Category: Stories

A retired professor from Slovenia, a husband with a camera, and six days across Barreirinhas, Atins, and Santo Amaro, told in Maja’s own words

Maja Žumer, 73, spent her career teaching information science at the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia. Though officially retired for a year, she remains connected to a research program—the very reason a conference in São Paulo brought Brazil back onto her schedule in 2026.

This was not Maja’s first visit to Brazil, but it was her first time seeing Lençóis’ otherworldly dunes in person. She had been dreaming of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park for 15 years. After a failed attempt in the past, she finally made the journey alongside her husband, Slobodan Žumer, a passionate photographer.

In August 2026, the couple followed the Lençóis Maranhenses Full Itinerary, which links the park’s three main bases (Barreirinhas, Atins, and Santo Amaro) by road, river, and 4×4, organized by PlanetaEXO with local guides. This is her story. Check it out below!

Fifteen years, one failed attempt, and a now-or-never trip

It all began with a family conversation. About 15 years ago, Maja’s daughter-in-law came home with a discovery: a place in Brazil called Lençóis Maranhenses. Maja instantly fell in love with the idea, but the distance felt like a hurdle.

The first chance came 10 years ago, with a conference in Rio de Janeiro. She looked everywhere for an agent who could organize the trip but couldn’t find one, and traveling alone made it harder. So the plan changed to Iguazu Falls. “It was lovely, I have to admit,” she said, “but it was not Lençóis.”

When a second conference came up in São Paulo this year, the decision was simple: “It’s now or never.” Maja reached out to several agencies, but PlanetaEXO stood out. “PlanetaEXO was the only one who responded immediately, was totally responsive, and answered all my questions,” she recalled.

Looking back, the verdict is clear: “This was probably my last chance. And it worked perfectly.”

👉 Read more: How to get to Lençóis Maranhenses?

A unique destination even seasoned travelers haven’t heard of

Maja has traveled all over the world, including Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Sahara. Lençóis still felt completely unique.

“I can say this is quite exceptional,” she said. “Nothing is like it. Even other deserts cannot compare, because of the color, and in combination with the water, of course,” she praised.

What surprised her back home is how few people know Lençóis Maranhenses. “When I mention it to people, even those who travel a lot and have been to Brazil many times, they haven’t heard of it,” she commented, highlighting the uniqueness of the national park.

Driving up the dunes felt like driving through snow

Although 15 years of seeing photographs set high expectations, Maja and Slobodan found that pictures couldn’t capture the authentic beauty of Lençóis Maranhenses. The first 4×4 ride, in particular, stuck with her. How could a sandy landscape look so much like a winter scene?

“It’s like driving in snow, and I love to ski, so it’s really something very, very positive for me,” she marveled, fascinated by the scale as well. “Of course I knew it’s a huge area, but I wasn’t fully aware you could see so far and that it changed all the time.”

👉 Read more: How was Lençóis Maranhenses formed: understanding Brazil’s sand dunes and lagoons

A different landscape every hour and a happy husband with a camera

The couple explored Lençóis Maranhenses National Park for six days. Never once did the view repeat itself. “It was always something different. The view was different; the light was different. It was never, never boring,” Maja said. With good weather on their side, the time of day did the rest: “Noon is quite different from afternoon, or morning, or sunset.”

The texture of the dunes shifted, too. For a photography lover like Slobodan, Lençóis was a “paradise for photographers.” According to Maja, he was over the moon—something the guides noticed.

“They would always stop for photos. We’d just signal, and they would stop immediately,” she remembered. “Even if we didn’t signal, when they saw my husband trying to take a photo, they would slow down immediately.”

👉 Read more: When is the best time to visit Lençóis Maranhenses?

Warm lagoons and 10 meters of beach to themselves

The full itinerary strings together lagoon circuits from all three bases: Lagoa Azul (Barreirinhas); Ponta do Mangue and Canto do Atins (Atins); and Lagoa do Junco and Lagoa do Reflexo (Santo Amaro).

Maja loved them all, and one detail stood out: the temperature. “I was surprised how warm the water is,” she said. “Maybe it’s again this association with snow.”

Crowds were never a problem either. The guides took the couple to some lagoons where they were completely alone and to others with more people, but never overcrowded. “We always had our 10 meters of beach to ourselves. The guides really did a good job when it came to choosing the lagoons and the views.”

Three bases, one river, and never in a rush

Maja and Slobodan visited Barreirinhas, took the speedboat along the Preguiças River to Atins, and had a great time in Santo Amaro. None of it was physically demanding.

“There was hardly any walking anyway. Although we are older, we are still quite fit. We both still ski. Physically, it was very easy and relaxing, and there was enough time,” she explained, saying that she found the experience quite effortless and rewarding.

That was one of the things she liked the most. “We were never rushing, and we always knew in advance how much time we had at each spot. Everything went very smoothly.”

The organization of the itinerary worked really well for them, since the guides always presented the next day’s schedule the previous afternoon. For Maja, this was a huge help. “Otherwise, we would have to look back and think, ‘Do I remember it right or not?’ So it was wonderful.”

👉 Read more: How many days should you spend in Lençóis Maranhenses?

Smiling hosts, clean pousadas, and a first taste of caju

Away from the dunes, what Maja noticed first was the mood. “People are always in a good mood, always smiling. You don’t see long faces,” she stated with a smile of her own. “The whole atmosphere is nice.”

At restaurants, staff helped with the language and tried their best. At pousadas, the hosts made sure the couple was comfortable and that everything was running smoothly.

All of their accommodations were booked through PlanetaEXO as well, and every stay exceeded expectations. While each place had its own distinct character—some being more laid-back than others—all proved to be “very nice, clean, and comfortable. We had no problems whatsoever,” as Maja noted.

At the table, the couple ate fish, meat, and, of course, rice and beans. The novelty was caju, the fruit of the cashew tree, which she tried in a drink and found very interesting and authentic—just like everything else in Lençóis Maranhenses. “Everything was delicious.”

👉 Read more: Where to stay in Lençóis Maranhenses?

Was Brazil safe? Maja’s honest answer

In Lençóis, Maja never gave it a second thought. The couple walked around Atins in their free time, and even after dark, she was not concerned. “We always felt safe,” she stated.

São Paulo and Rio are different, she admits, but that wasn’t surprising. “All big cities are like that. You have to take precautions and not do stupid things. I’m not squeamish about that. I’ve been to so many places.”

Drawing on her experience, Maja recommends one thing to any traveler: common sense.

👉 Read more: 10 Travel Tips for Lençóis Maranhenses to Make the Most of Your Trip

Lençóis in three words and Maja’s next destination

We asked Maja to describe the trip in three words: Lovely. Overwhelming, “but in a good sense, because all the senses are aroused by this lovely landscape.” And total joy.

Her advice for anyone considering Lençóis Maranhenses or Brazil is simple: “Just do it as soon as possible. Don’t hesitate.”

Realistically, Maja isn’t sure there will be another trip to Brazil, but the list is already there. Slobodan loved his past trips to Manaus and the Amazon, so Maja would like to visit those places too, as well as southern Brazil.

After all, Lençóis already proved that plans can surprise you. “Ten years ago, I never knew I would be coming back,” she said. “So who knows? I would never say no to it.”

