SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, Brazil (Part 1)
The Pantanal – a vast tropical wetland in the middle of South America, spanning the borders of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. Whilst far less well known than the jungles of the Amazon to the north, discerning wildlife watchers know that The Pantanal is one of the greatest wildlife viewing destinations in the Americas. And the best place on earth to see jaguars in their natural habitat.
We are visiting the northern Pantanal, in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, considered by many to be the prime jaguar sighting destination in The Pantanal.
The gateway to the northern Pantanal is the frontier town of Cuiabá, a hot and dusty city of half a million people, a two hour flight northwest of São Paulo. From here, it is a ninety minute drive on tarmac to the small town of Poconé, where The Transpantaneira begins – an iconic dusty dirt track that dives deep into the floodplains.
But before we journey to the end of The Transpantaneira, and our riverboat lodgings in the heart of the wetlands, we are breaking our journey at one of the few hotels along the way – SouthWild Pantanal Lodge.
Recommended Itinerary
We would recommend at least a one night stay at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge in each direction when travelling to The Pantanal. But in particular - if you are considering an itinerary that includes an overnight stay in Cuiabá after your inbound flight, our advice is – think again! We suggest you skip the bland nothingness of the Cuiabá hotels, and head straight from the airport to SouthWild Pantanal Lodge for a two night stay instead.
The drive from Cuiabá airport to the Lodge takes almost exactly 2.5 hours, so this is suitable for any flights arriving up until about 2pm. Even if you arrive at the Lodge too late to partake in any afternoon activities, you will still arrive in time to go to the ocelot hide in the evening (generally commencing around 5.45pm).
It means you can awaken in the morning surrounded by a myriad of colourful birds, wildlife and forest, before heading off on a morning excursion on the river (a much more scenic and atmospheric option than tackling the peak-hour traffic in Cuiabá!). Particularly note worthy is the chance to see the wonderfully colourful tocu toucans (as above) that visit SouthWild Pantanal Lodge each morning.
A large capybara family have made the grounds of SouthWild Pantanal Lodge home, lazing around in the relative safety from their biggest natural threat, the jaguar.
Brief History
SouthWild Pantanal Lodge was formerly known as Fazenda Santa Tereza, and was a traditional cattle ranch extending over 3800 acres on the banks of the Pixaim River. It is now a private nature reserve, with its wildlife-rich river and forest playing home to monkeys, tapirs, capybaras, caimans, giant otters, foxes, deer, hundreds of bird species and a small number of jaguars and ocelots. Owned and operated by professional wildlife biologists, SouthWild Pantanal Lodge is now considered the lodging of choice on The Transpantaneira for serious wildlife enthusiasts, with the best features being their ocelot hide, their observation towers, and their riverboat expeditions.
Sunrise at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, formerly the Fazenda Santa Tereza ranch.
In this Part 1 of our two part series on SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, we focus on the lodge itself before moving on to the available wildlife viewing and activities in Part 2.
The Lodge
The accommodation at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge is in one of the original haciendas, a T-shaped building painted in deep ruby red. It is surrounded by a veranda bedecked with colourful hammocks, and lush lawns complete with resident capybara. Just in front of the lodge is the Pixaim River and its attendant wildlife, and beyond the lodge the forest begins, complete with a warning sign announcing “Attention: Jaguar Zone”.
While jaguars are not as prevalent relative to the next stage of your Pantanal journey, there is no room for complacency when exploring the area on foot.
Rooms
There are twelve guest suites at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge. The rooms themselves are simple and a little on the dark side, and while not luxurious, are perfectly functional and comfortable.
There is a double bed and a single bed, both with mosquito nets, a small bedside table and a large desk. There are a generous number of power points (both Brazilian and the two-pronged version used in other South American countries), an overhead fan and effective airconditioning, but no safe or fridge. The wi-fi is free and surprisingly fast. The whitewashed walls are adorned with small pictures of animals, and there are heavy wooden windows at the front of the room that can be opened to view out onto the surrounding veranda and the morning birdlife. The ensuite bathroom is modest but practical, with sink, toilet (although toilet paper cannot be flushed – a recurring theme in the Pantanal) and powerful shower (an odd arrangement with the temperature control being on the almost unreachable showerhead). SouthWild-branded shampoo, conditioner and soap are provided, as is a hairdryer.
Lodge Amenities
Outside of the somewhat spartan guestrooms, the resort has much more character. Bright hammocks adorn the encircling porch, and there are large wicker chairs in which to relax and observe the local wildlife. There is a small but refreshing below ground pool and a petite gift store that can be opened on request – we highly recommend buying the small brochure “Pantanal Pocket Guide” (just A$6) as there is very little reading material available elsewhere on the journey, and it does actually help with the identification of lesser known mammals and birds (and while your guide will kindly point out everything you see, the sheer volume of animals seen each day can make it hard to keep track).
Dining
Meals are served in the large dining room, an expansive high-roofed space with screened but open walls from floor to ceiling – providing a lovely view as the sun begins to rise over an early breakfast. There are hot and cold dishes for the morning meal – the ubiquitous rice and beans, plus scrambled eggs, bacon and sautéed vegetables, and a vast array of savoury and sweet breads. There are urns of hot coffee and hot milk, a range of fresh juices, and jugs of freshly made smoothies.
The lunch buffet at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge
Lunch and dinner are also served buffet style, with multiple vegetable, meat and fish dishes, in addition to several salads and dozens of condiments (including blisteringly hot and delicious chilli sauces!). Overall, we found all the food to be plentiful, hearty and enjoyable. There is also a small bar with several cocktails offered each evening, in addition to beers and soft drinks, as well as huge jars of cookies that are freely available for any-time snacking (or perhaps pocketing one (or four) for the road!). A chilled and filtered drinking water dispenser can be used to refill water bottles.
Activities and Wildlife
While the rooms are simple but functional, and the meals very pleasant, it is the available activities at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge that really set it apart from its competitors on The Transpantaneira road.
So watch out for Part 2 in this series in coming days where we will focus on the real reason you want to visit SouthWild Panatanal Lodge, the wildlife and the activities including the rare and unique opportunity to see (almost guaranteed) ocelots in the wild!
The local female ocelot, Ana (Sans cubs unfortunately, but we are assured they are hiding somewhere nearby).
