The Pantanal is a wonderland of landscapes and biodiversity - the reason that makes the Pantanal South America's main sanctuary of wildlife.
Based at Araras Eco Lodge your days will be spent on guided excursions spotting wildlife on photo safaris, canoeing, trekking, horseback riding.
The Cristalino Lodge is located in the southern part of the Brazilian Amazon, one of the richest destinations in the Amazon to observe birds, mammals, butterflies and orchids - due to the exceptional number of species.
The ecolodge is set within the first Private National Heritage Reserve in the northern Mato Grosso.
From Cuiaba it's an hour flight to Alta Floresta, followed by an hour drive and a 30-minute boat ride to the lodge.
The Araras and Cristalino combination allows travelers to visit the Pantanal and Amazon without the long travel time from Cuiaba to Manaus.
Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.
Upon arrival at the Cuiaba Airport you will be met and transferred across the flat grasslands of the Pantanal to the Araras Eco Lodge, located south of Cuiaba. This transfer is divided into two different stages.
The first is a journey on a paved road along farms and cattle ranches. After reaching Poconé – we take the Transpantaneira Park Road at km “0” (108 km / 67 mi. from Cuiaba). This is a park road at its best, allowing us to drive above the water level, watching the flora and fauna of the Pantanal ecosystem – a photo safari along 146 km of dirt road with several stops along the way for photos and information.
Welcome drink on arrival and check-in to your room. Later, your guide will lead you into an introductory walk through the surroundings of the lodge, explaining our concepts and many conservation projects. Continue to the Great Egret Lookout, a 12 m / 39 ft. high observation tower. After dinner, night walk under the Southern Hemisphere sky.
Overnight Araras Eco Lodge - 4 nights.
Daily guided excursions are included. All meals are included from dinner today through breakfast on the final morning.
After breakfast, take a photo safari through private dirt roads towards the Clarinho River. Reaching its banks, board a canoe and paddle down the river, exploring the forest that grows by the riverbanks and mangroves.
Here lives a colony of “ariranhas” – giant river otters. With some luck, you may spot a family playing with their babies and teaching them how to swim and fish. Chance of fishing the elusive piranha, not an easy task, but fun. Enjoy a barbecue lunch under the shadow of the trees. Hammocks are available to enjoy a “siesta”.
Return to the lodge in time for afternoon tea. Later on, trek the Howler Monkey trail to the Howler Monkey Tower, our highest observation point – 25 m high - for a magnificent view of the sunset. After dinner, join a night drive in search of nocturnal animals.
After breakfast, enjoy a horseback ride which will allow you to explore the diversity of the Pantanal landscape including some flooded areas of the Pantanal plain.
The Pantaneiro horses are docile and have adapted, through the centuries, to eat with its nose underwater. In this region, the horse is the Pantaneiros’ best friend, a daily companion during work and leisure. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, trek the Rondon Trail towards the 13 meter-high Jabiru Stork Tower, where you can watch a Jabiru Stork nest. Return to Araras Eco Lodge for dinner and overnight.
In the morning after breakfast, get to know a different area of Araras Private Natural Reserve, trekking the Ronco trail.
After lunch, join a 2 to 3-hour photo safari to the south of the lodge on a safari open truck, in search of the fauna along the Transpantaneira Park Road.
After dinner at the lodge review the list of the wild animals you have met with your guide.
Rise early to witness the awakening of the Pantanal at dawn. Return to the lodge for breakfast. Return to the Cuiaba Airport, with stops along the Transpantaneira Park Road for photos and a last glimpse of this unique ecosystem.
Flight to Alta Floresta.
Upon arrival in Alta Floresta airport, you will be met by representatives from the Cristalino Jungle Lodge. From the airport there is a 60-minute car ride followed by a 30-minute boat ride to the lodge. The lodge is only accessible by boat.
Located in the South of Brazil's Amazon Basin, the world's largest continuous tropical rainforest, is the Cristalino Forest Reserve. It has been designated a Brazilian Natural Heritage Site Preserve because of its rare beauty and unique biological diversity.
Amidst this diverse ecological sanctuary is the Cristalino Jungle Lodge, an ecologically sustainable lodge built in harmony with the environment and accessible only by boat.
Lodge accommodations include private bungalows (and special bungalow), superior and standard rooms, each with private bathrooms and solar-heated showers. The lodge's restaurant serves typical Brazilian food and there is floating deck on the Cristalino River, used for relaxation during the day or at night offering, a beautiful view of the Cristalino River and the surrounding rainforest.
As you relax in this pristine environment, also internationally renowned for rare bird species, you will have opportunities to do first class bird-watching, trek in a pristine rainforest, swim in the crystal clear river, canoe, raft, indulge in catch and release fishing, or just relax on the dock or walk among the beautiful grounds of the Cristalino Lodge.
For an extraordinary experience in Amazônia, a visit to the 50-meter-tall observation tower with a panoramic view of the forest preserve. There are two Canopy Towers at the lodge in different locations.
For those who are truly adventurous, join an expedition to Cristalino Waterfalls. Daytime activities include opportunities to see an extensive variety of birds and butterflies, observe exotic animals in their natural habitat, and explore river and rainforest while snacking on the natural fruits growing along the way.
As the sun sets you will camp on pristine beaches allowing time to relax and reflect while enjoying a delectable tropical dinner made of foods from the region.
Extending to several countries and nine Brazilian States, the Brazilian Amazon occupies 59.1% of Brazil, an area of 5.6 million square kilometers. It is the biggest continuous rainforest in the world and the largest hydrographic basin, in volume of water, with 3.984.497 square kilometers.
There are more than 1,100 tributaries that flow into the Atlantic Ocean accounting for 15% to 20% of all river water that flows into oceans anywhere.
Statistics about the Amazon tend to be numerically high, with the exception of human habitation. There are 6 million inhabitants in the Amazon which corresponds to only 4% of the Brazilian population or one inhabitant per square kilometer.
Amazon soil is extremely rich in minerals such as gold, palladium, and diamonds, to mention just a few.
The height of the trees in the Amazon is defined by elevation and by river floods. The "Matas de Igapó", is a permanently flooded area and has low, entangled vegetation.
The "Matas de Várzea" floods during the rainy season and has trees of medium height. The "Mata de Terra Firme" has the highest and most magnificent species of trees including Brazil Nut Tree, Mahogany, Jatobá and much more, which can grow 40 to 50 meters high, with many lianas, palm tree and native ornamental plants. The Cristalino Jungle Lodge is located in this region of "Mata de Terra Firme".
Package price includes:
Transfers between Alta Floresta Airport and Cristalino Lodge
Accommodations
All meals and non-alcoholic beverages
Daily explorations with your naturalist guide. Trips will be made on foot, or via motorized boat and canoes along the Cristalino River and other tributaries.
Cristalino Foundation Fee supporting conservation and environmental education activities.
A wide range of outdoor activities is available. The half-day tours take place each morning and afternoon. The activities include: canoeing, hiking in trails, visit to the observation towers, fauna & flora observation and boat trips.
You can combine more than one activity in a single tour, such as canoeing and hiking. Sometimes you have to follow the trails in order to reach an attraction, such as the Observation Towers, and many trails are only accessible by boat.
The Cristalino Lodge provides specialized local guides to ensure that you get the best out of your experience.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Alta Floresta. Fly to Cuiaba. Connect with your onward flight.
| Price from | $3,979.00 per person, based on double occupancy |
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| Days | 9 |
| Nights | 8 |
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