Travel Journal

I was advised to go to the Pantanal instead of the Amazon for birdwatching, as it’s the largest continuous wetland on the planet. Recognised as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, it’s South America’s main wildlife sanctuary. Covering about 150,000 km² in the centre of the continent, it’s known as a bio-geographic mixing bowl, with elements from the Amazon Forest, Caatinga, Brazilian Savannah, Atlantic Rainforest, and Paraguayan Chaco. This incredible biodiversity includes 698 bird species, 80 mammals, 260 fish species, and 50 reptiles!

We stayed at the charming Pousada Araras Eco Lodge in the North Pantanal, reached via the Transpantaneira Road, 132 km south of Cuiabá. If you want to spot jaguars, the Southern Pantanal might be better, but Araras was fantastic. It’s like an African safari lodge, situated in a remote area, serving as a base camp for various activities throughout the day—by road, river, and on foot. The best activities are usually early morning and late afternoon when wildlife is more active, but the entire day is filled with guided excursions. The lodge also has a pool for midday relaxation and serves lovely meals!

During our stay, we enjoyed several walking tours with our excellent guide, Jean. We climbed the Lodge’s 25m high Howler Monkey Tower at dawn and dusk, paddled canoes along rivers full of caiman, went on a horse trek through the flooded grassland and forest, and took a night jeep safari. Navigating around the numerous caiman on the 1km path from the lodge to the Transpantaneira road was particularly entertaining!

The Pantanal is incredibly peaceful, a great escape from city life in Brazil, and a real paradise for birdwatchers—I saw more birdlife in three days than in a year in rural New Zealand. Although it’s not the easiest place to reach from popular tourist spots like Rio and Iguassu Falls, requiring a flight to Cuiabá or Campo Grande and a lengthy road transfer, it’s well worth the effort in my opinion!