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Birds and the Bees This trip is in Parana state. Day 1: Recommended Sunday or Tuesday Evening flight from London Heathrow direct to Sao Paulo with LATAM or British Airways. UK regional departures are possible as part of British Airways tickets, connecting in Heathrow. Day 2You'll land in Sao Paulo and change planes for Foz do Iguaçu. You'll be met at the airport, just look out for a Tell Tale 'pink peacock' sign. Then you'll have a short transfer to a b&b/resort/hotel where you can relax from your flights with a dip in the pool. Or stretch your legs in the small town. Day 3 breakfast (meals included today) Visit the Brazilian side of Iguaçu waterfalls and enjoy the birdlife with your private guide. Later he'll take you to visit the bird park, a great place to see tropical birds up close and personal, including some very rare species. The Brazilian side really gives you an overview of the falls, and is perfect for those panoramic photos. Your tickets will be pre-arranged/picked up by your guide, so there's no need for you to queue at the ticket office. Day 4 breakfast First thing this morning your guide will pick you up to take you across the border to Argentina. When you get there, you'll board a a train which takes you straight to the fantastically-named Devil's Throat. Watch the river turning into a thundering torrent. This side of the falls is foresty, so there is more nature and birdlife. Atlantic Rainforest also has lovely plants. Day 5 breakfast (depending on flight time) Time to leave Iguaçu. Transfer to Foz do Iguaçu airport. You'll have a short flight across the Parana state to to the capital Curitiba, considered one of the safest and cleanest cities in Brazil. It is next to the largest remaining area of Atlantic Forest, and the parks in the city also help make the air fresh. The city has been a melting point of many cultures from European to Japanese and there is a variety of food. Later on today a guide will take around by bicycle on a cycle route which links the city's main parks, giving a good overview of the city and monuments which marry architecture with nature. If you'd rather walk/be driven, this can be arranged. This evening, choose where to have dinner from our recommended restaurants near your comfortable city-centre hotel. Day 6 breakfast, lunch Up early today. Brazil is not big on trains but today you'll board the Serra Verde Express, a vintage railway, built with great difficulty in the 19th century. You'll have a 3-4 hour train ride past rivers and mountains, the Atlantic rainforest in this parts is one of the best preserved in the whole of this vast country. You'll arrive in a charming colonial city, Morrete, which dates back to the gold diggers of the 18th century. The architecture of the 19th century mansions reflect the city's glorious past. These days, the population makes its money from agriculture, so tourism is a great way for them to make extra income without having to leave home for the mainstream tourist areas of Rio and Salvador. We love having lunch by Nhundiaquara River, which flows right through the centre of the city. You'll have a walk around town and then have a short drive to a pretty area for another walk. Then you'll head to Casas Di Monte Ecopousada to relax in lovely green surroundings. If you have time and the weather permits, you could have a dip in the pool. We have planned this day for a Friday or Sunday when the train should be running all year (it also runs on Saturdays, however, if the next day fell on a Sunday, you wouldn't be able to see people at work). Day 7 breakfast, lunch A real nature day. With a local guide, you'll explore a forest reserve, thriving with birds. You'll also see authentic beekeeping. Modern beekeeping relies on European bees which produce more honey, yet these bees are low-maintenance and you don't need any protective gear, they are stingless! This is an initiative by an NGO which guarantees an income to 25 residents of three nature reserves. Day 8 breakfast Pack up and head off. You're off to Honey Island! No bees alas at 'Ilha do Mel', although the small island with its stretches of sandy beaches and mangroves is full of flora and fauna. It is a nature reserve and no cars are allowed. You'll take a 30-minute ferry across the sea to the island. Settle into your room at family-owned lodge Pousada Enseada Das Conchas. We recommend walking to the nearby lighthouse to watch the sun go down. Day 9 breakfast Day at leisure to enjoy sun and sea. Hire a local bike or trek north to the fortress, a great way to enjoy the nature of this lovely island. You may see some birds form the golden-crowned Golden-Crowned Warbler to the kelp gull. Your time on Ilha do Mel is yours as to do as you please. It's easy to walk around and the lodge owners are helpful but the island only has approximately 100 people inhabitants; if you'd like a guide here, ask us to arrange a guide from the mainland to come and stay with you on the island (at supplement). Day 10 breakfast Day at leisure. Or if you are good walkers, if you head off south early enough on the 2-hour walk, you can visit the beautiful grotto, 'Grutas das Encantadas' at low tiding. Day 11 breakfast Today will be Wednesday (if Day 1 was a Sunday) or Friday (if Day 1 was a Tuesday). Time to pack up to check out if your room by midday. You'll take the 30-minute ferry to the mainland where you'll be met by a driver and taken on a drive of approximately 2-2.5 hours to Curitiba. If you are flying with LATAM, you will be taken to the airport to fly to Sao Paulo, connecting to a direct flight back to London Heathrow. If you are flying British Airways, you will be taken to a city-centre hotel. Day 12 If you are flying LATAM, you'll land back at London Heathrow. If you're flying British Airways, this morning you will have a short transfer from Curitiba city centre to the airport for a flight to Sao Paulo, connecting to a direct flight with British Airways to London Heathrow, landing back 'Day 13'. This nature adventure based on a minimum of 2 people sharing a private tour costs from £2,700 per person with flights from the UK, all accommodation, meals as specified, activities/excursions with guides and local people, private transfers, and boat tickets to/from the island. You can also book this trip excluding international flights for £1,800. Please note your tour would starts with a pick up at Foz do Iguaçu airport on Day 2 and a drop off at Curitiba airport on Day 11. (if you book excluding flights, only the domestic flight on Day 5 will be included). This trip is best taken in October or January to April. December is also a good time for weather, though note it is popular for local tourists during the Christmas holidays. (May to September are autumn/winter months in this area. November is not recommended because of horseflies on the island).
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