It’s hard to put into words the experience of stepping into a foreign habitat that we’ve only seen in books and documentaries. It was one of life’s greatest privileges to be so anonymous yet so close and personal to some the world’s greatest, fiercest creatures and feel no danger at all. Often it was surreal & we’re still pinching ourselves. Witnessing the magnificence of the Pantanal, was brought to life by the expertise and passion of Pete Oxford, wildlife adventurer extraordinaire!

Just back from our trip to the Pantanal with Pete (our first with him). Jaguars were the priority and we saw many individuals multiple times, hunting, eating, mating and sleeping. And 42 new bird species for us (we had previously visited the Pentanal during the rainy season several years ago). The SouthWild accommodations were excellent and well-situated, and we loved Pete's local guides. The Pantanal should be a bucket list destination for all wildlife lovers. And a special shout-out to Renee for her assistance throughout the planning process right up until we had to rebook a missed connection in getting to Cuiaba on our arrival day in Brazil.

Not a day goes by without me reflecting on the amazing Botswana safari I was so fortunate to experience earlier this year with Pete Oxford Expeditions. Three things made this trip so special: seeing great friends after two years of postponing the trip due to the pandemic, the unbelievable beauty of Botswana and its people and the excellence of Pete Oxford Expeditions. Pete and Renee are very experienced travelers and did an amazing job of planning, arranging and guiding this safari. Thank you both for a trip I will never forget.

Our third trip with Pete did not disappoint. The usual hectic pace, the usual taking advantage of every opportunity, even running from breakfast, complete with coffee cups, to jump in the boats and shoot up the river when a tapir suddenly appeared. Extraordinary sightings from Jaguar in the act of killing caiman to in the act of making more jaguars. Numerous mammals and birds and beautiful locations in which to stay. A great time and we're looking forward to our next trip.

I’m just back from two weeks with Pete in the Pantanel. What can I say ….I enjoyed the trip immensely. I found the wildlife sightings quite staggering. At the very start of the trip, Pete said ‘we’ll see Jaguar’ … I live in Costa Rica and if you see one Jaguar in your life here you’re doing well. But Pete’s quiet confidence was well placed and we saw 13 different jaguar, 30 times. We saw a huge range of interesting behaviours and we even saw one killing a caiman, right in front of our eyes.

I also really appreciated Pete’s zeal, passion and commitment to helping us see stuff... he banged on my door at 4am one morning because a tapir was outside the room. Which was great …. That’s what we were all there for.

I actually also thought it was great value for money. The richness of what we saw surpassed my expectations by miles. And the people I met in the group, had all had interesting lives and we stayed up at night swapping stories from our youth.

I’d highly recommend going with Pete. You’ll see lots more than with anyone else.