Iguassu Falls & Brazil’s Pantanal
to photograph magnificent Jaguars!

Led by Professional Photographer Paul Renner

July 31 – August 13, 2022

Join me for this incredible opportunity to photograph jaguars in Brazil’s Pantanal. This area has the highest density of jaguars in South America and that is just the beginning! The Pantanal, the worlds largest wetlands, is also home to large populations of capybaras, ocelots, caimans, giant anteaters and tapirs. A multitude of bird species including spectacular toco toucans, hyacinth macaws, jabiru and wood storks, kingfishers, humming birds and so many more. The abundance of birds, wildlife, and exotic landscapes will thrill you with unlimited photographic opportunities!

Land Cost and internal flights: $ 9720 Per person, double occupancy. Price is for payment is by check. If paying by credit card add a $325 service fee. Add $1735 for single room occupancy to the land cost

Pricing details:

•A $2000 per person deposit and enrollment form is due to hold your space on this trip. This deposit is non-refundable. Final payment due date: April 30, 2022

What’s included in the land cost:

• Airport transfers as indicated

• Internal flights Sao Paolo to Iguassu, Iguassu to Sao Paolo to Cuiaba, Cuiaba to Sao Paolo

• Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary

• Activities and meals as mentioned in itinerary

• Local guide during excursions and activities as indicated in the itinerary

What’s not included

• International airfares

• Visas

• Tips

• Trip cancellation coverage

• Other items of personal nature

Travel/trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. For more information call us                  at 1-714 349-7112.

Daily itinerary

Sunday, July 31: Arrive Sao Paolo, Brazil

Upon arrival in São Paulo, clear immigration and customs, then proceed to the arrivals area for your complimentary hotel shuttle transfer to the hotel for an overnight. Sao Paulo Airport Marriott Hotel. One of our agents will be holding a sign saying Renner Group twill be there here to meet you.

Monday, August 01: Iguassu Falls

After breakfast, transfer to the airport by hotel shuttle to connect with your morning flight to Iguassu Falls. On arrival, you’ll then be transferred to your luxurious hotel on the Brazilian side of the falls. As the only hotel located within Iguassu Falls National Park, you’ll have access to the falls before the masses of tourists arrive, and still long after they’ve left! Overnight (Breakfast) Belmond Hotel

Tuesday, August 02: Iguassu Falls (Brazil and Argentina Side)

This morning your guide will meet you at your hotel to take you on a guided tour of the Brazilian side of these world-famous waterfalls, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. There are estimated to be 275 different waterfalls dotted around the tropical forests here. The Brazilian side of the falls offers a more panoramic view than that offered across the border in Argentina, putting into perspective the awesome scale of this natural wonder. After the tour, lunch at Porto Canoas restaurant located inside the National park. This restaurant offers a nice infrastructure and the best view of the Devil’s throat. After lunch, transfer to Argentina side and continue to Melia Iguazu Hotel perfectly situated within the Iguazu National Park. Afternoon guided tour through the National Park trails on top of the waterfalls to catch panoramic views of the area on both sides and finishing at the Devil’s throat. Return to the hotel for an overnight. (Breakfast, lunch) Melia Iguazu

Wednesday August 03: Iguassu Falls (Argentina side)

This morning you will meet your guide again for a tour of the Argentinian side of the falls. The Argentinian falls lie within the Iguassu National Park, an extensive area of rainforest with many paths that take you to within touching distance of the falls, including the largest and most spectacular of all the cascades: Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat). Lunch at the Fortin restaurant located inside the National Park. Following your tour and lunch, the rest of the day is at leisure for you to enjoy a boat trip (extra cost) or you can also opt to take a spectacular helicopter flight over the falls, taking in their sheer size and scale (extra cost). Overnight at your hotel. (Breakfast, lunch) Melia Iguazu

 Thursday, August 04: Cuiaba, Brazil

After breakfast, transfer back to Iguassu Falls airport in Brazil to connect with your flight to Cuiaba via Sao Paolo. Arrive Cuiaba this evening where you will meet our representative and transfer to the hotel for overnight. (Breakfast) Hotel Deville Prime Cuiaba

