One of the most biologically rich and pristine environments in the world is the Pantanal of South America. It is considered to be the planet's largest freshwater wetland system. Eighty percent of the Pantanal can be found in Brazil in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. The rest of the wetlands extend into northeastern Paraguay and eastern Bolivia. The Pantanal is a giant floodplains region with immense aquatic systems, including rivers and vast areas of standing water, but it also encompasses a diverse variety of ecological sub-regions such as river corridors, lakes, wet and dry forests, and grasslands. For those who love to witness unscathed ecological beauty in its finest hour, the Pantanal is a true paradise. The wetlands are home to a number of incalculable species of wildlife. There are thousands of different types of colorful butterflies and hundreds of species of birds and fish. The Pantanal is also home to anacondas, tapirs, caimans, capybaras, the endangered jaguar, giant otters, hyacinthine macaws, capuchin and howler monkeys, and toucans.
It is our privilege at Pantanal Ecoexplorer Tours to show you the Pantanal Wetlands in a way that is different and unique. What sets us apart is that we are absolutely passionate about the Pantanal environments, and would love to share our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for this place with you. You can settle for an average safari with an average guide - or you could experience your safari the Pantanal Ecoexplorer way!
We are fortunate to have met many wonderful friends from all over the world on our trips. They are often kind enough to share their memories with us.
Have a look below at what some of our guests have said after their safari to the Pantanal of Mato Grosso with Pantanal Ecoexplorer Tour.
Guest Comments:
PANTANAL WILDLIFE TOUR - Dezember 2009
Dear Carlos,
I am writing to tell you how happy we were with the Pantanal tour you
organized and led. Every day on this tour was a unique, unforgettable, and
exciting experience for all of us. You opened our eyes on the spectacular
beauty of this remote region and helped us learn about its history, people
and nature. Seeing and photographing a jaguar on the first day, up-close and
personal, was an extra special treat. I have done many tours in different
parts of the world and worked with many guides. You made this trip very
special and memorable. Thank you very much for the attention to every detail
and every need and for your humor, charm and professionalism.
Best,
Ilya Raskin
Professor
Rutgers University
Biotech Center
Foran Hall, SEBS
59 Dudley Rd.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
raskin@aesop.rutgers.edu
office: 732-932-8734 x 227
mobile: 732-794-5600
fax: 732-932-6535
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~raskin/index.html
www.GIBEX.org
www.bioexploration.org
www.phytomedics.com
PANTANAL BIRD & WILDLIFE TOUR - 2009
My husband and I and our 3 adult children booked the 4-day 3-night Pantanal Ecoexpolrer
tour with Carlos as our guide and had a wonderful, unforgettable vacation. Our trip was
made so easy for us because Carlos picked us up at the Cuiaba airport, delivered us to
the bus station where we took off for a few days of traveling on our own near Chapada and
then he picked us back up at the bus station to begin our journey into the Pantanal.
Just as planned we took early morning walks, after dark van trips with spotlight,
horseback rides across the grassy plains, hikes in the jungle and a river tour. Carlos
was a wonderful guide: He speaks excellent English, he knows the Pantanal and all of its
birds and animals, he was very flexible in catering to our wishes, and he is fun and
funny. We saw so much wildlife, including hyacinth macaws, jabiru storks, monkeys,
caiman, capybara, tapir, a puma(!), etc., etc. We stayed at 2 different pousadas that
were very comfortable, the food was great and the people very friendly. All five of us
had an absolutely wonderful time together and with Carlos and our driver, Jose. We got
to see and do so much yet it was very relaxing: a perfect combination for a incredibly
memorable vacation!!! I recommend this to anyone who loves nature.
Thanks again, Carlos!
