RFI: Linhares (1 Viewer)

[bobf]

Does anyone have an e-mail contact for staying at Vale Nature Reserve Hotel (the hotel in Linhares reserve)? I know VALE has a website, but it only gives a phone number for the hotel, and my Portugese isn't really up to trying a phone call. No links in bird trip reports I've found have worked.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[dacol]

Bob,

If no e-mail address is forthcoming and you don't think your Portuguese is up to the task why not use an specialized travel agent to book the hotel?
For example, Birding Brazil Tours run by Andy Whittaker will make arrangements for the independent birding traveler in Brazil:
http://www.birdingbraziltours.com/planning-brazil.php

Dalcio

 

[GMK]

Try: [email protected]

 

[bobf]

Try: [email protected]

Thanks, Guy, but is it really possible that this apparent Intervales contact can do something about reservations at Linhares?

 

[GMK]

My apologies, that won't help you, will it! However, this might: [email protected]

In theory if you book in advance you have to pay 50% up front (a common tactic if you pre-book a hotel in Brazil), which means you'll have to wire the money or try to pay over the phone with a credit card (either way you might be back to your "square one"). I suspect you'll probably be able to just turn up and book—it's rarely busy there!

 

[bobf]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but no reply yet from Birding Brazil or the Linhares email address. A couple guides in Brazil attempted to contact them on my behalf, also without success. I'm sure a hotel that works this hard to avoid contact with potential clients is rarely full.

Actually I have no problem just showing up, or with staying in town (Linhares). I would just hate to do the long drive up there to discover the reserve is closed for August or something.

Bob

 

[fbeeldens]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but no reply yet from Birding Brazil or the Linhares email address. A couple guides in Brazil attempted to contact them on my behalf, also without success. I'm sure a hotel that works this hard to avoid contact with potential clients is rarely full.

Actually I have no problem just showing up, or with staying in town (Linhares). I would just hate to do the long drive up there to discover the reserve is closed for August or something.

Bob

Hello Bob,

I was in Linhares last November. The email address we used to get in touch is: [email protected]

You porbably already know, but just in case: you'll need to hire a local guide to bird the reserve, otherwise all you're allowed to do is bird the hotel grounds.

KR,

filip

 

[bobf]

Thank you, Filip,

Unfortunately, that is one of the (many) e-mail addresses from which I've received no reply. When you were there, did it seem like, if one were to just drive in, it would be possible to arrange a guide for the next day?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Xenospiza]

Linhares is amazingly difficult to visit (as you may have read e.g. here). Even payment was problematic! A Brazilian contact seems to be the best option, but you even seem to struggle there... I cannot understand their operation at all!

Once we were there, everything went amazingly smoothly.

You should really try to arrange your visit in advance. Access without appointment did not appear to be all that easy: there was rather heavy security at the gate!

 

[fbeeldens]

What Xenospiza said!

Moreover you really need to stress that your main interest is birding and insist they provide you with a guide that knows his birds.

cheers,

filip

 

[bobf]

Belatedly, let me report how this worked out.

Eventually, I received a response from the address posted by Guy from someone named Letiane, quoting rates, but when I tried to make a reservation, I received no further reply. A month later, I got a message from Rick Simpson in Ubatuba saying to e-mail in English Ozir (the address supplied by filip) which I had already tried in google Portugese. So I wrote Ozir again, in English, and it was as if I had been unblocked from a spam filter, as I received a prompt reply from Ozir, and also from Letiane ([email protected], who is perhaps the hotel manager). The result is I was able to make a reservation for two nights and one and a half days in the reserve with guide, and did not have to prepay anything.

Prices for two were about 300R/night with three meals, and 100R/day/person for all day visit (half that for a half day). The rooms are nice, the pool pleasant for a few hours in the hot part of the day, the restaurant OK and they did a 5:00AM breakfast for us. Not much in the way of birding on the extensive grounds, maybe there'd be some Parrots if some of the trees were fruiting.

As recommended,I asked repeatedly for,a and was promised, a bird guide, but the two guides (no English) we had seemed more like security guards. However, the first day's guide did know a few of the specialty birds (including parrots) by call, so I guess he's the bird guide. The second (half) day, the guide knew nothing, but I didn't initially realize this, and allowed him to direct us on a long useless drive to the northern edge of the park which wasted much of the morning.

Anyway, we had some good birds:
Red-billed Curassow (easy early AM on road but a long drive from hotel)
Maroon-faced Parakeet
Blue-throated Parakeet (just fly-bys)
Tawny-browed Owl (day 1 guide had a stake-out)
Minute Hermit
Rufous-throated Sapphire
Sooretama Slaty-antshrike
Black-headed Berryeater
Red-headed Manakin
Thrush-like Schiffornis
Turquoise (White-bellied form) Tanager

Major dips were White-necked Hawk and Red-browed parrot (heard only).

We did not attempt to access Sooretama.

Anyway, thanks for the tips and pointers.

Bob

 

[Feathered and Free]

Hello Bob,

I was in Linhares last November. The email address we used to get in touch is: [email protected]

You porbably already know, but just in case: you'll need to hire a local guide to bird the reserve, otherwise all you're allowed to do is bird the hotel grounds.

KR,

filip

I used the same email to make arrangements for Sept to visit. I am hoping to see Blue-throated Conures and many other birds.