Friday, August 05: SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Morning at leisure. Lunch at the hotel with your SouthWild representative and transfer by air-conditioned vehicle to the SouthWild Pantanal Lodge. Stops along the Transpantaneira are planned to photograph specialties like Whistling, Cocoi, Purple, and Capped Heron, among many others. The Pantanal has one of the densest wildlife populations in the world. SouthWild Pantanal is the only lodge in the Pantanal offering mobile canopy towers near fruiting trees and electric catamarans for long-lens photography on the intimate, wildlife-rich river that flows next to the lodge. These floating blinds are designed to allow you to quietly approach mammals and birds along the banks of the river. A tower blind allows for intimate photography of a nesting pair of Jabiru Storks, which normally have babies at this time. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Saturday, August 06: SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Early morning and afternoon activities such as boat rides, forest hikes, and tower climbs will confirm why this area could be called the Serengeti of South America. Always have your camera ready as there is exciting wildlife right around the cabins – lots of capybara with babies, crab-eating fox, giant anteater, crab-eating raccoon, brocket and marsh deer, black howler monkey, brown capuchin monkey, black-tailed marmoset, and even tapirs. There are some very large extraordinary birds like Toco Toucan, Hyacinth Macaw and Bare-faced Curassow. The feeders attract hummingbirds, as well as the striking Orange-backed Troupial, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Saffron Finch, Purplish Jay, and Bay-winged Cowbird. A walk on the trails may reveal colorful Helmeted Manakins and cryptic Great Potoos. There is even a blind set up to photograph ocelots (bring your flash and flashlight). (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

 Sunday, August 07: Jaguar Retreat

During your breakfast, observe the abundant fauna around the nearby river, including caiman, capybara and jabiru stork. Depart at 7am in a roofed and open-sided safari truck towards the end of the road at Porto Jofre. Embark on speedboats for a 6-mile upstream journey to the Jaguar Retreat Lodge you will be greeted with lunch. Afterwards, your guide will guide you photographically as you spend the afternoon on a 4-hour boat outing searching for jaguars and the perfect wildlife shot. Return to your accommodation and then relax before dinner. This evening you will learn more about the area with an informative lecture. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) Jaguar Retreat

Mon/Tue/Wed, Aug 08/09/10: Jaguar Retreat

Spend the next three days searching for jaguars and giant otters on the Three Brothers, Cuiabá and Piquiri Rivers. Enjoy two boat outings per day and then return to the lodge for lunch. Jaguars are often seen during the heat of the day sunning themselves on the riverbanks. This is the best place in the world to see these elusive big cats in the wild. Following your excursions, you will head back to the lodge where you will be able to relax, edit some photos and discuss your images in the hopes of improving your shots each day. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) Jaguar Retreat

Thursday, August 11: SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

This morning after breakfast, you will transfer 6 mile back downriver to Porto Jofre. On arrival, you will be transferred back north along the Transpantaneira Highway on an open side, roofed safari truck. After lunch at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, more activities are planned around the lodge. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Friday, August 12: SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Early morning and afternoon activities such as boat rides, forest hikes, and tower climbs. Capture a few final shots to complete your portfolio of Pantanal images. This is the last chance to put into practice all that you have learned throughout your trip, before relaxing for a final dinner with your group and a night safari with a chance to spot tapir, anteater, fox, deer and more. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) SouthWild Pantanal Lodge

Saturday, August 13: Depart

Early breakfast and depart from Southwild Pantanal Lodge in a closed, air-conditioned vehicle to drive 3-3.5 h back to Cuiaba and connect with your flight to Sao Paolo. Arrive Sao Paolo where you will remain in transit and connect with your flight home. (Breakfast)

Useful Information for Travel in Brazil and Argentina:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

A valid passport is required for all U.S. and Canadian citizens traveling to Brazil The passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date and contain at least 2 blank visa pages for endorsements (per country visited).

Upon arrival at the airport in Brazil a visa must be obtained at the immigration counter.

Your Covid 19 vaccination record must be produced upon departure from the US and upon arrival in Brazil, THREE vaccinations with dates of those vaccinations are required. Requirements are changing often so for the latest requirements, check back before traveling. Also check with your airlines for their requirements.  Currently, Covid tests are not required for entry to Brazil and Argentina.