Jeanne Neevel and Marvin Wiener
Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA
PANTANAL BIRD & WILDLIFE TOUR - 2009
Dear Carlos and Helder:
Very many thanks to you both for making our holiday so enjoyable,
"Our holiday arranged through PantanalEcoExplorer in July 2009 lived fully up to our demanding expectations. As well as visiting two very different parts of the Pantanal (the Fazenda Pouso Alegre on the Transpantaneira and the Pousada das Araras in the eastern Pantanal) with their contrasting landscapes and wildlife, we had a really interesting visit through the 'new agricultural frontier' of the central Brasilian plateau to Emas National Park and SW Goias state, before heading back to the Chapada dos Guimaraes and Alta Floresta. The distances were considerable, but we continually saw new and interesting things, and were expertly guided by Helder, who helped us to see so many birds and animals that we would simply have missed on our own. The decision to spend our full 2 weeks in and around Mato Grosso rather than flying all over Brasil was fully justified by the results, and I have no hesitation in recommending Carlos and his team to anyone planning a serious wildlife-based holiday in the Centre West of Brasil.
David Knapman (Great Britain)."
david.j.knapman@btinternet.com
PANTANAL BIRDWATCHING TOUR - November 2009
Brad and Noma Macurda from Texas contacted Carlos Grandez regarding a birding trip to the Pantanal during the dates of the 19th of November through the 23rd of November. Carlos arranged for Ricardo Casarin to be our birding guide. We were absolutely delighted with the services we received during our trip. The choices of Pouso Alegre, a large rustic farmland filled with a variety of habitats, and Rio Claro lodges, a resort with some forest lands and the Rio Claro River, as the primary birding sites were excellent. This provided a good variety of habitats for observation. Ricardo is very keen at finding birds in the densest cover, both visually and by sound. He was able to identify the birds by sight and sound. He was very helpful in calling the birds obscured by their color or vegetation. He is very patient and strived to make sure each of us saw the bird we were observing. He knows the common and Latin names for all the birds. His English is very clear and his explantions are easy to follow. He took care of daily logistics of rooms and meals very well, and followed a schedule discussed for our morning and afternoon walks and excursions. He is a careful and good driver, observing posted signs and showing good prudence in passing other vehicles. He is one of the best birding guides we have had in our many birding trips, and we look forward to returning to Brazil for further birding adventures with him.
Brad and Noma / noma41@aol.com
PANTANAL PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR - 2009
Paraguay River cruise
Denis joins me to thank you for the fabulous trip you offered us in Pantanal. The 7 days boat cruise was exceptional, and between the daily trips on a small motorized boat, we were just 4 people and we spent our time lying on the big comfortable deck taking pictures. I can’t enumerate all the animals and birds we saw very near but nevertheless I have to mention the JAGUAR, which was a must. I send you some pictures in memory of these nice days.
Hacienda / Farm
We did not expect before arriving to be in such a beautiful place. That was very friendly and to participate to the life of the cowboys was something unforgettable .That was very impressive when they were riding with the lasso in the enormous herd of cattle, trying to catch some of them. We were 6 first, then 4 and were allowed to move everywhere. We did love specially the garden where toucans came attracted by the ripe papayas as well as many other birds. That was really great!
Many thanks again Carlos and go on with this kind of wonderful journey.
Marie
mfg-marie@club-internet.fr
PANTANAL BIRD & WILDLIFE TOUR - October 2009.
We have just returned from an unforgettable fortnight wildlife tour of the Pantanal. Our trip was organised by Pantanal Eco Expeditions and was very much an intensive birding and wildlife expedition. The first 4 days took us Southwest from Cuiaba to the Bolivian border. Here our accommodation was Spartan. We stayed at isolated Brazilian farms but the birding was good and we saw many wintering North American waders such as Wilson’s Phalarope and Upland sandpipers as well as very high counts of Pantanal specialities such as Hyacinth Macaw in the 100’s. Toco Toucan by the dozen and good numbers of Black Skimmers. We returned east to Caceres and a trip on the Paraguay River adding many bird species and having excellent views of feeding Giant River Otters. We continued onto the more tradition rout with 7 nights at various lodges on the transpantanaleria and two full days on the Cuiaba River. In all we saw 164 species of bird, 15 species of mammal and 6 reptiles including two up-close and personal encounters with Anaconda.
Our Guide for most of the tour was Carlos, He has excellent vision and his concentration never lapsed. Despite 14 hour days in the sun. He is a fluent English speaker and has a great sense of humour. One area of weakness was his lack of bird song knowledge, but he has promised to improve this for next year.
For our final 3 days Helder Freitas was our guide and he is a birder, adding substantially to our tally with his knowledge of bird song and lamping for nightjar and night mammals.
