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Your holiday - Your way
COUNTRY GUIDE
Ipanema Beach
BEST TIME TO GO - December to March (Carnival is in February).
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The dry season is between May and September.
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The wet season is between November and April.
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In the North it is tropical
POPULATION - 212,000,000
CAPITAL - Brasilia
RELIGION - Catholic
LANGUAGE - Portuguese
LIFE EXPECTANCY - 76
VISA - Click here for information
STAY - Most hotels are available on Booking.com unless otherwise stated. It's best to get bookings with free cancellation and pay on site when you get there. Hotels chosen are usually 3*** or 4 or 5 if they are good value. They are chosen firstly for their location, value for money, positive testimonials regarding cleanliness and service and features like rooftop terraces and great views.
Since the end of Covid a lot of prices have gone through the roof. So if the selected hotel is out of your price range click on the location map and choose something cheaper nearby. Or you might prefer something else but try to stay in the same area.
Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport (GIG) has direct flights from 38 cities in 16 countries. You will need to get a Brazilian Airpass for this trip which you have to get before you go there. It means you will get a handful of cheap flights as Brazil is a very large country to cover on the ground. You'll need 5 flights from Rio de Janeiro to Foz do Iguacu - Foz do Iguacu to Manaus - Manaus to Fortaleza - Fortaleza to Salvador and Salvador to Rio.
Manaus Locals
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Don't forget to get some travel insurance once you have paid for your flights to protect your investment.
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BUDGET - Brazil can be a reasonably cheap country to travel in depending on the exchange rate. If it is good everything will be affordable.
BOOKINGS - Go through the trip and book accommodation before you leave. Get travel insurance as soon as you book your airline tickets to cover yourself.
SAFETY - Brazil has a well deserved reputation for not being the safest tourist destination. If you live here long enough you will be mugged at some stage. But that's the the thing. When you come here for a holiday the odds of it happening to you are very low. A good idea is to carry $10 in your wallet and keep your real money in a secret pocket. If someone does rob you just give them the $10 wallet. Stick to the usual precautions you would use anywhere and you should be fine.
For things like visiting a favela, favela nightclub or the soccer go with a tour group. Have a look in the tours below.
The beaches in Rio can be dangerous as well. So be very careful of rips when you go for a swim.
NATIONAL DRINK - Caipirinha (Cachaça, sugar and lime)
NATIONAL DISH - Feijoada (bean and mixed meat stew)
ETHNICITY - White 48%, white/brown/black 43%, brown /black 8%, Asian 1%
GOVERNMENT - Federal Representative Democratic Republic
BORN - 7th September 1822
BIG MAC in $US - $3.98
LITERACY - 93%
MINIMUM WAGE ANNUAL $US - $3096
CURRENCY - Brazilian Real 1 BRL = 19c
TOURISTS PER YEAR - 6.6 million
NO.1 TOURIST SITE - Christ the Redeemer
CHEERS - Saúde (sao - oo - jay)
Have a look through these tours in Rio for an easy way to get around, something adventurous, a bit different or just a safe way to go to the favelas, a soccer game at Maracanã or a big night out.
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Go to Rio Tours 2
BRAZIL EXPLORER 41N
HIGHLIGHTS - acai, Guarana & Cachaça
Rio 8N
Foz do Iguacu (Falls 4N)
Manaus (Amazon) 6N
Fortaleza 4N
Jericoacoara 4N
Salvador 3N
Ilha Grande 3N
Paraty 3N
Rio 6N = 41N
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The Food - Acai Breakfast of Champions
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The Attractions - All Amazing
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The Beaches - Legendary
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The Drink - Caipirinha
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The History - Lots of it
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The Nightlife - Exciting
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The People - Friendly and Vibrant
Rio de Janeiro - 8N
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Arrive in the "Marvelous City" which is populated by Cariocas and head to your accommodation in Ipanema. You've probably been daydreaming about this beach and the girl from it most of your life so you might as well go down and have a look. This is a pretty cool and laid back neighbourhood to reside in and you're going to enjoy wandering around finding places to eat, drink and be entertained.
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Get around to the iconic sights like Cristo Redentor (people from Sao Paulo joke that he's waiting to clap s soon as someone in Rio does some work), Sugar Loaf and Copacabana. Try some more off beat excursions to a favela, favela night club and a soccer game at Maracanã Stadium (hopefully the local derby between Vasco da Gama and Flamengo who have one of sports fiercest rivalries). You'll be back for another week at the end of your trip so don't worry if you don't get around to everything.
