JamieOwen asks: A month in Brazil

Quoting JamieOwen

I am scheduled to travel to Brazil with a friend, flying into Rio on July 20th and returning from the same airport on August 20th, giving us a month in total.

We would like to spend a couple of days in Rio, but more importantly want to experience the rainforest in some way (preferably in the south parts of the country, since we would like to avoid Malaria prescriptions if possible.)

It would be great if we could see some of Argentina too, since I have heard it is great (and cheap!), but obviously the weather and time will both be a concern.

So, basically, I was wondering if you could suggest a good itinerary that would best satisfy our travelling hopes?

I reckon you could do something like the following:

• Spend a week in Rio and, since you're close, São Paulo. That should be enough to see the highlights in both cities
• Spend two weeks to explore the Pantanal (the wetlands of southern Brazil). While this is not exactly rain forest, the natural surroundings are spectacular, and your chance at animal sightings is much higher there. Campo Grande is the main hub for arriving in the area
• Depending on how much time is left, you might want to make a further detour south to Iguaçu and see the falls. From Campo Grande, I believe that's roughly a 24 hour bus ride away
• The bus back from Iguaçu to Rio should take another 24 hours

If you want proper rain forest included in your trip, I am not the best person to ask. I am not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to Brazil.

Good answers and good to post it here.

Some additions:

• You might try the southern rainforest at Alta Floresta, in the north of the state of Matto Grosso (where the northern part of the Pantanal, gateway Cuiaba, is located). Not sure if this is malaria free though. Rainforest and malaria do go hand in hand a lot, but not necessarily. Check traveldoctor.co.uk (or something, just google) for details. You can travel by bus to the southern outskirts of this rainforest, though there are budgetflights (sorry Niels.
• Still, I would like to recommend Mamirau Reserve in the central Amazon, between Manaus and the border with peru/colombia, just northwest of Tefe. Of course, you need to take malaria pills, but no problem, your chances to get it are very low.
• Campo Grande to Iguacu was only around 10-12 hours, including a stop for the last leg. Was Campo Grande to some place a few hours before Iguacu, we had a good deal and it was pretty fast (and cold by the way, we were in June, night of around zero!).
• As you don't want to go to the north (malaria, except coast), you can use buses most of the time. Note though, that airlines like TAM (again sorry niels) have airpasses, just if you'd like. I don't recommend it for a month only in the south.
• In the southern Pantanal I can recommend Miranda as a base and do some day trips, for example to Facenda San Francisco, great place, great night drives (spotted a jaguar and an ocelot that night!).

Cheers!
Michael.