Wildlife Trails Brazil wildlife holidays cover 4 distinct bispheres in this huge and wildlife diverse South American country. We take our clients to the largest wetland in the world, the Pantanal, in search of Wild Jaguars, Giant river otters and Giant Anteaters. We also visit the high cerrado located further north and look for Giant Anteaters and Maned Wolf in national parks like Canastra. There remain two key rainforest habitats in Brazil, the vast Amazon forest which needs wildlife visitors, scientists and activists more than ever and the ever shrinking Atlantic rainforest, home to endangered primates like Wooly spider monkeys and Golden Lion Tamarins.
Any research on the internet will show you that the northern Pantanal has become a real hotspot for viewing Jaguars, but it is important to know which areas are likely to be productive and to travel with a guide who knows the area intimately and is well connected – that is where Wildlife Trails come in; with our many years of experience in this area. There are several different types of major habitats accessed by using the Transpantaneira road and you will have quality time in two of them. In particular, the Cuiaba River (and its tributaries) where approximately 90% of the jaguar sightings take place during boat safaris. You cannot visit this area for just one day and expect to see Jaguars and all our Brazil jaguar safaris include at least 4 full days on the river.
For your Pantanal jaguar safari we explore different types of major habitats accessed by using the Transpantaneira road and you will have quality time in two of them. In particular, the Cuiaba... Read More
There are several different types of major habitats accessed by using the Transpantaneira road and you will have quality time in two of them. In particular, the Cuiaba River (and its tributaries)... Read More
As more and more exciting Jaguar photos 'flooded' the internet it was inevitable that locations like the Cuiaba river would start to attract large numbers of wildlife enthusiasts and we... Read More
This really is the ultimate Jaguar safari in Brazil, as we take you to two famous Brazilian rivers, each with a high density of wild jaguars. Less people visit the Paraguay river and... Read More
We travelled through the Pantanal in Brazil. Our guide was fantastic. He met us at our hotel and accompanied us throughout. Transportation (4x4) with a driver was very comfortable, particularly as...was mainly mud roads! The first few days we spent at Pousada Alegre, Bird sightings were great, but also fox, monkey and tapir to name but a few. Majority of our trip was spent looking for Jaguar o the river. And we definitely were lucky! We had some amazing sightings, including a number of mum and cubs.
Allan's organisation of the trip was spot on. Everything worked like clockwork and the guide he chose spoke perfect English and went out of his way to ensure that we were always in the best places / positions to photograph the wildlife. We have used Allan on on several wildlife trips in the past and this one was up to his usual high standards. Allan takes the time to get to know you, your preferences and understand exactly what you wish to do / see and works with you to achieve the type of holiday you wish. Thanks again Allan - looking forward to Tanzania in February!
By Isabell and Steve
Saturday March 4, 2017
A Pantanal Adventure
We re-visited the Pantanal having enjoyed a previous trip so much. This time, with Eduardo as our guide, it was truly an adventure. His enthusiasm and excitement about all of the wildlife is so...ectious. We had some fabulous sightings of jaguar, some totally exclusive to us. Eduardo is equally keen on all that the Pantanal has to offer & energetically pursues experiences for his guests to share. He & I had the most amazing encounter with a giant anteater with a baby on her back. His excitement for this was palpable & it greatly enhanced my experience. We also had some very special daytime tapir viewings and this is entirely due to his observations of their behaviour and the likely directions they may take. So for this and the giant anteater sighting, the viewing was extended by his ability to predict what might happen next. Even staying at his lodge (JER) was a continuation of wildlife experiences as he actively seeks to find all the creatures that he can. Plus I found his lodge delightfully quirky & fun. Eduardo took great & very personal care of us & he was a joy to be with & very knowledgeable.
Allan & Kirsty Blanchard make Wildlife Trails perfect for our needs. They have got to know us over time and the experience of working in partnership with them to plan our trips means that our holidays come to life through the planning process. So by the time we set off we can feel confident that our trip will be exactly what we want. Thanks for doing such a grand job.
By Avril and Brian
Friday September 23, 2016
An excellent wildlife holiday
We are so delighted that this interesting combination of the Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimarães and the southern Amazon worked out so well. It was a real pleasure organising this bespoke...zilian wildlife tour for you and we hope you have a treasure chest of memories.
Wildlife Trails arrangements worked very well
By Scott
Wednesday January 13, 2016
Tremenous Pantanal and Iguacu experience with Wildlife Trails
Spent 2 weeks in October in the Southern and Northern Pantanal, and amongst numerous other encounters with a range of animals, got to spend time with Giant anteaters, Tapirs, Jaguars, Capuchin and...ler monkeys, and of course the King of the Pantanal, the magnificent capybara! To spend time close to a wild animal, who knows you are there, but continues to act entirely naturally, remains one of the best experiences you can have. Magical. Thanks to Allan and Kirsty at Wildlife Trails for their patience while customising our trip, all connections and transfers were perfect, and our guides Stefan and Tito were great. The 4 days we enjoyed at Iguacu falls were the perfect end to the trip.
