For those interested in wildlife and the possibility of seeing a Jaguar in the wild, this trip to the Pantanal of Brazil is an affordable winner. Logistics were well coordinated, accommodations were fine though it should be noted the Jaguar House Boat is not luxurious but more than adequate for its remote location on the Paraguay River. The three nights at the very nice Araras EcoLodge were a pleasant bonus. Our guide, Tony, could not have been better. He is experienced, knowledgable and very pleasant. With his skill we had three jaguar sightings during our time on the Paraguay River. Contrary to the Exodus trip description, the majority of the time is spent scouring the river banks of the main river and its narrow channels. It was quite a long distance by small speed boat to the Taima Ecological Reserve and that was reserved only for our last day. According to Tony there are jaguars in the Reserve but they are more difficult to see and eluded us. However, we had excellent caiman, giant river otter and bird sightings. The abundance of birds in the Pantanal was extraordinary and I personally saw over 90 different species. Tony knows them all! So, if you are "into" birds and jaguars, you will be well entertained. The majority of our group of 13 were interested in photography so that was enjoyable. One goes in the dry season to spot jaguars more easily but you will not see the Pantanal flooded as depicted in many photos. One needs to go in a different season for that experience; I am already dreaming of a return trip!
Now that we are back I just thought to write to you and thank you for the amazing trip and the organisations you did. First of all, Argentina is amazing and I wish, really wish you guys know it despite the financial and political incompetence everyone complained about. About the trip: My background is biology, so you can imagine how excited I was seeing all the biological and geographical diversity in Ushuaia and then in Iguazu... Everything about the tours in Ushuaia and Iguazu was well managed and was great (even one day there was a mix up with the tours in Iguazu but at the end it was sorted and even became super special). We had no issue with the luggages etc.,. Thank you. It was an amazing trip and everything went smoothly and I hope to be back to Argentina one day again.
The highlights of our trip were hiking in El Chalten and Perito Moreno. Our favourite excursion was Perito Moreno. All hotels were good but if I had to choose my favourite, it would be Estancia Cristina - cozy and warm interior & Nibepo Aike - immaculately clean and cozy as well. Thank you for all your efforts to make our trip so enjoyable!