Paul Irvine
With nearly two decades of experience in the country, Irvine knows Brazil’s top outfitters — and its most memorable experiences. He’s had guests touring Rio de Janeiro with one of the city’s star chefs, flying over the Amazon with climate researchers, and chilling out at ultra-chic beach escapes in Paraty. Irvine is seeing a tourism revival for the Amazon and Salvador. “The relatively new Fasano Salvador and the neighbouring Fera Palace Hotel have firmly put Salvador back on the luxury travel map,” he says. And, after the devastating forest fires in the Amazon in 2019 which burned more than 1 million hectares, visitors want to see what they can do to help. “Travelers with an interest in nature and the environment are keen to see areas that are threatened before it could be ‘too late’ but are also increasingly aware that by traveling to these regions they are providing incentives to preserve them,” Irvine says. “It is a very clear example of the positive effects of tourism. Being there to see the incredible biodiversity of the forests first-hand as well as spending time with researchers and conservationists on the front line of preserving them is an incredibly enriching experience.”
ADDITIONAL SPECIALTIES: Argentina and Uruguay
Languages Spoken: English and Portuguese
Minimum Daily Spend: From $400 per person per day
Trip Planning Fees: None
Contact Info
paul.irvine@dehouche.com | 800-690-6899 | Rio de Janeiro
Testimonial
"We have used Paul on three occasions and plan to go to South America again soon. The first trip was for our honeymoon a few years ago, which we still talk about often. It was perfectly idyllic! We went to a few different locations in Brazil including Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, but the longest stay was in Trancoso, a divine beach village that we fell in love with. Paul knows all the right people and even organized a small plane for us when our flight was canceled. We can’t recommend Paul highly enough. We’ve also gone to Argentina with Paul and had a fantastic time in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Mendoza. He takes the time to understand what you want. I am sure we would never have found the wonderful places we visited without him. We definitely wouldn’t have met so many great people along the way, like winemakers in Argentina and a local woman in Trancoso who cooked the best prawns at her house by the sea. I would wholeheartedly recommend Paul to anyone wanting a bespoke trip to South America. He was recommended to us by a friend, and we have in turn recommended him to several of our. Paul and the team at Dehouche always seem to get it just right." — Elizabeth Kent
