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October 17
Friday |
Depart from St. Louis
St. Louis - Miami TBA
TAM Miami - Rio de Janeiro
8.20 pm - 8.30 am (Oct 18th)
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October 18
Saturday |
Arrival in Rio 8:30 am
Transfer to the Pestana Rio Atlantica
Free afternoon
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October 19
Sunday |
Morning
Tour (duration 4 hours)
Pick-up at the hotel and drive along the beaches to the Sugar
Loaf cable car station, 6 minutes of cable car ride, first to
the ‘’Morro da Urca’’ mountain, 270 meters above sea level and
then another 5 minutes to the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain,
395 meters (1,300 ft) above sea level. A city tour follows with
visits of the Cathedral, the Samba stadium (Sambadromo),
downtown area and the biggest stadium in the world, Maracana.
Click here
for large image
Free afternoon
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October 20
Monday |
Morning
Tour (duration 4 hours)
Departure to the Corcovado railway in Cosma Velho, with a
panoramic drive along the ‘’Rodrigo de Freitas’’ lake. Train
ride through dense forest to the top of the Corcovado mountain
and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, 710 meters (2,400 ft)
above sea level. Time to enjoy the marvelous view of Rio de
Janeiro and
Niteroi, the city on the other side of the Guanabara bay. After
descending, the tour continues through the Reboucas Tunnel to
Sao Conrado, Barra de Tijuca and returning via the beaches of
Barra, Sao Conrado, Vidigal, Leblon and Ipanema.
Afternoon:
3.00 pm Complimentary tour of Stern Jewelry HQ and factory
Evening: Dinner and Show (duration 5 hours)
Unforgettable ride through the city bathed in sparkling lights.
We stop at one of Rio’s famous ‘’Churrascarias”. Churrascarias
are barbecue restaurants, serving several types of meats,
brought to your table on skewers and cut in front of you. Side
dishes are abundant, ranging from fried bananas and hearts of
palm to green salads, French fries and rice. Barbecue dinners
are part of Brazilian folklore. After a delightful meal, we
proceed to one of the famous Samba show houses. This is a
display of Carnival throughout the year. Beautiful costumes, the
rhythm of a typical ‘’samba school’’, wonderful ‘’mulatas’’ and
the diverse richness of the Brazilian folklore. |
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October 21
Tuesday |
Transfer to Rio Airport for our flight to Iguassu
10.40 am - 12.50 pm
Upon
arrival in Iguassu, transfer to the Hotel das Cataratas or
Bourbon Cataratas.
Walking tour (duration 2 hours)
After your check-in, escorted walking tour of the Brazilian side
of the falls through paths, footbridges and belvederes, all
strategically placed to give the visitor the best view of each
and every fall. The bottom of the falls can also be reached by a
panoramic elevator. Upon reaching the mail fall, the ‘’Devils
Throat’’, great saturated clouds raise from the fall, often
carrying beautiful rainbows to the sky. It is a good idea to use
a raincoat or rent one there if you venture out on the last
footbridge ending above the Devils Throat.
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October 22
Wednesday |
Argentinean Falls: The Argentinean Falls are located in the
Iguassu National Park, 28 km from the city of Iguassu. Visitors
travel via the Fraternity Bridge to Argentina. No Visa is
required. The falls are 20 km from the border. From the
Visitor’s center, we take the train. Then you have three ways to
visit the falls:
Upper circuit: A 1,200 m footbridge above the falls, which
provides a breathtaking view of the waterfalls.
Lower circuit: A 1,700 m circle trail
Devil’s Throat: It is located in the upper Iguassu river. You
have to walk about 1,100 meters on a footbridge. At the end and
above the Devil’s Throat is a rest area where you can take
extraordinary pictures.
Afternoon tour (duration 2 hours)
Tour of the Macuco Park and boat safari from the Brazilian side.
Pick-up at the Cataratas Hotel and drive the paved road into the
National Park to the entrance of the ‘’Macuco Trail’’ where we
board jeeps. This is the only form of transportation in the
National Park, because the roads are unpaved. During the trip,
passengers will see many species of subtropical plants and
Tropical birds. After 3 km, a short walk through the forest
before arriving at the banks of the Iguassu river. You will take
12 passenger rubber boats and cruise upriver thru the Iguassu
Canyon. The view of the 280 falls is unforgettable. You will
arrive at the Falls themselves, where the passengers will
experience a thrill never to be forgotten. Wear sports clothes
and a raincoat; although you will get wet one way or another
(the water is warm).