 IMPORTANT NOTE ON PASSPORT PAGES:

It is the responsibility of each traveler to make sure their passport is valid and has sufficient “VISA” pages to stamp entry visas. Please note the last three pages on the passport are “NOT VISA” pages; they are amendment pages, and thus visas cannot be stamped on these pages. There should a minimum of at least two (2) blank (unstamped) “VISA” pages for each country to be visited. Failure to have 2 blank (unstamped) “VISA” pages puts you at risk of being denied entry even when visas have been obtained in advance.  THE BLANK PAGES ARE REQUIRED.

HEALTH

Make sure to bring any personal medications with you to Brazil. Our locations are remote, and not near any pharmacies.

Covid 19 restrictions apply to all international flights and currently require that each passenger be fully vaccinated.

Anti-Malaria medication is recommended for travel in Brazil. we also recommend that you be up to date on your Yellow Fever vaccination. We advise you to consult your physician or the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia at (404) 639-3311 for any further requirements or recommendations. When in cities and towns anywhere in Brazil or the tropics in general, take extra care to avoid mosquito bites. Even in locations where malaria is extremely rare or entirely absent, urban mosquitoes can carry dengue fever or other dangerous and debilitating viruses. Rural mosquitoes are normally free of those viruses, which are notably associated with villages, towns, and cities.

Some lodges and camps have a supply of insect repellent; however, it is a good idea to bring some with you. Many lodges and camps have mosquito nets in the bedrooms. The mosquitoes usually come out around sunset.

WEATHER

If traveling in Pantanal between May and September, bring cold weather clothes as cold fronts can bring the temperature down to about 50F. In SouthWild Amazon or Manaus, there are no cold fronts so winter clothes are not needed there.

FOOD & WATER

Unlimited drinking water is available from large water coolers at SouthWild Pantanal and SouthWild Jaguar Retreat. Please bring a refillable bottle to refill at no cost, thus eliminating plastic refuse, which already is much too prevalent in the modern world.

I n Argentina , we recommend using bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth.

Meals in Brazil and Argentina are good but not fancy. Quite a bit of Mexican style food is served.

CLOTHING, ETC.

Dress in Brazil/Argentina is casual. Clothing should be lightweight, loose fitting and of “breathable” fabrics, such as cotton. While on safari, you will find that neutral colors are best as they blend in with the natural surroundings and show the least amount of dust or dirt. Make a note that bugs are more attracted to blue, black and yellow so it is best to avoid those colors when selecting your clothing for safari. The nights can be cool, so you should bring a sweater or jacket. Laundry service is available at most hotels, lodges and camps at a nominal fee so while on safari, only 4 or 5 changes of clothes should be sufficient. Boots are not necessary for safari. Comfortable walking or running shoes are just fine. Sandals or flip-flops are handy around the lodges and swimming pools.

If traveling in Pantanal between May and September, bring cold weather clothes as cold fronts can bring the temperature down to about 50F. In SouthWild Amazon or Manaus, there are no cold fronts so winter clothes are not needed there. If you have a lot of luggage and some is not needed for your wildlife trip, store it at the secure SouthWild offices or at your arrival hotel in Manaus.

Chiggers are small mites that cause itching, and they can completely RUIN some trips to forests and fields from Southwest USA to Argentina. Pre-trip treatment with permethrin is IMPERATIVE. DO NOT IGNORE THIS WARNING. Plan on treating at least a few pairs of socks, one pair of absorbent walking sneakers and the lower half of one pair of field trousers. Permethrin is sold by both rei.com and amazon.com. One 24oz spray bottle is sufficient to treat this small amount of clothing for 2-3 individuals if following the directions. An alternative to permethrin spray is to wear knee-high rubber boots (i.e., Wellingtons) while in the grass and forest. However, they are hot, heavy and can be uncomfortable. Having said that, wearing hot, heavy, and uncomfortable boots is preferable to getting a bunch of itchy chigger bites.

LUGGAGE

Please note that the total luggage weight per person should not exceed 80lbs. This allotment includes all checked baggage as well as ALL hand luggage, camera equipment, and tripods. For guests using charter planes, PLEASE USE SOFT DUFFELS FOR ALL CHECKED PIECES, as they fit better in the luggage compartment of small planes. Check with your airline for further requirements.

CURRENCY & BANKING

If you plan to use your credit cards on the trip, BEFORE you leave home contact your credit card company and set up a travel plan with the to  keep your card from being denied when you want to use it.

