In the middle of the Brazilian savannah, Jalapão Eco Lodge is located within Jalapão State Park. This is still a relatively isolated region of Brazil and without many hotel facilities around, so it’s quite a chance to experience the lush beauty of Jalapão in comfort.
The lodge has one bungalow, and four huts. The bungalow is made of masonry with a straw roof. It is suitable for a couple or a family of up to five people. It has a panoramic view of the Jalapão Mountain. The huts were built with bamboo, pindaíba, taboca and piaçava straw and covered with buriti stalks. They were built using permaculture techniques and local labour.
In March 1st, the wonderful city completed 456 years since its foundation. It received the name of São Sebastião of Rio de Janeiro by the Portuguese military Estácio de Sá. And since then, it still enchants everyone who knows or heard about it.
Located in a region with amazing fauna and flora, on the banks of a river that bears its name, the Amazon Tupana Lodge is a small inn in the forest. Owned by a native, it brings to visitors the knowledge of the local people and their unique culture.
The lodge main goal is for every tourist to fall in love with the paradise called the Amazon. In operation since 2008, the lodge offers a reception, a restaurant, a lounge with hammocks with panoramic views, a leisure room and 16 accommodations. All built with rustic caboclo architecture (traditional constructions in this area), planned by riverside dwellers in order to preserve nature and keep the purpose of offering basic comfort during the adventure of visitors in the Amazon Forest.
They offer a great cost-benefit ratio for lodges of the same category, quality of service and the most complete program in the Amazon, with guides prepared for a greater degree of immersion in the jungle.
To make your visit to Rio de Janeiro and especially to this attraction, unforgettable, now you can take a souvenir tattooed on your skin. Yes, literally, until April 30th, visitors can get a tattoo related to the attraction or to the Wonderful City, as Rio is known.
On the top of the sugar loaf, with this beautiful view, the cable cars from that the 90s, now in expositions, are the studios for this new option. Another way to make the visit last forever is with a fantastic video and great photos from a drone, to appreciate the beauty of this landscape in all its splendor.
Remembering that from the Morro de Urca, visitors can take a panoramic helicopter flight to appreciate for themselves the natural beauties of the wonderful city.
Rio will be waiting for its visitors, with security protocols in all attractions, innovating to always offer the best experience.
We are more than happy and proud to we announce the opening of the BioParque in Rio de Janeiro, last March 22nd.
BioParque follows the most advanced and modern concepts based on education, research and conservation.
Our team has been to the opening visit and had the chance to experience the areas for contemplation and interaction such as: Tropical immersion – Village of Reptiles – Burle Marx Garden – Kings of the Jungle – Small Farm and much more. The great amount of snack stands, restaurants and the beautiful shop brings a special touch to the visit.
We noted a special attention to the new sanitary protocols: mandatory use of face masks, alcohol based hand sanitizer, minimum distance marks to be followed, preferable use of digital payment methods and several signs to help the visitors to remember these guidelines.The park is opened daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Icaraí de Amontoada is a small village on the coast of Ceará, where the lifestyle is simple and genuine. Hurry and ostentation have no business here! Walking barefoot through the streets, chatting with the locals, and spending a carefree afternoon on the beach is the kind of privilege we find in this region. The brighter point in Icaraí is its nature: green sea, golden dunes, and beautiful natural pools.
Makena Hotel has 13 exclusive suites that bring the best of modern Brazilian design without losing the rusticity and native charm of Icarai of Amontada. Each suite was designed individually to bring unique experiences such as the indoor/outdoor bathrooms. Ornamental landscaping in all suites ensures guests’ privacy so they can enjoy moments of relaxation.
Traveling around Brazil and getting to know better what we offer has always been the goal when I have a few days off.
Brazil has such different and enchanting sceneries and this time I decided to visit one of the 7 Chapadas do Brasil and one of the main Ecotourism destinations in the world, the Chapada dos Veadeiros.
I had always heard that Chapada was an enchanting place, full of huge waterfalls, mountains and viewpoints, considered a Unesco World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve in the state of Goiás, so the expectation was great!
