern section) was brilliant. We stayed for four days at the Refugio Ecologico Caiman, where we went on seven game drives with a very experienced guide. Here we saw, amongst other things, a number of jaguars, an ocelot, giant anteaters, caimans, tapirs, capybaras and lots of beautiful birds. This lodge is of a very high standard; I’d highly recommend it.
Iguazu is overwhelming; for us, the waterfalls surpass Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe/Zambia. The Belmond hotel is very exclusive – not cheap, but the service and facilities are superb. Incidentally, it’s the only hotel in the park, so we were able to admire the waterfalls at 7.00 in the morning with virtually no one else around. It was definitely worth it! Afterwards, we spent a day with an excellent guide on the Argentine side, where you walk right in the midst of the waterfalls.
We took a domestic flight to São Paulo and from there began the second part of our journey, driving a rental car to the Atlantic Rainforest on the coast. Here, we visited places including Piciguaba (a small fishing village with a Caribbean vibe) and Paraty (a colonial town surrounded by many green islands with beautiful beaches). Here, you can go on lovely boat trips during the day and enjoy the many restaurants and bars in the evening.
Our final stop was Rio de Janeiro, where we first stayed in the beautiful, lively and centrally located artistic neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. Here, accompanied by our guide, we visited many highlights over two days (Lagoa de Tijuca is highly recommended, and perhaps less well known). We finished up at Copacabana, to relax and unwind during our final few days. Everything was perfectly organised! A WhatsApp group involving all the organisations involved was very handy; any issues were addressed and resolved very quickly. We’ll definitely be booking with Sapa Pana again for our next trip to Brazil or elsewhere in South America!
Would you like to go on a self-guided trip of Brazil or another country in Latin America, and are you curious about the possibilities? Then do take a look at the itineraries we’ve put together for inspiration. You can book these tours 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.