BRAZIL FIELD COURSE

LENGTH: 17 Days/16 Nights

FIXED DEPARTURE DATES: Jul 9-25.

*Other dates for individuals, families and groups, including WINTER INTERIM BREAK and SPRING BREAK, available upon request.

*Our standard BRAZIL FIELD COURSE itinerary can be modified in content and length for SPECIAL INTERESTS and NEEDS.

*Affordable EXTENSIONS to MANAUS and the BRAZILIAN AMAZON; IGUAZU FALLS and ANGRA DOS REIS are available on request.

*FIELD COURSES for those with SPECIAL INTERESTS, such as BIRDING and GARDEN GROUPS are available upon request. Sample itineraries can be seen at http://www.birdingtours.org (being updated), http://www.gardentours.org (being updated) and also http://www.rainforestandreef.org. Please contact Rainforest and Reef for details and pricing by e-mail: info@rainforestandreef.org or call toll-free: 1.877.255.3721.

FIELD COURSE COST: 1585.00USD per person. Based on a minimum 15 of full-paying participants. One Group Leader FREE for the ground portion of our BRAZIL FIELD COURSE with 15 full-paying participants. Cost is based on quadruple occupancy. Triple, double and single occupancy available upon request, for an extra cost.

Notes: There is an additional cost of 25.00USD per person for our Brazil Field Course during HIGH SEASON: Jan 1-Feb 28.

Pricing above is not valid during Brazilian Holidays, such as Carnaval.

For individuals, families or groups of less than 15 full-paying participants, please contact Rainforest and Reef for pricing by e-mail: info@rainforestandreef.org or call toll-free: 1.877.255.3721.

Includes: All INSTRUCTION and BI-LINGUAL GUIDE SERVICES; all MEALS and LODGING as stated in the itinerary; all GROUND and WATER TRANSPORTATION within Brazil; TRAVEL INSURANCE; all ENTRANCE FEES to NATIONAL PARKS and OTHER SITES.
Does Not Include: ROUND-TRIP INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE to Rio de Janeiro; DOMESTIC FLIGHTS as stated in the itinerary below (~399.00USD plus taxes); INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX (36.00USD per person); GRATUITIES and PERSONAL ITEMS.

INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE: Rainforest and Reef uses consolidators/wholesalers for all of our GROUP and INDIVIDUAL airfares. We are therefore able to offer the LOWEST RATES available. Please contact Rainforest and Reef for details and pricing by e-mail: info@rainforestandreef.org or call toll-free: 1.877.255.3721.

ITINERARY:

Note: All approximate domestic flight times given below include lay-over times as well.

MEAL CODES: B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner

Note: On the MEDICAL INFORMATION FORM that you will be receiving shortly after registration, please make us aware of any special meal requests and/or dietary restrictions….vegan, vegetarian, etc., that you or members of your group may have. We will be pleased to fulfill your requests/needs.

DAY 1 ARRIVAL RIO de JANEIRO-FIELD COURSE ORIENTATION. Following your arrival at Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, outside of Rio de Janeiro, you will be met by our Brazil Field Course Staff and transferred to your hotel. After settling in and breakfast, we will have an orientation session to our Brazil Field Course. Following lunch, we will travel to Tijuca National Park and get our first taste of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Dinner and overnight Rio de Janeiro.

Note: You will be met outside of Immigration and Customs by Rainforest and Reef Staff.

DAY 2 RIO de JANEIRO-SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN-GUANABARA BAY-FLIGHT RIO de JANEIRO-CAMPO GRANDE-PANTANAL-EVENING PRESENTATION on the BRAZILIAN JAGUAR. After breakfast, we will travel to Praia Vermelha cable-car station. From here, participants will ascend Urca Mountain to the mid-way station, with its gardens and spectacular views. The second part of the journey will take us to the peak of Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Açucar in Portuguese), where we will have breathtaking panonoramic views of Guanabara Bay and all of Rio. Our group will then do a City Tour of Rio, visiting some of the most popular landmarks here. These will include some of the beautiful monuments of old Imperial Rio….Mosteiro de São Bento, the Lapa Arcs and the Confeitaria Colombo. We will then travel on to view and photograph the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, reaching out its arms across the city atop Corcovado Mountain. Our group will then transfer to the airport and fly to Campo Grande (3.5 hours), gateway to the Pantanal. The name Campo Grande means "Big Field". The capital of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, is the point of departure to several other important ecotourism destinations in Brazil, aside from the Amazon. It is home to the Dom Bosco Museum, contains one of the most complete museums of natural history and native culture in Brazil. After a brief stopover in Campo Grande, we will drive to a private farm bordering the Pantanal (~3 hours). The Pantanal is situated in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul of western Brazil and extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. It comprised of ~50,000 square miles (half the size of Texas) and is known as the World’s largest and most spectacular wetland. This area is an unparalleled wildlife sanctuary containing hundreds of species of birds, thousands of varieties of butterflies, myriads of brightly colored flowers, and innumerable species of fish. The Pantanal has a dry season (April to September) and a wet season (October to March). The annual flooding during the wet season allows the region to support a high diversity of flora and fauna. Animals found here include the endangered Brazilian Jaguar, Capuchin and Howler Monkeys, Capybaras, Tapirs, Toucans, the rare and spectacular Hyacinth Macaw, Anacondas, Caimans and Tapirs. Following a typical Pantaneiro dinner, participants will attend an evening presentation regarding Projecto Gadnoca, a program devoted to the protection of the endangered Brazilian Jaguar. Dinner and overnight outside of the Pantanal. B D