A short introduction about what the Chapada dos Veadeiros is. It is one of the places with the oldest rock formations on the planet and part of the largest plateau in central Brazil. There we find stunning landscapes, such as canyons, mountains, thermal Waters and large valleys. Its subsoil is covered by plates and veins of crystals, which attract a strong mystical movement to the place, because according to spiritualists it would be a great source of energy, propelling spiritual advances for mankind, being even the most luminous spot on the planet seen from space. Besides the presence of crystals, Veadeiros is located on Parallel 14, the same parallel that cuts through the sacred city of Machu Picchu and other spiritual cities in the world. Chapada dos Veadeiros is also known for UFO sighting stories and we can see funny specimens everywhere in its souvenir shops. And talking to the locals, there is always one story or another to understand why this place is so different!
Talking about my trip, I chose the low budget style, but there are lodging options for all styles from backpackers to charming hotels with spa and holistic experiences.
As I had plenty of time and the Chapada has many attractions, I made a longer itinerary and didn’t see everything! For those who have less time, I believe that 4 days would be enough to visit the must-go places.
To get there I took a 2 hours flight from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília, the closest city to Chapada and from there, I took the road to Chapada by a very good road with beautiful landscapes of the cerrado.
Chapada is divided into 3 main villages where it is possible to be closer to the attractions, Alto Paraiso, Vila de São Jorge and Cavalcante.
Full itinerary 9 days / 8 nights
1st day
On this day I decided to go to Cavalcante and I stayed at a campsite in a Calunga community where I had the opportunity to get to know up close how they live. The “kalungas” are descendants of slaves and gold mine workers in Brazil who today live in communities and sustain themselves through and tourism and family agriculture. And it is there where I saw one of the most beautiful and starry skies in Brazil!
2nd day
The second day started very early and we left to visit the four waterfalls of the community, the Santa Bárbara Waterfall being one of the most desired of all of Chapada because of the color of its water, some days with a shade of like a blue pool and other days in an emerald green tone, as I saw it! The waterfalls are fantastic and as there is a visitor entrance control, we have the sensation of having this paradise all to ourselves! By the way, a guide, besides being obligatory, is fundamental! It is enriching to know more about the way they live and the stories of their ancestors while we’re doing short trails.
We decided to stay overnight in the community again because the next day would have many hikes and waterfalls near the Community!
3rd day
On this day we took a dirt road with our guide and went to the Complexo do Prata, where we would hike a heavier trail with wonderful rewards at the end of each stop! A total of 7 fantastic waterfalls! On the road we saw buffalos and the different contrasting colors of the region. Then we headed towards Alto Paraiso, one of the villages that is also part of Chapada. There we saw many souvenir shops, open air markets, bars and restaurants where we could enjoy the local vibe.
4th day
The next day was lighter, light hiking and we took the opportunity to visit the famous Moon Valley! A rock formation carved by thousands of years that resembles the moon, a unique scenery! Different from the waterfalls, the falls pass through crevices forming incredible small falls! Just 15 minutes on the trail and we are in another unimaginable scenery amid rocks and vegetation!
After lunch we went to Fazenda São Bento with trails and stunning scenery! There they also offer a fantastic zipline of almost 1km, where we have a wonderful view of Chapada, but I already had other plans for the next day…
5th day
Our itinerary began at 04:30am going to see Chapada from a different point of view and realize a dream: FLYING IN A BALOON! The silence of the sky of Chapada was only interrupted by the sound of the waterfalls that we flew over! A dream come true!
After the flight, they offered a nice toast with sparkling wine and nuts! Nice way to start to start the day! After breakfast in town, where our guide took us to taste some local juices, we left for another day of waterfalls, this time the Complexo dos Macaquinhos, in this complex we saw about 10 waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water. As we didn’t want to walk too much that day, we visited only a few and these were very worthwhile. At the end of this incredible day we had dinner at a restaurant with one of the best risottos I’ve ever had, Risoto Santo Cerrado, and we ended up going back there the next day to try other dishes as well!
6th day
We chose this day to rest our legs and stayed at the Poço Encantado (Enchanted Well) Waterfall, there is a restaurant that serves regional dishes. On this day we still had time to visit an open-air market with vegan and organic products, handicrafts, incense sticks. Besides the little shops to buy beautiful crystals, souvenirs and have a little more fun with the famous UFOs.