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Security is definitely an issue in Rio so for some of these activities it is a no brainer to go on an organised tour. The tours above⬆️ and below⬇️ include the favelas and the soccer as well as some skip the line tickets for some of the busier attractions.
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Also it is an amazingly beautiful city and should be seen from various vantage points. If you've never flown in a helicopter this would be the place to do it. Have a look through the following to see what appeals. The last one is a pub crawl in the Lapa district where you must have at least one night out.
Image by Auluz Auluz from Pixabay
Capoeira
Paraty
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Go to Rio Tours 1
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It's easy to clock up the kilometres walking along the beaches. You'll notice there's things called Postos located at intervals along the beaches. They have life guards and toilets but they also designate what sort of people go to that part of the beach and make handy meeting places. The beach is a way of life here and the locals love it. There are spots along the way where you can get a drink and sit in the fresh air enjoying the view. It makes for a pretty good pub crawl.
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Start the day with an Acai slurpy - try the pay by weight buffets for lunch - starve yourself before trying a Churrascaria for dinner and go somewhere good for a Feijoada for a Friday lunch. Check out the Sunday Hippie Fair and make sure you have at least one night out in Lapa. Visit the bar in Ipanema where "that" song was written. One thing you'll need to learn before you go out dinking is what the difference is between a Caipirinha and a Caipiroska.
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Stay in or near the Hotel Vermont Ipanema *** - with a restaurant and a bar in a great location 280m from the beach.
Foz dO Iguacu - 4N
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Brazil is almost as big as Europe so flying is the best way to get around and see a few of the different regions. Your Brazil Airpass will take care of that. First stop is Foz do Iguacu and the world's most impressive waterfalls - the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Iguacu Falls. All 275 of them spread over 2.7 km. You will get to view them from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Make sure you cross into Argentina as that is probably the better side. It's worth splashing out for the speedboat ride while you're there too. You can cross the borders here without getting stamped out of Brazil. Just carry your passport with you.
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Other half day trips are slipping across the Paraguayan border to the "Wild East" for some duty free shopping. Another fascinating highlight here is a tour around the Itaipu Hydroelectric dam, a joint project between Brazil and Paraguay. Have a look through the tours below to see what's available.
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Stay at or near the Viale Tower Hotel *** - with a rooftop bar and pool and in a good location near the centre and some good bars and restaurants.
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Manaus (Amazon) - 6N
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Now it's off to Manaus "The Paris of the Jungle" and gateway to the Amazon. The main attraction here is to head out for an Amazon adventure. There are various options depending on how active, how much luxury you want and how much you want to spend. Have a scroll through the Amazon tours below (there are some for Manaus as well). If you want to do a longer on just adjust your flights. Remember homestays in a primitive dwelling with the natives aren't for everyone and can become tedious after an hour or so. Do your research, talk to a few travellers on the ground and choose wisely. It will be a once in a lifetime experience in the world's greatest rain forest (before they burn it all down).
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Piranha
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See the meeting of the waters and you'll understand what the footpaths in Copacabana are on about. Be amazed at how big this river really is. Learn about the Rubber boom and Barons and what they got up to. Go for a tour of and a performance in the stunning jungle theatre that they built, the Teatro Amazonas. Go to the riverside beach at Ponta Negra and enjoy a few beers in the sun.
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Stay at or near the Boutique Hotel Casa Teatro *** - rooftop terrace with views of the Teatro Amazonas and in a great location near the Plaza, Teatro, restaurants and Bar Do Amando and other bars.
Fortaleza - 3N + 1N
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Time to head back to the beach at Fortaleza and it has 26 kms of them. Go for a ride in the giant sand hills with a professional dune buggy driver if you're game. It's possible to drive along the beach here for hundreds of kilometers. If you're there on a Monday don't miss the "Segunda-feira Mais Louca do Mundo" - the Craziest Monday in the World at the Pirate Bar.
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Try some of the local dishes and enjoy the lively nightlife in this pleasant beachside city. Have a look below Jericoacoara and there are a few tours for Fortelaza as well as Jeri plus some bus transfers
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Stay at or near the Magna Praia Hotel **** - with a pool, sea views and close to the evening entertainment and nightly market. A 15 minute walk from Praia de Iracema the old town with the Pirata Bar and others in another nightlife zone.