Visiting Lençóis Maranhenses with PlanetaEXO

Now that you’ve seen the park through Maja’s eyes—dunes that feel like fresh snow, lagoons warm enough to linger in, and days that never feel rushed—you know it’s worth the wait.

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Lençóis Maranhenses tours. Working alongside experienced local guides and operators, we handle all the logistics so you can focus on the dunes. Contact us now!

A British family and four days on a working cattle ranch on the Aquidauana River, told in Sally’s own words

Sally Heal, 48, is a teacher from a little village in the middle of England, though these days she spends most of her time training other teachers. Her daughter had been living in Chile for a year and had already visited Brazil with friends.

Seeking warmer weather during the Chilean winter, Sally, her husband, and their two young adult children (ages 20 and 22) picked Brazil. While Costa Rica was considered, higher expenses, complex flight routes, and rainy weather led them elsewhere. This marked their first journey to Brazil and second visit to South America.

The itinerary opened in Rio de Janeiro, which the whole family loved, and Ilha Grande, before a flight west to Campo Grande. The goal was to see wildlife, plant life, and the reality of what Brazil feels like outside of the cities. They almost traveled to the Amazon but ultimately chose the Pantanal, the wetland that spans 210,000 km² across Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Her husband had wanted it from the start.

The family spent four days of late August 2026 at Pousada Aguapé, a lodge on the banks of the Aquidauana River, on a Pantanal Tour from Campo Grande organized by PlanetaEXO and led by a local guide. This is her story. Check it out below!

A working cattle ranch, not a five-star hotel

Sally expected the lodge to be very simple. She was half right. “It was basic, but it was way bigger than I thought and way more comfortable,” she said. The shower was better than she had imagined, and the family had space outside the room to dry things off and sit in the shade.

Pousada Aguapé sits on a traditional cattle ranch that has belonged to the same family for more than 150 years, with 15 rooms, a swimming pool, and a hammock area. For Sally, the simplicity was the point. “I don’t want to go to the Pantanal and stay somewhere that feels like a five-star hotel, because I might as well just go to a five-star hotel somewhere else.”

What she wanted was the Pantanal in its purest form. “Having the armadillos walking through the restaurant, the birds landing on the deck whilst you’re eating, the toucans flying over your head, and the macaws nesting next to you whilst you’re in the pool… It was just brilliant.”

The ranch is still a working farm. Sally liked watching the pantaneiros (the local cowboys) “with their own individual saddles and the knives tucked in the back of their trousers,” completely at ease around the horses. It was definitely a different way of life, but it felt honest and almost poetic.

👉 Read more: Where to Stay in the Pantanal?

The guide who sat at another table

Sally’s first memory of Bruno, the family’s guide, has nothing to do with animals. They reached the lodge just in time for lunch, and he went to sit at a different table. “He didn’t assume that we would want to sit with him until we invited him to eat and talk with us. He was very respectful of the fact that it was our holiday, which I thought was lovely.”

Then came the wildlife and his eye for it. The first animal they saw was a greater rhea, the large flightless bird Brazilians call ema. Bruno identified it on the spot, down to the fact that it was a female. Every bird after that came with its species and, often, its age.

On the river, he never switched off and was always spotting animals. Sally was so impressed she asked him how he could even see these things. His answer was that he knew what he was looking for: just a little bit of movement. She puts a number on it. “We wouldn’t have seen 80% of what we’d seen if it hadn’t been for Bruno pointing them out.”

Bruno and the boat driver worked as a pair, maneuvering so everyone got the best view and the best photo. When they found howler monkeys, Rafael, from the lodge team, tried to imitate their call, which Sally’s son found hilarious. Bruno played along. “It’s an illness he has. We just have to humor him and let him make those sounds,” he joked.

👉 Read more: 15 Amazing Pantanal Animals and Wildlife

Anteaters, toucans, and a very full lizard

The first boat trip began with a test of nerves: a caiman lying right in front of the boat. One member of the family (we promised not to say who) was terrified. The guides turned it into a running joke and into a lesson, since caimans want nothing to do with people. “All you need to do is go ‘shoo, shoo’ and walk towards them, and they run away,” Sally explained.

The sightings piled up from there. Toucans flew around the swimming pool, while armadillos, anteaters, rheas, and capybaras appeared in quantities Sally has never seen before.

One find stayed with her: a rhea egg, already empty, with the lizard that had eaten it still lying next to it. “It was just lying there, full and satiated, with an empty egg next to it,” she recalled. “It’s not nice, but that was kind of cool.”

The one animal that never showed up was the jaguar. The consolation came later, from a Hungarian family they befriended on the boat trips. They went on to the Northern Pantanal and sent Sally “the most amazing pictures and videos of jaguars, because they saw loads of them.”

Worth knowing: the best odds of seeing a jaguar are in the Northern Pantanal, while the South shines for ranch-country wildlife like the animals Sally saw. In both regions, the dry season, from July to October, concentrates the animals around the remaining water.

👉 Read more:

• North or South Pantanal: Which One Should You Visit?
• When is the Best Time to Visit the Pantanal?

The biggest horse for the smallest rider

Sally had never been on a horse. “It was quite intimidating. And they gave me the biggest horse, and I’m only 5 foot 2.” She found out the reason later: it was the oldest and calmest horse on the ranch.

The ride turned into the family’s favorite activity. “I think that was our best day,” Sally said. The guide leading it was “brilliant, just very funny,” constantly nudging the horses a little faster for her son and daughter, “just to take them out of their comfort zone and have a little giggle with them.” Then the route went straight through the water.

What Sally values most is the view it gave her of the landscape. “You get close to the animals and close to the environment and feel like you were in it rather than in a car. There’s that sense of removal from what you’re experiencing, whereas on a horse it feels very different.”

There was also the sense of achievement: “At the end of it, I feel like I’ve done something I would never have done in the UK,” she reflected.

Caipirinhas, puddings, and six fruit tattoos

The food at the lodge was, in Sally’s word, “exceptional.” With two hungry grown-up children and “a husband who really loves his meat,” quantity mattered as much as quality, and the lodge delivered both. Dessert was the surprise: cakes and puddings unlike anything you get in the UK.

The language barrier never got in the way of a laugh. “They were interested in us; we were interested in them,” she said. “I would describe it as banter, but almost through mime rather than language.”

One night, Rosana, who works at the bar, let Sally take over and make caipirinhas for everyone. “We were dancing and singing, and it was just really funny.” There was a plan behind it, too. “I wanted to learn how to make them so that I could make them when I got home.”

The most unusual souvenir came from Rafael, another guide from the lodge. Noticing a temporary tattoo on his arm, the family asked him about it, prompting him to offer them matching ones. He applied them using a mix of charcoal and fruit juice that gradually washes off over several weeks. Sally got six. By the time we spoke, only one was left on the hand she had barely been washing. The reason for that is the next part of the story.

A broken finger and a team that didn’t panic

The accident happened in the least adventurous moment of the trip. After horse riding, hiking, and boat trips, Sally was playing volleyball with her son in the swimming pool when the ball “just caught me wrong.” Her finger was completely broken.

“Nobody could have foreseen it. It was nobody’s fault,” she noted. “You think about all the things we did, like horse riding and hiking, and any number of things could have happened. And it wasn’t. It was just a moment of relaxation.”