7th day
It was a day to visit one of the most famous and imposing waterfalls in the region, Cachoeira dos Couros, where I saw a huge number of birds and plant species! As it was the dry season, the Falls had less volume and crystal clear water, during the rainy season, the water volume increases so much that it is forbidden to enter the water!
That day we decided to visit the Vila de São Jorge and I must say that I fell in love with the rusticity of the place, the simple people, with good energy.
Chapada is a destination of daytime attractions and doesn’t have night clubs, but it does have bars with good live music, good restaurants, pizzerias and tasty wines for the colder nights.
8th day
Penultimate day in Chapada and there are still so many things to see and do.
We visited the National Park, an area with about 50 species of animals that live in the region and are considered rare, endangered, and there are approximately 1,400 species of plants in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park.
Walking along quartz trails, finding rare plants, crystals and at the end enjoying a waterfall can be considered a prize!
9th day
Before leaving for Brasilia, we went to the Loquinhas Waterfall, a very well signposted wooden hanging trail, with many wells and waterfalls and many monkeys that wanted to get our cookies from our backpacks! We took the opportunity to capture the last photos and capture moments, strengthen friendships built, learning from simple and friendly people that will stay forever in our memories.
The Convento do Carmo Hotel is an iconic site of the city of Salvador, at the laid-back state of Bahia. Dating from the 16th century it used to host one of the most important convents in this city, which has been one of the important economical centers of Brazil as a colony. In the heart of Pelourinho, one of the Unesco Patrimony sites of Salvador, the hotel is surrounded by some of the greatest attractions of this historical city, some of the most visited churches and only 800 meters from the curious Model Market (Mercado Modelo).
The Portuguese hotel group Convento do Espinheiro will run the Convento do Carmo Hotel, oriented for the high end guests looking for comfort, coziness and exclusivity.
Salvador is a destination full of culture and spirituality, an excellent option to enrich knowledge about the diverse culture of Brazil.
Venturing directly into the heart of the great Iguazu Falls during this safari tour. This exciting adventure will bring our guests closer to the new seven natural wonders of the world, feeling the strength of the falls during the boat trip and experiencing the Iguazu Falls in an exciting way. The Macuco Safari tour has its embarkation point on the Brazilian side of the great Iguassu Falls, an incredible experience that allows you to see the Argentinean side up close without having to cross the border.
Macuco Safari is a tour divided into three stages – Jungle, Trail and Boat
Jungle – The group is driven along a 2 km trail through the forest of the Iguaçu National Park in an open cart driven by an electric vehicle accompanied by an driver guide, who will fulfil the guests with the secrets of the Brazilian fauna, flora and others curiosities of the National Park.
Trail (optional) – In this stage contact with the environment will become even more narrow, with a walk of approximately 600 meters where is possible to observe the beautiful waterfall of Salto Macuco (Macuco Falls). Proceeding on driven route towards the banks of the Iguaçu River from where the powerful twin-engine boats will leave for the most special part of the tour.
Boat – Now the ride meets its most thrilling moments. The boat goes upstream the river towards the Amazing Iguaçu Falls, where there is an exclusive, unique and impressive view of the waterfalls. From underneath the falling waters one feels the greatness and power of nature in its most raw state!
An experience not be missed while in Iguassu Falls!
Rio de Janeiro International Airport, GIG, now offers the possibility for passengers to take the PCR exams for Covid-19 inside the airport. It is a partnership with Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. This is Einstein’s first laboratory unit in Rio de Janeiro.
From the 29th of March, the inauguration of the complete structure of the unit, which will operate 24 hours a day, is planned. As of that date, the laboratory will release the results of the RT-PCR exam within 4 hours of collection, in addition to offering diversified services, such as vaccines and medical assistance by telemedicine. It will operate every day, from 7 am to 10 pm in the Arrivals area, Public Area of Terminal 2 – next to the TGI Friday’s restaurant. The service can be done by scheduling through the “Meu Einstein App”, but the service can also be provided without scheduling on a first-come, first-served basis.
