Testimonials
Follow below some comments we have received:
“We had a splendid time in the Pantanal and Elionil was an expert on finding animals everywhere. The boathotel was great with good service, welcoming staff and a superb view of the river...If anyone should go to the Pantanal they should go with your tour. I met a few people that had taken a budget tour from Campo Grande and most were disappointed but we all had a great time in Pantanal. Thanks for the excellent service!” - CE, Sweden.
“We were very happy with the tour. We were afraid that we might not see any jaguars but we ended up seeing four of them, along with loads of caimans, capybaras, birds, iguanas, otters and more. Elionil was very friendly and helpful and made a real effort in finding and showing us the various Pantanal wildlife and getting us a good view for photos and a nice experience. You could tell that he takes his job and customer satisfaction seriously. The boat hotel felt tidy and well organized, the rooms were nice, the food was great and the staff very friendly and helpful.” - PE, Sweden.
“Elionil is the best, no doubt about that, we had the confirmation during the visit when comparing with other tourists. The overall experience was over our expectations, which were however very high. No problem for the booking, with answers to all of our questions...I loved the VW Van! and the boat was very useful!” - NM, Brazil & France.
“The experience was unique and awesome. Elio was extremely committed and helpful - very fast responses, smooth communication. I can truly appreciate it more after I have heard and seen some unhappy folks along the way (from other guides' tours). We felt we were [the] center of attention, it was personalized, we were cared for and we felt safe and not vulnerable, which in an isolated place can be a really critical determinant of your overall experience...[It's] so hard to just pick highlights - being part of the ecosystem, morning and night capture of life, passion of the guide to have you peek into [the] most inspiring images nature has to offer, his patience and willingness to accommodate; sunset and sunrise on Pantanal - the quiet morning canoe ride, kingfisher swooping down to pick up the piece of bait, Ipanema Beach (Elio's term for lazing jacarés), magical colors of Paratudo and Ipe-roxos, nesting jabirus, and night encounters with tapirs... I was very taken by Elio's willingness to help and his intuitive side - he carried our luggage, opened doors, was always on time, made sure that any deviations from our schedule were agreed upon and that we were happy - he is truly great with other guides as well - he conveys a spirit of leadership and cooperation, does not undermine anyone, does not have an ego and looks at nature humbly... He and the Pantanal fit together naturally...We had a wonderful time - Elio was superb and he made the experience a trip of a life-time. Thank you so much for facilitating this wonderful experience for us...Good luck with your enterprise - we will cherish the memories and talk about you to whomever wants to listen.” - MD, USA.
“Excellent, Easy, Fast service. Elionil is a great tour guide and a nice man. Very helping. A big thank you for him. He went out of his way to help us out. I should have stayed more days! Had a great time. Thanks for all your help. I highly recommend Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions for anybody.” - AK, USA.
“Elionil, we would like to thank you again for this nice experience of [the] Pantanal, your kindness and helpfulness. We ... really appreciated [the] landscape and wildlife even if we [did]n't see any jaguar. We hope to come back again...” - CJ, France.
“A trip of a lifetime!! Our guide, Elionil, was wonderful and helpful and patient and knowledgeable...[and] wonderful company and we never could have accomplished this experience without his expert knowledge of the area and the animals and their habits! The VW van that Elionil used was very sturdy and seemed to be the perfect vehicle for this terrain. He kept it very clean in a very dirty environment!! We also enjoyed our numerous boat trips very much...Horseback rides are an important way to get deep into the countryside to see it and the animals there. [The highlights of our trip were] really getting into the heart of the Pantanal so that we had so many great opportunities to see so many of the birds and animals in their natural habitats!! Also seeing that beautiful scenery in the Pantanal. All of the tour was made so interesting and fun because of Elionil. He was so flexible in responding to our needs and so patient in answering all of our questions!” - MLG, USA.
“Our adventure with Elio was fantastic. He is a wonderful guide, polite, and full of knowledge.” - JK, USA.
“Thanks for a great experience in the Pantanal!” - R & AM, Denmark.
“Hi, I finally got around to processing all my photos from the trip I did with you back in June and thought you might like to see them! Again, thank you so much for the excellent tour!!” - JW, New Zealand.
