Brazil travel info needed :)

kayasurf

Hoping to go to brazil for a 2 week holiday in October just wondering if any one has any ideas on whats the best way to book flights, hotels to stay in or any other info that might be handy. I'm hoping to go to Sao Paulo for a few days and then rio for a few days.. If anyone has any other ideas on where to go that would be great also..

jackbhoy

Have you considered using different arrival/departure cities? e.g fly into Rio and out of SP (or even Buenos Aires), saves a lot of wasted time backtracking, especially given the limited time you have. We flew with Air France into Rio and out of BA, cost about €650, booked it through farechase.yahoo.com but that was 2 years ago.
I'd say 3/4 days in Rio/SP would be enough, some nice islands between 2 cities (e.g Ilhe Grande) that would make nice side-trip too.
I'd also highly recommend Iguazu Falls if you can squeeze it in. Its amazing sight and worth effort to get there (overnight bus from SP).
Distances between cities is pain but overnight buses are very comfortable and great value.
We stayed in hostels/hotels which we booked as we went, can't remember names, sorry!

Meathlass

kayasurf wrote: »

Hoping to go to brazil for a 2 week holiday in October just wondering if any one has any ideas on whats the best way to book flights, hotels to stay in or any other info that might be handy. I'm hoping to go to Sao Paulo for a few days and then rio for a few days.. If anyone has any other ideas on where to go that would be great also..

Agree with #1. Try and fly into and out of different cities - tbh I wouldn't bother with SP, maybe a day but there's not much there. Rio is great though, you could easily spend 4 days there, lots of islands like Ilhe Grande as well along the coast between SP and Rio (6 hours on a bus or 45 mins on a plane). A great trip is Rio to Buenos Aires - it's very popular and you can stop in Igazzu Falls on the way. Learn some portugeuse/spanish before you go.

kayasurf

how easy is it to get to and from the islands around the coast.. And whats the accomadation like on the islands.. Also did either of you get to go to the maracana staduim to see a game would love to go..

Meathlass

kayasurf wrote: »

how easy is it to get to and from the islands around the coast.. And whats the accomadation like on the islands.. Also did either of you get to go to the maracana staduim to see a game would love to go..

I was short on time so didn't get to go to any of the islands but I presume it's just a case of going down to the dock, you'll probably find hostels on the mainland run tours out there. I was in Rio in March 2007 and went to two games at the Maracana - first with a guy who lived in Brazil, he'd been before, and queued for the tickets which was a bit crazy, no real queues as such, just people pushing and shoving to get to the window. The tickets were only about 5 euros for terrace, you buy them at the stadium and the maracana is on the metro so really easy to get to. The second time I went with the hostel who bring you in a minibus with a guide who buys all the tickets, stays with you inside and brings you back to hostel afterwards, think this package was around 35 euros. All the hostels offer these packages but we were warned while on the terrace by two brazilian girls in front of us to leave just before the final whistle as they'd heard a group of guys further down talking about jumping us on the way out. We obviously stood out a mile - 15 white, pasty europeans with cameras and no colours. We just left early and everything was fine but I certainly felt safer going with a 'local'. The brazilians are so friendly that if you go to a bar you're bound to find someone to hang out with for the game.

jackbhoy

kayasurf wrote: »

how easy is it to get to and from the islands around the coast.. And whats the accomadation like on the islands.. Also did either of you get to go to the maracana staduim to see a game would love to go..

Most hostels/hotels in Rio seem to be affiliated with Tour companies who can organise both trips to islands and football. We just got a bus to one of port towns and then asked around for local ferries to Ilhe Grande, worked out very cheap and was really nice laid back island with lots of nice beaches (Lopes Mendes in particular)plus hill trekking and snorkelling etc, lot of characters around there too! Not sure how it compares to other islands as its only one I visited but really liked it, have a look here for details on accomodation and transport etc. http://www.ilhagrande.com.ar/?sel_lang=en

Regarding football in Rio, as Meathlass mentioned tour from hotel/hostel is probably good option for Maracana, its a good bit outside city centre and is fairly dodgy area, especially after dark. You can get picked up and returned to hostel for about €25 (inc ticket) i think, there is a tourist section in the stadium where any tour company will put you, its pretty safe but depending on who is playing it can get a bit "interesting" around stadium after game....

Nerilka

Hi

As I am sure you already know, two days will only give you a taste of the country, it's so huge - the same size as Europe.

I agree that you could easily spend a few days in Rio, and skip SP - I think the best bit of SP is the view of endless skyscrapers as you come in to land! Hang gliding in Rio is pretty amazing, any of the hostels or hotels seem to be able to book it. Also of course the usual Sugar Loaf, Christ the Redeemer, and others. October may not be so bad, but if the weather is dodgy go up these two as soon as there is a good day. I was there a few weeks ago and had one sunny day out of a long weekend.

