Pre & Post Tours - Around Brazil
Beach in Angra dos Reis (4 Days - 3 Nights)
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Angra dos Reis (The Kings Harbor) is one of the most beautiful places in Brazil composed by 300 islands of pure beauty and 2,000 beaches of emerald color. The 90-mile road from Rio to Angra is already a great scenery, with its winding bends that follow the contour of the coast. Angra dos Reis is also known for historical monuments, churches and colonial buildings that remain from Angra’s heyday. In the past it was one of the most important seaports in Brazil. Ships loaded with goods coming from the other side of the world anchored there, as well as those bringing slaves to supply São Paulo’s and Rio’s coffee plantation manpower needs. Only through sailing it is possible to know better the Bay of Angra dos Reis, when you can enjoy crystalline sea waters and the wealthy and famous people mansions located at private isles. The main attraction is Ilha Grande, the largest island which once was a pirate colony, nowadays one of the most famous tourist points. The island, surrounded by 106 beaches, and bearing mountains and incredible waterfalls, is a perfect place for trekking and camping. Besides Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis is also known for other beautiful islands and places. Boat trips around the bay are available, some with a stop for lunch at beautiful islands.
Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 790 DBL Room: U$ 520
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Beach in Buzios (4 Days - 3 Nights)
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It's anyone's guess how small or sleepy the fishing town of Búzios truly was when French starlet Brigitte Bardot stumbled onto its sandy beaches in 1964, but it's certain that in the years since the little town used the publicity to turn itself into Rio's premier beach resort. In the summer the town is packed; many Carioca celebrities own places here, and Argentineans continue to invade with a gusto not seen since the Falklands. Despite the influx, the town has managed to retain a good deal of the charm of its fishing village past. Búzios (the town's full name is Armação dos Búzios) sits on the tip of a long, beach-rich peninsula jutting out into the clear blue Atlantic. The sheer number of beaches close to town makes it easy to experience Brazilian beach culture firsthand. Geribá beach is the place for surfing. Quiet and calm and very deep, Ferradura beach is perfect for a lazy afternoon snorkel. Far from town are more isolated spots to steal a quiet moment with a special beach friend, while right in town on Ossos beach you can sip a caipirinha at a beachside cafe and pretend for a moment you're young, rich, and beautiful. In this South American Saint-Tropez, everyone else certainly is. Finally, on top of serious inquisitions into beach culture, there are more trivial pursuits such as diving, sailing, windsurfing, fine cuisine, and endless opportunities to shop. And at night, everyone comes to the busy, bar- and cafe-lined Rua das Pedras to stroll, primp, drink, and party. Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 780 DBL Room: U$ 480 |
Paraty (4 Days - 3 Nights)
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The main attraction of Paraty is its historic core, a National Heritage Site with beautifully preserved colonial architecture. In contrast to the ornate baroque opulence of Ouro Preto, Paraty was a port, a working class kind of town. The architecture is simple and colonial. Even the churches and municipal buildings seemed to have been built more for daily use than as a statement of wealth. Paraty first grew in importance in the 1800s when it became the main shipping port for the gold from the mines of Minas Gerais. The gold was transported down windy trails and cobblestone roads from Ouro Preto to the coast, where it was loaded on ships sailing for Portugal. Once gold became scarce, Paraty switched to coffee, but with the abolishment of slavery in 1888, that too dried up and Paraty faded to near oblivion; the population fell from 16.000 in its glory days to 600 in the early 1900s. From a heritage perspective it was the city's saving grace. In 1966 the historic colonial center of Paraty was declared a State Heritage Site and later converted to a National Heritage Site by IPHAN (Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage). Today it is being considered as a World Heritage Site. To preserve its unique pre-modern character, cars were and are banished from the old colonial core. In the heart of the city it's pedestrians only. Radical as that may sound, it actually works rather well. The region surrounding the city adds much to Paraty's quiet beauty. The hills are still mostly covered in lush green coastal rainforest, and the waters around Paraty, dotted with 65 islands, are tropical turquoise, warm and crystal clear, perfect for snorkeling, swimming, or scuba diving. Day-by-Day Description Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 510 DBL Room: U$ 410 |
Iguassu Falls (3 Days - 2 Nights)
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Anyone
who's ever seen The Mission will instantly recognize the falls of
Iguaçú. The Iguaçú river - which here forms the border between Brazil
and Argentina - roars over a sheer precipice 4.8 km (3 miles) wide and 81
m (270 feet) high. Among connoisseurs of great falls, Iguaçú beats out
even Niagara and Africa's Victoria Falls. Unlike Victoria Falls, Iguaçú
is not shrouded in its own self-generated mist half the year. Instead, in
Iguaçú the very fine mist tossed up by the falls precipitates down and
creates a pocket microclimate of rainforest lushness, filled with tropical
birds and an abundant population of glorious tropical butterflies.