“The website, very good presentation, well explained. The guide, excellent. The highlight, when I was near the jabirus and saw so many caimans. I liked everything. The pousadas were very good. The transport was very good. Finally, I repeat, Elionil, excellent.” - WU, Chile.
“The website was pretty clear and helpful for finding useful information. Our guide Elionil was very helpful and really tried to give us the best experience possible. Seeing the jaguars and other wildlife in the Pantanal was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. Elionil would also take us to view animals or birds that were farther away upon our request so we could get the best photos and have the best position for viewing the animals and birds. I also really loved riding the horses. It was such a neat experience. I don't think there is anything that I would recommend omitting from the tour. It was well structured [and] my group had an amazing time. The boat hotel was exactly what I thought it would be, except I wasn't expecting AC, which was a very nice amenity. The Hotel Piuval had really nice grounds to walk around and provided us [with] the chance to see the monkeys up close, which was really cool. It was also very comfortable and allowed us to have a very comfortable last night's stay in the Pantanal. The transportation was as good as it can get. The boat was very comfortable. I would like to thank Elionil for making this experience an incredible one. I am a college student from New York, who went backpacking through Brazil and Bolivia, and this Pantanal experience was the highlight of my trip. We stayed in a comfortable boat hotel, which allowed us to stay closer to the animals, giving us a head start on heading up the river to find jaguars and other animals. To name the wildlife that we saw, 3 jaguars very close and full view, one even got in the water, caiman, capybara, a family of otters, lizards, iguanas, howler monkeys, capuchin monkey, hyacinth macaw, a toucan, other birds (birds everywhere, big and small), parakeet, rheas, fox, marsh deer, roseate spoonbill, piranha (we went fishing a lot at night), and agouti. We also stayed at Hotel Piuval, which was a very comfortable accommodation on a ranch, at which we went horseback riding and went on a walking tour to see the monkeys eating and playing up close. This was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to those that love wildlife and nature, photography, or just the opportunity to go to a unique place and enjoy the new experiences as they come. Amazing tour and I really would not choose another company if I were to do it all over again (and hopefully I will). Thank you Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions for an incredible experience! I had a wonderful time and I wanted to thank you for helping organize this trip for me. It was amazing and seeing the jaguars was so cool. Also the lens advice turned out to be very helpful because I got amazing photos!” - JL, USA.
“Payment went smoothly. [The highlight of the tour was seeing the jaguars, of course. The fishing and the horseback riding were fun. The Pousada Piuval was very nice. The 5-star boat hotel was pretty basic, but it worked. Overall, we had a great time. Elio was knowledgeable, well organized, and easy going. It was great that our change in travel plans got communicated to Elio and we didn't have to sacrifice anything as a result of the delay. Thanks for a great experience.” - JS, USA.
“The overall experience was amazing and we saw lots of things including jags which was the main purpose. I would recommend your organisation as Elio is an excellent guide.” - JC, Scotland.
“[The website] provided good and accurate information. Good communication and booking experience. [The highlight was] the wildlife! Elionil was [an] extremely helpful and good guide. [We] stayed at Pousada Piuval and the accommodation was comfortable and clean. The meals were excellent too. Transport was good with [a] clean modern van. The experience around the Pantanal was excellent and a photographer's dream. The scenery and wildlife was stunning and Elionil was a most excellent and accommodating guide who would go out of his way to take us to stunning and extremely photogenic sites. I can highly recommend (and have done to several people already!) Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions as a superb way to experience the Pantanal.” - JW, New Zealand.
“Guide Elionil was great! [Highlights were] the wildlife, especially the caimans and monkeys. Both [pousadas] had beautiful grounds. Elionil's van was cool and comfortable. In all, we had a wonderful experience with Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions and would highly recommend it. The process was easy, prices were fair, and our tour guide was knowledgeable about the area. Not knowing where to book or go, the process was very easy and fit in with our very tight dates. We highly recommend Elionil as a guide.” - SF and TM, Canada.
