mlgb

You can also fly from Lima to Iquitos to see the real Amazon River. But just to see the "jungle" on other tributaries is also possible from Cusco, going to the east.

luademochila

Don't know Iquitos, but since it is in Peru, it may also be a cheaper alternative.

Sim_BA

luademochila - Thanks for the suggestion would it be a good idea to do get The Brazil Air pass? that could work out cheaper i think and save me a lot of time as the i am not sure about th train system in Brazil to other parts of the country such as Menaus


mlgb- I will check flights tonight and see if they are cheap thanks so much

mlgb

Sim_BA

StarPeru.com flies to Iquitos from Lima starting at $80 ow

luademochila

I don't know about any air passes in Brazil, sorry. Everyone that I know buy single tickets when needed.

There is no train system connecting the country. Buses and Airlines is all you have here, which is a shame, we know. Manaus is far away from everything touristic, so buses are not an option in this case.

The real Amazon is very expensive even for us. I bet 99% of the brazilian people have never been there. Manaus is not that expensive, but as I said, you won't see much there. It is a real city, not a lost town in the middle of the jungle like some people think it is (not saying it is your case).

Sim_BA

Thanks guys!


After reading about Iquitos in Peru i had decided to go there rather than Amenaus to see the amazon, as I have read it is very similar but Peru is far cheaper. but i interesingly saw a post about Rurrenabaque in Bolivia and i am told this is just as good. Has anyone been there....i think the problem i have is that there are too many choices haha

crellston

I was in Rurrenabaque last year and loved it. Pristine rainforest but not the big river you would expect deep into the Brazilian Amazon ( or so I am told!) some photos and detail on my blog

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/6/tpod.html

Entries 27&28

We looked at a jungle visit in Ecuador and Peru but decided on. Madidi because it was more protected than Ecuador and a lot cheaper than Peru.

Sim_BA

Hey crellston thanks so much for the blog i have just had a quick look at the photos and it does look amazing especially the animals. I will read your Blog and pick up other ideas...I think i will go to Rurrenabaque as you recommended that it is a lot cheaper

I am also thinking of travelling to North east Brazil to see archipelago Fernando de Noronha- the place looks like paradise! i have researched the flights and accommodation and it is pricey but i am thinking it will be once in a lifetime experience! Has anyone been there?

crellston

Can't help with Brazil as I haven't been yet - a combination of costs and the prospect of trying achieve even basic competency in yet another language

luademochila

Fernando de Noronha is the most expensive place in Brazil. Everything is very expensive - flights, food, accomodation, tours, taxes. I'd rather go somewhere in Caribbean, which is as beautiful as FN and much cheaper.

There are many places in Brazilian Northeast worth seeing, though. Not the same experience as you would have in FN or Caribbean, but very beautiful and cheaper. Try Natal, Jericoacoara, Canoa Quebrada, etc.

Sim_BA

Thanks for the advice luademochila! I think the draw of FN was the chance to be with dolphins as i have never seen or been close to Dolphins so i thought it would be worth the experience.

I have been reading that Arraial do Cabo is the best places for snorkelling and has the best beaches in the South- as i will be in rio in June i thought i would now travel there has it is very close. mid june i will be in Salvador for the World cup match...but do i need to travel north to the beaches you mentioned if i have already been to beaches Arraial do Cabo (not sure if it is warm there in June!) whats your experience?

luademochila

FN is indeed one of the best places to see dolphins in Brazil. However, you still can see it in Praia da Pipa (another great beach in Natal-RN), one of the most unique beaches in the whole country.

http://viajeaqui.abril.com.br/cidade...-da-pipa/fotos

Or Florianopolis, a beautiful city in the south, well connected to Rio de Janeiro by flights (1h30'):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9183872...7638330545325/

Don't get me wrong, FN is a very beautiful place. However, it is outrageously expensive and IMO overrated if you compare with many places in Caribbean.

Yes, Arraial do Cabo is a very good place for snorkelling, I'd recommend a boat trip as well. However, it will be cold in june in any southern beach, especially in Arraial do Cabo. Northern beaches have warm water for the whole year.

If you go to Curacao (Caribbean), you can do better snorkelling, right from the shore, than both FN and Arraial do Cabo and still see dolphins in a seaquarium (actually, you can swim with them if you pay for it - take a look at http://www.dolphin-academy.com/programs/dolphin-swim). There are direct flights from Bogota (Colombia, airline Avianca) and a few from Rio de Janeiro (more expensive this way). Take a look at my pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9183872...7642467629565/

Rio de Janeiro urban beaches (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon), Região dos Lagos beaches (Buzios, Arraial do Cabo, Cabo Frio), northern beaches (Pipa, Jenipabu, Jericoacoara, Porto de Galinhas, Barra Grande, Moreré), south beaches and Caribbean beaches are all very different from each other. These from Brazilian Northeast and Caribbean are my favourites - warm water, less people, less expensive. Take this opinion from someone born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. My wife is from Natal.