It happened far from everything. “We were quite remote in the Pantanal, in the middle of nowhere, really, and it could have been an absolute disaster.” The nearest hospital was about an hour away down a dirt road. The lodge manager drove Sally there, looked after her, and translated everything. Bruno also helped a great deal at the hospital. “Everyone was really calm as well. Nobody was panicking, which was really nice to see.”

Her children stayed at the lodge and carried on with the activities. “They’d had such a good time when I got back,” she said. “[The staff] made what could have been a nightmare into a very enjoyable day for my children and looked after me really, really well. So I was so grateful.”

The injury still cut the trip short. The plan had been a couple of days in São Paulo and then Iguazu Falls. Instead, Sally flew home early with her son, while her husband and daughter went back to Chile to go skiing.

Was Brazil safe? Sally’s honest answer

Before the trip, several people warned the family that Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo could be dangerous. That is not what Sally found. “I never felt in danger. I never felt uncomfortable. It was a surprise, but a pleasant one.”

She has a theory about why, and it says as much about the traveler as about the country. “When I travel, I always expect people to be warm and welcoming and kind. And I do think some of that is the way you behave as a guest in someone’s country. The way you behave often dictates how you are received.”

In the Pantanal, the warmth came with a sense of humor. “Even though you can’t speak the language, the staff there was so lovely at the lodge and so funny,” she praised, satisfied with the service her family received.

Sally’s tips for a first trip to the Pantanal

Her first tip was direct: “Go with PlanetaEXO.” Her reasons are practical, and so is the rest of her advice.

Book through someone who can reach the lodges

Booking the Pantanal from a computer in the UK was harder than the family expected. “You don’t really know what you’re looking for, you don’t speak the language, and you don’t really know how to contact the lodges, because I think a lot of them only work through travel companies.” Her daughter found PlanetaEXO online, a cancellation freed up a quadruple room, and the family booked only three to four weeks before arriving.

From there, communication did the rest. “I knew exactly what I was doing and exactly what to expect. I even knew what clothes to take.” When she mixed up a luggage rule she had read elsewhere (soft bags only, 15 kg maximum) and started to panic, one message from the PlanetaEXO team put her straight right away.

Travel with a guide who speaks your language

“He brought the Pantanal to life,” Sally said of Bruno. “I don’t think we would have got anywhere near as much out of it if we hadn’t had Bruno with us, and his English was excellent, which really helped.”

On this tour, a private English-speaking guide is included, on top of the Portuguese-speaking local guide provided by the lodge.

Get on a horse

Even if you have never ridden. Sally and her husband were beginners, and it was still their best day.

The ranch guides carefully ease beginners into riding and set a comfortable tempo; thanks to the horses’ gentle pace, guests can get remarkably close to wildlife.

Take it slow

Her last tip is the one she would give any first-timer. “Take your time and take it slow. Just let the nature wash over you rather than looking for stuff,” she recommended.

👉 Read more: 10 Pantanal Travel Tips for an Unforgettable Trip

Exciting, comfortable, funny

We asked Sally to describe the Pantanal in three words. She humorously set one condition first: “Without mentioning my broken finger.”

Exciting, “because it felt exciting while we were there.” Comfortable, “and I don’t just mean the beds were comfy. I mean, feeling instantly at home.” And funny. “We laughed a lot, with the people and with my family. It was good fun.”

Next: jaguars, Fernando de Noronha, and the falls she missed

Brazil left the family with a list. Her husband wants the Northern Pantanal and its jaguars. Sally wants Fernando de Noronha, Lençóis Maranhenses and Iguazu Falls, since she had to cut her trip short due to her injury.

The family visited Rio and Ilha Grande, but the weather wasn’t the best, so they want a second round. “I’d love to see it in the sunshine,” she commented.

👉 Read more: Where is the Best Place to See Jaguars in the Pantanal?

Visiting the South Pantanal with PlanetaEXO

Now that you have seen how the Aquidauana River area welcomes visitors through Sally and her family’s experience, you know what the South Pantanal has in store. So what’s left to do is see it for yourself!

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Southern Pantanal tours. Working alongside experienced local guides and operators, we handle the logistics (the transfer from Campo Grande, the lodge, the meals, and the activity program), so your family can focus on the experience itself. Contact us now!

A Swiss family of five, a novel read 15 years earlier, and four days on the Transpantaneira and the rivers of Porto Jofre, told in Michael’s own words

Michael Lang, 51, is a general practitioner with a small private clinic in northwestern Switzerland, 10 kilometers from the German and French borders. While organizing the vacation alongside his family and some friends, the trip’s destination shifted from Sri Lanka to Africa and Costa Rica before ultimately settling on Brazil.

Michael had three goals: Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, and a safari in the Amazon or the Pantanal. Ultimately, the Pantanal came out on top, especially because, about 15 years ago, he read The Testament, John Grisham’s novel about a lawyer sent into Brazil’s wetlands to find a missionary.

Michael, his wife, and their three children, aged 17 to 21, spent four days of July 2026 on a Pantanal Jaguar Budget Safari, organized by PlanetaEXO and led by a local guide. This is his story. Check it out below!

Four days on the Transpantaneira (and never bored)

While The Testament is set on the Southern Pantanal, Michael and his family traveled to the Northern Pantanal. To get there, they flew to Cuiabá and drove into the wetland. The trip moved between two places: a first lodge farther north, then the river country around Porto Jofre, where the Transpantaneira road ends.

Michael liked the change of scenery. “It was so interesting to see these different places, and I was never bored,” he said. The pace suited him too: “It was quite relaxing, sitting on a boat and gliding across the river.”

Asked for the hardest moment, he came up empty: no tough trail, no bad weather, no boat ride that went on too long. “Actually, there’s nothing I can say was challenging to me,” he replied. He knows four days is short by Pantanal standards and that longer trips exist, but he could not name a single negative point.

👉 Read more:

• North or South Pantanal: Which One Should You Visit?
• How to Get to the Pantanal, Brazil

Five jaguars in one day

Michael loves animals, and he is a keen amateur photographer, though not a wildlife specialist. His Pantanal wish list came down to one animal. “I really want to see some jaguars. And we saw a lot of them.” On one day alone, the group found about five jaguars in five different spots.

The rest of the list filled up fast: birds everywhere, a tapir, deer, otters, and plenty of caimans. Naturally, this made his animal enthusiast heart very happy.

That is why travelers come this far. The rivers around Porto Jofre (the Cuiabá, Piquiri and Três Irmãos) run through Encontro das Águas State Park, the part of the Pantanal with the best odds of seeing a jaguar. Sightings peak in the intermediate and dry seasons, from May to October.

What struck him was how few people were watching. At Iguazu Falls, he said, “there are hundreds of people on a platform and on the sidewalks.” The Pantanal river was different: “There are maybe one dozen or 10 boats. There’s no over-tourism, I would say.”

👉 Read more:

• Where is the Best Place to See Jaguars in the Pantanal?
• When is the Best Time to Visit the Pantanal?

A private, personalized tour

Michael expected to share his guide, Fábio. He pictured him leading 10 or 12 people. Instead, the guide was theirs alone. “He was like a private tour guide for us. That was not my expectation,” he said. “That was a big surprise for me. But for us it was excellent, because we could ask everything.”

