Argentina and Brazil
September 9 to October 2, 2009

Northern Argentina Cloudforests, Iguazu Falls, Brazilian Amazon Basin and the Pantanal

Within the towering mountains on the eastern slope of the Andes, we'll visit Puna grasslands, and tropical montane cloudforests known as Yungas. From the beautiful broadleaf forests of Iguazu Falls National Park, we'll head for Alta Floresta and take a boat to Rio Cristalino in a very pristine area of the Amazon Basin. Birds, mammals, and primates that are found nowhere else in the world, thrive along the lush rivers. As a grand finale, we will visit the grassland and riparian woodlands of Brazil's Pantanal, also on the east side of the Andes. In this hot, dry, season before the big rains, Pantanal wildlife is very concentrated. The rivers, marshes, lakes, and streams that nourish these fabulous wildlife destinations will bring us surprises - hopefully even Giant Anteater, Jaguar, and Tapir. Each day we'll enjoy a natural reserve or park to experience the magnificent wildlife of Argentina and Brazil!

At a Glance

Costs: $6200 per person, double occupancy, not including airfare. Single supplement $1200. Review cost details.

Leader: Our resident guide Ricardo Clark, whom we have worked with since 1992, has an extensive background in ecology and ornithology, and works constantly to protect the amazingly diverse northern Argentine native habitats that we will visit near Salta. Ricardo is very personable. He is also very experienced in Brazil, where he has previously led wonderful wildlife tours for us.

Group Size: 13, not including Ricardo Clark

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in wildlife (mammals, birds and reptiles) and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in May 2009. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

September 9 - 10, Wednesday - Thursday: Buenos Aires; flight to Salta
Depart by September 9th to arrive early the morning of September 10th and connect with the 11:50am flight to Salta from the domestic airport. One of Ricardo's associates will meet you in Buenos Aires today and transfer you to the domestic airport. Fly to Salta to meet Ricardo at the foot of the Andes in northwest Argentina in the lovely town of San Lorenzo. (If you would like to arrive early on the 9th in Buenos Aires, we recommend the Americas Tower -- $164 for a single or double with a buffet breakfast. Ricardo's agent will arrange hotel transfers. Also, please let us know if you would be interested in a resident bird guide from Buenos Aires joining you for a walk at Reserva Constanera on the Rio Plata. If it's not too dry, the walk is wonderful, and the birds are quite habituated to humans. Note: the reserve is closed on Tuesdays).
Lodging on September 10: Hotel Selva

September 11, Friday: San Lorenzo near Salta and Reserva del Huaico
The historical city of Salta was populated more than 400 years ago and was a strategic place along the road to the Potosi-Bolivia silver mines. Nearby San Lorenzo is located at 1,200 meters in the heart of Lerma's Valley. Ricardo Clark has his residence in this beautiful small town. A short drive from the lodge into the surrounding mountains will take us to the Reserva del Huaico, which protects a very special and extensive piece of Andean Yungas Cloudforest covering the slopes of Mount San Lorenzo. We will cross a small valley with good chances of spotting grassland specialties such as Darwin's Tinamou, and Red-legged Seriema. Around the entrance to Reserva del Huaico, we plan to walk some trails in search of forest birds: woodpeckers, parrots, and hummingbirds. After a delicious picnic lunch served at the reserve, we drive eastward into the Sianca Valley to a lagoon at Finca Lagunilla. An amazing abundance of waterfowl concentrates in this lagoon including the rare Comb Duck. The reeds and rushes give shelter to Southern Screamer, Snail Kite, and Spot-flanked Gallinule, while the surrounding thickets will provide chances to see the Red-crested Cardinal and other passerines. After dinner, we'll take a short sortie back to the reserve for some special owling.
Lodging: Selva Montana

