2024 Pantanal Jaguars & Iguazu Falls

Photography Adventure

Workshop Information Packet

Contents:

I.              General Information

II.            To Do Checklist

III.         Daily Itinerary

2024 Pantanal & Iguazu Falls

General Information

Welcome!

Thanks again for joining our 2024 Pantanal Jaguars & (optional) Iguazu Falls Photography Adventure. I’m sure you are as excited for this trip as we are! This document contains important information to help you prepare for your travels. Please take some time to review it carefully.

Workshop Dates:  

Aug 7–18, 2024 Pantanal Jaguars Wildlife

Aug 18–20, 2024 Iguazu Falls By Moonlight Optional Extension

Instructors/Leaders: Ken Lee & Randall Ball

Balance of Fees:

The balance of your workshop fees are due as follows:

Payment #2: $3000 due Jan 15, 2024

Final Payment: balance of all fees due April 15, 2024

You will receive an invoice by email approximately 30 days before each due date. Payments can be made online by credit card. Please contact us if you wish to use another form of payment. Your on-time payment is greatly appreciated.  

Health/Medical

Prescription Medications – remember to pack an adequate supply of any prescription medications (also supplements, sleep aids, non-prescription pain relievers, etc.) you take, as they may not be available in the areas we will be traveling.

Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.

COVID-19 – Brazil and the United States both no longer require pre-travel testing or proof of vaccination  

Other Vaccinations – no specific vaccinations are required to enter Brazil but please consult your physician or travel clinic for recommended vaccinations. While we cannot provide medical advice, malaria prophylaxis and vaccinations for yellow fever and typhoid are typical recommendations.

Travel Logistics & Documents

Passport/Visas –American and Canadian citizens do NOT need a visa to enter Brazil, but a valid passport is required. Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after your planned departure from Brazil.

If your passport was issued by another country, please check online or with the Brazilian consulate in your country regarding visa requirements.

International Flights –

Arrival - Book your flights to arrive at Cuiaba International Airport (Airport code: CGB, aka Marechal Rondon International Airport) no later than ~1pm on Aug 7 (our first group activity is at 3pm).  

Connections Note: You will most likely connect via Sao Paolo airport (GRU) on your way to Cuiaba. We suggest allowing 2.5 hrs minimum to make your connecting flight as you will have to go through Brazilian Immigration/Passport Control in Sao Paolo, claim your luggage and re-check-in for your flight to Cuiaba.

Departure:

Pantanal Jaguars Only Participants: If you are participating in the Pantanal portion only, book your homeward flight to depart from Cuiaba airport (CGB) anytime on Aug 18.

Iguazu Falls Extension Participants: The workshop ends upon our arrival at Sao Paulo airport (GRU) on Aug 20 around noon. Book your homeward flight to depart GRU after 5pm on Aug 20 (most flights to US depart in the evening).

Internal Flights – two internal flights, Cuiaba–Iguazu and Iguazu–Sao Paulo are included in the workshop fee and will be booked on your behalf.

Let us know if you need assistance with your travel arrangements.

Extra hotel nights – if you plan to arrive early or depart after the workshop end date, let us know your plans and we can assist with booking your rooms (additional fee applies).

Travel Insurance – a policy that covers medical evacuation is a requirement for participation in this workshop. Most policies also cover many other things like trip cancellation, lost luggage, theft/loss, etc. Please send us a copy of the summary page of your policy.

Notify Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while traveling.

Mobile Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from your carrier or limit your mobile phone data usage to Wi-Fi only.

WhatsApp – a free communications app used widely in Brazil. We will be using WhatsApp for internal group communications. Please download & install WhatsApp and create an account before arriving in Brazil.  

What to Pack

Weather Note – below are historical averages for August in the areas we will be. Rain is a possibility but not likely.

Location                            Avg High/Low               Avg Humidity

Porto Jofre (Pantanal)            94˚ F /65˚F                  39%

Iguazu Falls                               77˚F /56˚F

Clothing & Personal Items – thin, cool and quick-drying are the order of the day for this trip. Long sleeves and pants are recommended for protection from the sun and insects. In addition, you should also bring:

• Brimmed hat

• Sunglasses

• Spare eyeglasses/reading  glasses or contacts

• Safety glasses – we sometimes drive through a cloud of bugs around dusk

• Bandanna, buff or face mask – for dust protection

• Sports Bra – the roads can be quite bumpy (a top suggestion from past female participants).