It also meant the family set the rhythm. “We can go our own pace. We said, okay, we want to do that or that, or we want to leave then or then. So it was so individual,” he praised. Along with the jaguars, it is the part of the trip he rates highest. “The personal contact to the guide was excellent.”

Fábio’s English mattered beyond the wildlife. Elsewhere in Brazil, the family struggled to talk to locals, but with their guide, conversations went deep. “We always talk about culture, religion, finance themes, politics, and whatever,” he said. “I think that was the closest contact we had during this trip.”\

👉 Read more: Where to Stay in the Pantanal?

Frogs in the bathroom and an otter named Cheetah

Michael glanced at his daughter when he was about to tell a funny moment from the trip. Small frogs had found their way into the family’s rooms, and she was afraid to go to the bathroom. His answer to her sums up the Pantanal in one line: “We are not in a city. We are in the wilderness.”

Then there was Cheetah, an otter well used to people. The family met her twice on the river, and both times she tried to get on board. “She always wanted to jump in the boat. It was so funny,” he chuckled.

His other favorite moments were quieter ones on the water, contemplating the beautiful natural view during boat rides on the sunrise and sunset.

👉 Read more: 15 Amazing Pantanal Animals and Wildlife

Was Brazil safe? Michael’s honest answer

Michael never felt unsafe in Brazil, and he explains why without drama. The family stayed out of the sketchier parts of Rio and São Paulo, used ride-sharing apps to get from place to place, and moved as a group of two families.

He told his main rule to smoothly navigate unfamiliar places. “If you have a certain alertness about what can happen, you don’t have to go through unpleasant situations.”

He thought Avenida Paulista, the city’s most iconic avenue, looked like Paris, with clean and wide streets. Around landmarks like Sé Cathedral and Mercadão, a 93-year-old public market, urbanity was rougher. Having seen similar places before, he wasn’t shocked, but the gap between the two stayed with him.

A slower pace and better food than expected

For many Europeans, Michael says, Brazil means football and little else, but for him and his family, reality is richer and much more diverse. While the language barrier was a bit challenging, what won them over was the people and the pace.

His wife fell in love with the country, which surprised him. “She said the people are so nice and they are so relaxed compared to Switzerland,” he shared, adding how even a trip to the supermarket is a rush back at home. “In Brazil, it was all slow down. And I like that.”

The food was another surprise. Michael expected it to be very simple but found a real feast. “Brazilian food was much better than we anticipated and cheaper than in other countries. I was really surprised about that.”

His summary of Brazil is a list: warm, sunny beaches, relaxed people, big cities, waterfalls, and wildlife. The one catch is scale, because “the distances are huge,” so plan on internal flights. “I recommend Brazil to everyone who asks where they should go for a holiday. It has everything,” he stated.

Michael’s tips for a first trip to Brazil

Asked what he would tell a friend planning a first trip, Michael kept it practical:

• Mix cities, nature, and wildlife: his family combined São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Ilha Grande, and the Pantanal.
• Give Ilha Grande, in Rio, a few more days: the family spent three days on the island, and his children count it among their top experiences of the trip, for “just beach and a lovely village.”
• Budget for the safari from the start: a Pantanal safari is not exactly cheap, even on a budget. In the end, Michael found the private guide and the organization worth the cost.
• Choose an English-speaking guide: outside the hotels, English can be scarce, so a fluent guide is your best window into the country.

 

👉 Read more: 10 Pantanal Travel Tips for an Unforgettable Trip

Next: Salvador or Lençóis Maranhenses

Michael wants to return. Salvador is on his list, as are the gorgeous white sand dunes and crystal-clear lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses.

After his trip to Iguazu Falls, he would also like to explore more of southern Brazil, although he doesn’t yet have a specific destination in mind. The possibilities are endless!

👉 Read more: 10 facts about Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

Visiting the Pantanal with PlanetaEXO

Now that you have seen the Pantanal through Michael’s eyes, you know what this fascinating place has in store for you. It’s time to see it up close!

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Pantanal tours. Working alongside experienced local guides and operators, we handle the logistics (transfers, lodges, meals, and boat safaris) so your family can focus on the experience itself. Contact us now!

A Korean producer came to Lençóis Maranhenses to film a KBS segment, walked three days across the dunes, and left impressed by the beauty and warmth of Brazil

Jihee Yeon, 34, is a producer for KBS, South Korea’s main public radio and television broadcaster. She traveled to Lençóis Maranhenses in search of the most beautiful shots she could film for a special segment.

“Several people recommended Lençóis Maranhenses, explaining that the lagoons would be full and that it was the ideal time to visit,” she said. “As soon as I saw the photos and videos, I was captivated by the landscape.” She began planning the shoot immediately.

Together with São Paulo-based cinematographer Soo Han Kim, who documents South Korean stories throughout South America, Jihee navigated Lençóis Maranhenses National Park with heavy broadcast equipment in tow. Spanning 155,000 hectares in Maranhão state, the park features vast white sand dunes soaring up to 40 meters alongside freshwater lagoons. This leg of her journey was part of a broader itinerary encompassing Belém, Marajó Island, São Luís, and Salvador.

 

Jihee crossed the dunes and lagoons on a 3-day Lençóis Maranhenses trek, organized and led by PlanetaEXO’s team and local guides. This is her story. Check it out below!

What she came to film

Jihee had a specific shot in her head before she landed. “I wanted to film blue lagoons appearing beyond one sand dune after another, with water in the middle of what seemed like an endless desert,” she said.

The second half of her brief was about people. She wanted to meet the travelers who cross the park on foot instead of by 4×4, because she suspected the choice meant something. “I imagined that those who chose to walk rather than travel by car might each have a special reason for doing so and might experience the landscape in a more meaningful way.”

The park delivered the first part exactly as promised. What she had underestimated was the scale. “I had assumed they would be concentrated in certain areas, but they continued endlessly throughout our entire three-day trek,” she said of the dunes. “I had not realized just how vast the landscape was.”

One thing caught her off guard in the other direction: she had not planned on swimming. “I had not imagined that I would enjoy swimming there so much, but the lagoons were simply irresistible.”

👉 Read more: Best Lagoons in Lençóis Maranhenses: Brazil’s Desert With a Thousand Lakes

A landscape she had no reference for

Jihee has visited deserts in several countries, which is exactly why the comparison failed. “I had never seen anything like this: countless lagoons scattered across an immense expanse of dunes, with small villages situated within that landscape,” she marveled.

That last detail is the part travelers rarely anticipate. Lençóis Maranhenses is not empty. Small communities live inside and around the park, with trekking routes running between them, which is what makes the crossing possible at all, as the villages are where you eat and sleep.

Asked whether anywhere in Korea, or anywhere else she had worked, came close, her answer was short. “I have traveled to many places, but Lençóis Maranhenses was truly unique and unlike anywhere else I had ever seen.”

👉 Read more: 10 facts about Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

The children, the flowers, and a different clock

Ask Jihee about the locals, and she starts with the kids. “Rather than simply treating us as tourists, they seemed genuinely happy to welcome us and spend time with us,” she remembered. Her group swam with them in the lagoons, “and they even gave us flowers they had picked nearby. It was an incredibly warm experience and one I do not think I will ever forget.”

