Right next to the Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side, there’s a little Bird Park thats well worth a visit if your visiting the must see Iguazu Falls. There’s all sorts of amazing tropical birds free to fly around you as you walk around in very large cages. The highlight had to be the close encounter with two different types of toucans.
More pictures of the Bird Park and the Falls from the Brazilian side
Getting around
On Raratonga there is a bus that runs fairly regularly (every 30 mins) in an anticlockwise direction around the island. You can higher motorcycles from most hotels. We hired bikes and managed to cycle the 20km around the island in the blazing midday sun. not the best of ideas!
If you want to get further a field like another island heres where the costs rise. Spread over an area the size of India your only real option is to fly . We flew to Aitutaki after much debate, it turned out well worth the investment to get away from the crowds and see some of the most beautiful beaches your ever likely to see.
Costs
The cook Islands aren’t cheap, being a popular holiday destination with the Kiwiâs and its geographical location (a lot of things are imported from New Zealand) result in high living costs. We managed to live cheaply by staying in a dorm in Tiare Village cooking for our selves sometimes using fruits and vegetableâs picked from the wild.
Where to stay
Backpacker or budget accommodation is difficult to find on Raratonga. We opted for Tiare Village. Situated on the north side of the island, Tiare Village is set in a wonderful lush tropical garden setting. The lady which ran the hostel was one of the best things about the place. She was friendly, learnt everyone’s names and made you feel really welcome. Tiare village unfortunately was a bus ride away from the beautiful lagoon.
A dorm bed in the main house cost NZ$20, not exactly cheap but one of the cheaper places on the Island.
chirp chirp wow those are some pretty birds đ
its pretty nice đ
I was just in Foz do Iguaçu in August (2011) and loved the Parque das Aves. Of course, the falls were spectacular, but I had more fun at the bird park. I especially loved being able to enter cages to take photos. I was alone, but asked another tourist to take a photo of me —it is my favorite from my month-long trip —with a Toco Toucan right beside me on a railing.
I had lived in Brazil decades ago, and always regretted not visiting the Amazon region nor Iguaçu, so on this trip (my first back since 1969) I visited both. I didn’t see much of Puerto IguazĂș (just the bus station) but I enjoyed Foz do Iguaçu. Compared to other cities I visited, it was quiet, clean, free of traffic jams, and had lovely tree-lined streets. I traveled there from Manaus where temperatures reached 108F, so the 65-70F weather in Iguaçu was delightful, although I understand that it can become quite hot there in the summer (Dec-Mar.)
I spent more time on the Brazilian side of the falls and the day was sunny. I had less time on the Argentinean side on a cloudy, drizzly day. I felt more like I was in a natural forest in Argentina. I also enjoyed watching the antics of the coati (racoon-like creatures) there, although they are on the Brazil side too, just didn’t meet any. For me, it was a toss up which was more delightful. I would suggest to any would-be visitors that seeing both sides is a must.