It felt as though we had been dropped straight into an Indiana Jones movie.
We had just been picked up for our journey to Cristalino Lodge, our Amazonian accommodation that was only accessible after a boat ride down the Cristalino River. We climbed into the small boat, just the two of us and our driver, ready for a new adventure. A blanket of silence enveloped us, save for the quiet whizzing of the boat motor and the myriad of birds chirping from somewhere deep within the dense rainforest. Slowly the dirt road behind us began to fade away, and in its place we were left with pure, unadulterated nature. It seemed any sort of civilization was miles and miles away, and, to a large extent, that’s because it was.
We were now on Cristalino Lodge’s private reserve, 28,167 acres of Brazilian rainforest set aside for the purpose of conserving Brazil’s biological diversity.
If we had any preconceived notions about what the Amazon would be like, it was this very first moment of awe. Luckily, the rest of our Amazonian adventure didn’t disappoint, either.
It’s not easy to spot wildlife in the Amazon. Though the Brazilian Amazon is considered to be one of the most diverse places in the world, and there is certainly plenty to see and discover, there’s just so much dense forest for birds and animals to hide within.
Still, we managed to have numerous exceptional encounters with wildlife during our brief stay—not to mention many moments of wonder from simply being in the midst of such renowned beauty.
We can’t wait to share our stories from our journey into the Brazilian Amazon. And we hope these 25 memorable moments get you excited, too:
What mysteries await in the Brazilian Amazon?
A Capuchin Monkey illuminated by the sun hides within the dense leaves.
A Banded Orange Butterfly poses perfectly on a leaf.
And this Blue Brazilian Butterfly is awfully keen on our friend’s finger.
Hundreds of other highlighter-colored butterflies prefer to bask in the nutrient-rich sun and soil.
Or encircle Casey.
A baby pineapple growing in the middle of the forest.
A loud and playful family of Macaws high up in their nest in the Brazilian Amazon.
Blue and Yellow Macaws pause for a smooch.
The Macaws are perhaps the easiest to hear due to their unique screech, but there are countless other beautiful birds to see.
Like this Brazilian Sunbittern.
Or this Burrowing Owl.
Colorful butterfly larvae decorate the Amazon trees.
We can’t get enough of the awe-inspiring beauty of the rainforest.
These adorable South American Tapirs head to the river to cool off, but first pause for an impromptu photo shoot.
This bird camouflages well as he hunts for dinner in the river.
Climbing one of the two towers at Cristalino Lodge for unparalleled views of the Brazilian Amazon from above.
Casey enjoys the view from the top of the tower.
It’s hard not to stare in awe at a sunset like this.
A Blue Headed Parrot perched upon a tree branch blends in well with the surrounding leaves.
After a long day of adventuring, there’s nothing like relaxing next to the fire at Cristalino Lodge.
This pink gecko wants to join in the party in our bungalow.
A night trek reveals all sorts of creepy crawlers, like this grasshopper.
And this friendly frog popping out for a quick hello.
One of our favorite animals of all time, the Brazilian Sloth is a rare sighting on the grounds of Cristalino.
Have you fantasized about visiting the Amazon one day? Have you already been? Which of these photos makes you want to pack your bags for a trip today?
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I think it would be so cool to visit the Amazon… but I don’t know if I could handle a night trek given all of the creepy crawlies that live there! My pulse started racing just looking at your photos of some of the bugs you encountered late at night, so I’m not sure how I’d fare in real life! :)
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted…Everything You Wanted to Know (& More!) About: Sri Lanka
Haha! During the day it’s not so bad, the crawlies definitely come out at night though. Lucky our scorpion photo didn’t make it into the top 25 :-p
I’m packing my bag right now!! I’d love to visit the Amazon in an heart bit, there is so much wildlife and nature to discover, I have to admit that the night track sounds a bit too “adventurous” for me, I guess I could do it if I had someone to guides me :)
Franca recently posted…Laauma Cafe, Berlin, and a Bright Vegan Future
We saw a lot of really cool stuff during the day, but at night it’s a totally different world. There was no way we were venturing into those woods without a guide :-p I hope you get the chance to see it for yourself :-)
So many animals! The Amazon was already on my list- but now it’s gone up a few places :)
Roshan recently posted…Turkey, 1997
The Amazon is full of awesome creatures both big and small! Hope you get the chance to see it for yourself one day :-)
Love the photos, as always! I visited the Amazon in Peru and it looked similar. I agree, sometimes it can be quite the challenge to spot creatures there! The guide’s eyes were incredible.
Rika | Cubicle Throwdown recently posted…Roatan Month 25 Roundup
The guides are really amazing! I’m over here like ‘what are we looking at?’ and he’s already managed to see it with his naked eye and put it in the scope for us to see.
Lovely photo’s especially the butterflies, so colourful.
Thanks Debz! The butterflies were incredible. There were so many of them and they would land on you if you were patient enough.
i fell in love with sloths with costa rica, so i think this CLEARLY means a trip to brazil needs to happen asap. gorgeous photos, and cristalino lodge looks perfect.
the lazy travelers recently posted…foodie break: @dineatharvest
We saw our first sloths in Costa Rica too! Apparently they are rare to spot at Cristalino Lodge, but that didn’t stop this guy from hanging out right outside our bungalow. If you’re a fan of Costa Rica, you’ll love the Brazilian Amazon :-)
Really loved the picture guys! ;)
Good work \o/
Rafael Leick recently posted…Vídeo Destaque: 3º Curitiblogando
Thanks Rafael! Glad you enjoyed them. When will you be traveling to the Amazon? :-)
I hope soon enough, but no plans for now. =(
Rafael Leick recently posted…Fotolivro, um jeito offline de mostrar fotos de viagem
How utterly brilliant!
Andrew recently posted…Train Journeys – Oslo to Bergen (Norway)
So true Andrew!
I have been to Brazil many times but have not made it to that part of the country yet. Beautiful images of what must be an amazing place.
Jenna recently posted…Details of Brazil
It is so unique to any place we have traveled thus far. We loved our time in Brazil. Such a large and diverse country!
I love looking at the photos, but I’m too terrified of spiders and snakes to go on an adventure like this myself. I’d be watching for them every step of the way!
Heather recently posted…Tallinn, Estonia: Europe’s Sleeping Beauty
Luckily we didn’t encounter too many spiders and we saw zero snakes which we were totally fine with :-)
Magical and awe-inspiring indeed! Haven’t been to that part of the globe yet, but visiting the Brazilian Amazon will be on the agenda whenever I make it there. Looks incredible – raw beauty!! Except for those creepy-crawlies :o
The creepy-crawlies can be a little off putting, but the monkeys, tapirs, macaws, butterflies… everything else makes for quite an amazing adventure :-) Really hope you get the chance to see it for yourself!
O brasileiro parece-nos envergonhar-se do seu patrimônio natural, pois se faz necessário que outros povos visitem-nos e publiquem nossas preciosidades.