North & South Pantanal Photography Safari 2026
Specialist Brazil Photography Safari Focussing On Wildlife Of The Pantanal Region: Jaguar, Ocelot, Giant River Otter, Giant Anteater, Brazilian Tapir, Caiman, Capybara and prolific birdlife including Hawks, Kingfishers, Toucans, Parrots & Macaws.
A "Must See" destination for wildlife photographers!
October 2023 SOLD OUT
November 2023 SOLD OUT
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October 2026 BOOKING NOW
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Small group: min 5 - max 6 photographers
Specialist photography tuition from Trai Anfield, award-winning wildlife photographer, film maker & broadcaster
Fitness level required: Easy. Mainly boat and vehicle safaris, some short walks.. You may of course explore the photographic possibilities around the lodge grounds in your free time too!
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Tour leader: Trai Anfield - award winning wildlife photographer, film maker, travel writer and broadcaster
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JUMP AHEAD TO...
Why Choose This Brazil Safari?
Full Brazil Itinerary
Brazil... The Pantanal... Words To Set Any Photographer's Heart Racing!
Especially big cat lovers, for this is the kingdom of the jaguar.
Add in a collection of bizarre beasts such as the giant anteater and Brazilian taipir, plus giant river otter, caiman, capybara, coati and you can prepare to photograph an array of wildlife unlike any you've encountered before, along with a cast of biodiverse extras that is unrivalled anywhere else on the continent, perhaps the world.
And to ensure you can make the most of it, our accommodation is the best in the world for jaguar and ocelot photography, and also offers incredible encounters with giant anteaters, diving hawks and kingfishers around our boat, photographing at eye-level with nesting storks, canyon of the macaws, opportunities to photograph a myriad of birds and a unique snorkelling experience in a crystal clear river with kaleidoscopic freshwater fish. ​
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Brazil On The Blog - 2023 Safari Report
Brazil On The Blog - When Can Flying Help Prevent Huge Carbon Emissions?
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Why Choose This Brazil Photography Safari?
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As with all my itineraries, this has been designed by me personally, with the welfare of wildlife and communities and the specific needs of my guest photographers as priorities. We are therefore staying in the most ecologically and community supportive lodges. I have also timed this trip so that we avoid the most crowded months - who wants to sit in a river jam of 30+ boats at a sighting??? Not me!
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NORTHERN PANTANAL
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​Best access to jaguars anywhere in the world from the finest accommodation: 5 night stay on the Piquiri River itself in the superb floating Jaguar Suites designed especially for photographers, right in the heart of 'Jaguarland'. The magnificent cats can actually be spotted passing right outside your floor-to-ceiling windows, and we don't have to commute to/from crowded Porto Jofre (where the majority of lodges are based) in the morning, evening and lunchtime. This means we can be with the jaguars in the best light of morning and evening, and in peace. Two 4 hour excursions by private boat per day. Other species here include Giant River Otter, Caiman, Tapir, Crab Eating Racoon and Fox, Capybara, Yellow Anaconda, Macaw, Black Howler & Capuchin Monkeys.
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Best location for ocelot photography: 2 night stay in the wildlife-rich SouthWild Pantanal Lodge with further access to exceptional wildlife and the most reliable ocelot photography anywhere.
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Private boat excursions for Savannah hawks, herons and 5 species of kingfishers diving
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Platforms for eye-level bird photography including Jabiru storks on nest
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Forest tower for birds and capuchin / howler monkeys
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Renowned birding location with Parrots, Hummingbirds, Toco toucans, Snail Kites and many more in the lodge grounds and along the river
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SOUTH PANTANAL
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Close encounters with giant anteaters, armadillos
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Canyon of the Red & Green Macaws plus coati up close, hyacinth macaw, owls and many beautiful smaller birds
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Crystal water snorkelling with a kaleidoscopic abundance of Brazil's colourful freshwater fish
AS ALWAYS
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Small group size - max 6 guests - with exclusive use of 12 person boats: clear shooting on both sides
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Safari scheduled to ensure optimum photographic conditions for jaguar sightings
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Beginner friendly plus great for intermediate/experienced photographers - new species & creative challenges
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1-2-1 technical tuition, post production sessions and creative inspiration with your tutor and tour leader Trai Anfield
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Expert local wildlife guides throughout
YOUR BRAZIL PANTANAL PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI ITINERARY
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​SOUTHERN PANTANAL
A dazzling display of colour in the air and underwater, with bizarre giants roaming the land!
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Day 1
As we fly to Campo Grande bright and early on Day 2 we advise that your international flight arrives in Sao Paulo today and you take advantage of the included night of hotel accommodation near airport (B&B)
Day 2 (B,L,D)
Fly Sao Paulo - Campo Grande
Transfer 2.5 hrs by asphalt road to Bonito.
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After lunch and settling in at our lovely lodge, it's time for close-up encounters with a more peculiar-looking animal, the Giant Anteater, with its dashing, black racing stripe. This area has several great locations where in just one late afternoon, we can observe and photograph more than one of these impressive mammals from just a few meters.