Jericoacoara - 4N
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Take the bus (look in the tours below) to Jericoacoara. The 8.15 AM is probably the best as it is the quickest and it gets you there at 2.22 PM. Time to check in, have a feed and get ready for sundowners. Google and see if they have ATMs yet. If not bring lots of cash and small change.
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Said to be put on the map by the Rolling Stones back in the day, stunning Jericoacoara or Jeri to friends will steal your heart and be the place you daydream about when you're back at work. It was Lonely Planet's 2004 "Best Beach in the World" - it used to be a bit of a hippie hangout but is now becoming more sophisticated.
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Visit the freshwater lagoons that are a great place to hang out during the day. Go through the dunes on an ATV or off-road buggy. Jeri has rare emerald sunsets where you can see a flash of green just as the sun disappears. There are some wonderful options for where to view it. Join the crowd at the top of the dune who give it a round of applause every night. Or head to the rooftop circus bar at Café Jeri.
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There is a good quantity and variety of restaurants. There's always something on in the evenings, just wander around to a few bars to find out. You'll be glad you made the effort to come out here and it will one of the more memorable out of the many highlights.
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Stay at or near the Pousada Ponta Da Pedra - with fantastic beachfront location or the Rox Hotel **** - wonderful pool with sea views, restaurant, bar and great location close to the beach front.
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Salvador da Bahia - 3N
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Make your way back to Fortaleza for one night before flying down to Salvador da Bahia. Variety is the spice of life and you couldn't get a bigger contrast than the one between Jericoacoara and the Pelourinho area. Salvador was the first capital and the centre of the slave trade. Many of them being held in what is today the Modelo Market. One third of the slaves taken from Africa came to Brazil making this city culturally like West Africa. You need to be safety conscious in this town and know what areas you can and can't go to. The locals will look after you.
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Pelourinho - Salvador da Bahia
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The Pelourinho area is an UNESCO World Heritage Site with cobblestone streets, brightly coloured houses from the 17th and 18th centuries and large public squares. It is quite an experience when an AXE band comes marching along banging their drums. It is also the place to experience the unique Candomble ceremony as well.
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Stay at or near the Bahiacafe Hotel *** or the cheaper Carnaval Inn Salvador.
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ILHA GRANDE - 3N
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Fly back to Rio then catch the bus & ferry down to the Costa Verde (Green Coast) and Ilha Grande (Big Island). Having had a colourful history over the years including pirates, slaves, lepers, high security prisoners and the birthplace of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang. it is now because of that history an unspoilt paradise for travellers. There is an interesting story as to why the prison was closed down. It makes for an interesting walk to see the now abandoned site. One of Brazil's best beaches Lopes Mendes is on the southern coast a 2 ½ walk away or you can take a boat from the main pier. Make sure you take a boat trip and spend the day cruising these beautiful waters and seeing a few other parts of the island. They are similar to the Gulets in Turkey and are very roomy and comfortable.
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The main town is called Vila do Abraao and it has some great restaurants and some lively nightlife as well. Take plenty of cash with you as at the time of writing there was only 1 ATM on the island.
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Stay anywhere along the beach that is not too far to walk home from the pubs. The island gets very busy between November and February and you should definitely book ahead. Here's a couple to get you started. Ancoradouro Flats and Aquario Pousada Hostel / Night Club.
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Have a look at the tours below the picture for Ilha Grande and Paraty
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PARATY - 3N
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Catch the ferry back to the mainland and catch a bus to the spectacularly located town of Paraty. It was once a busy gold port situated at the end of the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Trail) following an ancient 745 mile trail from Minas Gerais where the gold came from. It is a colonial gem with cobblestones and whitewashed buildings with brightly coloured door and window frames.
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Over the years it has attracted the likes of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, Tom Cruise, Linda Evangelista and Salman Rushdie.
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There are some highly rated restaurants here and it is a good place to check out a Cachaça Distillery (the local firewater). Also known as Pinga, the best stuff is said to come from these parts. It also has great island cruises on those wonderful boats. In the evening there are plenty of places to quench your thirst and see some live music.
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There's plenty of good accommodation around town but it's more expensive here. Book ahead in the busy season. Have a look at the Pousada Casa dos Autores.
RIO De Janeiro - 6N
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Finally catch the bus back to Rio and complete any of your unfinished business. You should have a few favourite places you'll need to revisit. Make sure you have at least one night out in Lapa. By now your idea of Rio will be completely different to what it was when you flew in and so will your anxiety levels.