September 12, Saturday: Los Cardones National Park
Today, take an unforgettable journey into the mighty Andean ridges to Los Cardones National Park; located 100 kms southwest of Salta. Los Cardones protects spectacular cacti-clad slopes and towering peaks, rising to more than 5,000 metres. At this altitude, we'll hope for blue skies (although sometimes fog moves in over these high Andean grasslands). Guanacos and Mountain Vizcacha running across the puna grassland are possibilities here, and Andean Condor can be seen soaring over the ridges or below us along deep valleys. The unpaved winding road climbs up the Bishop's Cordillera to 3,500 metres, where Variable Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, and Andean Flicker reside. In the vegetated gullies, many passerines are found. Spend time walking along trails where we hope to find the endemic and rare Steinbach's Canastero -- a member of the ovenbird family. Flowering native tobacco bushes attract striking hummingbirds such as the Red-tailed Comet and Giant Hummingbird. Tinamous -- which are big, furtive, terrestrial birds with cryptic patterns -- can be spotted on the drier slopes. Later today, we'll proceed west along the Tin-Tin Valley towards the town of Cachi.
Lodging: La Paya Ranch

September 13, Sunday: La Paya and back through Los Cardones National Park
La Paya is a working ranch, which produces delicious local products that will be served at dinner and breakfast. It is well known as a prime spot for visitors to see the important Inca ruins throughout the valley. This morning, walk through mesquite forest and cactus exploring the surroundings of La Paya. White-fronted Woodpecker, the endemic White-throated Cacholote, Andean Hillstar, Cliff Flycatcher, and Burrowing Parrot also reside here. This afternoon, drive back through Los Cardones National Park, and hopefully see more Guanacos and Mountain Vizcacha. The descent along the slope into the deep Lerma Valley will be great for scenic photography, with opportunities to see Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, and perhaps Peregrine Falcon.
Lodging: Hotel Selva Montana

September 14, Monday: Santa Laura Mountain Pass and Yala River
The Santa Laura Mountains are a wonderful location for birds. Look for Torrent Duck and Rufous-throated Dipper along the Yala River; and Red-legged Seriema in the mountain grasslands. Time permitting, we will visit the lower section of Calilegua National Park in the late afternoon, before proceeding to San Martin for dinner.
Lodging: Los Lapachos Hotel

September 15, Tuesday: Calilegua National Park
Calilegua National Park encompasses 70,000 hectares of rugged country with deep valleys and vertical slopes carpeted by dense Yungas Forest. Almost permanently immersed in clouds and life-giving mists during summertime, these southern cloudforests prove to be quite different from those further north in Bolivia. We spend a full day exploring the Park, allowing time to look for the endangered Red-Faced Guan and the scarce Solitary Eagle. We also hope to locate: White-throated Quail-Dove and Large-tailed Dove; White-throated Antpitta and the shy Giant Antshrike; Planalto Hermit, Blue-capped Puffleg, Speckled Hummingbird, Blue-crowned Motmot, Ocellated Piculet, and Dot-fronted Woodpecker; and hopefully the Golden-collared Macaw and the endangered Alder Parrot. We'll also visit the cloudforest above Calilegua, where there are good possibilities to see Tayra, Jaguaroundi, and Tapir.
Lodging: Los Lapachos Hotel

September 16, Wednesday: Fly to Iguazu
Depart very early from Los Lapachos for a midday flight from Salta to Iguazu. We may get a direct flight without flying via Buenos Aires; now offered three times a week by Andes Airlines. Iguazu Falls is located in the extreme northeast of Argentina along the border with Brazil and Paraguay. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, it is surrounded by lush rainforest as well as other types of forest. With three nights at the falls, there is time to thoroughly enjoy the long boardwalks bordering the river. Savor some of the abundant birdlife that thrives near the falls: a selection of parrolets, toucans, tanagers, euphonias, and many other forest inhabitants. At sunset, Great Dusky Swifts circle around the falls, then plunge at great speed down through the curtains of water to their roost behind. Careful checking may produce several White-collared Swifts as well. Spend three nights at the wonderful Sheraton Iguazu -- the only hotel located right inside the national park beside Iguazu Falls on the Argentinian side.
Lodging: Sheraton Iguazu Hotel

