Brazil & Argentina The Wonders of Brazil and Argentina - Itinerary
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Day 1: The Amazon Expedition Starts Upon arrival at the Manaus International Airport (MAO), you will be met by our chauffeur for your private transfer to the Tropical Executive Hotel in Manaus, from where we'll board the Amazon Clipper Premium expedition ship, our home for the next 3 nights. After settling in, we'll enjoy welcome drinks and meeting our fellow travelers, as we glide upstream on the Rio Negro, close to the shore, studying the magnificent tangle of vegetation with brightly colored flowers and monkeys scurrying about in the branches. In the afternoon, we'll attend the introductory lecture on the Amazon environment and preservation, while watching the wilderness from the observation deck, and in the evening, we'll relax over dinner, followed by the night time canoe exploration of the river's edge for a chance to spot iguanas, monkeys, caiman, night hawks and sloths. Day 2: Rainforest Walk - Anavilhanas National Park On our first morning in the Amazon, we'll wake up early, and start the day with a sunrise canoe trip through the Amazon's floating meadows. We'll hope to see squirrel monkeys, jumping pink river dolphins and ant-eaters. After breakfast, we'll take a walk in the rainforest to learn about the Amazon's plants, animals and people and their survival on the edge of this vast wilderness. After lunch, we'll canoe in the Anavilhanas National Park, as we listen to the chorus of birds, monkeys and frogs at sunset, and in the evening, we'll explore the forest in our canoes to observe the diversity of the nocturnal wildlife and the millions of stars and constellations of the Southern hemisphere. Day 3: Piranha Fishing - Amazon Native Community We'll start the day at the first break of dawn with the excitement of piranha fishing. After breakfast, we'll visit a native Amazon community and meet the locals involved in preserving the Amazonian arts. After lunch, we'll land on one of the white sandy beaches to swim in some of the world's most clean waters, as we watch the Amazon's pink river dolphins frolic nearby. In the afternoon, we'll have another canoe trip to spot caiman and other nocturnal creatures like arboreal porcupines or sloths scrambling high in the trees. As the ship moves back towards Manaus, and we cruise under the countless stars of the southern sky, we'll have a farewell dinner, then try to samba on the top deck or sip on a Caipirinha, Brazil's national drink. Day 4: January Ecological Park - "Meeting of the Waters" - Rio de Janeiro Today, we'll start the day with a visit to the January Ecological Park to admire the giant water lilies "Victoria Regia". The visit will be followed by a canoe exploration of the mysterious and surreal flooded forest known by the Amazon Indians as the Igapo and the fantastically rich varzea forest. While we enjoy breakfast, we'll start downstream to the confluence of the world's two largest rivers: The Rio Negro and the Amazon River, the spot known as the "Meeting of the Waters", where the opaque, light brown water of the Amazon and the dark water of the Rio Negro meet and flow side by side, without mixing for many miles, like coffee and cream. We'll disembark from our vessel around noon and transfer to the airport for our flight to Rio de Janeiro, to arrive at our Copacabana beachfront hotel in the evening. Day 5: Rio de Janeiro City Tour - Samba Show After a leisurely breakfast while enjoying the stunning views over the Copacabana beach, we'll set out for a guided tour of the city. Rio de Janeiro is a melting pot of cultures, home to over six million people with no predominant race, religion or creed, making it a unique gem in the heart of South America, where everyone is welcome. Today, we'll see the 16th and 17th century Portuguese-era monuments and landmarks, the Mayan pyramid-inspired Saint Sebastian Metropolitan Cathedral, Sao Bento Monastery, Carioca Square, and we'll stop for coffee at the traditional Colombo Coffee Shop. Then, for spectacular views of the sun setting over the "Cidade Maravilhosa", we'll take cable cars and ascend to the most magical viewing spot on Sugar Loaf Mountain. From 1,300 feet above Guanabara Bay, we'll admire the majestic metropolis, the Atlantic Ocean beyond the confines of Rio Harbor and all the way up to the climbing peaks, capped by Mount Corcovado. In the evening, to round off our appreciation of Rio, we'll experience one of Rio's brightly colored performances, an exotic samba show in the tradition of Brazilian Carnival, where singers and dancers present dazzling songs and stories inspired by Brazilian folklore. Day 6: Rio de Janeiro City Tour - Sunset Cruise Today, we'll get close and personal with Rio. In the morning, we'll enjoy a series of amazing views of the city, as we wind our way along Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon until we reach the foot of the majestic Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain. We'll travel by cog train through the lush Tijuca Rainforest to the top, where we'll come face to face with the largest Art Deco statue in the world: Christ the Redeemer, soaring nearly 100 feet above its pedestal and casting its benevolent gaze upon the massive city below. After this iconic Rio experience, we'll take a guided walk through Santa Teresa neighborhood, stopping to enjoy a barbecue lunch at one of the famous Brazilian churrascarias, where the open flame meets the fine cuts of meat for a meal that cannot be duplicated anywhere else on the planet. We'll top the day with a romantic Guanabara Bay sunset cruise, and enjoy the dramatic, gold-tinged views of the city, accompanied by drinks and snacks. The evening will be free to enjoy the easygoing atmosphere of the world famous beaches: Copacabana and Ipanema. Day 7: Iguazu National Park - Bird Park After breakfast, we'll transfer to the airport for our flight to Iguazu Falls. The series of cataracts forming Iguazu Falls is so stunning, that when Eleanor Roosevelt visited the falls for the first time, she reportedly sighed, "Poor Niagara!" On arrival at this tropical paradise, we'll transfer to the Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas, the only hotel located within the Iguazu Falls National Park. After checking in and some time to refresh, we'll visit the Bird Park, home to many exotic species of birds living around the falls. Afterwards, there will be some free time to relax or to enjoy one of the optional activities, such as a helicopter tour over the falls or a short hike along the Banana Trail close to the hotel. We'll end the day with a romantic dinner at the hotel's elegant restaurant. Day 8: The Iguazu Falls - Macuco Safari Boat Tour Today, we'll spend the day getting to appreciate the power and beauty of the Iguazu Falls. Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, we'll follow the path snaking its way along the water's edge, through the tropical rainforest of the magical borderlands, as we stop to view the falls from different viewpoints and watch a series of more than 275 waterfalls cascade through the tropical vegetation, adorned by several rainbows at once. In the afternoon, we'll experience the exciting Macuco Safari, first in an electric car, then on foot along the trail leading to the Salto Macuco waterfall, watching out for orchids and native animals, then by boats going up the river through the canyon facing the rapids, as the captain brings the vessel up close to the falls, where we will be able to witness their true power. After all this excitement, we'll return to the hotel to enjoy our last dinner in Brazil and recall the wonders that we have experienced in this country: from the heart of the Amazon rainforest, through the pulsing beat of cosmopolitan Rio, to the pounding waters and rainbows of the Iguazu Falls. Day 9: Argentine Side of the Iguazu Falls - Flight to Buenos Aires In the morning, we'll check out of our hotel and drive the short distance to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls. Once inside the Iguazu National Park, we'll take a short journey in an open train to the Cataratas Station to follow the paths to lookouts of the Inferior and Superior Paths, admiring the exuberant ecosystem and the imposing waterfalls rushing down past lush, tropical vines, as they crash into the waters below. We'll see a variety of ferns, orchids, begonias, birds and butterflies. We'll then walk to Devil's Throat balcony, to share in one of the greatest shows on earth: the most impressive view of the very heart of the falls, veiled in mist and adorned by rainbows. Afterwards, we'll transfer to the airport for our flight to Buenos Aires, and after checking into our elegant hotel in the Recoleta neighborhood, we'll celebrate the spirit of Buenos Aires with a festive dinner, featuring asado, the excellent Argentine steak. Day 10: Buenos Aires City Tour - Tango Show After breakfast, we'll meet in the hotel's lobby and join our guide for the classic tour of Buenos Aires which will reveal the city's cultural identity and peculiar character. We'll experience the cosmopolitan side of Buenos Aires, influenced by the many nationalities that founded it, as we discover the history, the paradoxes, the contradictions and the essence of this most European of South American cities. We'll visit several iconic neighborhoods: from the illustrious Plaza de Mayo and the Government "Pink House" to the aristocratic San Thelmo, the traditional Plaza Dorrego with its antique fairs and the Paris-inspired Avenida de Mayo, the colorful La Boca with its famous Caminito Street, filled with architectural curiosities and customs which reflect European influences; the leafy, modern Palermo, and the top designer shopping area of Recoleta with its celebrated cemetery, which in itself provides a rich insight into the city's history. In the evening, we'll enjoy a tango show and dinner at an upscale theatre which magically recreates the golden days of tango with a perfect blend of a refined environment, creative stage productions, talented dancers and first class cuisine. This evening is very likely to be one of the highlights of the trip. Day 11: Colonia del Sacramento - Wine Appreciation Class After the urban intensity of Buenos Aires, today we'll experience the quiet, understated elegance Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. Founded in 1680, the town evokes old Lisbon with its Portuguese influenced architecture, mosaic inlaid winding streets and the flood of flowering trees and hedges. After crossing the Rio de la Plata by ferry, we'll find ourselves in a different world, as we tour this lovely historic town, visiting Port Santa Rita, the old city fortifications with drawbridges, St. Martiz Church and the 17th century lighthouse jutting out into the river. We'll return to Buenos Aires in the afternoon to attend an evening of Argentine wine appreciation at one of the city's most prestigious wine cellars. We'll learn about wines from Argentina's different wine growing regions, and discuss the unique properties of each one. Day 12: Estancia Santa Susana Today, we'll travel back to the 19th century, the times when the vast pampas around Buenos Aires were the domain of the native Mapuche and the gauchos, wild and untamed, except for the picturesque colonial ranches called estancias, scattered in the pampas. In the morning, we'll travel to a traditional estancia as such to get a close-up look at life in the countryside. This is the time to relax, ride the horses, go for a carriage ride, then enjoy lunch of traditional country dishes, such as the local empanadas, cheeses and a traditional asado barbeque accompanied by Argentine wines. The Argentine asado is as much a ritual as it is a meal, and it involves preparing the barbeque, lighting the fire, cooking the meat using traditional techniques and selecting the right Chimichurri sauce. During dessert, we'll watch a folklore show and a demonstration of gaucho skills. We'll return to Buenos Aires in the evening to enjoy our farewell dinner featuring the exotic flavors from all over Argentina. Day 13: Departures Today, we'll have to say good-bye to our adventures, but depending on your flight departure time, you may have additional time for further individual exploration of Buenos Aires, before your private airport transfer.
Manaus | Rainforest | Amazon Flora | Amazon Orchids | Amazon Fauna | Rio de Janeiro | Buenos Aires | Iguazu Falls | The Guarani Tribe and the Iguazú River | Gaucho Culture | Tango | Mate Ritual | Colonia del Sacramento (Urugway) | Books & Movies |