Today we arrive in Manaus, gateway to the Amazon.

Amazonas is by far the largest of Brazil's states, covering an area that is almost a quarter of the national territory. Half of the Amazon River's 6275 km (4,000 mile) length is in Brazil with some 100-plus tributaries. Standing on the shores of the Rio Negro, 1500 km (900 miles) upriver from Belem and the point where the Amazon reaches the Atlantic, Manaus was originally a Portuguese settlement where a fort was built in 1669. The name of the city comes from the Manaos Indian tribe that inhabits the area.

PLEASE NOTE: If you plan to book your own flights, please note that you may qualify for a $300 discount on our tour if you book your international air on TAM Brazilian Airlines. Participants who book air through Adventures Abroad will be booked on TAM and will receive this discount.

Overnight in Manaus. Meal plan: Dinner, if required.

While in Manaus we will have time to do a walking tour and see some of the town's principal sites, including the Opera House.

Today we board our Amazon Cruise vessel, and depart at about 14:30 hrs. NOTE: The following itinerary description for days 2-5 is provided by the cruise operators.

Presentation on board of staff, route and facilities. Navigation to the Pagodao River (tributary of the Negro). Canoe trip shortly before sunset, returning after dark, with the possibility of observing nocturnal animals and perceive the change in the forest as night falls. Dinner. Navigation to Acu Creek or nearby tributaries.

VESSEL DESCRIPTION: Luxury River Boat; unique style: At 32m (106 feet) long, with a beam of 9m (30 feet), the PREMIUM hosts 32 guests in 16 spacious all-outside cabins, with lower beds, private bathroom facilities with hot shower, individual air-conditioning and safety box. Unique on the PREMIUM is a spacious observation and sundeck with a fantastic 360° panoramic view. The window-lined dining room seats all passengers leisurely at same time. The entertainment deck offers a large air-conditioned lecture room with library/video facilities, a bar with plenty of
comfortable seating, as well as a large covered area for outdoor sightseeing.

For more info and pictures go to www.amazonclipper.com.br.

Overnight Amazon Premium Cruise. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Canoe trip at sunrise for bird watching. Breakfast. Walk in the forest with commentaries by the specialist. Observation of the flora. Visit to a "caboclo" family. Chance to see the local way of life, preparation of manioc flour (the staple foodstuff of the Amazon), the health and education situation of the children etc. Lunch. Fishing for piranhas.

Navigation through the Anavilhanas, the world's largest fresh water archipelago, more then 1000 miles from the ocean. Navigation. Dinner. Night trip to see caimans and possibly frogs, sloth, snakes and other species, depending on the season.

Overnight Amazon Premium Cruise. Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast. Visit to the village of Novo Airao, with its handicraft boat yards where the "AMAZON CLIPPER" was built, sawmills, market and other activities. Navigation to Praia Grande or other white sand beach. Swimming if conditions permit, and observation of the vegetation of sandy areas. Lunch. Canoe trip in Lake Acajatuba or adjacent lake domains to see typical flora (rubber trees, Brazil nuts, useful palm trees of various types). Dinner. Navigation.

Overnight on Amazon Premium Cruise. Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lake January. Canoe trip at sunrise for bird watching. Breakfast. Navigation to the "Meeting of the Waters". Return to the Tropical Hotel landing-stage, with fine views of Manaus waterfront. Arrival at 11:30 hrs. Disembark.

After arriving at Manuas from our cruise, we will check into our Manaus hotel for a relaxing afternoon of free time as later tonight we will be transferring to the airport for our flight to the capital (TAM scheduled flights depart at this hour).

Overnight flight to Brasilia. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Early this morning we arrive in Brasilia, Brazil's modern, purpose-built capital. After breakfast, we'll have a guided visit of this fabulous modern city.

It was as far back as the early 1800's that the idea of an inland capital for Brazil was first discussed. A Salesian priest from Italy dreamed that a new, economically powerful civilization would rise up at the geographical centre of Brazil. It would take almost a century and a half before the dream was realized in 1960 by then President Juscelino Kubitschek.

Overnight in Brasilia. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we fly from Brasilia to Recife and transfer to our hotel in the nearby UNESCO World Heritage designated colonial town of Olinda, a small and relatively sedate place brimming with beautiful 17th and 18th century architecture spread over several hills lush with vegetation, overlooking the tropical sea.