A game at Maracanha is well worth it - even if you aren't a football fan.

Iguacu/Iguazu also definitely worth a visit, both sides if possible - Argentinean and Brazilian - Brazilian for the panorama, Argentinean for closer up views. There is also a bird park near the entrance (but can't remember which country!) which friends went to and really enjoyed.
Haven't been to the islands yet, but I'm taking notes here too!

Other options depend on whether you want to rush around and see as much as possible in the 2 weeks or take it a bit easier and savour less places. Other highlights a bit further away are of course the Amazon and the Pantanal for wildlife and nature, Ouro Preto, Olinda and other colonial cities/towns. Salvador and the coast of Bahia...

Irish passport holders currently do not need a visa for Brazil (or Argentina) however when coming into Brazil it may be useful to have the first night's accommodation booked at least. People have been refused entry if they don't, thought that was Spanish and unofficially in retaliation for some Brazilians being refused entry to Spain some months ago. Haven't heard of it happening recently.

If you dn't speak Portuguese, then a phrase book is useful, though in the main tourist areas you'll almost always find someone who speaks some English and is usually happy to use it.

I'd say your hardest task is going to be choosing where to leave out this visit!

Enjoy

mumhaabu

I know people that were in Brazil and apparently Rio is not very safe at all if you are on your own. I was going to go there a few years back but was advised against, at night muggings and pickpockets were rampant (apparently)! My mate was in a group of Irish and New York fellas so they were Ok. Copacabana is supposed to be great but every 2nd woman there is a hooker, watch out!

My friends were there in 2004, can anyone say how accurate was this description they gave me? I would like to go there if the situation improved or is it just the case of something blown out of proportion?

Meathlass

mumhaabu wrote: »

I know people that were in Brazil and apparently Rio is not very safe at all if you are on your own. I was going to go there a few years back but was advised against, at night muggings and pickpockets were rampant (apparently)! My mate was in a group of Irish and New York fellas so they were Ok. Copacabana is supposed to be great but every 2nd woman there is a hooker, watch out!

My friends were there in 2004, can anyone say how accurate was this description they gave me? I would like to go there if the situation improved or is it just the case of something blown out of proportion?

Totally blown out of proporation. I was there on my own and didn't really meet other people to hang out with either so spent a lot of time walking around on my own. I stayed in Copa, yeah there's a lot of hookers around, especially across from the metro stop which was also where my hostel was but I still found it safe to walk around. I had no problems walking to the supermarket at 10pm which was about 6 blocks away and back. Just don't bring anything with you. I'd go out with a very small bag with just the money I needed for that trip - no cards, passport, camera or anything else. You see brazilian women walking around dripping in jewellry. I think gangs of foreigners stand out more. I did see a guy once walking along the street with a knife so I crossed over and heard gunshots the odd time. I'd go back in a heartbeat, my favourite city in the world. I'd stay in Ipanema though probably next time as Copa is a bit of a dump now and all the best restaurants and bars are in Ipanema so you end up spending money on taxis. The beaches don't have a great reputation after dark and you never see anyone on them which is really strange. Remember Copa and Ipanema back onto the favelas so the poverty around the edges can be extreme.

kayasurf

thanks for all your info i'll let you's know how i get on when i have everything booked

Nerilka

I totally agree with Meathlass - although Rio can be dangerous it is blown out of proportion. Take sensible precautions as Meathlass suggests, and do stay off the beaches at night. They may be packed with the day - which is fascinating people watching! - but dodgy at night. A female friend and I went for a walk on Copacabana beach on the Sunday afternoon of Carnival which was grey and overcast so the beach was almost deserted. A woman who looked like she was homeless and was either drunk or high on something was begging and said she'd slit our throats if we didn't give her a real - approx 40c. She could barely walk in a straight line so we didn't exactly feel threatened, not to mention pricing it a bit cheap! In fact we didn't have any money, which can lead to the other piece of advice - some people suggest having a bit of money with you to hand over if necessary.

Also agree with Meathlass about Ipanema - I stayed in Copa last time, but will be heading for Ipanema next time.