We have been working with Wildlife Trails for nearly 12 years, since we first went to India and have never been disappointed. Everything is individually customised from the itinerary to choice of lodges/hotels, and all at very reasonable cost. Highly recommended.
By Del and Sheila
Wednesday November 18, 2015
Brazil. Pantanal plus City visits.
Three of us had a three week holiday with included visits to Salvador, Rio, Iguasu Falls and Ilhe Grande, fitted in around 13 days in the Pantanal and Cristalino Lodge. We flew, via Lisbon, into...vador for a three night stay after the trans-Atlantic flight. Three internal flights took us to Alta Floresta for Cristalino River Lodge. The "wildlife" section of the holiday really exceeded our expectations, the Cristalino river was a great place, not only for mammals, but especially for birds. From the lodge you had a selection of river trips, treks and a trip up a 50 metre tower above the forest cover. A flight back to Cuieba allowed us to be collected by our guide who took us all around our Pantanal visit. The Pantanal was shown to us from three different lodges, all of which have different animals and birds, the highlight of these visits were several sightings of Jaguar, plus giant and neotropical otters. We then had flights to get to Iguasu Falls for a two day visit, prior to flying to Rio and Ilha Grande for a few days before flying back to UK, once again via Lisbon.
This is the fourth time we have used Wildlife Trails to arrange a holiday for us. Once again Allan has come up trumps - the preliminary discussions started almost twelve months in advance to get the best dates to visit the Pantanal for Jaguar sightings, once these had been agreed, provisional bookings were made for the lodges of choice, plus our excellent guide, Tito, was engaged. We then discussed the add-on visits we were considering, which Allan then arranged, including adjusting hotels to suit. Internal and international flights were arranged for our convenience - flying directly into Salvador from Manchester!! Everything was always available to check, and there was always someone to discuss or answer any questions or queries we had. On the actual holiday there were no problems in transfers, or any of the minor nitty gritty parts of the holiday.
By Roger, Debbie and Liz
Monday November 9, 2015
A feast of Pantanal wildlife & hospitality
We have just spent 2 weeks in the South & North Pantanals in Brazil, experiencing all the wonderful wildlife this area has to offer. Our first stop in the south was Pousada Aguape, 3 hours...ve from Campo Grande. Here it was possible to see wildlife on foot, on horseback, by jeep & by boat. The lodge was superb with lovely food & accommodation. Our experience was much enhanced by the services of our excellent guide, Rodrigo. His knowledge & humour were exceptional. In the north we arrived in Cuiaba to visit Pouso Alegre, Porto Jofre & Pousada Araras. Our time in Porto Jofre on the Cuiaba River gave us the unbelievable privilege of many jaguar sightings & time with river otters. Our lovely guide, Bianca, helped us to enjoy & identify numerous, beautiful birds plus the many different mammals & reptiles that all add up to a feast for our eyes & senses. All our accommodation was excellent with good food and comfortable rooms. Our itinerary provided us with such a wide variety of ways to enjoy the world about us in the company of very knowledgeable guides who were a joy to spend time with.
Wildlife Trails has become our Tour Operator of choice for the past 13 years. Small is good for us as it has allowed us to develop a relationship with Allan & Kirsty Blanchard that enables us to choose destinations & experiences with confidence. Their personal experiences, excellent research & attention to detail ensures that each trip is carefully & jointly planned between us. The resulting holidays are always good & sometimes spectacular. They are always open to suggestions & ideas and willing to advise when we are uncertain or wanting to try something new to us all. Their standards are high so we can be assured that, wherever we go, we will get the best chance of a memorable & well planned holiday, tailor made for us.
By Avril and Brian
Wednesday September 24, 2014
Up close and personal with Brazilian wildlife
Our trip was a tailor made one for my wife and I with the specific aim of seeing certain mammals in Brazil, specifically Giant Anteater in Minas Gerais and Jaguars in the North Pantanal. Wildlife...ils prepared an excellent and full itinerary with this in mind and as a result we saw everything we came to see and much more. Sightings were also of a very high standard with excellent photographic opportunities. The guides allocated to us during the trip made it all the more enjoyable due to their knowledge and enthusiasm, and of course their excellent English. all travel arrangements were seamless and went without a single hitch. We enjoyed a 3 day stay in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the trip which was an ideal way to unwind after all the wildlife activity; accommodation here was excellent and right on Copacabana Beach with a full city tour organised for us. We will have great memories of this tour borne out by the literally thousands of photographs which we can now sort through to make up a memorable album
Wildlife Trails is a very personable operator and one feels free to discuss at length your specific interests and requirements with the term before booking. One major advantage is that most of the locations concerned have been personally visited by the team themselves so first hand knowledge is available from the outset. We have travelled with Wildlife Trails twice now (Brazil, India) and have already recommended them to others. The booking process is easy with an early response provided and adequate information along the way. We fully intend to travel with wildlife Trails again if possible.
