The Experience

Experience sensational Brazil ,“ a country of many attractions. Visit beautiful Rio, spectacular Iguassu Falls, and the historic city of Manaus, the gateway to your Amazon jungle lodge. You,™ll have the opportunity to experience it all: the city, the beach, the falls, and the Amazon ,“ truly an ultimate vacation with a bit of adventure for you to discover the beauty of Brazil.

Includes:

• All ground transfers
• 3 nights Rio de Janeiro
• Sugar Loaf and Corcovado tour with lunch
• 2 nights Iguassu Falls
• Private Argentina and Brazil Falls tour
• 3 nights Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge including all meals, nature tours, and the Meeting of the Waters
• Daily breakfast

Day 1 – Rio:
Airport meeting and transfer to your selected Rio hotel. Many consider Rio the most naturally beautiful city on earth. Twenty miles of white sand beaches, and trim, green, rolling peaks, with the city sprawling in the narrow strips between the mountains, add to its beauty and charm. Here you will find the famous beaches of Copacabana and neighboring Ipanema. While the beaches and sidewalk cafes dominate the city,™s atmosphere, there are two other main points of interest. “Sugar Loaf Mountain” offers panoramic vistas of the city, beaches and Guanabara Bay, and towering Corcovado Mountain, with the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the summit. Rio,™s awesome beauty is most visible from the platform offering a sweeping 360-degree view. With excellent seafood and international cuisines from around the world, Rio,™s signature restaurants are the churrascarias (BBQ restaurants) where meat reigns supreme. For entertainment add a Rio by Night Dinner and Show spotlighting the Brazilian rhythmic samba music and dances, with grand finales featuring prior years,™ outstanding Carnival costumes. Rio is an unforgettable experience! Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Overnight.

Day 2 – Rio:
Depart from your hotel at 8:30 am for a full-day excursion that will highlight two of the city,™s signature landmarks, Corcovado and Sugar Loaf. After a scenic drive along Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, you arrive at the bottom of Corcovado Hill. Here you will board a comfortable train that will transport you to the top of the mountain where the statue of Christ, the Redeemer, is located (2.300 ft above sea level). Continue by elevator and escalator to reach the bottom of the statue. At this point, you have a magnificent view of Rio de Janeiro. It will now be apparent why the statue of Christ is called the wonder of Rio,. When it is time to leave you will return the same way, and continue to the other famous landmark, Sugar Loaf Mountain. Located in the middle of the Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf gives you another breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Take the two-stage cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf. This solid granite monolith, standing 887 feet tall, overlooks the entrance to Rio,™s harbor and Guanabara Bay. The first stage of the cable car takes you to Morro da Urca (558 feet), where there is a restaurant and a heliport. The second stage takes you to the top for an unforgettable view. After your tour of Sugar Loaf, continue to a local restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, your tour will continue to downtown Rio to see some of the historical sites such as the Cathedral and the Municipal Theatre. You will be returned to your hotel at the end of the tour. Overnight.

Day 3 – Rio:
Day at leisure to enjoy Rio. Arrange a helicopter tour of the city and see this splendid city from the air. A suggestion for the evening would be an optional Rio by Night Dinner and Show. Overnight.

Day 4 – Rio to Iguassu Falls:
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Iguassu Falls. It has been said that Iguassu Falls surpasses the grandeur of both Niagara and Victoria Falls. Situated on the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, Iguassu Falls is one of South America,™s greatest treasures. Taller than Niagara by 65 feet, and twice as wide, Iguassu Falls consists of 275 cascades spread across nearly 2 miles. Every second nearly 450,000 gallons of water crash down in hundreds of subsidiary waterfalls. This sight, together with the clouds of spray, and the roar of the water,
make this a memorable experience. Airport greeting in Foz do Iguassu and transfer to the historic Hotel Das Cataratas for overnight. In the afternoon enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the Brazil side of the Falls, just down the hill from the hotel.

Please note that if the Hotel Das Cataratas is not available, and we have to use an alternate hotel, we suggest adding an optional tour to the Brazil falls.

Day 5 – Iguassu Falls:
Arrange an optional excursion to the Argentina side of the Falls. Seventy five percent of the Falls lies on the Argentina side. There are extensive trails and an opportunity for a close-up view of the Devil,™s Throat, where 14 separate falls cascade down 350 foot cliffs. Another fun optional tour is the Macuco Safari, a boat tour that takes you to the edge of the Falls where you can watch the water falling from above. Overnight.

