Checklist: Sebastiao Salgado’s Brazil

SINGAPORE — We’ve no doubt who Sebastiao Salgado will be rooting for during the World Cup finals in June. The legendary Paris-based Brazilian photographer has been championing the cause of his country’s indigenous tribes through his photography — which can be seen in the epic Genesis exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore that features hundreds of photographs he took of the planet’s best landscapes, seascapes, wildlife and indigenous people. He’s fully aware all eyes will be on Brazil for the world’s biggest sporting event — but being the nature-lover that he is, the 70-year-old also wants people to know the country not only for The Beautiful Game but for its breathtaking natural beauty. Footy fans can start right at one of the World Cup host cities: Manaus. “It’s the capital of the state of Amazonas (in northern Brazil). They’ll be playing at the stadium there,” he said, before offering us three must-see spots for nature lovers.

ANAVILHANAS ARCHIPELAGO. It’s a group of river islands on the Rio Negro. The waters are black and it’s fabulous. Go up the river 100km from Manaus and you’ll see these islands which are carved within the river. When you look down from the plane, you have the impression that it’s grass, but when you come down a little bit, you’ll see that they’re all trees that are 40m tall. Do a small excursion — it’s one of the most beautiful things.

IGUAZU FALLS. For me, it’s the most beautiful falls in the world. It’s at the edge of Brazil and Argentina and the best way to see it is from Brazil. But you can cross the border to the other side. It’s really impressive.

PANTANAL WETLANDS. It’s a swampy place and is maybe 70 per cent the size of France. It’s a huge, beautiful area and probably the biggest ecological reservation in the planet. It’s good to go in June or July and you go by boat — you’ll have jaguars, birds like you cannot imagine, and you may even discover 200 crocodiles in one place. MAYO MARTIN