Holiday review by Carol Bavister
Name: Carol BavisterDate of trip: 08/07/2019
Number of people: 2
Country: BrazilOverall level of Satisfaction
Tribes Overall: "This holiday surpassed our expectations with the number of wildlife we encountered. "
Tribes Service: "Paul Cook efficiently helped us to put together our tailor made trip to Brazil and provided all information we required."
Guides: "We had Lailson our nature guide throughout our trip. He was very knowledgeable about the natural environment and excellent at spotting wildlife for us, also fun to be with.
We had 3 different boat drivers during our trip, each with their own driving speciality, ranging from fast and exhilarating getting us from one sighting to another to calm and sedate so we could photograph even the smallest bird without scaring them away.
We felt safe with the drivers of vehicles overland.
Not too much of a problem but just to mention, the agent that met us at Sao Paulo airport had limited spoken English. We couldn't make him understand that we wanted him to show us where to get the shuttle bus from to our hotel on our return to Sao Paulo at the end of our holiday.
All guides and drivers were friendly and responsible. "
Social & Environmental Responsibility: "We stayed in three separate lodges in the Pantanal, all belonging to SouthWild. We learnt that SouthWild pay farmers not to kill jaguars, so these beautiful animals will get a chance to recover their population for future generations to enjoy. "
Accommodation
The Jaguar Suite was superb. Bright and roomy with lots of space for storage and charging electrical items. Wildlife was spotted from the balcony of the flotel. Easy access to the boat for river trips.
Set in the jaguar zone of the Pantanal. Good food. Staff friendly and helpful.
Beautiful setting on the bank of the river. Lots of wildlife easily seen around the lodge. Comfortable accommodation and good food. Staff friendly and helpful. Good place to start a holiday in the Pantanal.
We were not satisfied with the room initially allocated to us. The description in the itinerary stated that the room would be 'spacious and comfortable' of which it was neither. Barely big enough to fit in two single beds with a small dressing table and shower cubicle, not even a nail on the wall to hang clothes on. After complaining to our guide he swiftly sorted the problem and we were transferred to a more suitable room.
Also the birding trail was not open due to floods.
Our Memories
"As wildlife enthusiasts, we travel to different places hoping to see the local wildlife but knowing that nothing is ever guaranteed. On arrival at SouthWild Pantanal we were amazed at the amount of wildlife that could be seen around the resort and our first boat trip on the river revealed numerous species of birds. Our next stop was in the jaguar zone where we were certainly not disappointed. Within half an hour of being on the river our guide spotted a jaguar on a sand bank and we had a wonderful private viewing before other boats arrived. Throughout our stay we had numerous good sighting of jaguars exhibiting their natural behaviours, swimming, hunting, mating, sibling interactions. Apart from jaguars we saw other wildlife on our wish list, giant river otters, hyacinth macaws, capybaras, caimens. Also on evening walks we were lucky enough to have good sightings of an ocelot and a tapir from hides."
customer rating
5/5 from 54 reviews
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facts and information
Time: GMT -3 hours
Flight time: Most flights go to Sao Paulo but some airlines have direct flights to Rio de Janeiro, and to North-eastern Brazil. British Airways and TAM have direct flights from London and many European carriers also offer flights to Brazil.
Language: Portuguese is the official language. Spanish and English are understood quite widely.
Visas: Not required for British nationals.
Health: There are no compulsory vaccinations, except yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area. Malaria prophylactics are recommended in the rainforest.