• Swimsuit

• Sneakers - there is no real hiking on this trip, but you want comfortable shoes with good traction.

• Flip flops/sandals for around the lodge/houseboat

• Sunscreen & Bug Spray

• Lip balm

Don’t overpack, laundry is available on the houseboat for a reasonable fee and there are no ‘dress up’ occasions on this trip.

Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works against you. If you decide to bring the kitchen sink, I strongly recommend bringing a smaller camera bag/backpack that holds just the items you need for the day. I’m happy to give more specific brand/model recommendations for specific items. Just ask.

• Camera Body – 1 or 2 camera bodies. Mirrorless cameras, especially models that have animal eye tracking are truly game changers for wildlife photography – highly recommended. Bring a paper or electronic copy of your camera’s operating manual. Your smartphone is also a great camera – don’t forget it.

• Lenses:

  • your longest telephoto will be the workhorse of this trip. We recommend a lens that reaches 400mm minimum (300mm for crop sensor cameras) before adding teleconverters.

  • A medium telephoto like a 70-200mm zoom will also be useful

  • A wide-angle will be your go-to at Iguazu Falls, optional for those not participating in the extension.  

• Filters – a polarizer for Iguazu Falls, optional for Pantanal

• Extra Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of gigabytes (quite possibly >1TB) total. Bring PLENTY of memory cards and batteries. You should NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.

• Battery Charger – do not forget! As a backup, you might consider purchasing USB powered camera battery charger. They are inexpensive and let you charge your camera batteries without a wall outlet. Google “(your camera model) USB charger”

• Monopod (optional) – those long lenses can get quite heavy after a while,

• Tripod – essential if you are going to Iguazu Falls. Don’t forget your quick release plate.

Flying with Camera Gear – Nobody even wants to think about being forced to check precious photo equipment, so here is the lowdown on how to avoid any issues:

Size is more important than weight. All airlines have an official policy for carry-on weight limit, but nobody is actually weighing bags at the gate. As long as your camera bag is reasonable in size, meaning it will fit into the overhead bins or under the seat, you should not have a problem. DO NOT bring an enormous bag that won’t fit where it should.

Other Things to Pack

• Laptop or tablet – highly recommended. Your photography will improve if you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home. We will also have several sessions on post processing and image management

• Portable hard drive - for image storage and/or backup. If you are considering purchasing one, the newer SSD (solid state drive) models are faster and more reliable than traditional spinning disk types.  Most SSD’s are also “bus powered” – a drive that gets its power from the computer and does not require a separate power cord.

• Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics

• Power bank – extremely handy for traveling

• Travel Plug Converter(s)– Brazil electricity can be 120 or 220 volts withType N electrical outlets. Type C (aka Euro plug) plug adapters will also work. A small power strip is handy for charging multiple devices simultaneously but make sure it is rated for at least 220 volts. Here’s one we like that also has USB ports

• Sunscreen & Insect Repellent – the bugginess is surprisingly mild in both the Pantanal and Iguazu, but it’s a good idea to have some repellent on hand.

• Instant Coffee packets (e.g. Starbucks Via) & Travel Mug– Brazilian coffee is served thick, strong and in small quantities. At oh-dark-thirty I want my coffee the way I want it. I’ll be culturally flexible after I wake up.

A Word About Gratuities - Like many service businesses, our local guides rely on gratuities for a substantial portion of their total income. I think you will find our guides & drivers to be outstanding at what they do. If you feel you received good service, a token of your appreciation is greatly appreciated. The amount you choose to give is entirely up to you but we are always asked for guidance so ‘typical’ ranges (in USD) are listed below:

• Main guide: $150–$300

• Boat driver: $50–$100

• Misc (houseboat staff, other drivers): $5–10

• Note: Credit cards are widely accepted but you may want to convert a small amount of currency to Brazilian Real for small purchases.

If we’ve missed anything or you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone, text or email. Thanks again, we look forward to seeing you in Cuiaba!

Ken Lee                                                                                     
949-282-9660                                            
ken@artofseeing.com                              

Pantanal 2024 Workshop

To Do Checklist

___     Book Inbound/Outbound flights to Cuiaba (CBG)/from Sao Paulo and forward a copy of your flight itinerary to Ken.

___     Let us know if you need extra hotel nights before or after the workshop

___     Purchase Travel Insurance

___     Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans

___     Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and plans

___     Make a personal packing checklist. Click here for a generic Photo Trip Packing List template you can download and customize to your own needs

Itinerary