The very comfortable Piuval lodge allows
you to experience all the different aspects of the Pantanal. It is situated
on the flood-plain and is bordered by a 3000 hectare lake formed by the
Bento Gomes river. With plenty of mound hills, there are many possibilities
for hiking, as well as for other actitivies such as horse-riding, and
canoe or boat trips (especially in the Wet Season).At the end of the Wet
Season (Feburary to April), just in front of the lodge, we can take the
canoes, to navigate the Flooded Field to the mound-hills where we can
hike- it's wonderful! Before the end of the Wet Season. the Baía
do Piuval is full of water, offering a longer boat trip, with a spectacular
sunset taken from the center of the lake! Fishing is also possible. The
night safari is done to just the area surrounding the guest's house. In
the Wet Season, animals are looking for higher places, and Piuval has
plenty of those mound-hills. After the end of the Wet Season, when the
land is getting dry, this is the first place to attract the migratory
birds in their return to the Pantanal).
For those who want to spend more than three
nights in the Pantanal and would like to vary the environments they experience,
this tour offers accommodation in Piuval and an additional lodge, with
longer boat trips on rivers. Both lodges offer the same standard of comfort,
with air conditioning and a swimming pool. These tours are especially
recommended in the Dry Season.
"A few months have gone
by since that most memorable trip to Brasil. The accommodations were great
and the guide (Jean - Haitian) really did everything we wanted him to
do. My son and I were probably not your typical tourists as we had no
problem with the hikes or the hours. We saw both kinds of anteaters (and
not the one feeding from the handheld bottle although it was truly cool
having that long tongue slurp at your fingers and hand), Marmoset and
Howler monkeys, Capybaras and Caiman, Lizards and even a Tortoise, with
at least 40 different kinds of birds (Eagles, Buzzards, Herons, Storks,
Ibis, Parakeets, Toucans, Macaws, Secretary, etc., etc., etc.). One neat
event was coming across a newly hatched brood of baby caiman making their
little grunting noises - I was definitely looking around for mama - if
I had been inclined I could have easily caught one of the 28 or so that
were milling about. In the Chapada we took a long hike and swam in a couple
of large pools with waterfalls - way cool - well not really, since the
water was only a few degrees colder that the ambient air temperature but
it still was refreshing!" - Duane