David Gill & Anne Rigg
Phone UK 01651 806252
PANTANAL WILDLIFE TOUR - November 2008
Thanks to Carlos, our trip to the Pantanal was a highlight of our time in Brazil. Within our first few days, we had sighted a tapir, lesser anteaters, and river otters, along with plenty of marsh deer, capybaras, caiman, caracará and hyacinth macaws. To say that Carlos is enthusiastic about ensuring that you see as much wildlife as possible would be an understatement. He did not just point out the wildlife, but was able to provide lots of information about habitat, sounds, interactions, and other interesting facts. Carlos has in-depth knowledge about the area, the wildlife, and the culture of the Pantanal. We were impressed with the way he "taught" while he guided, in an informal and fun manner. He has a very good sense of humor and reads his clientele well. He quickly gauged the interest level of each of us on the trip for level of detail about different topics that we were interested in. We appreciated that he is very committed to responsible ecotourism, educated us on the current efforts to protect the Pantanal, and told us how he chose where we stayed based on the fazenda owner’s commitment to protecting the environment and treating their employees with dignity. He was very receptive to our feedback along the way and was able to tailor the trip to our interests, by adding an excursion up to the Chapada dos Guimaraes at the end. We highly recommend Carlos to anyone really interested in experiencing and learning about the Pantanal. Richard and Peg Boyle Single (Burlington, VT) and Donna Fontana (NYC). November 2008
richard.single@uvm.edu
PATANAL NATURE TOUR - April 2008
Our visit to the Pantanal, with Carlos as our tour guide, made our trip to Brazil extremely memorable. He was most accommodating to our last minute request for a tour. We were picked up at the airport and immediately made to feel part of his family and introduced to his young son Matheus, a delightful child who took an instant liking to our daughter who we had come to visit in Brazil. We stayed at different lodges for 4 nights viewing birds and wildlife and Carlos remained enthusiastic, attentive and energetic. He was very knowledgeable and could spot birds and animals that we would never have seen on our own. We saw over 80 species of amazing birds, several mammals, including a young ocelot and many kinds of reptiles. We recommend his tour highly.
Eileen and Sean Prendiville, San Rafael, CA
ileanp@comcast.net
PANTANAL WILDERNESS TOUR
Souvenirs du Pantanal, 2008
Nous avons vécu une expérience inoubliable durant 12 jours passés dans le Pantanal en compagnie de Fernando puis de Carlos.
Nous avons pu découvrir une faune aviaire extraordinaire, mais aussi des caïmans, capybaras, pecarys …ainsi que le tapyr.
Carlos n’a pas hésité à modifier l’itinéraire qui était prévu afin de s’adapter à ce que nous recherchions dans ce voyage hors des sentiers battus.
En effet nous avons étés les premiers « touristes » à passer plusieurs jours dans la fazenda de Carlos où nous avons fait la connaissance de personnes formidables et vécus comme de vrais cow-boys.
L’infatigable Carlos n’a eu de cesse de nous faire explorer la faune et la flore de son nouveau paradis………………..
Séjour mémorable en compagnie de personnes attachantes dans un environnement magique.
Christel et Christophe de Toulouse (France) cs.viala@aliceadsl.fr
TRANSPANTANEIRA WILDLIFE SAFARI - June 2007
I am a 22 year old student from Florida who was traveling
though Brazil. After researching long and hard for the right
Panatanal guides, I am extremely elated that I chose Pantanal
EcoExplorer. Carlos made sure we were well taken care of
and rested after our arrival before driving us out to the
Pàntanal. We were left in the care of the great Flavio,
a very close and entrusted guide to Carlos. Flavio was extremely
knowledgeable and helpful. He was constantly searching long
and hard for wildlife, and informing us of what he was seeing.
Not only was Flavio a guide, but a friend that cared about
what we saw, what we wanted to do, and what we wanted to
see. We saw many animals from Capibara, Tapir, Caiman, monkeys
and numerous birds. The best thing about EcoExplorer is
that they cater to your needs. Unlike the tours you can
book through lodges EcoExplorer allows you see multiple
Pousadas. They will curtail the trip to meet the needs of
your group in order to allow you see the most of what you
want to see. I can not recommend Carlos and Flavio enough.
