20 Places to See Before They Die
The May issue of Conde Naste Traveler features a description of 20 endangered places on earth that you should visit before it is too late. The list sadly includes some of my favorites: Luang Prabang and the Jewish quarter in Budapest. It also features some from my 'must see before I die' list: Galapagos Islands, Bhutan, and Tibet. One location that I was surprised to see was the Pantanal, in Brazil.
In recent years, the Pantanal has been touted as the greatest alternative to the Amazon (which is experiencing its own set of endangerment issues). Less touristed, more wildlife and outstanding scenery are what you will be promised if you choose to visit the Pantanal over its more popular cousin - the Amazon. As the article points out, nearly 99% of the region is privately owned, leaving very little leverage for those who want to put a stop to deforestation, trapping of rare species, and general pollution.
Not to rain on this parade, but I have visited the Pantanal and it's not somewhere that I would likely recommend to others. I have never been to the Brazilian Amazon, so I couldn't make a comparison, but overall I was a bit disappointed with the area that I had spent an entire night on an uncomfortable bus in order to visit. Looking over my photos (see slideshow below), I am wondering if I had a bad experience there, since they actually do produce some phenomenal examples of rare species. Was it the fact that the lodge we stayed at served the same bland food at each meal? Or perhaps it was the Howler Monkeys that woke us up each morning at the crack of dawn from the trees above our cottage. More likely it is the fact that I am not a fan of birds or reptiles, which seemed to be the highlight of the journey. In fact, the Pantanal is home to 650 bird species, 200 species of fish and, as the article points out, enough reptiles, amphibians, and insects to keep teams of naturalists busy for years.
One discovery that makes the trip worthwhile is the nearby town of Bonito. This hidden gem is not noteworthy for its cute little gaucho town, but rather for the surrounding farmlands which, thanks to the abundance of limestone rock in the area, contain beautiful crystal-clear lakes and streams as well as inviting waterfalls and explorable caves. Since most of these farms are privately owned, you must explore the area through day-long tours. You will have the opportunity to snorkel alongside enormous dorado in a stream, rappel through waterfalls or splash around in natural aquariums.
Bonito is a 5 hour bus ride from Campo Grande (the taking off point for the Pantanal). There are few pictures of the area included in the slideshow below because I spent most of the time in the water!
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