SOUTH
AMERICA
The wildlife in South America is as diverse as the continent itself,from Brazil’s elusive jaguars to the playful blue-footed boobies of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.When you go deep into the Amazon basin in motorised canoes where rivers teem with black caiman and piranhas, you can also spot rare pink river dolphin, and the canopy is alive with monkeys, sloths and a plethora of multi-coloured birds occasionally.
Take a horseride to see some beautiful jaguars on the planet in the open wetlands of the pantanal region.
The south of Galapagos Islands is ideal for whale watching around Argentina’s Peninsula Valdés and to see giant condors cruising over the mountains in Chilean Patagonia. Visit South America to see some of the world’s most special wildlife.
The Amazon, Brazil
Because of the dense vegetation of the Amazon there are numerous wildlife with chances of seeing jaguars or other big mammals are quite slim in the heart of the forest,but you may see glimpses of sunburnt-looking Uakari monkeys swinging through the canopy through your binoculars. The red howler monkeys, three-toed sloths, black caiman and a host of vibrantly-coloured birds are all habitants of Amazon. There are availability of remote lodges, often owned and run by indigenous forest communities, are accessed from the jungle city of Manaus.
From here, basic expedition cruises and motorised canoes takes explorers along the Rio Negro, Rio Japurá and other tributaries and channels of the Amazon into the heart of some of Brazil’s most pristine forest. Spendig few days in the heart of Amazon and then travelling to the Pantanal, Rio de Janeiro or other areas of Brazil is a visit worthwhile.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
This isolated island is a fascitinating place inspired from Darwin's Theory of Evolution astound tourists and scientists, all the year round. It is a unique place to visit and immerse in the wild world. Marine iguanas, sea lions and giant Galapagos tortoises roam the islands’ highlands are simply the best to view at. Frigate birds and penguins are of great atttaction in Galapagos
Manú National Park, in Peru is the most pristine rainforest and home to thousands of species of birds as well as some of the Amazon’s most endangered wildlife. Jaguars and giant otters alongside spectacled bears and the unique nocturnal night monkey. To reveal the life in this rainforest book guided walks in the jungle and motorised canoe trips along the Madre de Dios River. If you visit the highly protected Manú Reserved Zone, you will experience virgin rainforest, where pristine Lake Salvador hides families of giant otters and black caiman. Stay in the camping huts to enjoy the forest life. Manú also encompasses the almost-permanently mist-shrouded cloud forest - a unique wildlife-rich environment that sits between the high-altitude Andes and the Amazon lowlands. Spot the beautiful vibrant red-headed birds Cock-of-the-rock for a chance to watch the wonderful mating dance in the forest.
Patagonia, Argentina and Chile
Patagonia is the mecca for marine wildlife, most popularly seen are orcas, although they are very tricky to spot .There are also vast colonies of Magallenic penguins, sea lions and huge, comically-nosed elephant seals. Whale watching from this spot is spectacular. Further south, the open Patagonian steppe is home to herds of curiously haughty guanaco - the wild cousin of the llama .
And you can spot notoriously difficult Puma busy hiking trails, endangered Chilean huemul deer and Andean grey foxes in the mountains and rock-strewn glacial valleys of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Andean condors, the largest flying bird are spectacular too with their mighty three-meter wingspan up in the sky .
Tambopata National Reserve is home to vast array of wildlife including jaguars, pumas, ocelots, giant otters, spider monkeys, tapirs and a plethora of birds to name just a few. Spectacular view of dozens of scarlet macaws, emerald green parakeets and blue-headed parrots, are most popular among others. Taking a flight to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco means Tambopata is easily combined with hikes along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
The Pantanal, Brazil
The Pantanal is the world's largest seasonal wetland, where you can spot well-camouflaged and notoriously elusive jaguars in the wilds around the river banks of Porto Jofre.
Around a thousand of species of birds and 300 species of mammal are found in the openness of the terrain , Most common are capybara, tapir, giant otters, piranhas, caiman as you explore the flooded forests and grasslands by boat.