I would recommend this company to anyone that wants to see
the REAL Panatanal and remember it forever.
If you are researching a trip to the Pantanal feel free
to contact me for a testimonial. I stand by this tour 100%.
Justin Sharpe
Email- jms03n@fsu.edu Phone: (352) 284-8566
TRANSPANTANEIRA WILDLIFE SAFARI - June 2007
I am currently a student attending university in Florida.
From the moment I stepped off the plane Carlos was there
ready to take care of anything I needed. Arriving at 5 am
I was taken to his house where I enjoyed a nap in a hammock
and then breakfast with his family and my soon to be guide,
Flavio. From there I took a beautiful scenic trip to the
beginning of the Pantanal. Arriving just in time for a plentiful
lunch at the lodge followed by a well needed siesta by the
pool gave me the energy I needed for the next couple of
days. The first hike through the wetlands and then into
the forest was breath taking. Flavio knew all of the birds
and animals´ names perfectly. Before I could even
spot something he was able to point it out and tell me a
brief bit of info on the animal. Monkeys, macaws, and caiman
were everywhere as well as a bunch of other animals. Flavio
knew them all not only by seeing but by the noises they
made. After dinner there was an amazing night hike. The
forest was filled with all sorts of sounds you can´t
even dream of. The sky was filled completely with stars
and planets that were easily recognizable. The next day
consisted of a boat ride with piranha fishing and horseback
riding and because I was feeling a little adventurous I
pushed back the night hike to 3am till breakfast. Flavio
was happy to accommodate my wish and was happy to do it.
The next day was spent traveling to the infamous Jaguar
lodge were I spent my time searching for the elusive beast.
Seeing capybara and a tapir was worth the trip. If you plan
on taking a tour to the Pantanal I would highly recommend
using this company and requesting Flavio for your guide.
If you have any questions about my trip feel free to contact
me at:
Jason Briscoe
frattybriscoe@hotmail.com
TRANSPANTANEIRA WILDLIFE TOUR -
February 2006
In February 2006 we had planned a trip to the Pantanal.
While surfing the web, I came across ecoexplorer and carefully
searched for a local guide. We were very fortunate to have
booked with Carlos of ecoexplorer tours who proved to be
a very knowledgeable, caring and honest guide. We were picked
up at the airport (even though our plane was late) and delivered
to our hotel. The next morning we were picked up at our
hotel for the Pantanal Tour. Carlos was very friendly and
helped us with storing our luggage and booking another night
on return at the hotel. Carlos drove us through small villages
and down to the Pousada where we were to spend our first
night - during the drive Carlos explained in detail any
questions we had and made us feel very comfortable and at
home. Our entire trip in the Pantanal was very pleasurable
and we plan to return again with Carlos as our tour guide.
Carlos knew the locals and had a good reputation with them.
It was very reassuring to know we had someone who would
take care of us and return us to the hotel then the airport
when our tour ended. We highly recommend Carlos and his
assistant Raphael when planning a tour in the Pantanal out
of Cuiaba. Please feel free to contact us regarding this
tour. Love Luci.
Mickey and Luci Sheffield
11920 Busby Road E
Mobile Alabama USA 36695
(251) 633-7195
PANTANAL BIRD WATCHING TOUR 5DAYS/4NIGHTS
This was an excellent trip. The tours were well researched
to satisfy our wildlife requests, our guides Flavio and
Rafael were very helpful and friendly which made the trip
even more enjoyable. We will be posting a comment to the
Lonely Planet guide to Brazil, which should be shamed for
not including Ecoexplorer in their recommended section.
We will be back!
Dr. Olakanpo & Mrs. Simpson. (obasarmi@olakanpo1718.freeserve.co.uk
PANTANAL WILDERNESS TOUR - 2009
Abbiamo fatto con Carlos il tour ¨Pantanal Hidden Lodges¨ nell´agosto 2009, in un gruppo di 4 persone. Il tour attraversa il Nord del Pantanal, una regione di ecosistemi molto vari: la giungla attorno al Rio Paraguai, la savana secca (durante l´inverno quando noi siamo andati) con le Haciendas del bestiame e le fitte macchie di selva.
