Tag Archives: Parrots

Picture Perfect Ilha Grande

16 Jan

The relaxing island hideaway of Ilha Grande is located 100 miles south of Rio de Janeiro. With beautiful white sandy beaches, clear blue water, unspoilt Atlantic rainforest and relaxed vibe, it’s the type of holiday destination people dream of. The eleven mile crossing from Angra dos Reis to Ilha Grande takes just over an hour, but the difference is huge. Leave behind the high rise developments and busy beaches and arrive on the sandy shores of a laid back, undeveloped paradise. It’s all about relaxing in the sun, swimming in clear waters, swinging in hammocks, hiking forested trails and dining by candle light on fresh seafood with the sound of samba floating through the air.

Continue reading

Inner tubes, bamboo and string – river travel the Bolivian way!

4 Oct

Five days – drifting 250 kilometres down river – from Guanay to Rurrenabaque – on a home-made raft – with no engine…I must have got that all wrong. Was there a way such a trip could really be possible? The voice on the other end of the phone took a deep breath and repeated what they’d already explained. The ‘No noise’ jungle rafting experience through Bolivia’s chunk of Amazonas was created for people looking for unparalleled adventure. Six people, a guide and a cook, along with rucksacks, food supplies and camping equipment, would pile on top of a raft no bigger than 5 metres long and 2.5 metres wide and float to their destination using only the natural flow and currents of the river. There would be jungle walks to spot exotic animals and indigenous tribes were never far from the river banks. Home each evening would be under canvas in a rustic camp and to wash ourselves there would always be a crystal clear river or a gushing waterfall nearby. Rendered speechless as my head span with all of this information – all I could muster were the immortal words – “Sign us up!”

Continue reading

The Brazilian Pantanal – Wet & Wild!

4 Sep

The sun was still high in the sky as we cruised down a long, straight stretch of unpaved road taking us deep into the Brazilian Pantanal. As one of the biggest wetland areas in the world covering 230,000 square kilometres, the Pantanal is home to around one thousand different species of exotic birds and animals and is renowned for being one of the best places in the whole of Latin America to spot wildlife in its natural habitat. The Pantanal would soon start living up to its reputation as we pulled over to the side of the road to view two magnificent black bodied and bright orange beaked toucans in the trees only 10 metres away from us.

Continue reading