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1 day for Iguazu Falls (I know, but that's all she has)

1 day for Iguazu Falls (I know, but that's all she has)

Old May 12th, 2017, 12:14 PM
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1 day for Iguazu Falls (I know, but that's all she has)

I will be traveling to Brazil for a conference in Sao Paulo where I will meet up with my friend from Spain. Unfortunately, her time is limited and her international flights were booked before she told me she wanted to travel to Iguazu Falls. Now I am trying to squeeze it in. I could stay longer if I want and send her back to SP to catch her flight home. Trip is in September. I am having trouble with the logistics (as you can imagine), especially the luggage. We have been to Sao Paulo before, but not the falls.

We can only fly to IGU on LATAM Friday night late 22:45 - 00:27. I think the GOL 20:40022:25 flight may be too early for us to catch. Her flight to Spain from GRU is Sunday at 15:00.
We could fly back to GRU on Saturday at 19:10-20:45 on GOL or Sunday at 6:30-8:20 on LATAM (there is one later LATAM flight that would get her to GRU as backup).

I am thinking we will book 1 room at Belmond Hotel del Cataratas (large expense for us), take taxi there, get a few hours sleep, then get out on the trail along the Brazilian side of the falls early (sunrise 6:30 am) with quick breakfast before or after the walk.
Check out of hotel, but leave luggage? Hire a driver/car and take the luggage with us?
Taxi to Argentinian side.
Then we can take taxi (back to Belmond hotel to pick up luggage?), then IGU in time to catch 19:10 flight--how early would we need to be at IGU?

Second option is to spend second night so can stay at Argentinian falls until closing at 18:00.
I can't stomach paying $1000 for 2 nights hotel, so we would need to move to something cheaper along the highway near the airport for the 6:30am flight.

We could also just spend 2 nights at hotel near airport, but would give up the early entry into the park and that seems essential to see some of each side in one day.

Meanwhile, I have to decide if I want to stay on longer. I'm not interested in the boat or helicopter ride nor the bird park, so I am thinking if I stayed, I would just return to whichever side I wanted for a few hours more.
(I plan to fly back to GRU, then on to Cuiaba for a 3D/2N or 4D/3N wildlife trip before I return home, but that is another puzzle.)

Help! How do I cobble together the flights/hotel/transportation best?
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Old May 13th, 2017, 06:27 AM
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Have you looked into leaving the main luggage at GRU and just taking a small bag? Or if you decide to stay on you could sleep on the Argentinian side (where I thought the views were better) and leave the luggage at the hotel.
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Old May 13th, 2017, 09:39 AM
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Not sure I'd want to follow one arduous (late night, up super early, lots of hiking) trip with another arduous trip into the

How about this:
Get in late Friday. Get a taxi over to Argentina. Sleep at the Sheraton inside the park (maybe cheaper than the Belmond. Note: You will need Argentine money to pay park entrance fee.). There are 3 main trails on the Argentine side. Get an early start and see what you can. Get your luggage and cross back to Brazil to put friend on late flight from IGU to GRU, so she is not depending on a same day domestic flight to arrive for the international one. At IGU you need over an hour before boarding time; I've been refused boarding in Brazil with less time than an hour, even at a small airport. Sleep in Foz. See the Brazilian side of the park on the following day (trail takes about 3 hours) and get your flight to GRU and Cuiba (you'll probably have to backtrack to GRU).
Gives you a slightly less strenuous trip.

For additional ideas, there's a very knowledgable resident of Foz who posts on the TA forum for Iguacu.
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Old May 13th, 2017, 09:41 AM
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oops
.....trip into the Pantanal.
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Old May 14th, 2017, 08:50 AM
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I was confused--I read somewhere that Sheraton guests do not have early access to the park, but I did a lot more searching and read that they do, so that makes more sense than staying at the Belmond--up early and on the trails, then check out and take bags over to Brazil.

I thought of leaving bags in GRU luggage lockers, but I don't want to count on it in case we are tight on time catching flight to IGU. I also don't know how large my friend's suitcase will be. I always travel with 21" rollaboard and pack, but she sometimes has a larger suitcase (lots of shoes). I'll tell her to plan on luggage going in a locker, so think small.

I'm hesitant to recommend she take the Saturday night flight back to GRU because it is on GOL and their only flight before her flight out the next day. Taking Sunday morning LATAM flight means she is on two tickets same day, but they have 2 flights that could get her to GRU in time for her international flight. I'll let her make the final call as it is her flights.

I'm rethinking my trip into the Pantanal--just too expensive going solo. I'm not much of a city person, but I could add Rio instead for a couple of days or just stay an extra day in Iguazu. I'm currently exploring.
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Old May 14th, 2017, 11:10 AM
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There seem to be 3 Sat.evening flights IGU to GRU:
Latham 5pm
Avianca 6:05
GOL 7:10

There are several Sunday morning flights. (Those 3 and Azul fly the route.)

------------------------

Rio
Or go to southern Pantanal from Campo Grande for cheaper trips; join a group there.
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Old May 14th, 2017, 02:34 PM
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Yes, on Saturday, I was looking at the last flight to give her the most time at the falls. If she is booked on GOL and they cancel the Sat evening flight, she can't necessarily book on one of the others.

Sunday Azul has one morning flight with connection Curitiba(CWB) and I don't see the others listing flights early that Sunday morning on their website flight searches except LATAM.

I've been trying to join group trips in the Pantanal. We'll see if one works out. If not, I'll still be seeing something beyond Sao Paulo this trip!
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Old May 15th, 2017, 06:26 AM
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"join a group there." THERE being the operational word. You can go to Campo Grande and talk to tour providers and middle men. Or take the bus to Burraco de Piranhas and talk to someone there, closer to the fazendas.

There are various Sunday morning flights showing and there is also a night bus that gets in to SP about 11 am. In 20 years of flying domestically in Brazil, fairly regularly, I have never had a flight cancelled. H(er)MMV, but I see no reason to fret about it in advance. I would still not fly the same day as an international flight though.
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Old May 15th, 2017, 08:44 AM
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Thanks so much for your advice "on the ground".

I did find a much cheaper organizer who seems to arrange daily transfers to a ranch from Campo Grande www.gilspantanaldiscovery.com.br/ He seems to have a recommendation in Lonely Planet and has problems with people saying they work with him according to his website. I will explore further.

I was looking at flying into Rio and out of Sao Paulo, but it appears I have to go to Sao Paulo to go to Campo Grande anyway, so I have to look at how it would all fit together or cut back. I'm more of a nature than a city person, so the Pantanal calls to me more than Rio, but I like to see anyplace new.
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Old May 15th, 2017, 09:48 AM
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Rio actually has some nice natural areas and opportunities to see animals and birds. The beauty of the city is that the ocean and natural areas are right there, reachable from the most urban part of the city. On top of Sugarloaf, there are miko monkeys and you can see buzzards soaring at that height. In the Tijuca forest, there are sometimes troops of spider monkeys on the road; you can find waterfalls, a koi pond, and jungle. There are the Marapendi wetlands. Spectacular and very uncrowded beaches like Joa, or Itacoatiara across the bay. Charming Paqueta with no cars. There are even places along the most frequented shoreline in Rio where you can find a moment that feels less "urban".
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