Dovunque la natura è impressionante: per qualunque appassionato di animali ed in particolare di uccelli è una vera festa, e non tento neppure di numerare tutto quello che abbiamo potuto vedere.
Carlos è una guida molto esperta, con un´ottima conoscenza del territorio, della fauna e della flora. É anche molto disponibile, e consiglio di discutere con lui i dettagli del tour che volete fare, perché le possibilitá sono numerose e lui potrá aiutarvi ad adattare l´itinerario ai vostri desideri.
Luca Sbordone,
acarodp@yahoo.it
PANTANAL TOUR - 1-4 maj 2008
Jag och min väninna bestämde i sista sekunden att resa bort över en långhelg. Vi ringdeCarlos samma dag som vi skulle flyga till Cuiaba och frågade om
det fanns möjlighet att med så kort varsel åka till Pantanal. Eftersom det var en helgdag hade han egentligen tänkt att resa bort med familjen, men var så schyst och ställde upp för oss turister som hade dålig framförhållning.
Han hämtade oss på flygplatsen sent på kvällen och sen bar det iväg på en gång till Pantanal och safarin kunde börja- vi ville inte förlora någon tid!! Under de fyra dygn vi besökte området åkte vi både på dag- och nattsafarin. Vi hann också med att göra en båttur, hästridning och fiske, och vi bodde på flera olika bra och trevliga ställen som serverade god mat. Det var en fantastisk upplevelse och vi fick se många djur och en underbar natur.
Carlos har mycket goda kunskaper om djur och natur och talar bra engelska.
Han ansträngde sig verkligen för att vi skulle trivas och han har ett sinne för humor. Jag kan utan tvivel rekommendera en resa till Pantanal med Carlos och Ecoexplorer.
Hälsningar
/Adela ifrån Sverige
addepedersen@yahoo.se
May 2008, Three days and three nights at Pantanal
Teimme kaverini kanssa viimehetken buukkauksen Pantanalille safarille. Carlos oli viiden tunnin varoituksella valmis järjestämään meille ohjelmaa sekä majoituksen kolmelle yölle ja päivälle, ystävällisesti noutaen/jättäen meidät Cuiaban lentokentältä. Reissusta tulikin ikimoinen kokemus. Saimme kokea millaista on etsiä autoillen villieläimiä niin päivisin kuin öisin. Saldoksemme saimme muurahaiskarhun, tapiirin, villisikoja, tukaaneja, apinoita, kaimaaneja ja monia muita tämän alueen eläimiä. Lisäksi Carlos järjesti meille hevosratsastusta, piraijakalastusta ja veneretken. Oli mahtavaa kuulla luonnon äänekkyys kaukana kaupungista ja matkapuhelinverkkojen kantamattomissa. Auringonnousut & -laskut olivat mahtavia ja öinen tähtitaivas MilkyWayneen veti hiljaiseksi... Tämän miehen matkassa oli kahden skandinaavitytön turvallista reissata. Hänen tietotaitonsa alueesta & eläimistä oli valtava. Lisäksi hän sai hassuilla tarinoillaan meidän nauramaan mahamme kipeiksi. Suuret suosittelut tämän sympaattisen perheenisän reissuille!
Obrigada,
Tanja
Espoo Suomi/Finlândia
tantan@kolumbus.fi
PANTANAL CAMPING TOUR - July 30, 2007
Arriving from Rio de Janeiro we were about to discover a
completely different world… Only just entering the
Pantanal on the Transpantaneira is a breathtaking experience
since one is surrounded by an unique variety and quantity
of animals. But that is only the beginning! The house we
stayed at offers all the comfort one needs combined with
a very welcome touch of simplicity not only due to the lack
of electricity and candlelight atmosphere. The crew was
just great: Carlinhos, the local guide, knows the area,
the plants and the animals like the palm of his hands. Cecillio
and Luis, the cooks, prepared very tasty dishes, including
the best beans and cakes!! All combined with a friendliness
and attention we have very rarely experienced before. Daniel,
the driver, has eyes as sharp as an eagle discovering all
the rare animals, including two jaguars! Carlos, the owner
of the company, and his family gave us a feeling as if being
at home from the moment we arrived at the Pantanal. All
in all it was one of the very best and most unique experiences
ever!
