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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Day 1 – Arrive Rio
• Check in (Santa Teresa for vibes / Ipanema for beach life)
• Easy evening, shake off jet lag
Day 2 – Christ the Redeemer + Hang Gliding
• Morning: Christ the Redeemer
• Afternoon: Hang gliding from Pedra Bonita
• Fly over:
• Christ
• Tijuca Forest
• Beaches
• Bucket-list level stuff 🪂
Day 3 – Sugarloaf + Beaches
• Sugarloaf cable car
• Afternoon beach time (Ipanema/Leblon)
• Sunset at Arpoador
Day 4 – Tijuca National Park (Wildlife)
• Guided hike or jeep tour
• Animals you might see:
• Monkeys 🐒
• Sloths 🦥
• Toucans, coatis
• Evening samba in Lapa
Day 5 – Ilha Grande (Overnight)
• Boat to Ilha Grande
• Jungle + waterfalls + snorkelling
• Tropical paradise vibes
Day 6 – Ilha Grande → Rio
• Chill morning swim
• Return to Rio
• Evening flight to Manaus
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Pantanal, Brazil
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Manaus, Brazil
Day 7 – Manaus → Jungle Lodge
• Boat deep into rainforest
• Sunset river cruise
Days 8–10 – Deep Amazon Experience
• Guided jungle treks
• Spot:
• Monkeys
• Sloths
• Macaws & parrots 🦜
• Poison dart frogs
• Night caiman safari 🐊
• Piranha fishing (catch & release)
• Pink river dolphins 🐬
• Indigenous community visit
Day 11 – Extra Amazon Day (Important!)
• This buffer massively increases animal sightings
• Optional:
• Sunrise birdwatching
• Canoe through flooded forest
• Jaguar-track areas (rare but possible)
Day 12 – Back to Manaus
• Amazon Theatre
• Meeting of the Waters
• Evening flight to Recife or Natal
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Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil
Days 13–17: Lençóis Maranhenses
This is the “how is this real” part
Base: Barreirinhas or Atins
Day 13 – Arrival
• São Luís → Barreirinhas (4–5 hrs)
• Sunset on the river
Days 14–16 – Dunes & Lagoons
• 4×4 + hike through white sand dunes
• Swim in crystal-clear freshwater lagoons 💎
• Sunset dune walks
• Optional:
• Sandboarding
• Kiteboarding (Atins is world-class)
• River mangrove tour (birds, crabs, caimans)
Animals here
• Migratory birds
• Small caimans
• Fish in the lagoons (yep!)
• Horses roaming dunes
Best months
🔥 July–September (lagoons FULL)
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Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Days 18–22: Fernando de Noronha
World-class diving + recovery mode
✈️ Barreirinhas → São Luís → Recife/Natal → Noronha
(Yes it’s a travel day, but worth it)
Marine life overload
• Spinner dolphins everywhere
• Sea turtles
• Reef sharks
• Eagle rays
• Coral reefs with insane visibility
Plan
• 2–3 dive days
• Snorkelling + boat trips
• Beach hopping (Baía do Sancho, Porcos)
• Sunset viewpoints + chill evenings