Published on Oct, 2024

This was a most fantastic trip that I have ever experienced in South America. We are a group from China including 6 people and booked 5-day Jaguar tour in this company. The boat is only for 6 of us. A small enough group that everyone got what they wanted - when you consider that we saw a number of boats with more than 17 plus passengers, that turned out to be very important. With our professional guide Herley and captain Ronaldo, we saw at least 6-8 Jaguars every day and we stopped counting Jaguars because there are more interesting things to do same as collecting Jaguars, such as watching toco toucans, blue macaws, Jabirus, Black-collared Hawks,Tayras, iguanas, snakes,Caimans,tapirs, sport Marsh deers, Agoutis, king vultures, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, many many beautiful birds of various species than I could count. This was definitely in large part due to the skill of our guide and captain , absolutely fantastic Herley and Ronaldo they are jaguars whispers. If at all possible, ask for them! I highly recommend this trip.

Published on Aug, 2024

This was a great trip. I stopped counting the jaguar I saw at 12… I’m guessing we saw 20 in the five days we were on the water. This was definitely in large part due to the skill of our guide, Harley. He was absolutely fantastic, a real ‘jaguar whisperer’. Our boat operator was Ronaldo, and I swear he could thread a needle with that boat. Between the two of them, they knew exactly where we needed to be, and got us there every time. If at all possible, ask for them! The boat we were on held six passengers; my first day I was alone, the second day there was one other guest, and the remaining days there were five of us. A small enough group that everyone got what they wanted - when you consider that we saw a number of boats with *17* passengers, that turned out to be very important. In addition to jaguars, we saw river otters, hundreds of caiman, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, an anaconda and more beautiful birds of various species than I could count, all of which Harley seemed to be able to identify. I highly recommend this trip.

Published on Aug, 2024

What an incredible experience truly a holiday of a lifetime and great memories. The wildlife is everywhere and close too and Herley our guide knew the area and animal movements so well so we saw more than most!!

Published on Jul, 2024

This trip with Pantanal Safaris was a memorable one. At the outset, it was rather difficult communicating with Pantanal Safaris, perhaps due to the language barrier. This aspect needs improvement. However, the tour was very well organized. I stayed at the Pousada Santa Rosa at Porto Joffre for three nights and Pousada Piuval for two nights. Both these places were satisfying in terms of cleanliness, comfort and food. The highlight of the trip was the two full days spent on the Cuiaba River. My guide Tito was excellent. He is born and raised in the Pantanal, and is therefore extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife of the Pantanal. He positioned the boat really well during our jaguar sightings, and had a keen eye for all the denizens of the Pantanal, both large and small. Travelling on the river for two days was a learning experience for me. Tito was also very helpful at the Pousada itself, explaining the food that was on offer and giving company at meal times, since I was his sole guest. The land safaris at Pousada Piuval were also illuminating. It was a treat to see the giant anteater and the tapir among the nocturnal animals of the region. Guide Erley was also very competent. Overall, I highly recommend Pantanal Safaris for the competence of the guides.

Published on Sep, 2023

I am still getting caught up only 2 weeks after our return. My wife and I teamed up with trip leader Helen Blazis and had a fantastic time with Fabricio and Renaldo as they guided us to intimate encounters with jaguars, which was our primary focus. I am an award-winning photographer and was greatly interested in photographic opportunities for not only jaguars, but for the multitude of birds in that region. The trip did not disappoint and in fact exceeded our expectations. The boat was captained by Ronaldo who expertly positioned us for encounters with jaguars along the shoreline. Their boats are powered by very powerful 90 HP engines that purr and are very quiet. This makes it possible to keep noise down and enhance wildlife viewing opportunities. The engines can crawl through the backwaters, and wildlife can be seen around every meander. Fabricio is a guide with wonderful sensitivity to people and their needs. He had to adjust things on occasion and always found a way to make it happen and keep guests comfortable and informed about things. We really appreciated his kindness and attention to detail as we shared this journey together. The accommodations are adequate, but do not expect the Hilton in this remote area. Food was outstanding with a great variety of meat, fruits, vegetables and breads. If mammals are of interest, the nightime spotlighting drive was really amazing. We saw Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox and other wildlife along the drive. Caimans are everywhere and will provide close encounters. Thanks again to Fabricio Dorileo and staff and Helen Blazis for memories that will last a lifetime.