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Giant Anteaters are the largest of the anteaters and can grow up to eight feet long and weigh up to 120 pounds. Their well-adapted noses help them detect ant and termite nests, and their sticky tongues slurp up to 30,000 ants/termites per day! Though anteaters are generally docile animals, they do have razor-sharp claws and are known for their ability to fight off both pumas and jaguars.
Our guides have many years of experience with the Giant Anteaters, so they can get us closer here than anywhere else to photograph these endearing animals.
Overnight Bonito
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Day 3 (B, L, D)
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A packed and varied day!
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We start in the early morning to be the first guests on the famed Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata snorkelling experience, in the crystal clear waters of the Olho d’Água River, a tributary of the mighty Rio da Prata. The Pantanal is a giant wetland environment, and you only see a fraction of its life above the waterline, so here's a perfect chance to explore the wonders of what lies below the surface too!
This unique aquatic environment hosts 50+ species of Brazil's native tropical fish, along with amazing underwater scenery and vegetation, and you'll have ample time to enjoy and photograph this unspoiled underwater paradise.
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If you're not a fan of the water, we can arrange a second visit to photograph the vivid birdlife the ranch or even tour it on horseback.
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Lunch and then a photographic tour of the delightful Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata ranch and gardens. Here we get our eye in with bird photography of curassows, macaws, parakeets, parrots, hummingbirds, hawks, owls, and other avians, including the endemic Blaze-winged Parakeets which can be found here.
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Then for the afternoon we travel just a very short distance to Macaw Canyon - Buraco das Araras. This unique 400-foot-deep, 300-foot-wide limestone sinkhole with vertical, pinkish-yellow sandstone walls is home to up to 60 breeding pairs of Red-and-Green Macaws. The macaws are worth the trip on their own, but there is a plethora of other birdlife including toco toucans, blue-crowned motmots and blue-headed trogons. We'll situate ourselves on viewing platforms with plenty of space, so we can photograph these colourful birds in flight, perched in trees, and interacting with one another. This is the time of year when the Red-and-Green macaws mate, so there should be plenty of excitement in the air!
When we've really got the hang of shooting fast-moving birds in flight we also have time to hone our skills in panning!
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If we have time our final window of light today sees us back in 'Anteater Valley'.
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Overnight Bonito - this year we happened to be in town when the local rodeo was on, and used those panning skills to good effect here to capture the excitement! Dates vary, though, so no promises for rodeo...but if any event is on throughout our itinerary we will always make our best effort to visit!
Day 4 (B, L)
A final early morning giant anteater photography experience - we just can't get enough of these wonderful creatures!
Drive back to Campo Grande where we have the opportunity to photograph Blue-and-Gold along with Coatis - relatives of raccoons - amongst palms and pockets of urban forest.
Overnight hotel in Campo Grande
Day 5 (B, L)
A relaxed breakfast and then we head to airport for our flight to Cuiabá.
Upon arrival we will meet up with our guide for this northern Pantanal section of our safari, and transfer to the hotel.
Time to rest, use the pool, or explore some new photo editing techniques with Trai, applying them to your Southern Pantanal portfolio.
Group dinner will be optional at a nearby restaurant.
Overnight hotel near airport Cuiaba
Day 6 (B, L, D)
Road transfer for 3-4 h to Southwild Pantanal lodge in a closed, air-conditioned vehicle)
The rest of our day will be filled with activities at SPL. These include:
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Forest walks : 1-2 hour morning or afternoon walk in the forest and savannas not far from the lodge. Southwild Pantanal is an excellent location for birding.
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Optional visit to the forest tower. Capuchin Monkeys and Black-and-Gold Howler Monkeys are often seen in the forest.
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Boat ride: 4 hours morning or afternoon boat tour of the Rio Pixaim, which features hawks and kingfishers at close range, often swooping to grab fish or diving for fish around our boat.
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Southwild Pantanal also offers the chance to photograph Jabiru storks on top of their nest platform...viewed at eye level from a 12-m-tall tower that is only 16 m from the nest. This tower is only 150 metres from the lodge.
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There also are good photo opportunities at the bird feeders in the gardens of the lodge.
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The evenings brings out the stars of the show here, and tonight is our first chance to photograph Ocelot. Here at SPL these rare and shy cats may be seen nightly just 400 m walk from the lodge. This experience is completely unique in the world, allowing us to photograph one or more ocelots from only 5-10 meters away and in two-source lights.
Day 7 (B, L, D)
Early activity at SWP
Road transfer to Porto Jofre then boat transfer for 45 min to Jaguar Suites right in the heart of 'Jaguarland'.
This transfer is actually a good chance to search for Jaguars, Giant Otters, and other wildlife.
After check-in and lunch take our first 4-hour boat safari searching primarily for Jaguars
Overnight Jaguar Suites
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Days 8 -12 (B, L, D)
The highlight of our Jaguars of the Pantanal photography safari is our stay at Jaguar Suites. We will embark each day on both morning and evening 4-5 hour boat safaris in search of jaguar, giant otter, caiman, capybara and all the other wildlife that makes up this phenomenal ecosystem.
