Pantanal Things to Do Tips by swesn

PANTANAL TRIP

To give some VT-researchers an idea of the itinerary so as to make your travel plans better, here is a write-up of what went on in the 4-day trip I was on. (Hopefully, not much has been changed since 2002.)

1st day: Long drive to the camp-site. Arrive on the night of the 1st day at great campsite, with hammocks for 'beds'.

2nd day: I had gone in October and I am not sure how the weather is like in other seasons. But at that time, as it was too hot to do much in the day-time, treks are done very early in the morning and in the late evening to spot wildlife. Lots of walking, and what you see depends on season and luck. In the afternoon, basically just relax around the campsite.

3rd day: Driven to another camp-site which is basically just a huge amazing tree with lots and lots of branches to hang hammocks, no other facilities. It was great! It is next to a river, so it was great for swimming as well. Although the caimans (small South American alligators) are swimming in the same place, they do not attack people. Piranha-fishing in the afternoon. Evening trek. For those on 3-day-tour, they head back to the 1st campsite in the evening without the evening trek.

4th day: Another day at that tree and more treks, returning to the 1st campsite only in the late evening.

5th day: Horse-riding in the morning and back to Campo Grande or Bonito, if you have arranged beforehand.

Of course, the itineraries are set by the tour agents, not me,so they may be different.

PANTANAL : IN TOUCH WITH FAUNA

The Pantanal is a huge alluvial plain. This area used to be an inland sea. As it started to dry out 65 million years ago, it became a vast lake and now, a periodically flooded plain. As it is surrounded by hill lands, rain flow into the Pantanal and flood the low-lying Pantanal, creating cordilheiras (where animals can gather for water sustenance) during the rainy season.

Thus, it is an area teeming with an immense variety of wildlife. Pantanal is the place to watch mammals like capybaras, tamanduas, coatis, howler monkeys; birds like spoonbills, macaws, toucans, screamers, and caymans. There is piranha fishing too.

One of the most amazing thing here is to wake up and hear the chorus of the howler monkeys howling and growling at 5am in the morning!

Pantanl guided tours can be arranged from Cuiaba in Mato Grosso and Corumba ror Campo Grande in Mato Grosso do Sul.

During the dry season, it can be very hot, up to 40C in the day. But the hikes are done in the early morning or late afternoon - still hot, but not as bad as in high noon. The campsites provide great shade so afternoons are mainly for relaxing, chatting, reading, etc...

During the wet season, I believe the tours are in canoes.