Brilliant Brazil

Day 1/2: Fly from London to Rio de Janeiro

Depart UK on your overnight flights. You will be met on arrival at Rio airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Two nights at Arena Leme

Day 3: Full day Corcovado and Sugarloaf with lunch

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and taken to explore the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, beginning in the Cosme Velho district. From here a cog and pinion railway climbs the steep forest to the peak of Corcovado (Hunchback). At the summit, where the altitude is 710 metres, you will marvel at the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the world's best-known and most-visited monuments. Located around the base of Corcovado and with many springs and waterfalls, the dense Tijuca Forest was proclaimed a National Park in the early sixties. After the descent through the forest, the tour will make a photo stop at Maracanã, and the nearby Sambódromo, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and the stage for Brazil's largest and most flamboyant carnival celebrations. 

After lunch in a typical Brazilian restaurant you will visit various places of interest in downtown Rio. Proceed through the old neighbourhood of Urca towards the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, where you take a cable-car for the exhilarating, steep, 215m climb up Morro da Urca. From this intermediate stage another cable-car soars high above the rugged, vegetated terrain to the 395 metre high summit, from where you can enjoy wonderful panoramic views and spectacular sunsets over Rio. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Flight to Iguazu. 

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Iguazu. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. 

The Iguazu Falls are the most spectacular in South America. A total of 275 falls cascade over a precipice that is 3km wide, sending up an endless wall of spray laced with rainbows. Brazil's Iguazu National Park, together with its sister park in Argentina, makes up the most significant remnant of rainforest in the southern cone of South America, and along with the 

falls has been declared a National Heritage site by UNESCO. 

At the heart of this unforgettable scene is the Devil's Throat, where 14 separate falls join forces. The visitor can enjoy the spectacle from the various walkways that offer close-up views, by boat or for the most exhilarating experience of all: by helicopter. 

Two nights at Vivaz Cataratas Resort

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5: Full day tour of the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls including walking trails.

Iguazu Falls are to South America what Victoria Falls are to Africa, and belong to an exclusive group of the world's natural wonders. The sheer scale and ferocity of the vast quantities of water that thunder with immense force into a deep gorge - aptly named the Devil's Throat - cause the air to reverberate with the noise of the seething torrent and generate a spectacular sky-high cloud of mist, visible from afar. 

Toda, enjoy a full day tour of the Argentinian side of the Falls and National Park. Taking a bus across Tancredo Neves Bridge, with its lovely view over the Iguazu Canyon, you enter Argentina.

This complete tour will show you the Argentinian side of the mighty falls from all angles, following the Park’s well-signed walking trails. The Green Trail is a relaxed walk (650 m) passing a swamp and various native flora. Cataratas Station is the starting point of the longer Upper (1700 m) and Lower (1400 m) Trails, offering great panoramic views at numerous lookout points. The Lower Trail offers a more intimate approach to the falls from below, showcasing the immensity of this natural wonder, as the water pounds relentlessly into the rocks at the foot of The Devil’s Throat.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6: Half day tour of the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. Flight to Manaus.

This morning you will experience the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. Your excursion begins at Iguazu National Park Visitor Centre with a drive through the park's lush subtropical vegetation. On leaving the vehicle you continue on foot along a trail that leads into the canyon to a spectacular panoramic viewpoint over the falls. A walkway leads right to the edge of the Devil's Throat for an awe-inspiring view into the seething waters. You then take a glass elevator up the cliff-face for a view of the upper falls. 

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Manaus. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.

An island of civilisation in the middle of the jungle, Manaus flourished during the late 19th century rubber boom, leaving landmarks such as the Teatro Amazonas. Capital of the state of Amazonas, the main port and free trade zone, the city is the natural starting point for boat tours into the rainforest to see the exuberant vegetation and diverse wildlife. A number of jungle lodges have been specially designed to offer close encounters with nature. For the more adventurous, regional boats can take visitors further upstream. 

One night at Blue Tree Premium Manaus

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7: Journey into the Amazon by boat, van and speedboat to Amazon Lodge. 

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and transferred to the Port in Manaus. Here you will board a boat for a 45 minute boat trip over the Amazon River to Porto Careiro, crossing the 'Meeting of the Waters' along the way. The 'Meeting of the Waters' is a spectacular natural phenomenon where the River Negro and River Solimões run side by side for more than 12km without mixing, due to the difference in temperature, density and speed of their waters. 

From here the transfer continues overland for about one hour to the pick-up point for a 45-minute scenic motorboat trip to Amazon Lodge: your home for the next three nights. On arrival at the lodge, check-in with a welcome cocktail followed by a tour of the lodge and its facilities. The remainder of your day is at leisure to relax and soak up the atmosphere. 

Depending on weather conditions and fluctuating water levels, the lodge may change the order, exact nature, length, and departure times of the excursions included in this itinerary. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the package. Flight arrival and departure times may affect the first and last day of the program.

Three nights at Amazon Lodge. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Amazon Activities. Canoeing excursion, visit to a traditional community and nocturnal wildlife spotting. 

In the morning explore your surroundings on a canoeing excursion. This outing explores the flooded forest and seasonal creeks by canoe - one of the most silent ways to explore this diverse ecosystem. 

In the afternoon, visit a traditional community. This immersive activity takes visitors by canoe to a local 'caboclo' settlement and offers a peek into daily village life and the traditional farming activities that sustain life in the Amazon.

