Brazil – not just Rio de Janeiro!

Upon entering the British Airways plane, a smile immediately appeared on my face. The plane is wide-body and has more legroom than the competition. In addition, really delicious food, the latest films on the screens in front of us, delicious red wine - great. Holidays in Brazil time to go! 

Brazil at its best

BRAZIL - Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu, Amazonia, El Salvador
Carnival, samba, capoeira and lively music, passion for life, exoticism, white sand and caipirinha. All this awaits you in Brazil.

What to see in Rio?

A few days to start sightseeing in RioAs a standard, you have to see two of the city's most popular attractions: the Christ the Redeemer monument and climb the famous Sugarloaf Mountain, which offers a magnificent view of the city. Despite the long lines, I'll say right away – these places are worth visiting. Another thing you can't miss is the famous Copacabana Beach. Girls in skimpy bikinis, men flexing their chests… but all in a relaxed atmosphere, accompanied by samba, beach volleyball, and plenty of beer consumed by everyone ;). Overall, we consider our stay in Rio a very successful one – a city with plenty of attractions, lively beaches, and positive vibes. A trip to Rio is certainly worth recommending.

Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian and Argentinian sides

After our stay in Rio, we took a plane and flew to Iguazu. The city itself is not impressive – a few streets, restaurants. You can feel that this place is a base for trips to nearby waterfalls. I have personally seen many waterfalls in different parts of the world, but Iguazu Falls make an incredible impression. Kilometers of boiling water falling hundreds of meters down, incredible views. At the very end of the raisin – the famous Gargante del Diablo gorge. It is there that you can very easily feel the true power of nature and get completely wet ;).

Afro-Brazilian state Bahia with El Salvador

After three days of discovering the wonders of nature, we flew north to El Salvador, which we immediately fell in love with. The old town is full of beautiful colonial houses, cobbled streets with numerous bars and restaurants. And all this to the music of numerous groups of street musicians and music schools practicing for carnival. There is a completely different atmosphere in El Salvador than in Rio… and it’s not just about the people, but also the cuisine, which definitely has more seafood. El Salvador is full of energy!

The island of Ilha de Boibepa and the beaches of Morro de Sao Paolo

Taxi, ferry, car, boat, wheelbarrow and after 7 hours we are there. Time seems to have stopped 20 years ago. Palm trees swaying over the beaches, a slightly Rastafarian atmosphere and kilometers of beautiful sand encouraging walks. The next few days were filled with wonderful cuisine at Pousada with Charles (an English friend who opened a hotel where he serves incredibly delicious Brazilian food), walks and rest.

After a few days we sailed to a nearby island and after 2 hours of off-roading in a jeep we found ourselves in another paradise. The eastern coast of Ilha de Tinhare near the intense Morro de Sao Paulo enchanted us. Wide beaches, zero people and turquoise water inviting you to spend the whole day in it - the pure quintessence of paradise.

Two weeks passed quickly – time to go home. Travel to Brazil we can count it as very successful. Finally, some thoughts on safety in Brazil.

Is Rio dangerous?

On the plane to Brazil, we wondered how much truth there was in what everyone wrote about the danger in Rio. Is it true? Is it really not possible to have even a camera with you? Our observations over several days, visiting seedier areas, discovering the city on local buses and staying on the beaches allowed us to draw the following conclusions: firstly, there are tons of police everywhere, people are incredibly nice and helpful, and the sense of security is at a European level. We also talked to travelers from other parts of the world and they had the same feelings. To sum up – you can calmly discover the city, not panic and just be careful, just like we do in our hometowns.

Afro-Brazilian state of Bahia

BRAZIL - El Salvador, Ilha de Boipeba
Carnival, samba, capoeira and lively music, passion for life, exoticism, white sand, caipirinha. Life on the dancing streets of Salvador, and finally relaxation on the beautiful beaches of an isolated island - it's not a dream, it's the truth!

Brazil Trip - Sample Programs on Planet Escape 

• Brazil at its best
• The Afro-Brazilian state of Bahia
• Brazil in a nutshell