diamonds / wild tales + lost trails

Colonialsm & Slavery. Gemstones + Flowers. Water / Fire. The building of an empire. And a forgotten way of life in the Brazilian Rockies.

Assignment

Share the (untold] Story of Brazil.

Background

Between 2018-24, our team spent over a thousand days researching, documenting, and charting the lost trails, obscure historical accounts, and little-visited backcountry settlements of the Serra do Espinhaço in search of the Story of Brazil.

There are two ways to experience it.

Journeys

Journeys

14+ Days, 1-4 Travelers + 10-20 Crew Members

Select Dates from April 1 to Sept 30, 2025

Private expeditions for adventurous solo travelers & small groups, our Journeys are epics into a world that few have known; the kind of powerful experiences capable of teaching us as much about ourselves as they do about the endlessly beautiful & fascinating country around us. Lush Suessian landscapes, hidden waterfalls, and white sand beaches set the scene; and gemstones, lost historic trails, and life in the most remote corners of the high Brazilian Savannah are among the prevailing themes; but the plot is one of discovery: of new perceptions, old limits, and timeless ways of being. Prepare to be challenged, to be amazed, and to leave yourself behind.

Expeditions

Diamonds/Wild Tales + Lost Trails

28 Days, 2-6 Travelers + 20 Crew Members

Aug 4 - Aug 31, 2025

We’ll be guiding just one Small Group Expedition into the Story of Brazil in 2025, so we opted for our most complete telling yet. Over the course of 28 days, 2 (min) - 6 (max) travelers will join our crew of 20 as we trek, ride, canoe, and overland across 591 km of lost historic trails, dusty backroads, and pristine rivers, gaining & losing 26,500 m of elevation on the trail, and traversing 8 conservation units, 3 UNESCO sites, 30+ waterfalls, and 22 communities in the process. Come for the soaring peaks, mythical waterfalls, and vast wilderness areas, but don’t be surprised if it’s the heart-warming homestays, hard-won celebrations, and trail-forged camaraderie that endure in your mind. This experience promises to be a moveable feast. We can’t wait.

 FAQs

  • You’re here because you want to truly experience and celebrate life in a Place far from your home. We’re here because we want to share that Story with you.

    We’ve operated Expeditions of various lengths—from 7 days to 35—in the Espinhaço, and have found that 14 days is typically the minimum amount of time necessary for us to accomplish our shared mission. From a storytelling standpoint, we find it exceedingly difficult to convey the complex & diverse realities of Brazil in less than 2 weeks. From a traveler's standpoint, we find it challenging to truly immerse in such new surroundings in a shorter timeframe.

    At the end of the day, we're dedicated to creating deeply immersive, highly enriching experiences. We believe that the more time you can spend with us, the more impactful & rewarding your experience will be, but 14 days gives us the time we need to accomplish our shared goals.

  • If you’d like to explore the possibility of traveling with us on a shorter trip, please contact us.

  • If you’d like to explore the possibility of traveling with us as part of a larger group, please contact us.

  • Both our Bespoke Journeys and our lone Small Group Expedition in 2025 (“Diamonds / Wild Tales + Lost Trails”) seek to share the Story of Brazil via highly active, deeply immersive, and culturally-enriching experiences.

    The fact that our Journeys are private trips meant for solo travelers and very small groups (max. 4 travelers), while D/WT+LT is slightly larger (min. 2 travelers, max. 6) and open to all travelers, tends to make our Journeys—especially those undertaken by solo travelers—more personal, more impactful, and more immersive, while our Small Group Expeditions tend to foster a stronger sense of camaraderie between travelers, often conducing a lighter & more festive atmosphere.

    As far as itineraries go, each Journey we guide is completely unique, crafted using input from pre-expedition interviews with participants, as well as our own preferences as a Crew and logistical considerations (such as trip length, season, weather forecasts, local events, etc.).

    Meanwhile, we designed the itinerary of D/WT+LT to be the most ambitious & enriching 28-day trip possible—a “complete telling” of the Story of Brazil, as we call it; the result of years of testing & operating multi-week crossings in the region. At 28 days, D/WT+LT covers quite a bit more geographic & cultural territory than the average Journey (which requires a minimum of 14 days, but has no maximum).

    In terms of modalities of travel, D/WT+LT is primarily a trek (20 days, plus 3 optional days), although we also rely on horses, canoes, and 4x4s at times during our crossing. These modalities are all possibilities during our Journeys, although if a participant expresses a specific request (to solely trek, for example), that is certainly a consideration.

    Geographically speaking, because of its duration, D/WT+LT allows us 8 days in Sempre Vivas National Park, one of the most remote & pristine stretches of high savannah in the country. Consequently, it also features quite a few more total nights of wilderness camping (6) than our average Journey.

    In terms of physical exertion, the projected average daily trail distance during DWTLT (about 19 km per day) is actually shorter than that of our most recent Journey (25 km per day), but this isn’t always the case, and the kilometers in Sempre Vivas NP are notoriously hard-earned.

    All of our trips are relentlessly immersive, objectively challenging, and deeply rewarding, and all showcase the beauty, culture, and history of both Brazil and the Serra do Espinhaço.

    At the end of the day, we believe it is helpful to think of our Journeys as actual (immersive, enlightening, transformative) journeys, and D/WT+LT as a 28-day expedition that you’ll experience alongside a small group of fellow, like-minded travelers. We think D/WT+LT is the most enriching organized small group trip on earth.

    If you’d like to dig deeper into the differences between the two options, please feel free to contact us and/or learn more by clicking on their respective page links.

  • Booking is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. For logistical reasons, we recommend that you book your travel dates with us at least 120 days in advance.