Overnight in Olinda. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

During our time in Olinda we will visit its sights on foot, including the Convent of Saint Francis. We will walk up to the Cathedral Heights for great views over the town in its verdant, tropical setting with the warm South Atlantic nearby. In the near distance to the south, we can see the modern highrises of Recife. Although close-by, little Olinda feels entirely separate from her large neighbour. The wood carving in the 16th century Saint Benedict Monastery is worth seeing, as is the little museum in the Casa do Bonecos. The Mercado da Ribeira is an attractive 18th century arcade where you can find souvenir shops and art galleries.

Overnight in Olinda. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we take a short flight from Recife to the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha found in the South Atlantic, 500 kilometres (300 miles) to the northeast of Recife.

Fernando de Noronha consist of 20 small islands adding up to a total land area of only 25 square kilometres (16 square miles). The population of about 2,000 resides on the largest of the islands where we will be staying. There are only seven kilometres (four miles) of paved roads and a number of sandy tracks, negotiable only by dune buggy. It is a special place where tourist numbers are strictly limited. The archipelago was discovered by a Spaniard who had been
Columbus's pilot on the 1492 trans-Atlantic voyage. The king of Portugal later gave it to a Portuguese aristocrat by the name of Fernao de Noronha who never actually saw the islands that today bear his name. In 1988 it was turned into a National Marine Park to protect the many species of marine birds that nest here, as well as the teeming underwater life of its extensive reef system.

Overnight in Fernado de Noronha. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

This morning we set out to experience the natural beauty of this protected biosphere. Today's activities will include a nature walk in the tropical forests of the national park. We may see tropic birds and boobies. A boat trip along the coast gives us an excellent overview of the islands as we motor past the densely forested Morro do Pico, which at 320 metres (1100 feet) is the main island's highest point. Fernando de Noronha is the top of an extinct volcano. Our boat arrives at the Baia do Sancho where there is a beautiful, isolated beach where we have time to swim in the warm sea. There will also be the possibility to snorkel in the pristine waters of the marine park that surrounds the island.

Later today we will visit the tiny colonial centre of village of Vila do Remedios.

Overnight in Fernado de Noronha. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we fly to Belo Horizonte (via Recife), the capital of the state of Minas Gerais and Brazil's third largest city. The state of Minas Gerais ("General Mines"), takes its name from the area's Gold Boom in the 18th century that gave rise to some fabulous baroque colonial towns.

Overnight in Belo Horizonte. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we travel by road to Ouro Preto, a relatively small town that was once the Portuguese base during a war between the Portuguese and the Paulista bandeirantes. Later the town became the capital of the gold-producing area of Minas, and today it is rich with 18th century churches.

Overnight in Ouro Preto. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we explore this jewel of a colonial town, walking its narrow cobbled streets to the Escola de Minas in the old governor's palace. This building contains a interesting museum of mining and minerology. We continue on to the Church of Our Lady of Carmo, with its facade by the local 18th century artist, Aleijandinho.

We will see plenty of sculptures by this remarkable man today. He was the son of a Portuguese architect and a slave who lost the use of his hands and legs when he was 30. Nonetheless, he created beautiful pieces of religious sculpture with tools strapped to his arms. Aleijandinho is buried in the parish church of Antonio Dias. There is a good little museum of his works nearby.

We will also visit the Museum of the Inconfidencia in the attractive 18th century building that was formerly the town jail and municipal seat. This museum relates to the period of rebellion in Minas Gerais that resulted from the onerous, and ever-increasing gold taxes imposed by the Portuguese Crown in the late 18th century. One of the intellectuals involved in the uprising was Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier, whose nickname was Tiradentes, or "Tooth Puller". The uprising was put down quickly and Tiradentes was hung, drawn, and quartered.

Overnight in Ouro Preto. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we drive to Rio de Janeiro.

What can be said about this city, the "Cidade Maravilhosa", except that it lives up to its nickname? It is certainly one of the most beautiful and dramatically situated cities on the planet. We will stay at its heart, near Ipanema Beach. In Rio there is no getting away from the sand and the sea; the city is built almost entirely along beaches and bays with forest-clad mountains as its backdrop.

This afternoon we will take a stroll along part of Copacabana Beach, which is about 4.5 km long (almost 3 miles). Here you can practise your Brazilian Portuguese a bit with the laid-back Cariocas, as the citizens of Rio are known: "Tudo bem?" "Tudo bom!"

