Pantanal

The dry season, roughly July to October, is prime time: as the water recedes, wildlife concentrates along the rivers and roads, and it's your best chance of spotting wild jaguars. The green wet season (December to March) is lusher, superb for birds and dramatic skies, with animals more dispersed. We plan around exactly what you most want to see.

Yes, you're with an expert wildlife guide throughout, and safety is mostly about following a few sensible instructions around the animals and on the boats. Your guide is always on hand with advice, and by following their tips you can feel as safe as possible, including during your own free time back at the lodge in the evenings when the guide isn't at dinner with you. We're only ever a message away.

Yes, and it is one of the better places to do it. Every Pantanal trip we plan is private, so there is no minimum number of travellers, no fixed departure date to wait for and no risk of the trip being cancelled because nobody else booked it. The vehicle, the boat and the guide's full attention are yours, which is exactly what you want at first light when the sensible thing is to stay at one riverbank for another hour rather than move on. If you are travelling alone, the single-room supplement is itemised in your proposal before you decide anything, so you always know what it costs.

Absolutely, it's the ultimate Brazil wildlife pairing. The Pantanal delivers open-wetland safaris and jaguars, the Amazon adds dense rainforest and river life. We arrange the internal flights and transfers so the two flow together as one seamless private journey.

Yes, and children who love animals are spellbound here. Wildlife is watched from open safari vehicles and calm boats rather than on long treks, so it suits a range of ages, and the sightings come thick and fast: capybaras, caimans, giant otters, hundreds of birds and, with luck, a jaguar. We stay in fazenda and river lodges with family rooms, keep the days flexible around naps and heat, and it works best for children who can manage early starts. It is a natural highlight of our Family and Multi-Generational journey.