11 Fun and Unexpected Things to do in Iguassu Falls

Iguassu Falls is one of the must see natural wonders on earth. As a matter a fact, it was recently named one of the new 7 Natural Wonders in the world. It’s no wonder people make a point of visiting when traveling to Brazil or Argentina. But there are a lot more things to do in Iguassu Falls than simply marvel at their beauty.

Things to do in Iguassu Falls

People often pop in for a quick day trip to catch a glimpse of the massive waterfalls spanning 2.5 km with a total of 250 different cascades. They seem to forget that there is a thriving community in the town of Iguassu, plus an impressive surrounding jungle. If you give a little more time in Iguassu, you’ll come away from Brazil having one great adventure!

We highly recommend taking the time to explore Iguassu Falls and spend a few days trying a some of these adventures. Let’s get started.

Jet Boat Safari

The Macuco Jetboat safari is the most fun you’ll ever have in rushing water. After a buggy ride through the jungle and a short hike on a rainforest path, you come to the calm Iguassu River where you board a powerful twin-engine jet boat.
This thrill ride takes you right into Devil’s Throat where you run rapids and drive right under the thunderous falls located on the Argentinian side of the border.
After getting thoroughly drenched, you’ll come out with a huge smile on your face knowing that you just survived going underneath one of the world’s largest waterfalls.
Hike Bike and Paddle

You won’t see the waterfalls during this jungle adventure, but the Banieras Jungle safari was one of our favourite things to do in Iguassu Falls. The tour started off with a 10 km bike ride deep into the heart of the Iguassu Rainforest. Be prepared it’s one long and steady uphill, but the guide makes sure you go at your own pace. It’s not a race through the rainforest; it’s a leisurely ride.

Once you are as far away from civilization at you can get, you drop the bikes off at a footpath and continue on for an easy hike over raised platforms weaving through the jungle. With a mix of boardwalks, hard packed trails, suspension bridges and even a high lookout. This is an excellent hike for first timers and regular hikers alike.

The final adventure takes you on a thrilling jet boat ride along the Iguassu River where afterwards you have the option to kayak back to the dock. Do it! It’s so much fun to paddle around and you even get to go over a little bit of rushing whitewater water.
Parque das Aves

The Iguassu Rainforest is filled with exotic birds, but the chances of seeing them with your own two eyes are quite slim. The Iguassu Bird Park lets you see endemic species of Brazilian birds as well as a few from around the world.

Most of the birds in the park are rescues from wildlife smugglers trying to cross the border, or from places where birds have been mistreated.

The birds aren’t reintroduced back into the wild, but they do get to live out their days in peace and quiet in large and comfortable aviaries. Patrons can walk through many of the aviaries and feel the wonder as parrots, macaws, toucans and parakeets fly overhead.
Marco Das Américas

This is one of the up and coming things to do in Iguassu Falls as they are just starting to build attractions and turn Marco das Americas into a tourist site. Our guide Sebastian of Bliss Tours told us that it would be up and running by August in time for the 2016 Olympics.
Marco das Americas is where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil meet. It is the golden triangle. While standing on the viewing platform, you can witness the fork in the rivers Iguassu and Paraná meet. This is where all three countries come together.
South American Cultural Show

At the Rafrain Churrascaria restaurant, there is an excellent dinner and show where you can enjoy typical Brazilian food like a Brazil Barbeque, while watching talented performers take you through the history and culture of South America.
I’ll be honest, we weren’t sure if we would enjoy this or not, but we ended up loving it. The music was contagious and the performers were brilliant. There was the showstopper where a man performed a traditional skill of twirling solid balls around his head. He even twirled them at break neck speeds around a guests head!
My favourite was watching the capoeira dancers. These guys made flipping and turning in mid-air look easy!
Itaipu Dam Tour

It was once the largest Dam project on earth. It is now only second to China’s infamous Three Gorges. For sheer engineering genius, the Itaipu Dam is worth visiting.
This two-hour tour takes you into the facility where you see how the Iguassu River’s water is harnessed for energy. All three country’s; Paraguay, Argentina and Brasil benefit from this hydroelectric dam. Keep your hard hat on because you even get to take an elevator deep down to the depths to see the power station and feel the heat generated by the surging water.
Itaipu Lake Sunset Tour

When visiting the dam, book a sunset tour afterwards. Leaving from the same spot, the Itaipu Sunset tour is a pleasant way to end the evening as a catamaran takes you and about 200 more of your good friends to the centre of the lake to enjoy sunset.
Chinese Temple

Who would have thought there’d be such a giant Chinese Temple in South America? But the Chinese Temple in Iguassu is a beautiful display of typical Chinese architecture and folklore. Big Buddha Statues line the yard surrounded by massive guards. You can get a map from the gate to explore on your own, but if you go with Bliss Tours, they’ll be able to inform you of everything that you see.
Mosque Visit