“Our guide Elionil was very nice, and passionately shared our experience of the Pantanal. His explanations were good and the activities he proposed to us totally suited us. In general Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions has a very good organisation/structure and their program can be adapted to the weather. The guide took very good care of us. Pousada Piuval was, for me, a paradise! Pouso Alegre was more authentic, but it was good to have a change of pousadas in order to visit different places. We ate very well and the activities (boat, walking and horse riding) were super! I thank Elionil, who shared his passion for the Pantanal. I had a splendid time and hope to return during the dry season.” - CLT, France.
“Our safari was great...We certainly had an excellent time...Elionil is a very nice person with a lot of energy and we enjoyed his company. When we come back in a few years we know where to find you!” - TB and PM, The Netherlands.
“Elionil was one of the best guides I [have] had on my numerous safari trips worldwide. He went out of his way to improvise: we saw 6 jaguars in the first 24 hours and I wanted to concentrate on other animals then fishing and scenery - he arranged all of that in a most attentive and competent manner. He is also a very good and humorous companion. I came, like most other people, [to see] jaguars, but it was a completely wonderful experience. [We had] excellent accommodation at the boat hotel, very attentive service and decent food. Elionil's four wheel [drive van] and [motor] boat were excellent. I intend to return...and have already recommended Pantanal Jaguar Expeditions to friends and colleagues who enjoy photographic safaris throughout the world.” - VS, Colombia.
“We had a great time with Elionil in the Pantanal. Booking was very straightforward and the issue of the itinerary was very professional, and made clear our plan for our days in the Pantanal. Elionil is a great guide, very knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife. My favourite part was getting to touch “Zico” the caiman. There was nothing we didn't enjoy. We stayed at Piuval lodge for 2 nights, found the accommodation very relaxing, and the food was great. Elionil picked us up from airport and catered for all our needs with the van. The van was a great way to travel around the Pantanal! ... Great - thanks for everything. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and hope one day to return to the Pantanal to do a longer trip and hopefully see a jaguar!” - MB and GD, Scotland.
“We had a very nice trip, everything went well. The booking and the payment process worked very well and fast. Our guide Elionil was very nice and we had good time with him. Snorkeling at Rio Triste and at the Sierra Azul waterfalls were the highlights of our trip. We were totally happy with our accommodations and it was fun to drive around in the VW bus.” - SW and WB, Austria.
“We had a marvellous time, one of the highlights of our trip, and having been to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina on this trip so far, that is no mean feat. Elionil went above and beyond, he was amazing, we really had fun with him.” - NH and JD, Ireland.
“Elio...We just wanted to write you a short thank you note for our excellent tour of the pantanal with you. Your enthusiasm and professionalism were outstanding. We have done many wildlife tours in different parts of the world and you excelled in comparison. You always were ready at the agreed time (or earlier), you always made that extra effort to maximize our chances of seeing the wildlife and we found you [to be] honest and reliable. We will strongly recommend you to other tourists.” - JB and KR, Australia.
“The experience was fantastic. A great guide, Elionil is very professional, knows how to approach large animals not to disturb them, unlike other guides that we observed...The Guide is the best...[The highlight] was the proximity to the wildlife that you can have in the Pantanal. We had many encounters with jaguars which we owe to the great view and Elionil's availability. Also encounters with reptiles, hyacinth macaws and giant otters were excellent... The guide Elionil was very kind and friendly. He demonstrated a respect with nature and animals all the time!!!...The experience with your company is highly recommended.” - CS, FG, PM and IA, Chile.
“We want to thank you once again for letting us take the tour with you. It was a spectacular experience. Elionil is a great guide, very professional and we thank him a lot for his continuous effort.” - CS and FG, Chile.
“Elionil Silva...is a very good guide, passionate, and every time looking to make us see as many animals as possible. Our five day tour was unforgettable. He really gives a lot of himself so that we can see animals, especially jaguars, which is his main goal. We had a great time with Elionil, and want to thank him again...We really had a great tour, and saw many incredible animals, more than we expected. Elionil himself said we were lucky and saw plenty of animals...[The tour highlights were the] observation of anteater, jaguar, anaconda...having a little alligator in [our] hands and touching an anaconda. Getting very close the first time to alligators was very impressive. Having [your] own boat is clearly a great advantage; we were lucky and saw a jaguar the first time we tried to, but if not, the boat allows to try again and again, it's great. The van...was perfect as well, and [Elionil] managed to organize everything very well.” - K and FM, France.