Pascal and Ana Carolina
pascal.koepfli@bluewin.ch
PANTANAL WILDLIFE RIVER CRUISE / FAMILY TOUR - August 17, 2006
We have brought our entire family including our six children
ages from 6 to 18 years old and we all had a terrific time.
Our guide ( Flavio ) was knowledgeable and had a keen eye
for wildlife. The crew was friendly and accommodating.
We ate delicious meals – often fish that we caught
that day. The sights were amazing, beautiful and varied
landscape and animals galore: tapir, giant river otters,
capybaras, caimans, and hundreds of exotic birds. We especially
enjoyed fishing from the smaller boats – we caught
a variety of fish including a 2 foot catfish and a tasty
Dorado.
We visited two different fazendas ( ranches ) where the
owners took us on an overland tour and tours of their working
farms. Despite our trepidation about piranhas and caimans,
we enjoyed swimming in the refreshing rivers.
In sum, it was a terrific trip and all our children are
already begging to come again.
Amy Wallace, MD, MPH
Bill Weeks, MD, MBA
Jamie age 18, Atticus age 16, Savannah age 15,
Scout age 13, Joplin age 8, Hoke age 6
NH-USA.
TRANSPANTANEIRA WILDLIFE TOUR - September 2006
The Pantanal with Flavio :
It was truly the most extraordinary trip with our Dragoman
group and our guide Flavio.
Nights walks, fishing trips ( very successful ) daytime
bush exploring, and horse riding .
Capybara, close-up caimans, toucans, howler monkeys, savannah
hawks, raccoons, birds, birds, - all patiently explained
to us by flavio. It was a trip that I will always remember
.
Faye Broberg
Australia.
PANTANAL LODGES TOUR - September 2006
The pantanal trip with Flavio was excellent. I now have
a new interest in wildlife as the pantanal is teeming with
wonderful exotic wildlife. The accommodation we stayed in
was very comfortable and welcoming with good facilities
and the best food I have ever had. Definitely a great highlight
of South America !!
Thank you for looking after me so well.
Faye Peachey
England.
PANTANAL LODGES TOUR - September 2006
Was on a Dragoman trip with 8 others and went into the Pantanal
for 3 days – nights with our guide Flavio.
I really enjoyed the trip, the accommodation was good and
the food excellent. The people were very friendly. The wildlife
was amazing. I couldn’t believe how many caimans there
were lying so close to the road. I think my highlights were
horse riding and the animals we saw and going piranha fishing.
It was a very relaxing time and an experience that I will
treasure for ever.
Yvonne Van Velzen
Holland.
PANTANAL LODGE SAFARI
Thank you for a wonderful trip – our guide ( Flavio
) was very knowledgeable and looked after u for the hole
time. The accommodation was excellent with lots of wildlife
there and fantastic food ( and a lots of it! ). With the
help of Flavio - and his hawk eye – we saw lots of
animals, including an Anteater. Carlos and Debora + family
were extremely kind + generous and the driver was very patient
+ friendly.
Thanks again,
Sarah & John
England.
PANTANAL LODGE TOUR
5 days in the Pantanal are not nearly enough to see all
there is to see but Carlos made a very impressive attempt.
We have seen and done so many things in such a short time,
it seams almost unreal. Carlos is very informative with
both local and more scientific knowledge and his enthusiasm
as well as that of his staff is refreshing and much appreciated.
I can not recommend this trip strongly enough!
Thank you Carlos.
Anna-Lisa Pnayotupoulos
PANTANAL LODGE SAFARI
Our 5 day Pantanal trip was amazing. Great accommodation
and good food.
Seeing an anteater was cool.
Carlos has been a fantastic guide. Always eager to get us
up at 5 pm and still going at 9pm. I think we’ve all
enjoyed his enthusiasm and he sure knows what he’s
talking about. His staff and the other guides have also
been fabulous.
Thank you.
Gina Collie.
PANTANAL JAGUAR TRACKING TOUR - October 2006
The Pantanal trip with Carlos was spectacular.
We saw different varieties of animals such as caimans, hawks,
eagles, capybaras and more. The boat ride to the narrow
river was just like being in National Geograhic - capybaras,
caimans and storks all sitting by the river. The sound of
the birds and different animals early in the morning was
memorable. I am sad that I will never hear these sounds
again unless we go back to Cuiaba.