The cultural difference she noticed most was not food or language, but time. “In Korea, we are accustomed to moving quickly and following structured schedules,” she explained. “In Lençóis, however, each day seemed to flow more naturally according to the weather, the surrounding environment, and people’s relationships with one another.”

She was careful not to flatten that into a cliché. “I would not describe it simply as a slower way of life, but rather as one that seemed more closely connected to the rhythms of nature.”

👉 Read more: How was Lençóis Maranhenses formed: understanding Brazil’s sand dunes and lagoons

Jihee’s first night in a hammock

The camps and village guesthouses along the trekking route sleep travelers in hammocks, not beds. For Jihee it was a first, and it became one of her favorite parts of the trip.

“I especially enjoyed spending the night alongside the other travelers, lying in our hammocks and talking together,” she said. “It was much more comfortable than I had expected, and I began to understand why the people living in the villages prefer hammocks to beds.”

The guides had a second job on this trip that they do not have on most. Jihee was moving heavy broadcast equipment across soft sand for three days. “The guide helped carry my gear and constantly checked whether I needed any assistance while shooting,” she praised. From the second day, the group merged with a larger one and the schedule tightened, but “even then, the guide did everything possible to support my filming.”

“I was very satisfied with the entire experience,” was Jihee’s verdict on the accommodations, guides, and the overall organization of the trip.

 

👉 Read more: Where to stay in Lençóis Maranhenses?

Before sunrise, lying on the sand

Jihee’s single favorite moment of the trek had no filming in it at all. “My favorite moment was setting out before sunrise and lying together on the sand to look up at the stars.”

Beyond the scenery, what struck Jihee most was observing her fellow trekkers. While she remained focused on filming, others engaged with the journey at a completely different pace. “They took their time and enjoyed the endless landscape without rushing,” she recalled. “They felt the sand beneath their feet, swam in the lagoons, and even sat beside the water to read.”

“They were not simply looking at Lençóis Maranhenses; they were experiencing it fully, with their whole bodies,” she reflected. “That left a deep impression on me.”

👉 Read more: How many days should you spend in Lençóis Maranhenses?

Jihee’s tips for first-time visitors to Lençóis Maranhenses

Her advice comes with an unusual credential: she is the one person on the trek who could not follow it. Working with a camera meant moving constantly with a lot of equipment, and it cost her something. “I was so busy that I sometimes lacked the time and mental space to immerse myself fully in the scenery before me, which I regret,” she admitted.

Even so, navigating the dunes taught Jihee some valuable lessons.

Pack as lightly as possible

Jihee had to learn it the hard way. On a trek made entirely on foot across soft sand, every extra kilo is keenly felt along the way. With heavy filming equipment on her back, this was certainly a challenge for her.

Don’t run the days on a schedule

Anyone visiting purely for travel should “take their time and allow themselves to fully enjoy the landscape.”

In Jihee’s opinion, letting the park set the pace instead of the clock is the best way to experience Lençóis Maranhenses.

Come ready to commit to it

“I would encourage visitors to arrive ready to embrace the landscape and the entire experience wholeheartedly, just as the people traveling with me did.” That means getting into the lagoons, sleeping in the hammock, and sitting still long enough for the place to register.

👉 Read more: 10 Travel Tips for Lençóis Maranhenses to Make the Most of Your Trip

Was Brazil safe? Jihee’s honest answer

Jihee traveled through five destinations with expensive camera gear, often working on the street. Across Pará’s Belém and Marajó Island and Maranhão’s São Luís and Lençóis Maranhenses, she was unequivocal: “I felt extremely safe and at ease. I was able to walk around freely at night and film on the streets with my equipment set down nearby without feeling threatened.”

Salvador, in Bahia, was the one place she had been warned about beforehand, but what happened there was not what she expected. “Once I arrived, the people around me went out of their way to help,” she said. Local residents and Uber drivers “carefully explained what precautions I should take and which places I should avoid. Because they continually looked out for me, I never felt that I was in danger while traveling there.”

“Based on my own experience, Brazil did not remain in my memory as a dangerous place,” she added. “I remember it as a place where I was able to travel safely and where the people around me looked after me with great warmth.”

👉 Read more: How to get to Lençóis Maranhenses?

Could Brazil become the next big thing in Korea?

Brazil’s appreciation for South Korean culture is no secret. We asked Jihee whether it could run the other way and whether the “Brazilcore” trend circulating on social media had reached Korea yet.

“Koreans have long associated Brazil with passion and vibrant energy. Samba music is very familiar in Korea and is frequently used as background music on TV programs,” she replied.

The obstacle she points to is not interest but calendar. “Most Koreans do not have very long vacations.” Jihee explained that reaching South America eats a large share of whatever time they have, so many travelers build multi-country itineraries to make the flight worth it.

To bring Koreans to Brazilian nature destinations like Lençóis Maranhenses, the Amazon, or the Pantanal, Jihee thinks offering clear routes that fit the time they actually have is a good approach. “Providing information and itineraries that allow visitors to experience Brazil’s diversity effectively within a limited period could encourage more Koreans to choose Brazil as a destination.”

For travelers with more room to move, she has no such worries, highlighting the country’s sheer size and richness. “An independent traveler with more time could easily spend a month in Brazil and continue discovering new places.”

👉 Read more: When is the Best Time to Visit Brazil?

Where Jihee wants to film next

One assignment was not enough. Jihee wants to come back for the side of Brazil she did not see: the cities. “I would love to experience major cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. I am very curious about what urban life in Brazil is like.”

She also wants to visit Campos do Jordão, São Paulo’s mountain town known as the “Switzerland of Brazil” for its European architecture and cool weather. Visiting during winter, she was fascinated that the season varied so sharply from the north and northeast regions she explored.

“On this trip, I experienced rainforest, islands, dunes, lagoons, and cities along the Atlantic coast,” she noted. “Next time, I would love to film a completely different side of Brazil.”

 

👉 Read more: 15 ecotourism destinations in Brazil to explore in 2026

Trekking in Lençóis Maranhenses with PlanetaEXO

Now that you’ve crossed the park through Jihee’s eyes, you know what Lençóis Maranhenses can offer: dunes that keep going long after you expect them to stop, lagoons nobody manages to stay out of, nights in a hammock among fellow adventurers, and villages where the locals are warm and welcoming.

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Lençóis Maranhenses tours. Working alongside experienced local guides and operators, we handle all the logistics so you can focus on the actual experience, from your first booking to the last dip in a lagoon. Contact us now!

A traveler who already knew Brazil, her son’s first trip to the country, and three nights on the Miranda River, told in her own words

Sandy McKelvey, 63, has been going to Brazil for most of her adult life. She teaches ESL at a community college in New York and speaks Portuguese, since she ran a business in Brazil when she was younger and traveled the country for 12 years.

Besides living in Bahia and Pernambuco, she also has been to Ceará, Belém do Pará, Manaus, Minas Gerais, Natal, São Luís do Maranhão, Santarém, Rondônia, and Acre. What Sandy had never done, in all of that, was set foot in the Pantanal, which was recommended by her biologist friend based in Corumbá, a city close to the wetlands.

