[seedyrom]

We are contemplating visiting Itaitiaia National Park and Ubatuba reserve or the Guapi Assu Lodge (REGUA) next year. Or maybe even doing both! It depends on cost and how much time would be recommended in each area. Any hints/tips would be much appreciated along with comments on the best time of year to go. We have not been to South America before. Will need a guide....(person not book :)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

You're likely to get somewhat different birds at Itatiaia and REGUA so it would be worth doing both. The former is higher altitude and the latter lower altitude with some extensive wetlands. If you stay at the lodge at REGUA you will get a very good guide but maybe won't be able to get one so easily at Itatiaia where you'd probably be staying in regular hotels. A further issue with Itatiaia is that there are quite a lot of restrictions in where you can go, whereas at REGUA there are loads of trails you can walk.

Whilst not wishing to talk you out of Itatiaia which is a fantastic place for birding, an alternative would be to bird some of the higher altitude areas nearer to REGUA. These have a lot of the same birds as Itatiaia and a few (e.g. Grey-winged Cotinga) that you won't see there. REGUA do some trips to these areas but an alternative would be to stay at Serra dos Tucanos (an hour or so from REGUA). They run guided trips to the higher altitude areas. There's also good birding on site. Wherever you go, southeast Brazil is a fantastic area and you won't run out of birds to see.

[seedyrom]

Thank you, Andrew. We are leaning more and more towards staying at REGUA, probably in March.