For much of the year the climate of the Pantanal is dry and semiarid. But with seasonal rainfall, the rich brown water of the Paraguay River floods far into the flat land creating an enormous shallow lake. The deposited alluvial soils and the abundance of moisture have created a very rich biological system. Year round, the Pantanal teems with life. In some ways it is comparable to the savannas of Africa with its vast prairies divided by lazy meandering rivers forested at the water's edge.

During the flooded period there are massive migrations of birds and also fish. Roaming the sea of scrubland and grass from horizon to horizon is a fantastic collection of mammals that includes Giant Anteater, Jaguar, Marsh Deer and wild Peccary. In the dry season these same creatures are concentrated into smaller high ground areas. The wildlife of the Pantanal is spectacular and our stay there is in a comfortable lodge with a very well thought through natural history program. The Pantanal is an extraordinary place that everyone interested in nature should visit sometime in his or her lifetime.

Exploring the Pantanal
We will base ourselves at a comfortable lodge quite far into the Pantanal region. We make several excursions from the lodge every day, all of them led by naturalist guides. Often the guides are graduate students who are studying as well as working in this complex environment. Given the richness of the Pantanal there are good chances of seeing many of the exotic creatures that thrive here. A number of our guests have been able to walk through the knee high grass to closely observe Giant Anteaters with their three foot long snouts that have a tiny mouth at the end. Expect to see clouds of bright pink spoonbills, hundreds of large caiman lying on the shore, howler monkeys and spider monkeys, and herds of capybara. In a typical five day and four night stay, guests often observe between 180 and 200 different species of birds.

Where we stay
What matters most to us in operating our trips is that we experience the best that a region has to offer and that we are able to have a good nature experience. However, when it is possible to be comfortable and experience the wildlife to the fullest, we plan our trips to stay in the most comfortable accommodations available.

For this reason our exploration of the Pantanal is in a lodge that is not luxurious, but it is very well appointed. The lodge is quite private and comfortable. The main building is actually the old manor house of a Brazilian "fazenda" or cattle ranch. While some of the property still operates as a ranch, these days the facilities are mostly devoted to providing access to nature for guests and to conserving the wildlife of the Pantanal. The lodge has retained all of the elegance and comfort of old traditional way of life but has all of the amenities of a high quality hotel. There is a swimming pool, comfortable lounge areas, a bar, telephone center, souvenir shop, and an elegant dining room. Our meals are carefully prepared variations on Brazilian cuisine with a great variety of fresh fruits and other ingredients grown right on the fazenda. All of the rooms have private baths with hot water and are fully air-conditioned.

Activities at the Lodge
Our stay will be five days and four nights at the lodge. We will explore the vast grasslands and the small rivers that course across this vast plain and actively hunt for some of the fascinating wildlife of this area. In the daytime there are usually two wildlife excursions from the lodge, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. There is usually also an excursion offered in the evenings. The type of excursions offered during a stay depends the season and the weather.

One of the most important activities will be to walk along some of the many trails that lead through the savannah scrub and through the forest that grows on the edges of waterways. This is usually a good opportunity to both ground and tree dwelling creatures. The hikes take place in the cool of the morning and normally last about three and one half hours.

Another popular excursion is exploring some nearby lakes by canoe. These lakes can attract a great variety of wildlife and it is common to observe capybaras and two or three types monkeys, and especially aquatic birds such as cormorants, terns, herons and bitterns. The trip takes one and a half to two and a half hours, without leaving the canoes, and is appropriate for people of all ages.

A very popular excursion is to venture into the bush on horseback. This is one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal, allowing visitors to go into areas of difficult access, such as flooded areas where the water is too deep for motorized vehicles but too shallow for boats. The horses raised in the Pantanal have hooves that are resistant to water and adapted for walking long distances in flooded areas. The riders can get a little wet, but this is more than compensated for by the thrill of exploration. The animals are trained for people without any riding experience, including children. There is a brief instructional period before each three and a half hour tour. Two other activities that may be available are a photo safari across the savannah by four wheel drive vehicle and exploration by bicycle along the trails.

Trip Length: 5 days 4 Nights
Accommodations: Very comfortable and clean lodge.
Activities: Observe the abundant fauna of the largest seasonally flooded savannah in the western hemisphere.
Cost: Per person

	Double	Single	Triple	Child
High Season: Jun 03 to Jan 02, '08	1,300	1,600	1,125	975
Low Season: Jan 3 to Jun 02, '07	1,225	1,425	1,050	800

Includes: All accommodations, transfers, all meals, local guides, vistas of clouds of birds, and a good look at many of the large animals of tropical South America.

In order to enroll in a trip or for questions you may have, just give us a call at 800-688-1822.

For the nitty gritty details on refunds and other business aspects of the trips, follow this link to Administrative Details.