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Both offer some of the best wildlife viewing in the world –
he Brazilian Pantanal covers some 80,800 square miles, extending into Paraguay and Bolivia. The vast array of wildlife here live in the variety of rivers, forest and savannah. Most of the area floods for long periods, making it the largest tropical wetlands in the world. The opportunities for wildlife viewing are as close to ‘guaranteed’ as you can get. Argentina’s lesser-known Iberá Wetlands is less than 10% of the Pantanal’s size. However, that’s still 7,450 square miles: an expansive and rewarding area to explore. The wildlife can be a bit elusive, but its lack of worldwide fame means you can visit without seeing many other travelers. Which experience is for you?
THE PANTANAL
THE PANTANAL vs T
By Anna Barnard The Brazilian Pantanal. The name alone evokes images of toucans, parrots, caimans, tapirs, capybaras, monkeys, anteaters, anacondas and jaguars in the flooded plains of southern Brazil. But with such a massive area, where do you start? Roughly speaking, the region is split into two areas with entry points in the north at Cuiaba and the south at Campo Grande. These two gateways allow you to access lodges which can be within 30 minutes or up
to 5 hours from the airport. You may need to travel farther depending on the type of lodge or wildlife experience you’re looking for. My favorite Pantanal experience can be found at Araras Lodge, around two hours by road from Cuiaba. This rustic property is remote yet comfortable and even boasts a pool and hammocks. Not long after I arrived, I found myself in a canoe paddling through water lilies with regular sightings of caimans, storks and capybaras, and monkeys scrambling through the trees at the water’s edge. I was up early the next day and set out on horseback. Traveling by horse allows you to cover more distance and that means more wildlife (you can also go by 4x4 if you prefer). This was one of the best birdwatching days of my life: I saw everything from large rheas and jabiru storks to tiny red-crested cardinals, but it was the hyacinth macaws that made my day. I spotted several pairs of these intelligent birds searching for nuts and ripe fruits.
That evening, I enjoyed a cold drink on the deck at the lodge and, as the sun set in golds and oranges across the water, my mind turned to the wildlife we hadn’t seen. Jaguar sightings are rare here, so I wasn’t expecting those, but I did think that a giant anteater would have rounded things off nicely. I’d love to say that I was looking in the right direction when one was spotted the following morning… but all I saw was a tail vanishing into the undergrowth! I feel that it’s only fair to point out that none of Audley’s Brazil team can agree on the best part of the Pantanal. My colleague Fiona, for example, prefers the southern Pantanal, which, due to its cattle farms, has more of an estancia-type feel with many private reserves. These do have some advantages: lodges such as the Caiman Ecolodge operate vital conservation projects including a jaguar habituation program, meaning that big cat sightings are far more common. But one thing is for sure: wherever you choose to go in the Pantanal, you’ll be in one of the most biodiverse environments in the world. Get me there: A ten-day tailor-made trip including Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu, the Pantanal and a three-night stay in the Amazon starts from $5,135pp. For more information, please call our Brazil specialists on 1-855-838-8610.
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