There is also a mosque that you can visit and learn about Muslim culture. An Imam is on hand to talk to you should you have any questions and you are free to enter. Make sure to respect the Muslim Culture and wear long sleeves and pants, otherwise you can rent a sarong for a very minimal fee. (like 50 cents I believe)
Views of Iguassu Falls

Okay, I know I said there are a lot of things to do in Iguassu Falls besides viewing the water falls, but you have to make sure you give them ample time too.
The best way to explore Iguassu Falls is to stay at least one night at the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas inside the park. It is on the expensive side, but it is the only hotel in the National Park and by staying here, you have access to the trails along the falls and the catwalk leading into the horseshoe at sunrise and sunset.
Iguassu National Park opens at 8:00 am and closes at 5pm, so if you are not staying at the hotel, you have no chance of witnessing sunrise or sunset over the falls. We were out at the crack of dawn and until after dusk exploring Iguassu Falls virtually on our own. We only saw one or two other people at the falls so we were free to photograph and explore in solitude. It was an incredible experience.
Iguassu National Park opens at 8:00 am and closes at 5pm, so if you are not staying at the hotel, you have no chance of witnessing sunrise or sunset over the falls. We were out at the crack of dawn and until after dusk exploring Iguassu Falls virtually on our own. We only saw one or two other people at the falls so we were free to photograph and explore in solitude. It was an incredible experience.
If you don’t stay inside the park, there are several options to view the falls. There is an excellent viewing point at the main restaurant where you can see them from above, plus take an elevator or footpath down to the catwalk to see them up close.
Give yourself time to go for a hike as well. Iguassu Falls spans 2.5 km and there are walking trails along the gorge where you can see all the waterfalls that line the canyon along the way.
Eat at a Brazilian Barbeque

While the Rafrain Churrascaria put on a great show, I wouldn’t say it had the best food of all of Iguassu. If you want to experience and authentic Brazilian Grill, try eating at Palazzo Grill and Buffalo Bronco Steakhouse.
A Brazilian Barbeque consists of entering a restaurant filled with food. The meal starts off with a massive smorgasboard of salads, pasta, meats, breads, cheese and even sushi before the main meal begins.
Make sure not to stock up too much on food, because men will bring around endless cuts of prime meats to shave off at your table. From prime rib, steak, lamb, chicken and every cut of beef you can think of, they’ll be forcing you to eat as much as possible.
Try the deep fried cheese balls too. Mmm, that was one of our favourite dishes.
Helicopter Tour

As far as helicopter tours go, this wasn’t our favourite of all time. But if you want to see the falls from above, this is the only way to do it. This company has the market cornered, so they don’t give the best service, and the ride is very lopsided. If you don’t sit on the right side, you’ll end up not having the worst views.
Our flight was a very quick 10 minute journey with no safety briefing or information about what we were going to see. I was luckily seated at the front with the pilot and had the best view and best side of the chopper. The other customers weren’t so lucky.
Dave had the seat right behind the pilot and he didn’t get any real clear views of the falls. Normally helicopter flights give each side equal time to see the view, but our pilot only circled around once for the left hand passengers to see. The right were SOL. (S*%^ out of Luck)
Where to stay:

If the Belmond Hotel Cataratas is out of your budget (which it is for many, but remember, you should budget for at least a night there) try the Recanto Cataratas Thermas Resort. This is a family hotel close to town that has a thermal swimming pool, dining options and gym. It also offers tours and excursions to Iguassu Falls.
There are several flights daily to Iguassu from Rio de Janeiro.
[Source:theplanetd.com]

Collection Of 33 Historical Movies

Abhishek Singh posted something on Historical dramas here which gave me the idea to write this post. In this post you will find links to a collection of historical and biblical movies. Apart from those Abhishek has listed, you may find more in this post

Here's a list of direct links for you to watch these movies online for free. Just click on the image (or the title of the movie highlighted in yellow) and voila!!! ....you are in a new tab, with the movie ready to play. Just click on the play button and give it a little while to buffer. One good thing to know is that you have an option to resume where you've left off the last time.

And please share this with your friends. Do subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on our new posts and downloads always.

Happy viewing then.