September 17 - 18, Thursday - Friday: Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls are an astounding spectacle amidst the splendor of the jungle. We have two full days to enjoy the falls and the surrounding forest trails with their special primates and birds. This mature sub-tropical rainforest is an impressive green wall, twenty to thirty meters tall, which is distributed into strata. There are at least a hundred evergreen tree species, epiphytes, lianas, and a dense bamboo understory. We'll visit all the major habitat types: the evergreen and bamboo forests; misty riverine gorges; capueras (cleared areas with secondary growth); and savannah. Walk parts of the Macuco, Yacaratia or Timbo trails on the Argentinian side. The Macuco trail is a famous six-kilometer primary rainforest trail, which is excellent for birding. On previous trips to Iguazu, the endangered Black-fronted Piping-Guan has been seen right from one of the boardwalks along the river, so there is good chance of seeing this great rarity! We'll also get to see one of the last remaining sections of Paranaense forest. This type of rainforest develops along the Parana River system, and is characterized by relatively short trees with huge trunks, covered by epiphytes.
Lodging: Sheraton Iguazu Hotel

September 19, Saturday: The Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls
On Saturday morning, continue to enjoy the amazing Argentinian side of the falls. The roaring mass of water plunging down is quite the attraction! After lunch, we will cross the border and visit the Brazilian side of the falls, and a wonderful hummingbird garden in the town of Puerto Iguazu. Good habitat protects several bird specialties such as: Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Green-headed Tanager, and friendly toucans. There are also several species of mammals including Coatis. The trails and boardwalks on the Brazilian side are not nearly as extensive as on the Argentinian side, but you will experience a multitude of photo opportunities of the falls, and the wildlife along the trails.
Lodging: Hotel San Martin

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September 20, Sunday: Fly to Cuiaba
The flight from Puerto Iguazu to Cuiaba departs at 6 am on Sunday with arrival at 12:10 pm. Check in at the Best Western Palace Hotel in downtown Cuiaba. This afternoon enjoy some free time to explore Cuiaba on foot, catch up on your journal, or rest up.
Lodging: Best Western Palace

September 21, Monday: Alta Floresta
In the morning drive to Mae Bonifacia Park on the edge of Cuiaba to see birds and hopefully a family of Pantanal Marmosets, a very localized primate that has been recently split into its own species of marmoset. Take a midday flight from Cuiaba to the small town of Alta Floresta. The flight crosses over the highlands of north central Brazil, which are marked with lush gallery forests. Gradually the trees get taller and the forest more continuous, with only rivers and an occasional ranch or road. Closer to the town of Alta Floresta, notice that the land below is cleared.
Lodging: Hotel Floresta Amazonica

September 22, Tuesday: The Amazon Basin - Rio Cristalino
After some early morning birdwatching on the lodge grounds, depart the hotel for the Teles Pires River. Travel by boat upstream into the mouth of the Cristalino River. The confluence of the black water of Rio Cristalino with the yellow-brown water of Rio Teles Pires creates a fascinating phenomenon. Boating up the Cristalino River is a delightful experience which we will repeat over the next few days. The secluded Rio Cristalino Lodge, a half-hour upstream, is in a small clearing on the banks of the river and miles from any other development. Here, we find pristine river and forest. The animals have not been hunted, and most do not instinctively run from man on sight. The lodge has eight fully screened chalets, and incredibly good food. Hammocks are available for lounging during midday. We'll explore the lodge grounds, then meet for dinner at the dining area. Scarlet Macaws screech overhead, stopping in a tree where they often are nesting just behind the lodge. White-whiskered Spider Monkeys can be found in the immediate area, and you'll be captivated with the setting of the lodge on the river.
Lodging: Rio Cristalino Lodge

September 23 - 24, Wednesday - Thursday: The Amazon Basin - Rio Cristalino
Explore this incredibly rich Amazonian forest, with its staggering 450+ bird species and magical encounters with huge, roaming mixed species flocks. Enjoy pleasant afternoon boat trips along the lovely black water of Rio Cristalino. Search for special birds -- those that are poorly-known, range-restricted, or bamboo specialist species. Birds we hope to find include: the Manu Antbird (recently described); Peruvian Recurvebill; Large-headed and Dusky-tailed flatbill; Dusky-cheeked Foliage Gleaner; and Cherry-throated Spinetail. Other special birds here include: the Razor-billed Curassow; Red-throated Piping Guan; Dark-winged Trumpeter; Amazonian Umbrellabird; Spangled, Purple-throated, and Pompadour Cotingas; and Royal Flycatcher. In addition to birds, the river habitat supports a large list of mammals: a stunning fourteen species of primates, Jaguar, Short-eared Dog, Tayra, Giant River Otter, and Brazilian Tapir.