Her son, Robert, provided the perfect opportunity during his two-week break. As it was his first visit to Brazil, exploring Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo was an easy choice for the beginning of their itinerary. However, Sandy sought a contrasting experience to round out the trip. She selected the vast wetland spanning 210,000 km² across Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Sandy and Robert spent three nights of August 2026 at a jungle lodge on the banks of the Miranda River on a Budget Pantanal Tour organized by PlanetaEXO and led by a local guide. Now we share her story—check it out below!

What she expected and what the Pantanal actually is

Sandy arrived with an image built from nature documentaries, but she found an impressively working landscape, as cattle ranching runs across a good chunk of the Southern Pantanal.

“I realized that so much of the Pantanal is farmland, fazendas, and raising cattle,” she said. “And that made sense. It wasn’t exactly like I had envisioned, but it was still very interesting. I still really enjoyed it.”

She also knew how unpredictable a wild environment can be, especially when it comes to animals, but that didn’t stop Robert from hoping to see an anteater. That unfortunately didn’t happen, but mother and son were graced by capybaras, caimans, buffaloes, howler monkeys, and many beautiful birds.

In the Pantanal, it is worth knowing: the dry season, roughly July to October, concentrates the animals around the water that is left and gives you the best odds. Even though this is the best destination for wildlife viewing in Brazil, nature follows its own rhythm—and it is precisely this organic unpredictability that makes ecotourism so authentic.

👉 Read more:

• When is the Best Time to Visit the Pantanal?
• North or South Pantanal: Which One Should You Visit?

In the Pantanal, your guide is your best friend

Ask Sandy what made the trip, and she talks about Bobby, her guide. “What made the trip most special was our guide. He was just so wonderful.”

His job, as she describes it, never stopped. “He was scanning the environment for animals constantly. And honestly, if he had not been with us, we would have seen nothing, because they’re hiding.” The example she keeps coming back to is a troop of howler monkeys, high up and far away. “He just noticed some of the tree branches moving and was like, ‘Look, howler monkeys!’ It was amazing,” she marveled.

In a fun twist of fate, Bobby turned out to be close to that same friend from Corumbá, which made the experience even richer and more personal.

The conversations with him were the other half of it. Sandy asked questions the whole time, and what came back was a part of Brazil she had never met in Bahia or Pernambuco. “I liked meeting people who are different from people I’ve met in other parts of Brazil,” she said.

Sandy’s conclusion is the simplest but most valuable piece of advice. “Never go to the Pantanal without a guide. It would be a complete waste of time.”

Up a narrower river, where the wildlife came close

Of everything on the program, one outing stood out: the second river excursion, the one that went upstream into a smaller water channel where Sandy saw more wildlife.

The moment she describes best happened in a marshy stretch thick with plants, where the boat simply stopped. “We just stayed there for a moment, and then we realized that we were completely surrounded,” she recalled. Dozens of caimans on every side.

And walking across the vegetation among them, there was a jaçanã, the species locals call the Jesus Christ Bird due to their unique ability of “walking on water”—their enormous feet, with slender toes and long nails, allow for weight distribution across aquatic plants, enabling a fluid and surprising glide across the water.

“It was just right there, among all the jacarés, and nobody bothered each other,” she added. “They were just hanging out together. I thought that was very beautiful.”

👉 Read more: 15 Amazing Pantanal Animals and Wildlife

A surprisingly memorable fishing day

Piranha fishing is a standard activity at the lodge where Sandy and Robert stayed, but she was not excited about it. Her group’s slot had to move because another group took it, so it landed on the last day. “I thought it was going to be rushed and just not so great,” she admitted.

Shockingly, it became one of the best things about the trip. The difference, again, was the guide. “It was actually super fun. If it had not been for Bobby, it would not have been fun.” Sandy had heard about other groups who caught nothing and gave up. Bobby set a rule instead: nobody stops until everybody catches a fish.

“Every one of us caught a fish. He kept giving us more meat and explaining everything. We didn’t stop until we all caught one,” she said with a smile.

A necklace, a machete, and half an hour of braiding

The last activity of the stay was a short trail walk. Again, being guided by a professional was crucial. “We wouldn’t notice anything unless he had pointed out certain things, like specific trees,” Sandy noted.

At one point, Bobby stopped at a succulent plant, showed the group how to strip the fibers out of a leaf with a machete, and started braiding, making it strong enough to hold. He was making a bracelet for Robert but misjudged the length and gave it to someone else. It was no problem; he would make Robert another one.

He cut a second leaf and then carried it back. The next day, right before the fishing, Bobby and Robert sat down and worked on it together. It came out as a necklace instead of a bracelet: a caiman tooth he had with him, a second fiber braided in for a contrasting color, and about half an hour of work.

“It was so unbelievably beautiful, because this guy is clearly an artist as well as a guide,” she said. “Completely out of your expectations. [Bobby] just wanted [Robert] to have a nice little souvenir.”

Great hospitality and one very hot day

Sandy and Robert were aware that their accommodation of choice, the Pantanal Jungle Lodge, was comfortably rustic. “It’s kind of rugged, but we expected that, and we like that,” she stated. They took one of the bunk beds and shared the room with two other travelers. “It was totally fine. Everyone was super polite.”

The rest of her verdict is short and consistent: “The food was really nice and all the guests were super friendly.” The lodge sits right on the Miranda River, which does half the work—she photographed birds without leaving the property.

Sandy was pleased with her stay, but the heat was difficult. The Pantanal is naturally hot and, depending on the time of year, dry, but one particular morning, during a horseback ride, was especially demanding. “It must have been about 100 °F (38 °C). It was really hot and we were out in the sun.”

That afternoon, the group went kayaking against the current. “I actually like kayaking a lot, but it was just so hot. At that point I was like, I have heat exhaustion.” While that was a challenge, she clarified no one else had the same problem. “That was just me. I was having a hard time with the heat.”

Something worth mentioning is that the weather plays a huge part in the itinerary and in people’s experiences—not only in the Pantanal, but in any nature destination. Knowing your limits, like Sandy did, is the wisest thing to do!

👉 Read more:

• Where to Stay in the Pantanal?
• 10 Pantanal Travel Tips for an Unforgettable Trip

Was the Pantanal safe? Sandy’s honest answer

Sandy does not answer this question naively. She has lived in Brazil, has had various experiences in Brazilian cities (both good and bad), and is deliberate about how she moves around big cities.

Her answer about her experience in the Pantanal came immediately. “I felt 100% safe. You don’t have to even worry about where you leave your wallet or your purse,” she affirmed.

The animals never worried her either. “I never felt any fear of the animals. It never really occurred to me,” she said. “We’re in a big boat. It’s safe.” She noticed the operating side of it too. “[The staff] was very responsible about everyone wearing a life jacket.”

 

Next stop: the Amazon (with her daughter this time)

The Pantanal trip is already producing the next one. Sandy’s daughter is arriving in Brazil for the first time, and the two of them are going to Manaus and into the Amazon—a place Sandy knows from years ago and has not seen since.

It is a fair pair to have in one lifetime. The Amazon is a forest: dense, vertical, and mysterious. The Pantanal is an open wetland, where the water pulls the animals into view.