Sim_BA

Hey thanks so much for the fotos and information!So good to get advice from Brazilians as you know your country best

So i am changing plans after reading your post! I will do Iguazu falls ,Rio Salvador an my trip d Natal hopefully in 3 weeks! i will def check out Praia da Pipa , as i will finish my trip in August , it would probably be best to do snorkelling there rather than take the expensive flight (494180 COP each way) to curacao. The problem is i will will have to take some flights in Brazil ( Foz de Iguazu to rio, rio to Salvador, Salvador to Natal and potentially from Natal to somewhere south so i can step in to Bolivia and travel through to Peru, Colombia, Panama and end up in Costa Rica for my flight home.
My plan is a bit crazy and very expensive due to the number of flights iam thinking i will need....with any of the Brazilian places i have listed do you think i should take a hit and save some money and take a bus? i suppose it would be cool to get an experience of taking a bus journey with some locals/backpackers

Thanks so much for your help!

luademochila

3 weeks will be plenty. 3 nights for Iguazu Falls and Parque das Aves, 4-9 nights for Rio state, 5-9 for Natal and Pipa, 3-4 nights for Salvador. Add more 4 to 8 nights if you want to go to Chapada Diamantina, in Central Bahia, a very unique place in Brazil. Try using Google Images to see, did not find a good website in english.

I'm sorry to have confused you about Natal and Pipa :/. Let me explain it better. Rio Grande do Norte is the name of the state. There, you'll see Natal, the capital of the state. You'll take your flights from Rio or Salvador (from Salvador is cheaper and faster) to Natal, the only city in Rio Grande do Norte with an airport. There will be World Cup matches happening there as well.

It is a very nice city, with great beaches such as Ponta Negra and Jenipabu, cool lagoons (Arituba, Pitangui and Jacumã) and beautiful dunes where you'll enjoy buggy rides. I'd recommend at least 3 nights there. Is is also a wonderful city to eat - I mean it! Food is cheaper than in Rio and better IMO. Do not miss the restaurants Camarões (best seafood, whose speciality are shrimps), Fogo & Chama (steak house), Mangai (self service with varied and very nice local food), Manary (seafood) and Piazzale (italian food).

Ponta Negra is the best place to stay in Natal. I'd suggest either renting a car (which is one of the cheapest I've seen in the whole country) or hiring tours. Local public transport is not good, as almost everywhere else in Brazil (Rio is ok if you stick to touristic areas).

Natal beaches are not good for snorkel. You have to go to Maracajaú. You usually hire a full day tour which includes a boat trip to Maracajaú corals and a maybe a stop in Barra do Punaú, where you have an option to hire ATVs to drive through dunes, which is something not to miss IMO.

http://www.pipatour.com/en/other-des...s/maracajau-rn

Then there is Pipa, which is a region with many beautiful beaches. Praia da Pipa (Praia = beach) is the most famous, but my favourites are Praia do Madeiro and Baía dos Golfinhos (Golfinhos = dolphins). I'd suggest spending at least two nights in Pipa.

http://www.pipa.com.br/dolphins

It is usually not the best place for snorkel, although there are boat trips for this matter. I'd suggest doing this in Maracajaú.

----

Yes, unfortunately your plan will be expensive, because you're covering large distances and logistics in South America could be much better and less expensive. Moreover, World Cup makes everything much more expensive, for you and for us.

You'll waste a lot of time in buses. 24h from Rio to Salvador and another 48h from Salvador to Natal. Not worth, IMO, and not much cheaper than taking flights. However, buses are an option (the only option) travelling within the states - you'll have to catch a bus from Rio to Buzios or Arraial do Cabo, or from Natal to Pipa (where you'll see many backpackers), if you do not hire a tour.

Forgot to add, try to learn a few words in both spanish and portuguese. Most people speak bad english, even worse than mine, or no english. This is specially true outside Rio.

Sim_BA

Woooooooow Chapada Diamantina looks absolutely amazing...thats a definite must see on my trip, thank u ever so much for letting me know! I checked the pics on google and its so amazing!
I have started to book my flights finally
So i have

foz de Iguazu to Rio on 1st June
Rio to Salvador on 10th June

Now here is where i get stuck ....i have decided to plan to see the Pantenal and so checking how to get there

From salvador there is a stop over in Brasilia and then over to Cuiaba which is a bit expensive but thought its worth it, but if i try to go to Natal then it complicates it , as it adds extra flights and costs!

In terms of seeing the pantenal what is the best and cheapest way t get there from Natal, it just cuiaba in your opinion

Thanks again for all the help and info, the more you speak about Brazil the more i want to extend my trip there haha

luademochila

Glad to know that you liked it .