Behind the lodge, a trail leads to a small stream -- an excellent location to view primates. White-whiskered Spider Monkey; White-fronted Capuchin; Common Woolly Monkey; and both Red and Red-handed Howler Monkeys climb in the trees above. Dusky Titi Monkey, Southern Red-necked Night Monkey, and the very endangered White-nosed Bearded Saki Monkey have been seen here as well. Relaxing at the lodge will be equally inviting -- especially with bar service on the floating dock. Upstream, there is a very different ecosystem with trees that are widely spaced, allowing more light to hit the forest floor. Take a trail that winds through the forest to a huge Brazil nut tree with a diameter of at least ten feet! There is even a chance of finding a Jaguar or a Tapir swimming across the river! Further upstream, flooded forests and oxbow lakes provide habitat for the fascinating and primitive Hoatzin -- a small, turkey-sized bird that inhabits the tree branches overhanging the river. When an eagle or other predator threatens the young Hoatzin from above, it drops into the river and swims to safety. With spines on its wings, it then climbs back up the branches.
Lodging: Rio Cristalino Lodge

September 25, Friday: From Alta Floresta fly to Cuiaba, Drive to Pixaim
After breakfast, take a boat down the Cristalino River, while birding all the way back to Alta Floresta. Arrive in time for lunch and an early afternoon flight back to Cuiaba. Cuiaba, in the northern part of Mato Grosso, and deep in the center of a huge plateau, is right beside the Pantanal. On arrival in Cuiaba, drive to Pixaim in the heart of the Pantanal. The drive is more or less non-stop across 90 km of Cerrado forest habitat to the village of Pocone. About 15 km south of Pocone, the Transpantaneira begins -- a truly extraordinary and barely elevated dirt track traversing some 150 km of Pantanal, ending at Porto Jofre on the Rio Cuiaba.
Lodging: Best Western Pantanal

September 26 - 27, Saturday - Sunday: The Pantanal on the Pixaim River
The lodge is right on the marvelous Pixaim River, only 46 km from Pocone -- where you entered the Pantanal yesterday afternoon. On Saturday, walk the trails along the river and enjoy a fantastic late afternoon boat trip, until a beautiful sunset on the river at dusk, hopefully joined by Giant River Otters. Also included, is a full day trip to Campo Largo and the surrounding savannah to see the Giant Anteater -- a huge highlight! See large numbers of herons, storks, and other waterfowl that are characteristic of this region. Yacare Caimans and Capybaras thrive here, as they are well protected from hunting in the Pantanal.
Lodging: Best Western Pantanal

September 28, Monday: Porto Jofre on the Cuiaba River
Before breakfast at Pixaim, join Ricardo for a walk in the low streamside woods looking for such specialties as the recently described Gray-crested Cacholote, Band-tailed Antbird, Mato Grosso Antbird, and Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant. After, drive to the end of the long, rough Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre Lodge. The most visible mammal in the Pantanal is the Capybara, a social giant rodent weighing around 60 kg. Both Pampas and Marsh deer can be seen in the tall grassland, while Black Howler and Brown Capuchin monkeys swing from the trees.

Stop to walk while driving through scrubland and riverine gorges to find Chestnut-bellied Guan -- the only endemic to the Pantanal, as well as many other attractions, such as Chaco Chachalaca and Bare-faced Curassow. It's 86 km from Pixaim to Porto Jofre, not a great distance, though road conditions may make it seem long. A side tour inside the forest will be fun to look for more Pantanal passerines. Almost imperceptibly, the marshes grow vaster and the waterbirds become even more numerous until we reach an opening known as Campo Jofre, where in recent years Jaguars have been consistently encountered along the river. Peccaries and Tapir are possibilities here. Hundreds of Yacare Caimans and some Green Iguanas are the most noteworthy reptiles of the Pantanal (Yellow Anacondas are rarely seen). Hyacinth Macaws steal the show by perching in the trees on the lodge grounds, feeding on the native palms growing there.
Lodging: Porto Jofre Lodge