Overnight in Rio. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

In January 1502, a Portuguese mariner entered the bay here which he mistook for a river mouth. Hence the name of the city, which translates as "January River". Because of its outstanding harbour and hinterlands well-suited for sugarcane production, which was central to the Portuguese colonial economy in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Rio became, after Salvador de Bahia and Recife-Olinda, the third most important centre of settlement in Brazil. The Gold Rush in the mountainous area just north of Rio had an indelible influence in the 18th century, when Rio became a Gold Rush port. In 1763 the city replaced Salvador de Bahia as the colony's capital. In 1808, Rio was even the refuge of the Portuguese king and his court, when they narrowly escaped Napoleon's invasion of Lisbon that year. It was then that Portugal briefly became the only European nation to be ruled from one of its colonies.

Today's visits will include the Metropolitan Cathedral, with its beautiful stained-glass windows, as well as two different viewpoints above the city: the highest one on Corcovado with an extraordinary panorama of the whole city and its environs at a height of 710 metres (2,300 feet), near the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer; the other being the stunning Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf). We will take two cable cars to reach its summit at just under 400 m (1,300 feet).
The views of the city are amazing.

This evening you can go to a nightclub in the Ipanema area to hear some Bossa Nova music. The most famous song of this genre is, of course, "The Girl from Ipanema."

Overnight in Rio de Janiero. Meal plan: Breakfast.

Today we fly to Campo Grande and continue by road to the Panatanal.

This enormous wetland lies at the geographical centre of South America. The name Pantanal means marshlands; this is the largest wetland on earth. It extends beyond Brazil's borders into Bolivia and Paraguay, and some say that the wildlife viewing is better here than in the Amazon.

In the Pantanal one finds more than just marshland; however, there are, variously, forests an meadows, savannahs and rivers, as well as a number of cattle ranches. We will stay on one such, which will be our comfortable base of exploration for three nights.

In its two distinct seasons, the Pantanal presents a constant, unequaled spectacle. From November to April is the flood season when the rivers overflow and spread themselves for miles uniting with the bays and creeks creating a true ocean of sweet water. This is the period of Pantaneira flora, the green explodes and gives breeding ground for flora and water-loving fauna. Excursions at this time of year usually involve exploration by boat/canoe for at least part of the
time.

Overnight at Pantanal Estancia (ranch). Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

During the next two days we will explore the rivers, marshes, meadows, and forests surrounding the ranch where we are staying. Various activities during these two days will include a boat trip on the Aquidana River when we will do some birdwatching and look for the large aquatic mammals known as capybaras. We will also be on the lookout for jacares (caimans, or little crocodiles) and jaguars. You may want to try your hand at fishing for piranhas! There are a number of different species and not all of them are dangerous.

Other excursions will include nature walks. If we are lucky, we may encounter a giant anteater and/or some rheas (large flightless birds that resemble ostriches). For those who wish, we can embark on a horeback riding excursion through the forests and marshes. At the ranch itself there are plentiful opportunities for birdwatching; there are more than 600 bird species in the Pantanal so bring your binoculars. With luck we may see some flocks of the endangered and rare Hyacinth Macaw.

Overnight at Pantanal Estancia. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we continue our exploration of the Pantanal with more nature walks and perhaps another boat trip.

For those who wish, there is a swimming pool on the ranch grounds where you can relax this afternoon.

Overnight at Pantanal Estancia. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we travel (we may fly or drive, or do a combination) to Iguacu Falls.

Iguacu is at the meeting point of three countries: Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The name Iguacu (Iguazu in Spanish) is from the native Guarani language (one of the official languages of Paraguay), meaning "Great Waters". In fact, the cataracts consist of more than 250 individual falls, some of which drop more than 80 metres (300 feet). In 1986, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ovenight in Iguacu. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we view the wonderful Iguacu Falls. The views are magnificent and from here you get the clearest idea as to the size of the falls, though the area from which to view them is fairly limited. From spots all along the path there are excellent views, at first across the lower river at a point where it has narrowed to channel width. At the bottom of the path, where the river widens again, there's a catwalk leading out towards the falls themselves. Depending on the force of the river, the spray can be quite heavy so, if you have a camera, be sure to carry a plastic bag.

Overnight at Iguacu Falls. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we fly to Sao Paulo. Sightseeing in Sao Paulo today and / or tomorrow depending on flight timing.

Overnight in Sao Paulo. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

As we anticipate evening flights homeward, we will see some of Sao Paulo today, including the excellent Sao Paulo Art Museum, with its collection of Brazilian as well as Western art. Will will also see the Monumento Bandeirantes, which honours the founders of the city. There is a lovely Botanical Garden in the Parque do Estado, which we will also visit.

Departure from Sao Paulo.

VIAGEM BOA!! Meal plan: Breakfast.