Pantanal Tours at Araras Eco Lodge

Araras Pantanal Eco Lodge,a rustic and regional construction, offers 19 comfortable air conditioned rooms, windows with mosquito netting, ceiling fan and private bathrooms (cold and hot shower).Excellent regional food, bar, swimming pool with covered deck, large verandas with hammocks.From this lodge, with its enviably preserved surroundings, it is possible to do first-class bird-watching, trekking in pristine forest, canoeing, horseback riding, truck photo-safaris, night tours, and enjoy two exciting tree top look outs 12 and 25m high and much more, all under the assistance of expert bilingual naturalist guides.

Enclosed by the properties that surround it, the pousada employs 17 registered employees, distributing most of the income collected to its workers, guides, drivers and suppliers, which provide gas, transportation, staple foods from supermarkets and a variety of farmers, hand-crafts, construction materials, and hundreds of other small businesses, having an important impact on the State and Municipal economy, as well as having a visible influence on the social behavior and environmental attitudes in the region.

The 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) reserve, which the comprise the fazenda and environmental reserve of the Pousada ARARAS ECOLODGE, have served as a laboratory in search of the formula for balance in the use of natural resources, taking advantage of its different ways, adding other income sources and cultural setting to the business as a whole.

We produce milk, cheese and curd, as well as desserts made from seasonal fruits, which are greatly appreciated by visitors. We have included bee culture as a sustainable form of gathering honey. We also have an organic vegetable garden, in addition to raising free-range chickens, sheep, pigs and water buffalo for meat production.

In this way, marrying international business practices with organizational, communication, and administrative technology and marketing of tourist products to concepts from Pantaneiro cattle ranching and environmental / cultural conservation, ecotourism offers a true revolution in the economic use of the Pantanal plain.

It was great! Great people, food was good, and a fabulous experience. We are planning to go back take our friends and family - probably next year! - Sue Lord

3 Days/ 2 Nights

Day 1 . Arrival at Cuiabá/Várzea Grande airport and transfer to Pantanal lowlands. While crossing the area, it is possible to spot and appreciate the local flora & fauna. Sunset observation trekking on the surrounding area. After dinner, night tour to observe the nocturnal environment. Overnight at Araras Eco Lodge.
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Day 2 . Full day to observe the Pantanal flora & fauna. After breakfast, the guide will lead you by car, trekking or canoe, through this particular ecosystem, allowing you to learn and understand the local environment. Dinner and Overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 3 . Early morning horseback ride to the Ronco do Bugio reserve. After lunch, departure to Cuiabá. Time for last pictures on your photo-safari transfer along the Transpantaneira Park Road. (B, L, )

4 Days /3 Nights

Day 1 . Arrival at Cuiabá/ Várzea Grande airport or pick up at hotel and transfer to Pantanal lowlands. While crossing the area, it is possible to spot and appreciate the local flora & fauna. Sunset observation trekking through the surrounding area. After dinner, night tour to observe the nocturnal environment. Overnight at Araras Eco Lodge. ( , , D)

Day 2 . Full day to observe Pantanal’s flora & fauna. After breakfast, the guide will lead you by car, trekking and horseback ride, through this particular ecosystem, allowing you to learn and understand the local environment. Overnight at Araras Eco Lodge. (B, L, D)

Day 3 . Exploration trip on the Pantanal raised dirt roads, including the Transpantaneira Park Road. Canoe tour to spot aquatic wildlife, birds and flora; possibility to arrange piranha fishing. Picnic lunch en route. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 4 . After breakfast, photo-safari along the Transpantaneira Park Road and return to Cuiabá. Drop off at airport or city hotel. (B, , )

5 Days / 4 Nights

Day 1. Arrival at Cuiabá/Várzea Grande airport or pick up at hotel and transfer to Pantanal lowlands. While crossing the area, it is possible to spot and appreciate the local flora & fauna. Late afternoon hike through surrounding area to a 12 m observation tower and a spectacular view of sunset. After dinner, night walk to observe the South Hemisphere sky, hear and feel the nocturnal environment. Overnight at Araras Eco Lodge. ( , , D)

Day 2. Full day dedicated to observing the Pantanal’s flora & fauna at the Araras Eco Lodge private reserve. After breakfast, the guide will lead you on a 2 to 3 hour horseback ride through the pastures, woods and wetlands. Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, you will go on a hike in a different area of the private reserve, allowing you to observe and learn more of the local environment. Overnight at Araras Eco Lodge. (B, L, D)

Day 3. After breakfast travel down private dirt roads, to Sentinela Camp on the edge of the Rio Clarinho. Canoe tour to spot aquatic wildlife, birds and flora; possibility of piranha fishing. Brazilian churrasco style picnic lunch along the banks of the river. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 4. Early morning hike for sunrise. Breakfast. After breakfast hike or bike ride to visit to the neighbor farm. Time to share a “guaraná “ drink following local tradition, lunch at the lodge. Afternoon photo safari south on the Transpantaneira Park road. Dinner at Lodge. Enjoy a night tour on our photo safari truck, with spotlight to search for nocturnal wild life (B,L,D)

Day 5. Morning free for personal enjoyment at lodge surroundings, before your photo safari transfer to Cuiabá. Drop off at airport or city hotel. (B, , )

2010 Price per person in US$

BOOKING
REQUEST

Nights	Single		Double or triple
	Jan-June	July-Dec	Jan-June	July-Dec
2	930	1034	756	841
3	$1259	1433	$1028	1142
4	$1646	1829	$1298	1442

Price Includes: In/out photo-safari transfers; overnights at Araras Eco Lodge with full board. All above mentioned activities; guide.

Does not include: Air tickets to/from Cuiabá; beverages; medical expenses and hospitalization or medical insurance.

Transfers:
departs from Cuiaba airport to Araras at 1230pm or 5pm
departs from Araras to Cuiaba airport at 730am or 12pm

All the pictures copyright by Silvio Vince Esgalha and Mike Bueno.

Our trip to the Pantanal was magnificent. My friend and I traveled first to Rio, then Iguazu Falls, then to the Pantanal and the Pantanal was our favorite. From the very start our guide was friendly and very enthused about teaching us about the Pantanal wildlife. He assisted us in every way he could. Araras Lodge was really great. It was clean, the staff was extremely friendly and the food at the lodge was really excellent eating. I was surprised I loved the food so much. I loved that the lodge had a few walkways into the forest that you could take on your own. My friend and I took a walk right at dusk, then at dawn the next day. We saw an anteater, foxes, quatis, capibara, monkeys and of course the thousands of caiman that were everywhere. Coming into this trip, I prepared myself for the possibility of not seeing much wildlife so I wouldn't be disappointed, but we were absolutely stunned by the abundance of wildlife, especially Cayman. We saw hundreds of birds, including the beautiful Macaws, parrots, falcons, and we even spotted a pair of Toucans. The canoe ride was so amazing. We saw otters and Cayman. We went Piranha fishing and fed our Piranha to the Cayman. During the night trekking, we spotted a few owls, crab eating foxes and deer. I do plan on returning to the Araras Eco Lodge in the near future. Thank you for assisting us with our trip, it was definitely a trip to remember. - Naomi Arce

Phone:
800-232-5658 or
1-512-443-5393
email

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