As someone who knows Brazil intimately, Sandy recommends the place that won her heart: Salvador, in Bahia, one of the cities where she has lived. “It’s so unique, so historical—the culture, the music. If you’re going to go to Brazil, you have to visit Salvador.”

👉 Read more: Pantanal or the Amazon: Which One Should You Choose?

Visiting the South Pantanal with PlanetaEXO

Now that you have seen Sandy’s incredible travel story, you know what the South Pantanal really offers: a working wetland where animals are found rather than displayed, and where a guide who reads the riverbank makes the whole trip.

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Southern Pantanal tours. Working alongside experienced local guides and operators, we handle the logistics (transfer from Campo Grande, lodge, meals, and activity program), so you can focus on the nature from your first booking to your last boat ride. Contact us now!

One traveler, two friends, and a surprising immersion into the world’s largest tropical rainforest

Some trips start with a place, but this one started with an event. Erica L., 41, works as a research analyst in the United States. When a friend scheduled her wedding in Rio de Janeiro, Erica decided it was the perfect opportunity to extend her trip. After all, if she was going all the way to Brazil, she needed to explore more.

Together with two friends, she set off for an unforgettable journey in the Amazon, staying in a self-sufficient hotel with 6 suites that floats on the river, rises and falls with the water level, and runs on clean energy year-round.

Erica and her friends traveled into the rainforest on a 3-day Amazon jungle tour from Manaus, organized and led by PlanetaEXO’s team and local guides. Here, we share her story to show what experiencing nature is really like, featuring remarkable wildlife encounters, local connections, and much more comfort than she expected. Check it out below!

A trip extension that exceeded expectations

When Erica booked the tour, her expectations were already high. She had read the PlanetaEXO itinerary and seen photos, but reality managed to surpass it all. “The lodge staff went so far above and beyond. They were so wonderful and kind to us,” she recalled.

What surprised her most was the level of comfort. Expecting a rugged expedition and potential issues with mosquitoes (she even gave her friends a “stern talking to” about bug spray), the experience was exactly the opposite.

The floating lodge featured a beautiful rooftop stargazing area and a lovely pool. “It was very manageable and comfortable. The boat rides were smooth, lasting at most 3 hours, and the staff was always attentive to the group’s needs.”

👉 Read more: Best Amazon Jungle Lodges in Brazil

Amazonian hospitality and attention to detail

Traveling with dietary restrictions can be a challenge, especially in remote areas. Erica is vegetarian, and her two friends are vegan. “Honestly, I was a little bit worried that they were going to starve to death because it’s not a very common diet.”

However, the lodge staff shined. At every single meal, individualized vegan entrees and desserts were specially prepared for them using local vegetables and ingredients, reinforcing the lodge’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

👉 Read more: Amazonian Food: 7 Typical Dishes to Try in the Brazilian Amazon

The guide who reads the forest

In a forest with no signs and rivers that shift with the season, guiding is everything. Erica’s guides, Tyson and Josephine, left a profound mark.

Tyson knew the region so well that during one of the tours, he warned the boat driver it would be the last time they could take a specific route because the river level had dropped and it would soon be unsafe. “It was really crazy for me to think of how well you have to know a terrain to understand that. My brain doesn’t have that knowledge of anything,” Erica joked, impressed by such a level of skill.

The hospitality was just as stellar. Knowing that a French family would be arriving the next day, Tyson stayed up until 3 AM trying to learn basic French to welcome them in the best possible way.

Another surprise was discovering the team’s background. “I didn’t realize that all of the staff were going to be from the local indigenous communities,” she admitted. “That in and of itself is one of the coolest parts of the trip. [The team] was so warm and kind. It was the most hospitable accommodations I’ve experienced in any type of tourism.”

👉 Read more:

• How to Get to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil?
• Best Amazon River Cruises in Brazil

Unforgettable wildlife encounters

Although the group fished for piranhas and spotted sloths, caimans, various birds, and two species of monkeys, it was the interaction with the Amazon river dolphins that stole the show.

“Tyson told us: ‘I think you guys are not only gonna see dolphins; I think you’re gonna see schools of dolphins.’ And we went and we did! It was amazing. They were fishing, jumping out, and got very close to the boat,” Erica remembered excitedly, noting that the sightings were frequent enough for everyone to capture on video.

👉 Read more: 15 Amazon Animals – Unravel the Wildlife in Brazil

Is it safe to travel to the Amazon? Erica’s honest answer

Safety is a common concern for first-time visitors to Brazil. Erica, however, felt 100% safe. Before the trip, she read the PlanetaEXO blog about safety in Manaus and took sensible precautions.

“I knew to respect what I was reading. We always used Uber Black, and I was very conservative with how late we were out. I don’t want to be more adventurous than I might have been in a place where I knew the city better, so I had no problems [anywhere in Brazil],” she stated.

Language wasn’t a barrier either. Erica’s basic Spanish was enough, since it’s somewhat similar to Portuguese. At the lodge, she held full conversations in Spanish with the chef and bartender. “Everyone was very patient and kind.”

Erica’s tips for first-time travelers

Following her experience, Erica shared three practical tips for anyone planning to visit the Amazon:

Bring small bills for tipping

Erica wished she had brought more reais (the local currency) in cash to individually tip the various staff members (guides, boat drivers, and lodge staff) who provided such exceptional assistance. “I didn’t understand how gracious and intensive the service would be.” There were at least five people she wanted to tip individually.

Worth knowing: the tipping culture in Brazil is different from the US, since service is often built into the bill and staff doesn’t count on it. It is appreciated, never obligatory. If you do want to tip, bring small notes in reais.

Prepare for local donations

During the trip, the group visited an impressive local school where children are taught multiple languages. Had she known beforehand that some communities welcome donations, she would have loved to bring school supplies.

“I would never presume to do something like that, because it can be weird when you’re offering gifts that people haven’t said are okay to give,” she said. Erica recommends asking in advance if there is any way to support the local communities visited along the itinerary.

Pack some casual resort wear

Erica over-prepared for an “extreme” jungle expedition, but the lodge had a very pleasant atmosphere. “Travelers might want to include more resort-style or casual clothing for time spent at the lodge,” she advises.

👉 Read more: When is the Best Time to Visit the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil

Next plans: The Pantanal

One trip simply wasn’t enough. Brazil won Erica over, and she is already thinking about coming back. The next destination? The Pantanal.

As a huge wildlife fan (who missed seeing capybaras in Rio de Janeiro!), she is already dreaming of visiting the region to spot the iconic jaguars.

👉 Read more: Where is the Best Place to See Jaguars in the Pantanal?

Discover the Amazon with PlanetaEXO

Now that you’ve seen the Amazon through Erica’s eyes, you know what this trip actually asks of you (very little) and what it gives back: spontaneous wildlife encounters, attentive guides who read the river like a map, high-end hospitality, and breathtaking natural landscapes.

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in Amazon Rainforest tours in Brazil. Working alongside the best operators, we handle the logistics (transfers, lodges, meals, and routes) so all you have to do is enjoy yourself. Contact us now!

One Austrian family, three and a half weeks in Brazil, and three days on foot across a desert of white dunes and freshwater lagoons, told in Olivia’s own words

Some trips start with a place, but this one started with a season. Olivia Rossignol, 48, works at the United Nations and lives in Austria. When she plans a trip for her family, she starts by ruling things out. She wanted somewhere warm to travel during the European summer, without landing in someone else’s rainy season, which pointed her toward Brazil. While July is winter in the south, the north of the country sits squarely in its dry season.