Brazilian law allows you to carry up to $1,950 USD in cash per person into Brazil. It usually is easy to use cash machines in São Paulo, Iguassu, and Cuiabá Airports to get out a few hundred dollars of Brazilian rais.

SECURITY

As in most major cities, sensible security precautions should be taken. Keep a close watch on purses, handbags, wallets and cameras. Avoid wearing expensive or flashy jewelry. It is advisable to hire a taxi if you wish to move around at night and for your personal safety, avoid deserted lanes and streets.

ELECTRICITY

SouthWild Pantanal and SouthWild Jaguar Flotel have unlimited 24h, 110-volt electrical power. We provide plug adapters (not voltage transformers) and/or power strips that work for almost all North American-style two-prong or three-prong plugs. Ask for details if you have the slightest doubt whether your cameras, smart phones or computers will plug into our sockets.

TIPPING

On June 22, 2022.: The current exchange rate is:

$1 US dollar = 5.16 Brazilian Real

$1 US dollar = 123.23 Argentine Pesos

Tipping is entirely optional and at your discretion. Guests often ask us to offer some guidance on this topic. Therefore, if you did wish to reward the lodge staff, boat drivers and naturalist guides for their hard work, we might suggest considering the following amounts per guest:

Guide – USD $ 15-20 per day per guest 

Boat Driver (who often find good Jaguars for you)- USD $10 per day per guest 

Car or Truck Driver- USD $10 per day per guest 

Lodge Staff at each lodge- USD $10 per day per guest (they will split it equally between the staff) 

At the end of your stay at each lodge, your guide will ask if anyone would like to tip, and then the guide will divide the total amount evenly among the lodge staff. We must emphasize that there is absolutely no pressure on you to tip, and you should only do so if you are comfortable with this, and you feel that you have received good service.

The staff really prefer tips in the Brazilian currency, the real (pronounced “ray-AO”, with the plural being “reais”, as in “50 reais”). They prefer reais, as dollars are very hard to change at a good rate inside the Pantanal. At the moment of writing, the exchange rate is 5.1 reais to the US Dollar. So 10 dollars is about 50 reais, 50 dollars is about 250 reais, and 100 dollars is 510 reais.

BINOCULARS

You may never see wild jaguars again, so if you can, please bring a good pair of binoculars. Often animals are deep inside shade at 30-50 meters. Without good binoculars you cannot appreciate the elegant spot patterns and changing expressions of the big cats.

SUGGESTED PACKING LIST

Important Documents

• Airline tickets

• Passport and visa for each country you will be visiting

• Photocopies of your passport, credit cards, and airline tickets (to be kept separately from the originals)

• Vaccination certificates

• Emergency phone numbers (in itinerary that will be provided for you before the trip)

• Trip Itinerary

• Extra passport photos

Personal Items:

It is not necessary to bring everything on this list. Please only bring the items that apply to you personally.

• Protein bars or snacks to carry you through in the event of long game drives between meals

• Prescription medications (bring enough to last through the entire trip)

• 3-5 changes of casual clothing (cotton shorts, T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweater or jacket, trousers, sports shirts, blouses, dress, etc.) Avoid bright colors and whites. Clothing in neutral colors or earth tones: khaki, light brown, tan or green is best for improved wildlife viewing on game drives and they are also less likely to attract bugs. (Laundry facilities are available at most of the lodges when we stay for two or more nights so you can get your clothes washed quite often).

•Winter coat, gloves, beanie (if travelling between May and September)

• Rain poncho

• Two pairs of comfortable shoes and a pair of flip-flops or sandals

• If you have back problems, bring an extra pillow or cushion for the seats in the boats.

• Compression socks. They help to minimize swelling in arms and legs on long flights.

• Hand sanitizer

• Swim suit and cover-up

• Hat with a visor

• Sunglasses (neck string comes in quite handy)

• Sunscreen

• Medical history

• Copies of prescriptions

• Malaria tablets

• Antibiotics such as Z-Pack or Cipro

• Insect repellent

• Eye drops (the sun is very bright and it will be dusty)

• Extra contact lenses and contact lens cleaning solution

• Skin and hair moisturizers

• Toothbrush/toothpaste/dental floss

• Dust mask (especially if you suffer from allergies)

• Throat lozenges: (for a sore throat caused by dust or colds)

• Imodium (or other Anti-diarrhea medicine)

• Personal medications (there are basic first aid kits in the lodges)

• An extra pair of glasses/contact lenses if you wear them

• Large ziplock bags (great for keeping film and camera equipment clean, storing wet swim suits and dirty shoes, etc.)