Iguaçú has been attracting visitors since the first European explorer stumbled across the area in the 1540s. In the 1930s more than 1 million acres on the Brazilian side were transformed into a national park, and in 1985 the falls were designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The spectacular falls are formed by 275 waterfalls, some of which drop as far as 81 m (270 feet), making up the largest concentration of falls in the world, pouring as much as 21 thousand cubic feet per second in a breathtaking water spectacle, where mere mortals feel small, fragile and fleeting. Tropical forests and 1.100 species of birds, along with other various fauna, surround the Iguaçú National Park. As with Niagara, the falls of Iguaçú are shared by two nations, Brazil and Argentina. Debate is endless as to which side offers the best vantage point; it's worth visiting both sides to see for yourself.
Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 730 DBL Room: U$ 390 (Air Ticket NOT Included) |
The Amazon (3 Days - 2 Nights)
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Manaus lies on the Negro river, 7 km from where it meets the Solimões river to form the Amazon river. Manaus is the capital of the Amazonas state and the hub of the entire Amazon Region, with a population of 1.6 million. Manaus today is a busy trade center, its roots beginning in the rubber trade industry. One of the must see in Manaus is the Amazon Opera House and its surroundings. The Opera house is considered as the most important architectonic work from the rubber golden age. You should also visit the Courthouse Palace - the most representative building of the eclectic architecture of the city - with its sober and austere façade. Manaus serves as the best-equipped entry and exit point for those eco-tourists heading into the Amazon Rain Forest. This region is very humid and has heavy rainfall all year round. The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and the last great wilderness on Earth. From the crystal clear waters of deep forest streams to the massive canopy of the highland rainforest...from tiny leaf cutter ants to the largest mammals swinging by their tails in the trees, the Amazon has the most fantastic collection of wildlife on earth. The forest and the rivers dictate the lifestyles of plants, animals and even man. Exotic birds and other animals populate the region with an unduplicated spectacle of colors and sounds.
Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including: - Regular roundtrip transfer Airport MAO in Manaus/Hotel/Airport MAO in Manaus featuring air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking guide. - All mentioned activities at the resort/lodge in the Amazon as per description with experienced English speaking guide. - Daily Brazilian buffet breakfast. - Full Board. - Hotel taxes. Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 660 DBL Room: U$ 520 (Air Ticket NOT Included) |
Salvador (4 Days and 3 Nights)
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A visit to Salvador is a chance to step back in time, to stroll through a perfectly preserved city from the 16th and 17th centuries. It's a chance to experience Brazil's close connection to Africa to taste this connection in the food, hear it in the music, see it in the faces of the people. All of these elements -- architecture, food and music - mix together in Pelourinho, the restored colonial heart of the city of Salvador. Salvador, the capital city of the state of Bahia, is a unique place where a magical air intermingles with reality to form a unique harmony. It begins with religious syncretism and continues to its striking setting of narrow streets and steep hills, forming the upper and lower city, which is connected by the famous Lacerda Elevator that carries passengers in four cabins. In Salvador, the sun shines almost year-round, but beneath the surface beauty of beaches and the island-studded Baía de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints), there's a deep and powerful culture - one that bubbles up in the areas rich cuisine and in the infectious and ever-changing rhythms of Bahian music. While Salvadorans have been rediscovering their city, Brazil and the rest of the world have been rediscovering Salvador. Money has been pouring into things like a new airport and new roads, while funds have also been made available to restore the Pelourinho neighborhood - the 16th-century heart of what was once the richest city on the Atlantic coast. The region has a perfect warm climate, rich African folklore, and a fertile environment. The people of Salvador create a place so special with their love of spontaneity, joy, and beauty. The beaches and islands facing the city, together with its festive atmosphere, form an ideal travel destination. Beyond Salvador, a trip to Bahia is a chance to stock up on two of Brazil's greatest non-exportable products - sand and sunshine. The beaches of Bahia are some of Brazil's most varied and beautiful. They come blessed by sunshine, lapped by a warm southern ocean, and infused with a laid-back spirit that is uniquely Bahian.
Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 570 DBL Room: U$ 520 (Air Ticket NOT Included) |
Pantanal (4 days and 3 Nights)
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It’s a secret that, until recently, was known only to film crews: the best place in South America to see wildlife is not the Amazon but the Pantanal, a Florida-size wetland on the far western edge of Brazil that bursts with animals - capybaras, caimans, jaguars, anacondas, giant otters, colorful hyacinth macaws, kites, hawks, and flocks of storks and herons hundreds strong. In fact, many species that live in the Amazon and are next to impossible to see there can be viewed here in abundance. The Pantanal is home to over 700 species of birds, 100 mammal species, more than 250 fish species, and 80 reptile species. The largest flood plain in the world, the Pantanal has a rhythm governed by its rivers. In the wet season (November to April), rivers swell and spill over to cover a vast alluvial plain for months. Millions of birds are attracted by this aquatic paradise, as mammals take refuge on the remaining few mounds of dry land. As the water drains (from May onwards), the land dries up and the situation slowly reverses: Animals congregate around the few remaining water pools. Fish get trapped in these pools, and birds and ammals alike gather for water and food as they wait for the rains to start. Most farmers use the land for cattle grazing in the dry season only, moving the cattle when the fields flood. Few roads of any kind exist in the Pantanal; the best way to explore the area is to make like the locals and head out on horseback. Many of the area’s fazendas (cattle ranches) have slowly converted to tourism. Staying at one of these lodges is the best way to get a feel for the region.
1- Depart Cuiabá - Arrival in Pantanal Meet and greet at the airport in Cuiabá and arrival transfer to the Pantanal lowlands. The Araras Eco Lodge is located 132 km (approximately 2 hours 30 minutes) south of Cuiabá City, being 100 km on paved road and 32 km doing a photosafari along the Transpantaneira Park Road. While crossing the area, it is possible to spot and appreciate the local flora & fauna. Late afternoon hike through surrounding area to a 12 m observation tower with a spectacular view of the unset. After dinner, night walk to observe the South Hemisphere sky, hear and feel the nocturnal environment. 2- Pantanal 3- Pantanal 4- Depart Pantanal - Arrival in Cuiabá - Next City Sunrise hike and enjoyment at lodge surroundings. About midday, check-out and transfer back to the airport in Cuiabá. Homebound flight or proceed to your next destination.
- Regular roundtrip transfer Airport CGB in Cuiabá/Lodge in Pantanal/ Airport CGB in Cuiabá on lodge regular service, featuring air-conditioned vehicle with driver only. - All mentioned activities at the lodge in Pantanal as per description with experienced English speaking guide. - Daily Brazilian buffet breakfast, unless indicated above. - Full Board. - Hotel taxes.
From: CUIABÁ (airport) To: ARARAS ECO LODGE (Pantanal) at: 12:30pm or 5:00 pmFrom: ARARAS ECO LODGE (Pantanal) To: CUIABÁ (airport) at 7:30am or 12:00 pm (Air Ticket NOT Included) SGL Room: U$ 1.230 DBL Room: U$ 950 |
Historical Ouro Preto (4 days and 3 Nights)
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A fabulous and lovely 18th-century village deeply stuck in the valleys of Minas Gerais' mountains. Anachronistic, amazing, fascinating... Ouro Preto resurges as a vision, a mirage amidst the dense mist of dawn. The impression for first-time visitors is exciting. All of a sudden, it seems as if a journey back in time is a reality. A pilgrimage of the living mixing up with a pilgrimage of the dead. Historical and anonymous personages spreading fallacies and mixing themselves shoulder to shoulder to the contemporaries. Ouro Preto is above goodness and evil. Those who won't be able to realize this, will not enjoy this town accordingly. It is extremely humane, therefore courageous and cruel. Cruelty has been written in the darkened walls burned by whale oil of the old gold mines. Slaves were forced to enter in small openings and stay there all day long, breathing smoke from the torches, smelling sweat from exhausted bodies and the suffocating odor exhaling from urine and excrements. Courage, by its turn, rests radiating in the Hall of Freedom inside the town's main museum, where the remains of those patriots who once dreamed Independence of Minas Gerais and, at large, of Brazil rest in solemnity. Ouro Preto is no place for good-or-bad dualism. We just have to send ourselves back to a time when there were no laws, a chaotic soup-like mixture of diverse interests that took its own shape and gave birth to the first society bearing modern characteristics in Brazil. As the country was born at some point on the maritime coast, its conception as a nation actually took place in Minas Gerais. Vila Rica was the Alma Mater and the new-born nation was nurtured in Gold. Due to its outstanding value, Ouro Preto was decreed a National Historic Monument in 1933 by the Brazilian federal government. World eyes and recognition would come later in 1980, when UNESCO declared this 18th-century old colonial village as a Cultural Heritage of Mankind. Ouro Preto legacy well exceeds its borders, and its essence is the proper essence of mankind. Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:
Prices per person: SGL Room: U$ 650 DBL Room: U$ 540 (Air Ticket NOT Included) |
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