The exact destination came from her 15-year-old daughter. Googling Brazil one evening, she found the surreal images of Lençóis Maranhenses trending on Instagram and asked the obvious question: Can we go there? They built the entire three-and-a-half-week trip around it, adding Rio de Janeiro, Pipa, Salvador, Chapada Diamantina, and Morro de São Paulo along the way.

But Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, a 155,000-hectare sweep of white sand dunes and rainwater lagoons in the state of Maranhão, was always the anchor. It marked the family’s first time in Brazil, and, without a doubt, it stood out as the absolute highlight of their entire journey.

Olivia, her husband, and their daughter crossed the dunes and lagoons on a 3-day Lençóis Maranhenses trek, organized and led by PlanetaEXO’s team and local guides. Now we share her story to show you what this experience really feels like: for a family, for first-timers in Brazil, and for anyone weighing the same questions she had. Check it out below!

A destination her daughter found online

A year ago, Lençóis Maranhenses wasn’t even on Olivia’s radar, as she readily admits. “No matter who I tell that I was there, nobody knows it. And honestly, a year ago, I didn’t know it either,” she confessed.

The idea only survived because it solved her real problem (a dry-season destination in July) and because her daughter kept pushing for the images she had seen online.

So they reversed the usual logic. Instead of fitting Lençóis into a Brazil itinerary, they built it around Lençóis and filled in the rest afterward. For a first family trip to South America, letting a 15-year-old’s screenshot set the direction turned out to be a good call.

👉 Read more: Best time to visit Lençóis Maranhenses

Three days off the grid and an otherworldly landscape

The camps in the park offered Wi-Fi, but Olivia deliberately didn’t use it. “It was clear to me I wouldn’t have it for three days,” she said. “I was even a bit disappointed they offered it. We don’t get this anymore, being several days offline.”

That choice is a big part of why the trekking in Lençóis Maranhenses landed the way it did. “I had the feeling I was somewhere completely different, not on Earth,” she marveled, saying how she had been to the Moroccan desert in February and expected something similar, just in white. “It is not. It is much more spectacular.”

What surprised Olivia most was that the national park kept raising its own bar. “You do a full day hiking, you see the white sand, the dunes, the lagoons, you have a nice overnight… And then the next day is even more beautiful than the day before,” she remembered. “You don’t expect it, because you think you’ve already seen everything. But it gets better.”

The third and final day was the best of all, and the group got lucky with the timing. “We had a full moon, so we started walking at night and swam under it. That was really amazing.” Weather helped too: across three days, they had blue sky and, by her count, only about five minutes of rain.

👉 Read more: How many days should you spend in Lençóis Maranhenses?

The guides who stayed until the end

In a park with no roads, no signs, and no signal, the guides carry the trip. Olivia’s two, Patricio and Cristiano, left the strongest impression of anyone she met in Brazil. “I have never in my life met people as kind as those two guides.”

The moment that stuck with her came at the very end, in Santo Amaro, when the trip was technically over. The family had a transfer booked for noon and, in Olivia’s words, “in my European way, I started to get nervous” when lunch hadn’t arrived by then. The guide simply handled it: he stayed and ate with them, went into the kitchen to check on the food himself, carried it out, and made sure the transfer worked.

“When someone is supposed to take care of you, he takes care of you totally. And you feel it, because for them, this isn’t just a job,” she reflected.

👉 Read more: How to get to Lençóis Maranhenses?

Language barrier overcame by Brazilian friendliness

Olivia was satisfied with the whole trip, but when pressed for something that didn’t work, she said it was difficult to find anybody speaking English, and not only in a small village, which she expected, but in Rio too, which was a surprise.

While the family’s knowledge in Italian and Spanish helped, the communication was a bit of a struggle with some locals. Still, it was nothing that could sour the experience. “Everyone was still friendly, and I’d come back. I will sure come back. There’s so much more to see in this country.”

Was Brazil safe? Olivia’s honest answer

Before the trip, Olivia was a bit worried. “Not scared, but worried,” she clarified. The first thing friends asked when she got home was whether Brazil was dangerous. Her conclusion after three and a half weeks was practical.

“You just need to put some common sense into what you’re doing, and there’s no need to be afraid.” In practice, that meant a simple t-shirt, no jewelry, and not walking alone at night.

She doesn’t pretend nothing happened. In Salvador, a city she genuinely liked, a 20-minute walk to a supermarket took the family out of the center, and the mood shifted from the lively places they’d been before. “The streets got darker, and we suddenly felt alone, so we just stopped and took an Uber.”

Although a few moments brought brief unease, her anxiety stemmed mostly from facing the unknown rather than any actual trouble. In the end, the whole journey went smoothly.

The surprises Brazil had in store

Olivia is candid about arriving with a bias. “We have this stupid arrogance in Europe,” she acknowledged: the assumption that things outside it will be less punctual, less organized. Brazil dismantled it.

The family took three domestic flights. After a slow check-in, she braced for delays that never came. “Everything was punctual, everything worked out well. Even better, in some instances.”

The food was another quiet, delicious surprise. The briefing beforehand played it down, almost an apology that meals on the trek would be very simple. But in the end, Olivia and her family thoroughly enjoyed all the home-cooked meals the hosts prepared for them.

She rated the rest of Brazil highly too, but she insists nothing compares to Lençóis Maranhenses.

Olivia’s tips for first-time travelers to Brazil

Asked what she’d tell a friend going to Brazil for the first time, Olivia had three travel tips, based on her own experience:

• Learn a little Portuguese: Even a handful of common words goes a long way, especially outside the big hotels where English is scarce.
• Don’t let fear plan your trip: It’s not as dangerous as people think. Common sense does most of the work.
• Plan properly: Brazil is too big to just book a flight and see what happens. Decide where you want to go and what you want to do before you leave.

👉 Read more: 10 Travel Tips for Lençóis Maranhenses to Make the Most of Your Trip

Where Olivia wants to go next and her final thoughts on Lençóis Maranhenses

One trip clearly wasn’t enough. Olivia’s sure she will travel to Brazil again.

Top of her list is the Pantanal, followed by the Amazon Rainforest and the coast around Paraty, south of Rio de Janeiro. For a family that came for one desert and left planning a wetland and a jungle, that’s the strongest review of all.

Asked to sum the trip up, Olivia doesn’t reach for the landscape or the logistics but for the feeling. “Best time of our lives,” she said of the 3-day trek in Lençóis Maranhenses. “The communication and organization through PlanetaEXO were perfect, prompt, and trustworthy. The trekking itself was one of our best times ever. We can highly recommend it!”

Trekking in Lençóis Maranhenses with PlanetaEXO

Now that you’ve seen the park through Olivia’s eyes, you know what a trip to Lençóis Maranhenses here really gives back.

PlanetaEXO is an ecotourism platform specializing in the Lençóis Maranhenses tours and other adventures across Brazil. Working alongside experienced local guides, we handle the logistics (transfers, camps, meals, and the route) so you and your family can focus on the dunes, from your first booking to the last full-moon lagoon. Contact us now!