THE ULTIMATE BRAZIL

Days 1-3 - Rio De Janeiro

Today you will fly to Rio de Janeiro and on arrival be transferred to your hotel.

Rio is an incredibly lively city and there is plenty to do both during the day and at night. Its dramatic setting between the mountains and the sea provides the perfect backdrop for such a vibrant city. The Sugar Loaf (Pao de Azucar) and The Corcovado (Statue of Christ the Redeemer) are two of its most visited sites and with good reason as they provide spectacular views of the city.

In the old part of the city you will find some good museums, the cathedral, and some beautiful colonial buildings. You might also like to watch a football match in the largest football stadium in the world or visit the marvellous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon. There are day excursions to Tijuaca Forest, Buzios and you can go to see some Bossa Nova or Samba in the evening. All in all, a great deal to see and do!

Accommodation options: Hotel Ipanema Plaza

Days 4-5 - Iguacu Falls

This morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to ­­­Foz do Iguacu, where on arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel.

The 2½ km long Iguaçú Falls are a truly spectacular sight. The falls are situated in a national park, in a sub-tropical region of Brazil. On the other side of the river lies Argentina and a day can be spent exploring the waterways that offer different yet still breathtaking views of these complex waterfalls.

So that you can fully explore both sides of the falls we have included a day tour for you. Your trip begins at the Iguaçu National Park where you drive through the lush, subtropical vegetation of the park en route to the falls. Stroll the trail descending the canyon that offers a panoramic view of the more than 240 falls and then take the glass elevator up the cliff face for an exquisite view from the upper deck. In the afternoon you will cross the Tancredo Neves Bridge en route to the Iguazu National Park in Argentina. At the entrance you will take a small train for a visit through the park with 2 stops up the trail where the walking tour begins to the upper walkways, which allow for more intimate contact with the falls and the rainforest. The highlight of the trip is a visit to the suspended platform at the very brink of the abysmal Devil’s Throat – the largest fall.

Day 6 - Rio De Janeiro

This morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight back to ­­­Rio, where on arrival you will be met and brought to your hotel. Use today to enjoy Rio. 

Day 7 - Manaus

This morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to ­­­Manaus, where on arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel.

Manaus,  the Amazons largest city, is still growing fast and is of interest in its own right, as well as being the perfect entry point to the rainforest. You can easily spend a day looking round the town with its famous opera house. The fish market is also interesting, where you can see all sorts of fish on sale from the Amazon.  The people are friendly and there are good bars and restaurants.  The Amazon River is about 10km wide at this point, so it feels like you are at the coast even though the mouth of the Amazon is two thousand kilometres away.

Days 8-10 - Anavilhanas Lodge

This morning you will be collected from the hotel jetty for your transfer to the jungle lodge.

You will be staying at Anavilhanas Lodge, which is located in the Anavilhanas archipelago on the banks of the Rio Negro. During your stay here you can do a variety of activities from the lodge. Activities include hikes and tours through the local areas, visits to river beaches, canoeing trips in traditional wooden canoes and for the brave alligator watching or piranha fishing! There will also be opportunities to learn about the local people and get in touch with their lifestyle, social structure and customs through visits to local communities in the Rio Negro (Black River) area. They will show you traditional practices such as flour production or woodcarving and if you are interested they will reveal to you what skills and materials are involved in making bow and arrows, teach you handling techniques and even invite you to a bit of target practice!

Days 11-13 - Salvador

Today you will return to Manaus in order to take your flight to Salvador, where on arrival you will be met and driven to your hotel.

Salvador is a vibrant colonial city, right on the coast, which is steeped in history and positively vibrates with music and dance, deeply routed in African-Brazilian culture. Over the past few years the city has done a lot to ensure that its beautiful old buildings are restored to their former glory. You will have time at leisure to explore the city and its surroundings so walk around the main centre, which is partly pedestrianised, and you’ll get a great feel for the city. Impressive government buildings surround the main square and the cobbled streets are full of restaurants, bars and artisan shops. Taken a giant lift down the cliff to visit the municipal market and don’t forget to visit the Afro-brasilian museum in Pelourinho, it’s fantastic! 

Day 14 - Sao Luis

Today you will be brought to the airport to take your flight to Sao Luis, where on arrival you will be met and brought to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Days 15-17 - Lencois Maranhenses

Today you will fly to Barririnhas to begin your Lencois Maranhenses adventure! On arrival you will be brought to your hotel.

Composed of large, white, sweeping dunes, at first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert. In fact it isn't actually a desert. Lying just outside the amazon basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rains cause a peculiar phenomenon: freshwater collects in the valleys between sand dunes, spotting the desert with blue and green lagoons that reach their fullest between July and September.

The area is also surprisingly home to a variety of fish which, despite the almost complete disappearance of the lagoons during the dry season, have their eggs brought from the sea by birds. While here enjoy a tour by ‘flying boat’ to Preguiça's River with stop in Vassouras, Mandacaru and Caburé.

Days 18-20 - Praia Do Forte

Today you will return to Sao Luis and fly on to Salvador, where you will be met and driven to Praia do Forte where you will be staying at the Praia do Forte Ecolodge.

Over the next few days you are free to relax on the beach or by the pool, go snorkelling and diving or visit the Sarpiranga Preserve. Within the Sarpiranga Preserve, not far from Praia do Forte Eco Resort, the Tamar Sea Turtle Project takes place - the national program for the protection of marine turtles. Populations were declining rapidly due to the selective killing of the females as they came ashore to lay their eggs. The consumption of their eggs, illegal fishing and irregular use of the beaches were other reasons for their disappearance at various sites along the Brazilian coast. This led to the creation of Project Tamar by the Brazilian Federal Institute for the Environment.<

Day 21 - Return

Today you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Salvador airport for your return flight home.