Amazon Adventures

Brazil

Pousada Xaraes Lodge

340 Kms. From Campo Grande, the capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the lodge, "Pousada Xaraés" is situated in one of the most beautiful geographic regions of the Pantanal, the Abobral Pantanal, washed by the river Abobral. The lodge is part of a commercial cattle ranch carrying about 1500 head in a total area of 4200 Hectares.

The owners have a nice philosophy and a very kind staff. The guides are all biology or ecology students and have good information.

The lodge's 17 apartments are distributed among three buildings and has the capacity to receive 46 guests in its facilities which include an all purpose multimidia event room, dining room, sitting room with fire place, games area and bar, Kiosk for barbecues and a woodfired stove, mini-gym, dry sauna, ecological swimming pool (no chemicals used), children's pool, poli-sport court, football pitch, beach volleyball pitch, lassoing track, Etc. The varied menu includes local and international dishes.

All the apartments have private bathrooms with hot water, air conditioning system, Electricity with 110v outlets , frigo bar and telephone, with rustic decoration and a welcoming atmosphere.

Year round trained bilingual naturalist guides lead daily wildlife viewing excursions. Activities may vary depending on the season, but typically each day includes two daytime activities and one nighttime activity. Activities include the following:

Hikes - We offer a number of different hikes to observe the fauna and flora of the Pantanal. Each of these hikes can be done during the day, whilst two hikes are also available at night.

Canoe tours - Paddling on the nearby Abobral River is an excellent way to experience the sights and sounds of the Pantanal, with frequent views of Giant Otters fishing in the river, Capybaras on the shoreline and monkeys in river edge trees. Birds commonly seen on our outings include the tallest flying bird in the New World (the Jabiru Stork) as well as a large number of other species of water birds, hawks, and kingfishers.

Horseback riding offers one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal, as you can reach spots not accessible by car.

4 x 4 safaris - Open-backed 4 x 4 vehicles enable exploration of the further reaches of the ranch to search for large mammals and birds. Night spotting excursions reveal the phenomenal nocturnal animals of the Pantanal. Outings often include one or more of the following: thousands of caimans with their eyes glowing orange in the beams of our flashlights, Capybaras and Giant Anteaters.

Campo Grande is the gateway to the Southern Pantanal and is served by Brazil's main airlines. Air-conditioned vans then drive you for 5 hours to the Lodge. The road itself is in a natural reserve, so transfers in and out are like a tour.

2008 Prices per person in US$

		Single	Double	Triple	Quadruple
Jan 2-July 1 + Sept 1-Dec. 23	2 days	$1030	$579	$446	$396
	3 days	$1224	$740	$590	$526
	4 days	$1418	$901	$734	$656
	5 days	$1500	$962	$790	$706
	6 days	$1666	$1098	$912	$816
July 1-Sept 1 + Carnival	2 days	$1058	$598	$465	$412
	3 days	$1280	$778	$628	$558
	4 days	$1502	$958	$791	$704
	5 days	$1584	$1034	$834	$762
	6 days	$1771	$1188	$967	$886

Prices include roundtrip airport transfers, all meals (but not drinks), excursions with English-speaking tour guide, taxes.

Children under 5 staying with 2 paying passengers pay only for transfers. Children 6-11 pay for transfers and 50% of lodge cost.

Check in or out not allowed between 9pm - 630am

Pousada Refugio da Ilha

Pousada Refúgio da Ilha is located just 230 km from Campo Grande on a farm adapted for eco-tourism, surrounded by bays and the Rio Salobra, with its transparent water. During the wet season the Rio Salobra (with a length of 80 km.) divides itself in two tributaries, forming an island of more than 4000 hectares. This is Refúgio da Ilha, an extensive area of ecological preservation, located in the ecosystem of the Rio Salobra, together with the mountain range of the National Park of Bodoquena. The charming lodge offers the possibility of tranquility, comfort and personalized service for an unforgettable stay. The vegetation is always very green and the birdwatching is fantastic.

The apartments are equipped with ceiling-fan, air-conditioning and private bathrooms. .The lodge serves delicious meals 3 times a day. Other services are a living room with TV, rest area with hammocks and a bar.

To avoid the intense heat during the day, the tours are taking place early in the morning and mid-afternoon, at these times of the day, the possibilities of seeing the movement of the animals are a lot greater. With the objective of causing as little damage as possible to the ecosystem, the guests are divided in small groups to join the following tours: horse riding, boat rides, trekking, piranha fishing, birdwatching, photo safari and nocturnal viewing of caymans.

2008 Prices per person in US$

		Single	Double	Triple	Quadruple
Feb. 1-Dec. 31	3 days	$1160	$672	$577	$552
Feb. 1-Dec. 31	4 days	$1498	$886	$776	$743

Prices include roundtrip airport transfers, all meals (but not drinks), excursions with English-speaking tour guide, taxes.

Check in or out not allowed between 9pm - 630am

From June 20 - Aug. 20, there is a 3 night minimum stay

Map of Campo Grande - Pantanal - Bonito Area