DAY 3 BRAZILIAN JAGUAR STUDIES-HORSEBACK TRIP to a LOCAL RANCH-NIGHT TRIP into the PANTANAL. Following breakfast, our group will travel to the field for an introduction to research being done on the Brazilan Jaguar, the largest cat in the Americas. We will visit a number of sites where the Jaguar is photographed at night and also look for visual signs of their presence. This will also be an excellent opportunity to observe the great biodiversity of birds, mammals, reptiles and other forms of wildlife found here. Following lunch, participants will travel by horseback to a ranch, where we will observe cattle that have been attacked by Jaguars and discuss a variety of issues that presently exist between local ranchers and conservationists. Following dinner, our group will take a “night safari” into the Pantanal, looking and listening for some of the wide variety of nocturnal life found here, including the Brazilian Jaguar. Overnight outside of the Pantanal. B L D

DAY 4 HIKING in the PANTANAL-CORRICHO RIVER BOAT TRIP-NIGHT TRIP into the PANTANAL. Following an early breakfast today, we will spend the morning hiking on suspended wooden platforms in flooded areas of the Pantanal, hoping to observe and photograph some of the wide variety of wildlife found here. After lunch, our group will travel boat down the Corricho River, as we continue learning about Brazilian Jaguar conservation efforts and again, having the opportunity to observe and photograph wildlife found here. Participants will also be able to fish for the famed Pirañha. Following dinner, another opportunity to visit the Pantanal at night. Dinner and overnight outside of the Pantanal. B L D

DAY 5 BUS TRIP to BONITO-CERRADO LIFE ZONE-HIKING and SWIMMING at ESTÁNCIA MIMOSA-EVENING SHOPPING in BONITO. After breakfast, our group will travel by bus to the city of Bonito (“beautiful”) in Portugese (~3 hours). The trip will take us through the Cerrado, a regional name given to the savanna-like ecosystem found here. Around 85% of Central Brazil was originally dominated by Cerrado, approximately 20% of the country's surface area. There is great habitat variability in the several different types of "cerrado" found here and this supports an enormous diversity of plant and animal life, including the endemic flightless Rhea. Botanists and zoologists agree that it is one of the richest ecosystems in the World. En route we will stop at Estáncia Mimosa, a working cattle ranch where some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region are found. There will be a chance to swim and cool off, before having lunch in the ranch’s main house. This afternoon will be spent hiking through the gallery forest along the banks of the Mimoso River. During our trip, participants will pass by 9 waterfalls of various sizes and shapes. Along the way, we will find 6 places suitable for swimming under waterfalls or in natural pools, along with small caves, lookouts and a 20 foot high diving board from which one can jump into a natural water hole. Participants will have the opportunity to observe wildlife such as Macaws, Toucans, Monkeys, Anteaters or some of the other 150 species of animals found here. Century-old trees like "perobas", "aroeiras", "jatobás", "angicos" and "piúvas", besides ferns, orchids and bromeliads, complete this astonishing landscape. Following dinner tonight, we will visit the town of Bonito and shop. Here, there are several shops offering crafts made by the Kadiwéu indigenous group found in the region. Overnight Bonito. B L