No.	Movie	Description	Poster
1	Braveheart	William Wallace, a Scottish rebel, sets out to battle an English tyrant who killed his wife a day after their marriage.
2	Gladiator	Commodus takes over power and demotes Maximus, one of the preferred generals of his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As a result, Maximus is relegated to fighting till death as a gladiator.
3	Lincoln	Abraham Lincoln uses his powers as the president of the United States of America to abolish slavery in his country during the Civil War.
4	Gandhi	A lawyer, Mohandas Gandhi, returns to British India from South Africa. He begins a nationwide campaign of non-violent resistance against British rule. The campaign pressures Britain to liberate India.
5	12 Years A Slave	When two men offer Solomon Northup a fortnightly job as a musician in the US, he gladly takes it up. But on reaching his destination, the two men drug him and enslave him.
6	The Pianist	Gifted pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman is a Polish Jew. When the Nazis round up his family for the Nazi labour camps, he escapes and avoids capture by hiding in the ruins of Warsaw.
7	Spartacus	The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus.
8	Ben Hur	Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic historical drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character.
9	Lawrence Of Arabia	Lawrence, a lieutenant in the British Army, is asked by Colonel Brighton to moderately assess Faisal, their ally. Lawrence is impressed with Faisal and seeks his help to plan an attack on the enemy.
10	Schindler's List	Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, tries to save his Jewish employees after witnessing the persecution of Jews in Poland.
11	Kingdom Of Heaven	In the twelfth century, blacksmith Balian travels to Jerusalem, a city seething with religious wars. What follows next is his transformation into a defending warrior who saves the city and its people.
12	The Last Samurai	Captain Nathan Algren is hired to train the Japanese army to fight a Samurai rebellion. He, however, ends up embracing the same Samurai culture which he was assigned to destroy.
13	The Patriot	After getting married, ferocious veteran Benjamin forsakes his violent past. As a widower, he raises his seven children alone. Will he join the nation's war to protect his family?
14	The King's Speech	The journey of King George VI, who overcomes his dreadful stammer with the help of his speech therapist, Lionel Logue and makes himself worthy enough to lead his country through war.
15	Saving Private Ryan	During the Normandy invasion of World War II, Captain John Miller is assigned the task of searching for Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have already been killed in the war.
16	Letters From Iwo Jima	The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
17	The Last Emperor	Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, has a sheltered upbringing till his world gets turned upside down by the Chinese revolution, a subsequent exile and an inconspicuous end.
18	King Arthur	A reluctant leader wants to return the peace and stability of Rome. Before he can, a mission leads him to the conclusion that when Rome is gone, Britain will need a leader to fill the vacuum.
19	JFK	When attorney Jim Garrison sets out to uncover the mystery behind the assassination of former U.S. President John Kennedy, he faces strong opposition from the government.
20	Agora	Amidst the increasing influence of Christianity on the Roman Empire, Greek philosopher and teacher Hypatia finds herself targeted for favouring science over faith.
21	Troy	A prince falls for a king's wife and takes her along with him to Troy. The king's brother then uses this as an excuse to rage war on Troy and realise his own selfish motives.
22	Gone With The Wind	American classic in which a manipulative woman and a roguish man carry on a turbulent love affair in the American south during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
23	The Ten Commandments	Moses escapes death at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Years later, when he learns of his true heritage, he sets out on his divine mission as the deliverer of the people.
24	Cleopatra	Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, pretends to be in love with two influential men to save the Egyptian empire from destruction.
25	El Cid	Spain is overrun by the Moors and the country's only hope rests in a heroic knight known as El Cid (Charlton Heston). He knows a divided Spain cannot stand and implores his countrymen to unify in order to repel the invaders. But a hitch develops in El Cid's campaign: He gets exiled from his homeland of Castile by the region's power-hungry ruler. In the meantime, he attempts to reunite with his estranged wife, Jimena (Sophia Loren) -- who's still upset by the fact that he killed her father.
26	Amadeus	Antonio Salieri envies Mozart whom he believes to be a great musician. Having come to the conclusion that Mozart receives divine assistance in his compositions, Salieri turns against God.
27	300	In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
28	Alexander	The King of Greece leads his legions against the Persian Empire and defeats them. He then leads his army across the continent venturing further than any person from his country has ever gone.
29	Doctor Zhivago	David Lean's 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965) is based on the novel, 'Doctor Zhivago' written by Boris Pasternak.
30	Master And Commander	Captain Jack Aubrey orders his team to set out in search of a French war vessel. However, when his own ship is heavily damaged, he realises the task is not as easy as it seems.
31	Gangs Of New York	Amsterdam Vallon sets out to avenge his father who was killed in a gang fight at the hands of a crime lord. Whilst doing so, he gets caught up in the Civil War.
32	The Longest Day	The Allied Forces and the U.S. Army plan an invasion landing in Normandy when General Eisenhower gives them the permission to do so.
33	Enemy At The Gates	Russian sniper Vasily Zaytsev bumps off Nazi German soldiers one by one during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943. German Major Konig is ordered to slay Vasily to restore Adolf Hitler's honour.