I would definitely go to Pantanal from Natal, not from Salvador. Better logistics and probably price as well.

There are two Pantanals, the northern and the southern. I've been to the southern only, but both are great.

You may go to Cuiaba (northern), Campo Grande (southern) or Corumba (southern). Southern Pantanal is a big area between Aquidauana (a town close to Campo Grande) and Corumbá.

I believe you'll have better logistics going to the Southern Pantanal. From Corumbá, as I said, you go to Bolivia (Santa Cruz de la Sierra) taking the Death Train (LOL, don't worry, the name doesn't have anything with risks, you may read the full story here

http://wherenowblog.co.uk/death-train-and-santa-cruz/

A budget option in Corumba is the Fazenda 4 Cantos:

http://fazenda4cantos.com/

And from Campo Grande, the Fazenda Santa Clara:

http://www.pantanal-pousadasantaclara.com.br/

I see that you're going to stay 9 nights in Rio State. Considering you're a nature lover, I'd suggest using 2 or 3 nights in Ilha Grande. Take a look:

http://www.ilhagrande.com.ar/

Please, not that it may be cold in june, but probably good enough for a few hikes.

Brazil, as almost everywhere else in South America, has much to offer.

luademochila

Please note* that it may be cold in june.

Sim_BA

Hey so after countless of hours of reading i again have changed my mind haha
So unfortunately i think i will not go to Natal as my brazil itinerary is too packed,

I arrive Salvador on the 10th, football match is on the 13th and i want to visit Chapada Diamantina but how many days shall i stay and where would you recommend.

I then want to see the Pantanal, not sure which part but you say the south is better due to the easier access to Bolivia, which is where i'm heading after Brazil
How many days shall i stay in the Pantanal and which agency did you use?

I have to leave Brazil before end of June to give m enough time to see Bolivia and Peru in july before heading to Costa Rica for my flight home on the 4th August....i hope i can make it

I would love to see natal but do you think i can see Chapada Diamantina, natal and the pantanal and make it Bolivia before July?.

Ah and i speak some Spanish answer your question, i hope i can get to practice a bit in Brazil if possible, not sure whether Spanish or english is more widely spoken!

As per usual thanks so much for your continued advice.....i tell u google is dangerous as i spent hours looking at places from one report and then i read something interesting about a new place, that leads to another search where i pick up new places.......im outta control haha

luademochila

Since you're going to skip Natal, I'd suggest going either to Morro de Sao Paulo (this is not Sao Paulo city!) or Boipeba islands, both in Bahia state (whose capital is Salvador) to see natural pools and do some snorkelling. Morro de Sao Paulo is easier to reach and better in terms of night life, more crowded, like Salvador. Boipeba is a secluded, calm, paradisiac island. But it is hard to get there. Expect to waste at least one day each way travelling and a few connections.

If you stick to Morro de Sao Paulo only, you could go there on 14th and go back to Salvador on 18th. On the same day you could start going to Chapada Diamantina. It is not easy for a foreigner to go on your own, maybe going on an excursion from Salvador with english speaking guides would be a good idea. Please, read:

http://www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com/...mantina-bahia/

For Chapada Diamantina, you'll need at least 4 nights, not counting travel time. More is much better - I believe that most brazilian backpackers allocate 7-10 days there. You could leave there by 25th or 26th.

For Pantanal, you'll need 3 or 4 nights, no more. This way, you can go to Bolivia before july. Don't forget to buy proper clothes, it will be VERY cold there.

We always travel on our own, but in Pantanal you have to buy package tours from the farm houses, who own the area and are tour operators as well. Not sure if you'll understand, I lack the proper english skills to explain it better, but you'll understand if you read a travel book about the region.

Back to the subject, we went to Fazenda 23 de Março. It was a cool place, but not worth the money IMO. People I know that who have gone to Santa Clara and 4 Cantos have seen more than us and have spent less. These are our pictures from Pantanal:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9183872...7637242072855/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9183872...7637242088166/

Santa Clara trip report (try using translator on Google Chrome):

http://www.destinodeviagem.com.br/vi...a-ao-pantanal/

4 Cantos:

http://www.mochileiros.com/pantanal-...to-t74236.html

---

In Brazil we speak portuguese, which is similar to spanish, but maybe not enough to understand portuguese. You'll need at least a phrasebook in portuguese and always target young people (19-30), who usually had to learn at least some english.

Yes, Google is very dangerous for everyone who loves to travel . We always feel this way when planning our itineraries. But we have to be carefull not to overdo it, because who tries to see everything ends up seeing nothing. I'm afraid you'll feel the same thing about Brazil when you start researching about Peru and Bolivia, both wonderful countries, although smaller than Brazil.

luademochila

"it will be very cold there in july" = very cold in Bolivia and Peru. Maybe in Pantanal too, I'm not sure.