Day 6 – Iguassu to Amazon:
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Manaus. Manaus is called the Paris of the Tropics,. The city is also the point of departure for excursions to the Amazon Jungle lodges. You will be transferred from the airport to the Hotel Tropical Manaus dock for a 1:30 pm departure. Transfer by boat for 30 minutes to the Amazon EcoPark Lodge. Located in the middle of lush jungle, 30 minutes by boat from Manaus, the Amazon EcoPark Lodge is situated on the banks of the Taruma River, a tributary of the Rio Negro. The Lodge has 60 thatched-roof bungalows, each with privateb bath, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, and screened windows. There is an open-air restaurant specializing in regional cuisine, a private beach, natural swimming pools, and miles of hiking trails in the jungle. Your first activity will be a visit to the Monkey Jungle. After dinner, take an evening tour by canoe to look for alligator and other nocturnal animals. Overnight.

Day 7 – Amazon:
After breakfast, depart for a hike through the forest with a naturalist guide to learn about the local flora and fauna. Return for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the home of local Amazonian residents called Caboclos,. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 – Amazon:
Depart for a full day excursion to the Meeting of the Waters, including lunch at a floating restaurant. You will have an opportunity to fish for piranha.

Day 9 – Depart Amazon:
Morning at leisure to enjoy the natural pools and swimming at the river. You will be transferred back to Manaus to the Hotel Tropical Manaus dock, arriving there at 12:30 pm. Transfer to the airport or extend your stay in Manaus. Overnight.

Activities at Amazon Ecopark:

Monkey Jungle
Close to the lodge is the Primate Rehabilitation Center, a project sponsored by the Living Rainforest Foundation whose main goal is to return to the forest, monkeys and wildlife found in illegal wildlife commerce. The monkeys in the Monkey Jungle at the EcoPark were rescued by IBAMA (Brazilian Government Environmental Agency) from the areas of Brazil that have been flooded or burned as a result of development. Many of the monkeys are orphans and upon arrival, receive veterinary treatment. After they acclimatize to their new environment, they are released into the forest. The monkeys are fed twice a day ,“ at 11:00 am and 4:00 pm ,“ at this time it is possible for visitors to observe them.

Nature Hikes
The area in which the ECOPARK is located includes an incredible number of species of wildlife in the nearby virgin rainforest, natural savannahs and creeks. Several streams of crystal clear warm water run through the area. Over 6 miles of jungle trails enable visitors to explore the jungle. In the course of the trek, always accompanied by a bilingual naturalist guide, you will learn about the flora and fauna of the area. You will also learn about jungle survival ,“ which plants are edible; how to find potable water; how to improvise a shelter using the natural resources found in the jungle; first aid; and basic orientation using a compass.

Night Tours by Canoe
After dinner, accompanied by a naturalist guide, explore the jungle by canoe and on foot. Experience the magical sounds of the jungle at night, and be on the lookout for small alligators and other night animals.

Meeting of the Waters
During this full day tour you will have the opportunity to see one of the highlights of the Amazon: “The Meeting of the Waters” where the black waters of the Negro River and the brown waters of the Solimões River meet and run together for miles without mixing until they finally merge to form the actual Amazon River. Lunch will be served in a typical restaurant of the area. There will also be a visit to an area of rubber trees where you will learn the art of extracting the latex of the rubber tree and the process of smoking. You will learn about the rubber boom period at the beginning of the 19th century in the Amazon. After lunch, visit a village of “Caboclos”, the residents of the Amazon. Please Note: Normally the EcoPark includes an opportunity for “piranha” fishing in this tour.

Visit to the Caboclo House
Depart Lodge by canoe, accompanied by a bilingual guide, to learn about the traditions and the lifestyle of the local Amazonians called Caboclos”.

Sunrise Tour
Experience a spectacular sunrise on the Amazon. Depart the Lodge by canoe accompanied by a naturalist guide, to paddle the quiet waters as the jungle awakens. It is a great opportunity for bird watching.

Please Note: This is an optional tour and is not included in the package rates.Morning at leisure. Transfer to the airport for your return flight.