We don't have to rush back during the day, but mostly we will return 'home' for a while for lunch, some rest, to edit photographs, watch wildlife from our floating suites, have talks by the resident naturalists on Brazilian wildlife - including I-D sessions on the jaguars we have photographed each day - and of course this is a great time to book in 1-2-1 critiques, editing masterclasses and advanced tuition sessions with Trai.
Overnight Jaguar Suites
Day 12 (B, L, D)
Our last early morning boat safari.
Breakfast, check out and a slow boat transfer to Porto Jofre
Return road transfer to SWP lodge
As before, our activities at SPL include:
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Forest walks : 1-2 hour morning or afternoon walk in the forest and savannas not far from the lodge. Southwild Pantanal is an excellent location for birding.
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Optional visit to the forest tower. Capuchin Monkeys and Black-and-Gold Howler Monkeys are often seen in the forest.
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Boat ride: 4 hours morning or afternoon boat tour of the Rio Pixaim, which features hawks and kingfishers at close range, often swooping to grab fish or diving for fish around our boat.
-
Southwild Pantanal also offers the chance to photograph Jabiru storks on top of their nest platform...viewed at eye level from a 12-m-tall tower that is only 16 m from the nest. This tower is only 150 metres from the lodge.
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There also are good photo opportunities at the bird feeders in the gardens of the lodge.
The evenings brings out the stars of the show here, and tonight is our second chance to photograph Ocelot. Here at SPL these rare and shy cats may be seen nightly just 400 m walk from the lodge. This experience is completely unique in the world, allowing us to photograph one or more ocelots from only 5-9 meters away and in two-source lights.
Second visit to the Ocelot photography location
Overnight SWP
Day 13 (B)
Early activity around lodge as above
3-4 h road transfer to Cuiaba.
If the 2026 flight schedule allows we will head straight to the airport in Cuiaba and fly to Sao Paulo, where we will overnight in an airport hotel. OR we will stay overnight in Cuiaba and fly to Sao Paulo the next morning.
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Day 14 (B)
We will wake up in Sao Paulo or fly in early today from Cuiaba (see above) - whichever is the case, it's now the end of our incredible Pantanal safari, and time to either connect with your flight home, or continue your Brazilian journey with a recommended extension to the Amazon or Iguana Falls - we are happy to assist with this.
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SAFARI DATES:
16 - 29 October 2026
​​​2026 RATES: £11,600 ​
Based on 2 guests sharing a double/twin room throughout.
Single room supplement £1,490
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Recommended Add-Ons: The Amazon or Iguazu Falls - available on request
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BRAZIL PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI PACKAGE INCLUDES: first and last night hotel Sao Paulo, airport transfers, full board accommodation in all lodges, hotel accommodation during transfers, all meals as listed, all internal flights, road and river transfers, all boat, walking and vehicle excursions, night drive, all reserve fees, local English speaking expert wildlife guides and naturalists, expert photographic, film making and post production tuition with tour leader Trai Anfield
EXCLUDES: international flights to/from Sao Paulo; visa, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, personal insurances.
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We are happy to assist with advice on international flights on request.
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OUR BRAZIL GUEST EXPERIENCE
STILL WONDERING IF THIS TRIP IS FOR YOU? ...HERE'S WHAT PREVIOUS GUESTS SAY
Our fourth trip with Trai - second as long haul. A perfect mix of professionalism and fun. Great itinerary, organisation, lodges / hotels and superb guides. A small group of 6 makes all the difference - intimate, personal and tailored photography support. Trai is open and relaxed company - projecting enthusiasm and adventure.
G & P Cann, UK
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Excellent trip. Fantastic variety of wildlife to photograph. Excellent logistics, very smooth transitions and a really great leader!
S Barrett, Ireland
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It's hard to know where to start... From the pre-trip notes to the final airport transfer everything was well organised and communicated. The trip itself exceeded my expectations. The wildlife sightings were incredible and the photography opportunities first rate. It would have been difficult to go home without any keepers. The photography support during the trip was low key, but immensely valuable. The whole group raised their game throughout the trip thanks to Trai's tuition. The guides were excellent, particularly Rapha and Lailson, and we had some exceptional wildlife encounters. Evidence of recent and ongoing forest fires made the trip all the more poignant and gave us an opportunity to take more evocative pictures. Trai's excellent communication and evident research made this a hugely successful trip and I can't wait until the next one.
J Clemitson, UK
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Phenomenal three weeks in Brazil. The trip delivered on everything. Organisation brilliant and will be using Trai again! Can't recommend it more highly for a wildlife photo trip.
F McDermott, UK
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Hi Trai, Thanks for such an amazing trip. We both had a great time and learned a lot by fully converting to manual. The range of photography opportunities was fantastic, along with the guides' knowledge to ensure we got to see as much as we did. We were very fortunate to be part of a fantastic group and I'm sure we will remain in touch with everyone for many years to come. Looking forward to our next adventure together.
Dr P Jackson, UK