Evening: BBQ dinner and South American show in Iguassu city. |
Beautiful
Iguassu River
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October 23
Thursday |
Free Morning
Transfer to the airport
Flight Iguassu - Salvador
4:30 pm - 8:10 pm
Upon arrival in Salvador, transfer to Vila Gale Bahia
Hotel
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October 24
Friday |
Tour of
Salvador (duration 8 hours)
Visit the historical center of Salvador with stops at the main
churches and The colonial Pelourinho area with magnificent
architecture and colors. From the Porto da Barra (then entrance
of the Bay of Salvador with its historical monument of the city
foundation) we continue to the Ladeira da Barra, where a
spectacular panoramic view of the ‘’All Saints Bay’’ can be
enjoyed. Passing thru the ‘’Dois de Julho” Square where every
year the military and student parades are held on Independence
Day. Then onto ‘’Sete de Setembro’’ Avenue, passing the Sao
Pedro Fort and Palacio de Aclamacao, ending at the Castro Alves
Square, the ‘’heart or hot spot of Bahia Carnival’’. We are
reaching the oldest area of Salvador, the Pelourinho with it’s
500-year-old quarter and the second richest church in the world,
the ‘’San Francisco’’ church. After lunch, we descend to the
lower town of Salvador and pay a visit to the Mercado Modelo,
where local handicrafts can be purchased.
Evening: Bahia by night / Solar de Uniao. Enjoy dinner and a
Bahia show in this 18th century sugar factory. A unique
surrounding!
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October 25
Saturday |
Tour
Historical City of Cachoeira with lunch (duration 8 hours)
After breakfast, we leave the hotel with a drive through the
oldest farmland in Brazil. This is the land of sugarcane and
tobacco plantations, peaceful colonial towns and busy country
markets. We visit an experimental cacao plantation. Nearby we
stop at a small but self sufficient farmstead with its own
manioc flour mill and have a great insight into rural life in
Brazil. We lunch in Cachoeira, a charming colonial town in a
beautiful setting on the banks of the Paraguassu River and later
take a walking tour of the town with its many wood sculptors
ateliers, bustling market and visit the sisterhood of ‘’Boa
Morte’’, a sorotory which traces it’s origins back to the time
of slavery. A journey back in time to the Brazil of yesterday.
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October 26
Sunday |
Transfer to airport for flight
Salvador - Brasilia 7.20 am - 9.10 am
Brasilia - Manaus 9.50 am - 11.40 am
Upon arrival transfer to Tropical Hotel Manaus
After lunch - City tour of Manaus
Afternoon Tour
We take our A/C bus for a city tour along the Ponta Negra Beach
of the Rio Negro (Black River) to the city center. First we
visit the Municipal Market, built in the beginning of the 20th
century. We will see a great variety of local products like
fish, fruits and medical plants. Next to the market are the
‘’Floating Docks of Brazil”, built to adjust the water level
differences of up to 20 meters between rain and dry season. We
pass by the Government Palace to a small creek to see the
typical houses on stilts, ‘’Palafitas’’. A stop is made to visit
the Indian Museum which belongs and is maintained by the ‘’Salesian’’Roman
Catholic Order. Finally, we visit the magnificent Opera House of
Manaus. The Opera was constructed in 1896 during the golden
years of the Rubber boom and is a copy of the Opera in Paris. On
the way back to the hotel, we pass through the fashionable
district of Manaus.
Being a Sunday if the opera house is closed the tour
date will change to October 30th a.m.
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October 27
Monday |
Morning: Leave by boat to Ariau (2 hours)
After lunch: Orientation tour by boat.
Dinner: Jungle Lodge
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October 28
Tuesday |
Breakfast
Jungle trek
Lunch
Piranha fishing
Dinner
Evening alligator spotting
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Piranha fishing
Alligator
spotting |
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October 29
Wednesday |
Breakfast
Sunrise tour
After lunch leave to Manaus
Evening: Farewell dinner in Restaurant overlooking the
Rio Negro with hopefully an extraordinary sunset
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October 30
Thursday |
After Breakfast - transfer to the airport for our flight
Manaus - Miami
11:50 am - 5:00 pm
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Price |
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$5,050 per person based on double occupancy
$5,850 single occupancy
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Includes |
Airfare Miami-Miami including all flights inside Brazil,
Daily Breakfast, Four dinners, two lunch and all meals
at Ariau Jungle Lodge, All tours and transfers included.
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Not Included |
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Meals not mentioned above. Airfare
to Miami. |
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Exchange
Rate fluctuation |
(to Brazilian Real-as per
4/30/2008 1 US $ = Real 1.67) and Fuel surcharges (by
airlines): If changes superior to 5% occur in the
Dollar/Real exchange or new fuel surcharges are imposed,
you will be advised and have the option to cancel.
After final payment, the prices are final.
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Visas |
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Brazil requires a Visa - we will take care for you to obtain
this Visa. The cost of the Visa is more or less $ 200 per
person. |
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Conditions |
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Deposit: $ 500 per person at time of booking
Final Payment: 60 days before departure
Cancellation:
Before final payment: $ 200 penalty, after final payment, the
paid amount becomes non-refundable.
Trip cancellation insurance will be offered.
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