DAY 6 FAZENDA RÍO da PRATA-SNORKELING in the RÍO da PRATA-BURACO das ARARAS. Apart from the Pantanal, the area surrounding Bonito is becoming one of the most desired ecotourism destinations in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Hundreds of waterfalls, lakes and rivers of crystal-clear blue water, over 80 dry and flooded caves and beautiful forests are found here. The springs and rivers in this region have extraordinarily clear water, up to 100 feet visibility in some locations, with countless species of colorful fish and varied aquatic vegetation. We will drive from Bonito to the Fazenda Río da Prata and hike of ~1 hour through virgin forest. Here, participants will have the opportunity to snorkel in the Prata River. It’s a unique and unforgettable experience. Scuba diving is available to certified divers. Our group will then return to the fazenda (farm in Portugese) for lunch, where we will experience local Pantaneira cuisine. This afternoon, we will visit the “Buraco das Araras” (Hole of the Parrots), a deep depression and cave that is home to hundreds of Brazilian macaws and other wildlife. Discovered in 1912, it is ~415 feet deep and one of the largest dolinas (sink hole formed by the roof collapsing) in the World. Late this afternoon, participants will return to Bonito for dinner and overnight. B L

DAY 7 GRUTA do LAGO AZUL-CAMPO GRANDE-FLIGHT CAMPO GRANDE-SALVADOR. After breakfast this morning, our group will visit the astonishing “Gruta do Lago Azul” (Blue Lake Cave). Approximately 1200 feet from the entrance to the cave, we will observe a spectacular blue lagoon, called Gruta do Lago Azul. It is ~230 feet deep and 400 feet wide. It was discovered in 1924 and in 1978 declared a Brazilian National Heritage Site. Late this afternoon, our group will return to Campo Grande (~4.5 hours), transfer to the airport for our domestic flight to Salvador. Dinner and overnight Salvador. B

DAY 8 SALVADOR–HISTORICAL DISTRICT of PELOURINHO. Early this morning, we will depart for Largo do Pelourinho, an old city of colorful colonial buildings, cobblestone streets and a sense of history in every direction. This part of Salvador is known as Pelourinho, the city within a city. Nicknamed Pelo by residents, this area is in the older part of the upper city, or Cidade Alta, of Salvador. Pelourinho means whipping post in Portuguese, and this was the old slave auction location in the days when slavery was common. Slavery was outlawed in 1835, and over time, this portion of the city, though home to artists and musicians, fell into disrepair. In the 1990's, a major restoration effort resulted in making the area a highly desirable tourist attraction. Pelourinho has a place on the national historic register and named a world cultural site by UNESCO. Easily walkable, Pelo has something to see along every street, including churches, cafes, restaurants, shops and pastel-hued buildings. Here, our group will be able to shop for handicrafts in Mercado Modelo, Praça da Sé, Terreiro de Jesus and numerous shops and galleries. To see the city's oldest architecture, we will take a walking-tour through the Pelourinho district. Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, the Jorge Amado Museum contain his writings and offers videos of Dona Flor or one of the other films based on Amado's books. Museu da Cidade displays costumes of the orixás of Candomblé, and the personal effects of the Romantic poet Castro Alves, one of the first public figures to protest against slavery. Museu da Cidade displays costumes of the orixás of Candomblé, and the personal effects of the Romantic poet Castro Alves, one of the first public figures to protest against slavery. Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos was built by and for the slaves who were not allowed in the city's other churches. Note the many images of black saints. Dinner and overnight Salvador. B

DAY 9 SALVADOR–LENÇÓIS-CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK-CAPÃO VALLEY. Following breakfast, our group will transfer from Salvador to Lençóis and then on to spectacular Chapada Diamantina National Park. Chapada Diamantia (Diamond Plateau) is one of the most fascinating natural parks in Brazil. This scenic mountain range runs north and south through the state of Bahia, with an average elevation over 3000 feet, offering some of the most amazing landscapes one can find in Brazil. The Park, established in 1985, contains an extraordinary variety of ecosystems, such as Cerrado, Mata Atlantica, and Caatinga. It is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. The highest peaks here are ~5700 feet above sea level, offering shelter to Jaguatiricas (Leopardus pardalis), mocós (local rodents), deer and teiús (a species of lizard). Many species of bromeliads and orchids are also found here. What is now a jewel of the ecotourism, was once a refugee for precious stone hunters. Cities that border the National Park are filled with colonial buildings representing the architecture of this time, a vivid memory of the richness of the diamonds that made Brazil the first world producer of this gem during the early 20th century. Lençois, (pronounced len-soiz), the main village outside of Chapada, lies 250 miles west of Salvador. It grew up during the diamond boom of the mid-1800's. At one stage it had a population of 30,000 people, but as a result of the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, the town declined. Today, it is considered National Monument due to its examples of residential architecture from the 19th century. Trails opened by the garimpeiros (miners of precious minerals) today provide access to visitors to the Park. Most of the attractions in Chapada, including caves, spectacular overlooks and waterfalls are only accessible by these trails. Our travels today will take us to the amazing scenery of the Capão Valley. The stunning landscape here was produced over time by erosion that began during the Pre-Cambrian period, forming towers of minerals known as "TEPUY" by the local Indians that dominated the region before the arrival of the first settlers or “bandeirantes”, around 1750. En route to Capão Valley, our group will stop at Morro do Pai Inácio. Here legend has it that a slave fell in love with his colonel’s wife. Chased by guards, he found refuge at the top of the mountain. From here, a dazzling sunset can be seen. When the slave was found, he preferred to jump into the abyss below instead of being captured. Dinner and overnight Chapada Diamantina National Park. B

