We spent over three weeks in the Pantanal in late October and early November. We stayed most of the time in the northern Pantanal firstly visiting Baiazinha Lodge on the Paraguay River. Visitor numbers here are very low but the scenery is stunning with a typical Pantanal river environment augmented by some amazing granite hills. Spotting Jaguars is rewarding because there are few boats on the river, although fewer eyes to spot them, and Jaguar watching is very well controlled. We then stopped briefly at Hotel Mato Grosso on the Transpantaneira where we could photograph birds swooping down for fish. From here we drove south to the Hotel Pantanal Norte on the Cuiaba River, the most popular Jaguar-watching venue and so the most crowded although when we visited it was the end of the season.

After six nights here we flew down to Caiman Ecological Refuge, a wonderful venue for Jaguars mainly due to the efforts of the Onçafari Association who have habituated many Jaguars to vehicles. The ability to view Jaguars in a more open environment and to follow them off-road is an exceptional experience. We were privileged to spend some time with one Jaguar which, together with her sister, was the first ever to be successfully re-introduced to the wild after being orphaned when tiny. The Caiman Ecological Refuge had been devastated by a fierce fire not long before we arrived, and many animals had perished. However, the Jaguars had all survived and we hoped that once the annual rains arrived the area would start to regenerate.

We finished the trip with a stay at Jardim where we were able to visit the Buraco das Araras - the Sinkhole of the Macaws - and finally Pousada Aguape for Giant Anteaters. The whole trip was superb and perfectly guided by Fred Tavares of Brasil Aventuras.

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