Pantanal (Brazil) Travel Advice

Folks,

We will be traveling to Brazil and want to spend 4-5 days in the Pantanal region. Right now, everything is open, except (a) we will be leaving/returning to/from Sao Paolo, and (b) we cannot afford those high-end USD5-10K photo tours!

We have contacted a number of eco-lodges, etc., and there are packages in the USD2-3K range (2 people); this is still steep (and also many of these are sold out).

Is it possible to do this trip for less than USD2K?

Primary interest is, of course, wildlife viewing and photography. Quite happy to do either northern or southern areas. My understanding is the northern areas are more dry and the south more wetland-y. Either works for us. From what I understand, higher chances of jaguar in the north, but I would be I think I would be just as thrilled if not more with caimans and capybara and waterfowl and just experiencing the wetland wilderness from canoe or horse!

Any advice as to how to approach this will be welcome. I think it might be more economical to arrange for accommodation with a pousada directly, have them arrange the airport transfer and then independently or through the pousada engage the canoes/horses/trail guides etc.? If so, does anyone have pousada or pousadas that they can recommend? Or is better to go with a "all-in-one" tour? If so, any tour guides/agents/organize​rs someone might recommend?

As far as equipment: I'm bringing the 6D, EF 100-400 II, EF 70-200, EF 24-105, EF 100 macro, Zeiss 21mm, as well as speedlight + extenders etc. Might rent a 7Dii as well if the trip costs can be kept manageable. I imagine this should cover it?

I have been to Brazil's Pantanal and Amazon basin a couple of times. For pure wildlife the Pantanal is the clear winner. Of course wildlife is abundant in the Amazon basin but it occurs in much higher concentrations in smaller areas in the Pantanal. Travel is difficult in the wet season so I will assume that you are looking toward the dry season. You will have no problems seeing caymans, capybara, several kinds of monkeys, tapirs and giant otters among others. There is also a dizzying array of birds. Jaguars can be hit or miss in the south but at the right time of year they are almost a guarantee in the North if you have the right guide. Sightings averaged 3 per day on my last trip.

Your equipment list looks good but I would highly recommend renting that 7d2. You will get very close to a lot of wildlife but for birds you'll want the crop and jaguars move at an incredible speed when hunting. If you witness this the 7D2 is far better suited to capture it. In a worst case scenario you have the 6D as secondary body/backup and it won't go unused. There is enough to shoot. Set the 7D2 up long and the 6D wide.

The question of price is an interesting one. My last trip to the region was long enough ago that recommendations regarding pricing, operators and guides would be of little use. Things change fast in these regions. What I can say in general is that what you say is true. You do not need a luxury package but you certainly want to avoid the cheapest operators. The bottom line concerning pricing is that it is a remote region and moving supplies in and out is heavily dependant on fuel which is exceedingly expensive. Simply put there are fixed costs to creating travel opportunities in the Pantanal and you certainly want to end up with an operator who has cut all corners and is subsequently ill equipped to assure your enjoyment comfort, safety. I would scrutinize potential lodges and operators heavily before booking.

As a final piece of advice I would recommend that you should not wait till the last minute to obtain your Brazilian tourist visa. At least the last time I applied it was still one of the visas with the highest requirements in terms of information and documentation and processing time was long.

I hope that helps you out.

Thanks, nqjudo!

Time frame is first week of July, so season is good. Identifying a good and affordable tour company/pousada is the problem! While there is no need for ultra-plush glamour and luxury, at the same time we do not want safety or decent comfort/cleanliness lost.

You can do the pantanal for less than 2k, but it really depends on what you want to see and how much time you have.

There are several lodges along the Trans-Pantaneira that have high density of wildlife on their property.

They aren't terribly expensive, but they sell out over a year in advance, sometimes a room will come open due to a cancellation.

If you are looking to see jaguars, the jaguar king is Charles Munn of Southwild.com. maybe contact his company to see if there are any last minute openings he could set you up on at a discounted price.

You will see jaguars. July is the dry season, so you could rent a car and just drive up and down the highway.

Good luck.

Hi,

Thanks.

You are absolutely correct that places are fully-booked far in advance. We finally made reservations with a place called Xaraes.

http://www.tripadvisor​.com …f_Mato_Grosso_d​o_Sul.html

http://www.amazonadven​tures.com …ntanal-tours/xaraes-lodge

More wetlands, and, I understand, much reduced chance of jaguars, but more water-based wildlife which we would also be just as interested in seeing. Not sure how accessible the highway is from where we are, though if we can manage some drives that would be great.