DAY 10 CHAPADA DIAMANTINA–CACHOEIRA DA FUMAÇA. After breakfast today, we will travel to a trail leading to the most famous attraction in Chapada Diamantina National Park, Cachoeira da Fumaça, the highest waterfall in Brazil. After a 1 hour hike, participants will arrive at the top of a cliff, ~1200 feet high, and experience a spectacular view of the Falls. Late this afternoon, our group will return to Capão Valley for dinner and overnight. B L

DAY 11 CHAPADA DIAMANTINA-CAVES and GROTTOS. Following breakfast, our group will spend the day exploring a number of caves and grottos found in Chapada Diamantia National Park. One example is “Lapa Doce”, where more than 13 miles of galleries and incredible karst topography will be explored. We will transfer back to Lençóis this evening for dinner. This evening, participants will be able to walk and shop, while taking in the bucolic atmosphere of this historic town. Overnight Lençóis. B L

DAY 12 CHAPADA DIAMANTINA-POÇO ENCANTADO-BLUE POND. Early this morning, we will travel to Poço Encantado, a grotto, where the sun creates a spectacular phenomenon, as it paints the walls of the cavern here and the water a beautiful turquoise color. Participants will have the opportunity to swim. Following lunch, our group will visit Tiburtino Waterfall and the Sempre Viva Project, where we will observe a natural botanical garden of flowers native to Brazil. We will then travel to the Blue Pond, where participants can snorkel in the crystal clear waters of this incredible cavern. Dinner and overnight Lençóis. B L

DAY 13 SALVADOR-FLIGHT SALVADOR-RIO de JANEIRO. Following breakfast, our group will travel back to Salvador, where we will connect with our return flight to Rio de Janeiro. Dinner and overnight Rio de Janeiro. B

DAY 14 RIO DE JANEIRO-COMMUNITY PROJECT VISIT-PARATY. After breakfast today, our group will have a meeting with several local non-profit organizations that work with low-income communities of Rio de Janeiro. Discussions will take place concerning present living conditions and educations projects presently underway to assist these communities, such as “se Essa Rua Fosse Minha”, “Afroreggae” or “Movimento Onda Azul”. Following lunch, we will travel to Paraty, a charming colonial town founded by the Portuguese in the beginning of 17th century. This afternoon will be at leisure walking around Paraty to observe some its many colonial buildings. Dinner and overnight Paraty. B

DAY 15 PARATY–BOAT TRIP on ILHA GRANDE BAY. Early this morning, we will travel by boat on a tour of the emerald green sea of Ilha Grande Bay. Here, we will visit a number of the beautiful small islands of Paraty, all covered with lush vegetation of Brazil’s Atlantic forest. Snorkeling and diving here is excellent. Following lunch, our group will hike on the Caminho do Ouro (Golden Path), an old trail where the Portuguese settlers transported gold for shipment back to Europe. Dinner and overnight Paraty. B L

DAY 16 PARATY–RIO de JANEIRO-DEPARTURE. Following breakfast today, participants will visit the small fishing village of Trinidade. It is located on one of the most beautiful beaches in the region, where the green Atlantic and surrounding forest provide for an idyllic setting. We will be able to snorkel on the south side of the beach, where large stones create a natural pool, filled with brilliantly colored fish. After lunch, participants will check out of their hotel, say farewells to our Brazil Field Course Staff and transfer to Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, outside of Rio de Janeiro for your return flight home. B

DAY 17 ARRIVAL HOME.

Note: Due to weather conditions and circumstances beyond the control of Field Course Staff, certain activities may be changed or done on different days in the best interest of the group.