Sneakee

Hi there,
was about to start a new thread when I saw this, I'm heading to Sao Paulo for 2 weeks in November, It'll be 11 days in Brazil in total. I'm meeting a local girl there that I've know for a while and we're getting some suggestions going. I'm planning about 2 days in the Sao Paulo city initially and then we're getting in her car with her friends for a 7 day road trip up the coast towards Rio, not sure if we'll go up there as of now.
But just wondering if anyone has gone to these places
* Ilhabela (3h journey by car, more with traffic): large island in the Atlantic Ocean, with many leisure options such as sailing, camping and walks. It is very tourist-friendly, with many shop keepers and restaurant owners offering menus and services in English. The Castelhanos beach, on the East side of the island, requires the hiring of jeep services, available in tents found in the city centre. Make sure you take insect repellent to fend against the infamous "borrachudos" otherwise known as blackfly which have a particularly itchy bite.
* Santos (1h journey by car): estuary city near Sao Paulo, home to Pelé's famous football team Santos F.C.
* Guaruja (1h journey by car): many paulistanos have their beach houses in this town, which becomes packed with tourists during the summer months of December, January and February. There are a number of good seafood and fish restaurants along the beaches.
* Bertioga (2h journey by car via Moji das Cruzes; slightly longer via Santos and the ferry): just NE of Santos and Guaruja, this beach town hosts a variety of annual festas which include the Japanese (October), Italians (November), and indigenous Brazilian Indians (around 19 April). These are set up at the park and beach next to Fort São João at the mouth of the river. Don't miss the waterfall on the way down the mountain (via Moji das Cruzes), as there's no access on the return trip.
* Ubatuba (3h journey by car): beautiful beaches are the main attraction of this place. Hotels sometimes provide leisure activities such as scuba diving, mountain biking and trekking. The city is known for providing a good surfing environment. Try the hotel Pousada Picinguaba, recommended by many magazine reviews.
* Campos do Jordao (2h journey by car): charming little town in the mountains, at 1,600m high. Well-off paulistanos buy their winter country house in Campos do Jordao, due in part to the famous winter classic music festival in July, when the high season takes place in town. Many upscale club and bar owners go up the mountain and promote events and parties at this time of the year. Train rides to neighbouring cities are available daily from the town centre. There are also many ecoturistic activities, such as walks in the mountains, fishing, visits to national parks.
* Embu das Artes: town just South of Sao Paulo, known for its talented local artists. If you are looking for authentic Brazilian art, handicrafts, furniture, or just want to browse around some really cool shops, this is the place to go.
* Louveira (40min journey by car): it's a famous city for its viniculture tradition. Every year the Festa da Uva (The Grape Party) takes place. A good tourist attraction is the neighbourhood of Abadia, a short trip from town by bus where you can put your hands on and harvest grapes in many farms around the area. It's also a good place for buying wines, due to the large number of local wine cellars.
* Brotas is a city famous for its adventure leisure activities, rafting being the most famous one. It's 257Km away from Sao Paulo, or a 3-hour drive.
* Hopi Hari [138] in Vinhedo (40min journey by car) is a huge theme park with various rollercoasters and showcases, in a region that enjoys more than 300 sunny days per year on average. Hopi Hari hires official shuttle buses that will take passengers to the park in the morning and bring them back at night for a small fee. One shuttle bus stop is inside Shopping Eldorado underground parking lot, Av. Rebouças, 3.970, Pinheiros. The bus departs right in front of Carrefour supermarket, inside the shopping parking lot).

Does anyone have opinions on these places?

I'd like to go scuba diving and general water activities, so I take it a lot of these places will be geared towards these activies and maybe take in the mountain retreat as well.

I'm more inclined to stay by the coast as the beaches are stunning from pictures that I got.
I think I'll be there for a local festival in November so it's perfect timing.
It's my first time out of Europe and this is a big trip for me, the girl I'm meeting is pretty cool and sweetwise and knows where to go and where not to go so I'm lucky like that. If anyone else has any other suggestions and tips feel free to drop them hopefully Kayasurf you could pass on a review of how your trip went to me.

kayasurf

thats now problem i'll let you know how i get on.. Have you booked any flights yet?? who have you found best to fly with?

Sneakee

Hi....I've booked with KLM which is more for convenience sake, I booked in May for €795 which I thought was ok with fuel surcharges likely to go up...but I was wrong, they did a special and slashed €120 off that price for a while so that was a bit of a sickener but that was unforeseen...oh well!:(
Its currently €762 for my same dates...lol
The flight is from Dublin to Sao Paulo via Amsterdam , 14 hours total roughly.
I'll post a review of the trip and i'll let you know the nightlife in Sao Paulo which is supposed to be brilliant.
I'll be hitting on a Public holiday, I think its their Independence Day on November 15th, its a carnival filled day and well worth going on according to my girl in SP. We'll take our trip up the coast the day afterwards then for a few days.
The Brazilian GP is on November 2nd so that may be worth checking out Kayasurfif you're into F1, didn't realize it was on then, but lost interest when Jordan exited the sport.
Yeah, drop a review when you get back, all the best Kayasurf!!

garrincha62

I would recommend flying from Lisbon to Recife and chilling out on the beaches around there before heading South to Rio & Iguazu. The northeast of brazil is generally more chilled out whereas Sao Paulo is just a big dirty city. Rio is great, not that dangerous unless you are an eejit and go out with all your bling on you swirling your camera around and walking down streets that do not look safe...
Iguazu is a must see. Stay in Foz de Iguacu on the Brasilian side for a night but Puerto Iguazu on the Argie side is a sleepier, cooler spot to relax and escape the crowds. If you go to Iguazu, make an excursion to Cidade del Este in Paraguay for an hour or so and experience what a real bandit town is like...enjoy, just don't buy anything there!!