• Pre-moistened small individually wrapped towelettes for quick freshen ups.

• Small travel towel

• Small scissors

• Tweezers

• Lip balm or chap stick

• Q tips and cotton balls

• Razor & shaving cream/gel

• Sanitary requirements (shops are sometimes few and far between, and very basic)

• Band aids and moleskin

• Cold/flu tablets

• Allergy remedy

• Ace bandage

•Vitamins

• Medicine for headache and/or pain

• Antiseptic cream

• Motion sickness tablets

• Heartburn remedy

• Re-hydration salts

• Small backpack or daypack

• Small compass

• Book to read between game viewing boat rides or during leisure time.

• Money belt

• Electrical adapter and a power strip for charging your equipment

• Binoculars

• Small, bright flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs

• Small calculator for calculating currency

• Travel alarm clock (Cell phone alarm works well too)

• Extra batteries

• Diary to record your favorite memories

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bring plenty of storage for your photos and extra batteries as both items may be hard to find in Brazil. Make sure you have some way of protecting your camera from dust while and bring plastic bags to protect your camera from water spray at Iguassu Falls. A telephoto or zoom lens and a wide angle lens are recommended for some truly outstanding and impressive photographs. If you are using digital cameras be sure to bring extra memory cards, rechargeable batteries and charger, plus a way to down load and store your photos from the camera, The lodges have electricity so charging batteries and using laptops is not a problem.

Do not take photographs of military installations, police stations, government facilities, airports, border post soldiers or police. Always ask before taking photographs of people. They will most likely want to charge you, so ask your guide to negotiate for you.

Suggested Photography Equipment

• Camera

• Video Camera

• Back up camera (This isn’t essential, but you would hate to be in Brazil and have your camera malfunction.)

• Extra batteries for camera

• Wide angle lens (Most of your shooting will be with telephotos, but wide angles always have their place. At Iguassu Falls it will be very handy.

• Telephoto lens (I think you should have at least a 300mm capability, but 400mm or longer would be better. But there are, situations where you will want and need a longer lens.

• Tripod You will not need a tripod while shooting wildlife from the boats. A tripod may be handy at Iguassu Falls. If you want to limit the weight and bulk of your baggage, leaving the tripod at home would not be a bad thing to do.

• Flash and extra batteries for it. 

• Filters: Skylight or UV filters that protect your lenses, polarizing, split image, neutral density, etc.  With the filters now available in Photoshop,I rarely use filters. It is that much less to carry.

• Compact Flash or SD cards: I recommend 64 or 128 gig cards, especially for cameras with 20 megabytes and higher. Bring as many as you think you will need and then one or two extra. If you are shooting RAW it is not hard to shoot 32 gigs a day.

• Sensor cleaning materials: With the self cleaning sensors on most cameras, it may not be necessary to bring sensor cleaning supplies unless you are changing lenses often in dusty conditions.

• Portable hard drive or laptop: This is for dumping your images from the flash card so you can re-use the card. I strongly suggest redundancy, meaning two portable hard drives or a laptop and a portable hard drive so you have two sets of your images in the event of equipment failure or computer crash. I realize a laptop is one more large, vulnerable thing to carry, and therefore you need to think carefully about whether or not to bring one. If you don’t want to carry one, that’s perfectly fine, but make sure that you have redundancy in storing your digital images. Once you erase a flash card and put new images on it, the previously erased shots are gone forever. Bring more storage than you think you will need. On these photo tours, it is not uncommon for people to shoot 10 to 15 thousand images. For that, you will need lots of storage space!

• Extra camera battery

• Battery charger

• Power strip: (This is so you can charge several things at one time.)

• Electrical adapter.

• Camera manual: (I strongly suggest you bring this and keep it with you during the game drives!)

• Crucial electrical connecting cables: Check and double check that you have all the cables you need.

• Small paint brush: (I use this for dusting off the outside of my camera.)

• Pillow case: (This is for placing the camera inside in areas of a lot of dust.)

• Lens cleaning: tissue or microfiber cloth