General Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Brazil: Cristalino Jungle Lodge. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they took this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING BRAZIL: A passport and visa are required for Americans traveling to Brazil for any purpose. Non-US citizens should check with their Brazilian Embassy to determine current visa requirements. Brazilian visas can be obtained in advance from the Brazilian Embassy, 3009 Whitehaven St. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20008; telephone (202) 238-2818, e-mail consular@brasilemb.org, or from a visa service such as CIBT.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Brazil in the University of Texas series here. Click on the lower right of the map to adjust size. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Brazil here.
HEALTH: The CDC currently recommends vaccination or other protection against Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG); typhoid; malaria, yellow fever; and as needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. You can review the latest CDC advisories here.
CLIMATE: We’ll be in Mato Grosso well into the beginning of the rainy season, when breeding activity is at a peak. This usually means a good chance of daily afternoon or evening rain, but some days it won’t rain; having a poncho or travel umbrella in your daypack is highly recommended. As we’ll be at lower elevations during the entire tour, it will be hot in the sun, with daily highs usually in the upper 80’s F.
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: We’ll start at 5:30 a.m. some days, but one will always have the opportunity to sleep in, as we’ll have a sit-down breakfast around 7:00 a.m. back at the lodge. Our morning outings will be on foot most days, and lunch is back at the lodge. After a short siesta, we’ll again head out to the forest on foot until late afternoon. There will be occasional evening walks offered as well.
LANGUAGE: Portuguese is spoken throughout Brazil. Your leader is proficient in the language.
TRANSPORTATION: During the tour a combination of buses and vans will be used for transfer to and from the hotels and lodges and for birding activities around Cuiabá. Some roads may be quite bumpy; anyone susceptible to motion sickness should bring an appropriate remedy. Transport to and from Cristalino Jungle Lodge will be by bus and by aluminum outboard motor boats. You should have protective coverings for cameras, lenses and binoculars.
ACCOMMODATIONS: We’ll be staying in good quality hotels or lodges throughout the tour. All rooms will have a private shower and toilet. Accommodation at Rio Cristalino Lodge is in comfortable bungalows with private facilities and ceiling fans. Electricity at Rio Cristalino is provided through a generator and is available for a few hours daily.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group. If any lodge, accommodation or location where the group is staying or is gathered has a more restrictive smoking policy than WINGS’ policy, the more restrictive policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour. Please note that except as noted in the tour descriptions, meals are not included in the cost of our tours in the United States and Canada.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Brazil: Cristalino Jungle Lodge will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary.
Updated: July 2007