By Dave
Wednesday August 20, 2014
The perfect trip
Our trip to the Pantanal was organised so well that it flowed without a hitch from start to finish. Our guide Tito was the perfect companion who was knowledgeable, friendly and hard working, with...impressive knowledge of all bird and animal life.Transport, accommodation and food were all very good.This trip surpassed our expectations.
Wildlife Trails were efficient, professional and extremely helpful in designing the perfect trip for us.We recommend them and will be using them again.
By Andy
Thursday December 26, 2013
Lived up to our most optimistic expectations
First time in Brazil on a trip tailor-made to rise to the challenges of adventure and wildlife encounter (for Mr) tempered with a slower pace and touches of luxury (for Mrs). Starting from Rio, 2...s in a nearby rainforest lodge hence to the Pantanal for a week with a specialist wildlife guide and stays in three different locations, then on to the Iguazu Falls before returning to Rio to tour the local tourist sights. Blessed with favorable weather, helpful guides and drivers and excellent wildlife viewing, notably Jaguars, there is little, if anything, i would want to change were I to plan the trip again.
This is the third major holiday we have entrusted to Wildlife Trails, following memorable adventures in Sri Lanka and in British Colombia. Their desire and ability to satisfy the expectations of a passionate wildlife lover who has had the good fortune to safari in many countries has been outstanding. In our case, such specialist itineraries include seamless service from reliable local agencies, quality accomodation and the best of wildlife guiding and therefore are, by definition, "not cheap". This said, we definitely feel that we have enjoyed good value for our money.
By Rachel and Peter
Monday November 4, 2013
The Pantanal, Iguassu falls, and Rio - simply fantastic!
What an amazing holiday! This trip far exceeded our expectations. Our itinerary was brilliant and suited us perfectly. Our guides were excellent - all were enthusiastic and knowledgeable and...med to thoroughly enjoy their jobs. Junior our guide in the Pantanal was exceptional, with amazing knowledge of the birds and wildlife. Our accommodation was perfect with a mixture of family run lodges with traditional home cooked food, through to a colonial style hotel with an amazing view of Iguassu falls. Wildlife sightings were simply fantastic- 6 jaguar sightings in our 3 days at Jaguar Ecological Reserve! How many people can say they have eaten their lunch watching a big male jaguar sunbathing on a river bank?!
Kirsty and Allan at Wildlife Trails really made this a special trip for us - they simply oozed enthusiasm and made what initially seemed like the impossible, possible. Our itinerary showed careful and thoughtful attention to detail. Nothing was too much trouble during the stages of planning and during our trip absolutely nothing was forgotten. Our accommodation was great, transfers perfect and guides exceptional throughout.We hope to be booking another holiday with them again soon.
By Louise and John
Monday August 26, 2013
A stunning wildlife tour of Brazil's Pantanal and Atlantic Rainforest
Following a hectic but enjoyable 24 hours in New York we (a family of four with two teenage boys) flew to Cuiaba in Brazil where we were met by Eduardo our highly-rated naturalist driver, boatman... personal guide for a week of wildlife watching in The Pantanal, Brazil’s great wetland wilderness. We were expecting South America’s greatest wildlife experience and we were not disappointed. Eduardo ensured that we had very close views of all the Pantanal ‘Big Five’ (jaguar, giant otter, giant anteater, yellow anaconda and hyacinth macaw) and also two ocelot. The sheer abundance of wetland wildlife was astonishing from the towering jabiru storks to the hordes of caimans in and around the drying pools. We then flew to Rio from where we were driven to Serra dos Tucanos, a small lodge for birders in the Tres Picos State Park in the heart of the Atlantic rain forest, approximately 100 km north-east of Rio. This provided very comfortable accommodation (four nights) and a pool in stunning surroundings, making it an ideal place to relax after the heat of the Pantanal. The birding was exceptional even within 50 acre lodge grounds and the many bird feeding stations, with their hordes of colourful tanagers and hummingbirds, must rival the best in the world. The holiday ended with a day’s city tour of Rio which made fitting finale to a wonderful and diverse holiday.
Our holiday was arranged by Allan Blanchard, the owner and founder of Wildlife Trails, a specialist wildlife tour operator. This was our second holiday with them. As previously, the itinerary was well thought through, the accommodation well-chosen and the arrangements all worked perfectly. However, what sets Wildlife Trails apart, in our experience, is the attention to detail at the planning stage: the iterative process of tailoring the itinerary to match exactly the requirements of the client, which Allan makes part of the total holiday experience. The end product is a truly ‘bespoke’ trip. The three lodges we stayed at in The Pantanal were all excellent in their different ways and together provided a diverse range of experiences from boat trips, night drives to look for nocturnal animals, horse riding and swimming pools which combined to keep all the family happy. It was also pretty cool to start our trip with a city tour of New York and finish with a tour of Rio; how many families do that?!
