Casa Caiman Private Villa

A family-run, six-room exclusive retreat, Villa Baiazinha sits in splendid isolation on the banks of the Paraguay River. You are, quite literally, the only tourists for miles around - and the only ones with exclusive access to the waters around the Taiamã Ecological Reserve, one of Brazil's most protected and remote wildlife sanctuaries. Here, you're not just visiting the Pantanal – you're living it, with jaguars regularly spotted swimming in front of the lodge and capybaras treating the riverbank like their personal beach club. The five-hour journey from Cuiabá isn't an easy undertaking, but for those who understand that sometimes the best experiences require serious commitment to reach them, it's worth every minute...