Third_Echelon

I was in Rio in 2005, then in Sao Paulo a couple of months ago.

Flew to Rio from Dublin via Paris with Air France. Excellent service and flight and the price then was only around €650 return.

My most recent trip to Sao Paulo was from San Francisco via Houston to Sao Paulo with Continental. They were decent enough for that trip. It was an expensive enough ticket, but work was paying, so I didn't care much

Sao Paulo is just a city really. Not much touristy stuff, but the nightlife is good. A couple of days would be enough if you really want to go there.

Rio is great. I loved it. I was with a group of 5 lads, so we were safe enough as we were generally always together when going out at night etc. We met an American couple who went for a walk on the Copacabana beach at night and they got mugged, so stay away from the beaches after dark.

We stayed in the 'Copacabana Rio Hotel', which was pretty nice. Wasn't that expensive either. It was at the end of Copacabana towards Ipanema, so we were within a 2 minute walk (1 Block) of Copacabana beach and 5 to 10 min to Ipanema.

Website: http://www.copacabanariohotel.com.br/ingles_index.htm

Ipanema was the nicest area for going out with regards to restaurants, pubs, clubs etc, but Rio has lots to offer.

We went White Water rafting in Tres Rios in the state of Minas Gerias (about 2 hours from Rio) with a very good guide. He took us on quite a few trips and he was a nice fella with perfect English. Whatever you wanted to do, he would organise it. Rock climbing, game in maracana, hand gliding, sky diving etc and he provided transport. I would highly recommend him.

Website: http://www.rioturismoradical.com.br/rafting.htm

Just noticed that our group's picture is on that page for the rafting. 2nd last one on the page. Notice the Irish jersey

Those type of activities took up most of our time in Rio, so overall we spent about 2 weeks in the area, but if you are just visiting the city then about 5 days would be enough.... Lots of people before have mentioned the sites, so I won't go through them again.

We took a tour down to Isla Grande, which was nice. About 2 hours from Rio by bus then a boat trip of about 30 mins if I remember correctly. Nice day just spent lying on the beach having a few beers. Samba band on the boat as well which was cool. Your hotel can book most of these type of bus tours for you.

I want to get back though at some stage to See Recife and Salvador da Bahia.

liger

Sneakee wrote: »

Hi....I've booked with KLM which is more for convenience sake, I booked in May for €795 which I thought was ok with fuel surcharges likely to go up...but I was wrong, they did a special and slashed €120 off that price for a while so that was a bit of a sickener but that was unforeseen...oh well!:(
Its currently €762 for my same dates...lol

I was looking for ages for flights to SP, was going to go end of july to mid aust ( Now ) but the flights with KLM were €1150 per person so booked to go in sept to oct. The cheapest way to do it is Fly out on Sunday and come back on wed. I've no idea why but the ticket cost €511, Thats with Tam going out thru Madrid and back thru Paris. Both with good connection time.

Hope this helps someone.

BTW: Booked thru holidaysonline.ie

gary the great

Hows the nightlife in Rio? And is it an expensive country.

Will be going as a group of 4 lads who like going out and having a good time at night but like to do stuff during the day.

Also what are the women like or do i need to ask!? Do many people speak English? I knwo a little Spanish but wouldnt be a ble to have a conversation!

Third_Echelon

gary the great wrote: »

Hows the nightlife in Rio? And is it an expensive country.

Will be going as a group of 4 lads who like going out and having a good time at night but like to do stuff during the day.

Also what are the women like or do i need to ask!? Do many people speak English? I knwo a little Spanish but wouldnt be a ble to have a conversation!

Nightlife in Rio is great... Lots of nice bars and clubs. Just remember to stay safe

Cheap enough country....

Lots of day time activities and lots of night time activities, so you won't be bored.. thats for sure!

Women are savage. Just go sit on the beach and enjoy the scenery

Not many people speak english. Staff in hotels and some restaurants will speak good enough english. Other than that I got by with what French I knew coupled with pigeon-Spanish and a portugese phrase book!

..and of course, every woman in the world understands body language!