In the evening enjoy a nocturnal wildlife spotting boat tour. This experience offers a unique glimpse of some of the nocturnal residents that inhabit the forests and creeks surrounding the lodge. Expect to see reflecting caiman eyes in the torchlight, and careful observers are 

bound to see much more, from sloths to snakes and anything in between. Nightlife at its best!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Amazon Activities. Pre-breakfast ‘awakening of the forest’ canoe tour, forest hike and catch & release piranha fishing.  

For early risers there is a unique pre-breakfast tour by canoe to hear the sounds of the 'awakening of the forest'. There is nothing quite like it. The sounds of chattering birds ruffling up their feathers as they prepare to fly out and forage and howling monkeys scraping their throats. It's that time of the day when the first rays of sun illuminate the forest canopy in fluorescent shades of orange and green. Perfect pictures guaranteed!

After breakfast, take a forest hike. Exploring the Amazon Forest on foot allows visitors to come up close with majestic rainforest giants, the exotic fruit they produce and the animals these trees depend on for their pollination and seed dispersal. The forest is also a place of people, and indigenous communities depend on the forest for their survival in all sorts of ways. The tour explores some of these uses, such as the fibres used to thatch roofs, natural poisons used for hunting and plants used for medicinal purposes.

In the afternoon experience catch & release piranha fishing. The 20 or so species of Piranha that inhabit the Amazon River play an important part in the region's aquatic food cycle, feeding mostly off carrion, insects, crustaceans, and other fish. Although revered, the piranha is by no means the Amazon's top predator, itself being one of the caiman's favourite snacks! The piranha's readiness to shred any toe or hand that dares to dangle in Amazonian waters is grossly misconstrued and those looking for Hollywood scenes will be bitterly disappointed. Those however who are interested to learn more about the variety and importance of this iconic fish species will be thoroughly entertained.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10/11: Return to Manaus for flights back to the UK.

Depart from the lodge after breakfast and transfer to Manaus in time for your departure flight. Meals included: Breakfast

Arena Leme 

Opened in 2015, Arena Leme Hotel is located in one of Rio’s most tranquil neighbourhoods, just moments from the vibrant restaurants, outdoor cafés and colourful boardwalk kiosks of Copacabana Beach. The hotel features 164 modern rooms, a top-floor recreation area with a swimming pool, bar, fitness facility and sauna. 

Vivaz Cataratas Resort

Just under 12 miles from the falls themselves, Vivaz Cataratas Resort is an established resort in Iguazu with a modern makeover. The contemporary style rooms are air-conditioned and the hotel features a lounge, two restaurants, and a designated kids' zone.

Blue Tree Premium Manaus

This high-rise modern hotel is centrally located in the Adrianópolis neighbourhood, within easy reach of most visitor attractions. The hotel features 163 rooms, a sauna, solarium, swimming pool and fitness centre. The restaurant serves regional cuisine, and the bar offers cocktails and hot drinks. 

Amazon Lodge 

The Amazon Lodge is a floating lodge located about 80km due south of Manaus. It is a rustic small-scale lodge, with 16 rooms. The rooms are fitted with ceiling fans and large insect screened windows. As is the case with most other lodges in the region there is no Wi-fi, so guests have plenty of time to connect with nature and their inner selves! The central restaurant is annexed to the reception and bar, which leads to the observation deck.

Whereas most lodges in the Amazon are located in the forest along the banks of the river and look out over the water, this lodge sits on the water and looks out over the forest. It is known as the howler monkey lodge, the reason for which becomes blatantly obvious at sunrise when guests are often awoken by a loud chorus of throat scraping howler monkeys in the forest canopy along the river's edge - a wake-up call like no other!

Provisional Flight Information

15/09/2023     London Heathrow to Sao Paulo        Dep: 2125      Arr: 0500

16/09/2023     Sao Paulo to Rio De Janeiro            Dep: 0835      Arr: 0950

24/09/2023     Manaus to Sao Paulo                   Dep: 1555      Arr: 2050

24/09/2023     Sao Paulo to London Heathrow        Dep: 2350      Arr: 1505 (+1)

Passport validity

For UK passport holders your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Passport and visas

Please allow plenty of time to renew your passport if it has less than six months validity. British citizens can travel to Brazil without a visa as a tourist for up to 90 days. 

For more information we recommend visiting:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil/entry-requirements

Travel Insurance

Please ensure that you have adequate personal travel insurance to suit your requirements in place before you travel. Spice Escapes have arranged a scheme with Staysure who are fully authorised and regulated by the FCA (firm reference number 663617) full details of which can be found on the FCA website www.fca.org.uk. For an instant online quotation please click here.

Health

Make sure you visit your local health centre at least two months before departure, to be advised on any vaccinations needed, including malarial and yellow fever precautions. Your doctor will also have access to the most up to date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to visit. In general we recommend however, that you be protected against TB, typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A. We recommend bringing a personal first-aid kit containing the following: high factor sun cream, lip salve, plasters, antiseptic cream, insect repellent, antihistamine tablets, throat lozenges, electrolyte powder, aspirin or equivalent, muscle rub, knee/ankle supports if needed, and wet wipes. For more information we recommend visiting fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk

Covid-19 related entry requirements

If you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to take a COVID-19 test to enter Brazil. Most people aged 12 or older travelling to Brazil, will need to present a vaccination certificate to the airline before boarding and during travel. Foreign visitors who are not fully vaccinated are not allowed entry to Brazil (current guidelines as of 13 July 2022)

Money

The currency in Brazil is the Brazilian real (BRL). We recommend that you change some money before your departure or at the airport. Please refer to www.xe.com for up to date rates.

Electricity

We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at:

http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/