September 29 - 30, Tuesday - Wednesday: Hyacinth Macaws and the search for Jaguar
The two principal avian emblems of the Pantanal are the Jabiru (which by this point we will have seen in considerable numbers) and the Hyacinth Macaw -- a much less common, but equally impressive species. The world's largest parrot, it occurs at scattered localities along the Transpantaneira, but is most often seen in the immediate vicinity of Porto Jofre. While seeking the Hyacinth Macaw, we hope to see: White-wedged Piculet -- a tiny woodpecker; Cinereous-breasted and White-lored spinetails; and Plain Tyrannulet. Our boat trips along the river will be truly memorable experiences to watch kingfishers diving after their meal, Blue-throated Piping-Guan at the waters edge, Fishing-Bats patrolling pools, and Black Howlers roaring in the forest. We have good chances of spotting a Jaguar along the Rio Tres Irmaoes, upstream of Porto Jofre, within the Parque Estadual Encontro das Aguas.
Lodging: Porto Jofre Lodge

October 1, Thursday: Return to Cuiaba for afternoon flight to connect homeward
We'll leave Porto Jofre early in the morning and retrace our route, stopping in certain areas of low forest or wooded swamp to search out species not seen yet in these habitats -- perhaps Laughing Falcon and Long-winged Harrier. We'll pass through Pixaim, then back through the town of Pocone, arriving at the airport in Cuiaba in time for a PM flight to Guarulhos (GRU) outside of Sao Paulo. Stay an extra night in Sao Paulo or connect with a late evening flight homeward, but the flight will have to be very late in the evening to make the connection.

October 2, Friday: Arrive home
People who are staying an extra night in Sao Paulo will transfer to international airport for flights homeward and arrive on October 3.

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Costs

Costs, Payments and Cancellations: Upon receiving your deposit, we will send complete trip materials. Deposits are refundable before the final payment date, except for $150. The $150 may go toward another tour if a reservation is made within six months of the departure date of this trip. There are no refunds given after the final payment date. Trip cancellation insurance applications are available. Trip options, if any, and singles are extra.

Included: All lodging. Meals from lunch on September 10 through lunch on October 1 (chosen from the regular menu). Yours and land transport, except flights, as in the tour description. All guiding, and baggage handling for one medium sized soft-sided bag per person. All entrance fees and permissions to national parks and private ranches. All services of Ricardo Clark.

Not included: Airfare and airport taxes. Bottled beverages (except for water and soft drinks with picnic lunches while in the field). Room service or any other item of a purely personal nature. Items not on the menu of included meals. Gratuities to the resident bus driver, boatmen and any local guides (averaging about $7 - 8 per day). Brazil visa fee of $100, plus any fee charged by a visa company for their assistance in obtaining your visa.

Airfare: Airfare is not included. International fares from USA vary (depending on origin) to Buenos Aires and return from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The internal flights within Argentina and Brazil are $1390 to be paid with the final payment on June 15, 2009.

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Other Details

Reservations: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, fill out our reservation form, and mail it to us with your deposit:

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070
Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

Internal Flights: Flight times and schedules are subject to change, these are the flights as of May 2009.

Lodging: All the lodges have private bathrooms and are of high quality with excellent food. The two lodges in the Pantanal have swimming pools.

Travel Insurance: Emergency Medical Insurance is optional, but encouraged, for this tour. Read about travel insurance and our recommendations and requirements.

Health Concerns: Consult your physician about vaccinations, inoculations, malaria prophylactic, etc. Vaccinations and inoculations are not required to enter Argentina. We recommend a Tetanus shot and Hepatitus A, drinking bottled water or bringing water purification tablets or a water filter. Bring all medicine, etc. that you require. Insect bites are not normally a problem, unless you are highly sensitive to insect bites.

Climate: Temperatures can vary greatly - The plateau areas are higher and not humid, the Andes can be surprisingly cool all year with rain during any season. The Pantanal will be very hot at midday.

Luggage:It is important to bring cool and warm clothes, but it is also important to travel as light as possible. Laundry service is available at most locations where we stay at least two nights. Plan to put camera equipment in your carry-on. Put your tri-pod in your checked luggage.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or send us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. The right is reserved to cancel the tour prior to departure, in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs and exchange rates and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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