The boat and camping trip to Guapore was fun, exciting,
rugged and full of adventure. Flavio and Hermis made the
trip more adventurous by waking us up early in the morning
for the Jaguar tracking at 2:00 in the morning. Yes we saw
the jaguar at around 2:30. I did not realize that the jaguar
was actually roaming around our camp before leaving. I caught
3 piranhas even though I dont fish. Our tent was very close
to the river -- we heard fish jumping in and out of the
water. Overall this is a National Geographic experience
and we would recommend it to anybody who really wants an
adventure of a lifetime. I never knew that I will be so
close to caimans, call for the jaguars, hear the jaguar
call us back, see the jaguar and catch piranhas.
Edwin and Adina
PANTANAL JAGUAR TRACKING TOUR - August 2006
We have just returned from an eleven day adventure
through the Pantanal where of course we saw an amazing abundance
of wildlife. Highlights included tapir, giant river otters,
hyacinth macaws, and to top it all off a jaguar! An important
part of the trip was of course the remoteness of the experience.
For the majority of our trip we only ran into a few local
ranchers and we felt as we had the Pantanal all to ourselves.
Our guide, Flavio, was on a constant search for wildlife
from the moment we started and could easily identify all
that we saw, including birds. All of the support staff,
from the houseboat crew to the jeep drivers were very kind
and helpful. If you would like to get off the tourists path,
ecoexplorer can really help you build a wonderful trip.
If you like a bit of comfort along the way, we recommend
a Pousada or two (especially if you are there for eleven
days). We do not think there is much more we could have
done to make this trip more enjoyable and exciting.
Scott & Jill (Colorado, USA)
TRANSPANTANEIRA SAFARI - July 2005
We had a fantastic time. Flavio & Paulino were
both knowledgeable and took great care of us.
Flavio kept us busy with interesting and varied tours and
we saw a wide range of flora and fauna. We were impressed
with the Pousadas which were clean and comfortable. We were
originally going to hire a car and are very pleased that
we instead went with ECOEXPLORER.
Thank you for a wonderful trip.
Jade & Paul Bishop
New Zealand
AMAZON, PANTANAL, CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES
& NOBRES TOURS - June 2005
We spent 5 days in the Amazon, on the Rio Madeira
and its tributaries. Carlos was an excellent guide, constantly
giving us information on flora, fauna, medicinal plants
and local cultures and lifestyles. Every trip we made into
the forest, whether on foot or by boat, we saw and learnt
new things and experienced something different. His tour
definitely gets you away of the gringo’s trail! His
staff were hard working and really friendly as well.
The pantanal was totally different landscape from the amazon,
and enabled us to see even more wildlife up close, including
Greater Rheas and ring-tailed coatis. Again Carlos was informative
and continually showing us new things. I would definitely
recommend ecoexplorer to anyone wanting to make the most
of the Amazon or the Pantanal. We also spent 2 days walking
in beautiful mountains which contain many waterfalls and
natural freshwater pools to swim in. We snorkeled down a
river which had crystal clean water and many different types
of fish, as well as a snake! It was a totally different
experience to snorkeling in the sea, as it’s a forest
landscape and you just float as the current takes you downstream.
We also went through a cave, walking in water up to our
thighs. It was very Indiana Jones, as we had to use flashlights
and the cave was full of bats – what adventure! The
chapadas are still mostly unspoilt, what a visit!
Sarah Salathiel
London, UK
strawberry@hypocrisy.org
PANTANAL DO PAIAGUAS TOUR - August 2003
If you have a sense of adventure, enjoy the wilderness,
don’t mind getting dirty and going where no ones goes.
Well the Pantanal adventure safari is for you. I joined
Carlos for 7 days in a remote part of the Pantanal exploring
parts where tourists have never been. I viewed some of the
greatest birds on the planet, the Jabiru, toucan and the
beautiful macaw just to mention very few of the 650 species
found in Pantanal.
I also saw the giant anteater with was very rewarding. Carlos
knows the bush very well and it was a pleasure learning
about the Pantanal from him.
Simon
Brisbane, Australia.
