Brazil/Rio

[anna7602]

There's plenty to do right in Brazil and distances in Latin America are kind of far. You could, theoretically, combine Rio with Buenos Aires or Montevideo, but you're going to be flying for sure, and spending money on visas (for Argentina, at least, unless things have changed since my last trip there in 2011). I guess it depends on whether those other cities are on your "must see" list and something you'd rather prioritize seeing now as long as you're traveling down that way.

As far as Brazil itself goes, I could easily spend 10 full days in Rio and around it. Salvador and the Northeast of Brazil are also amazing (but require getting on a plane from Rio). I have always wanted to go to Manaus (Amazon) and Brasilia, but haven't made it to either yet. Minas Gerais is supposedly very beautiful if you're into colonial cities. Fernando de Noronha is said to have amazing diving and Parati, I hear, is loads of fun.

ETA: I've flown to Iguazu from Rio, to see both the Brazilian side and the Argentine side. You could definitely do it in the other direction (hitting it on the way to Rio), but factor in travel time.

[GilliC]

Iguazu is probably the other big highlight for international visitors, but as mentioned it does require a domestic flight. But most trips aside from Buzios would. It's a big country.

What kinds of things do you like? Beaches? History? Nature? Trekking? Diving? This makes a big difference in where you might like to go.

If you like wandering in bigger cities it could be worth hopping a flight to Buenos Aires. You'd have to pay the entrance fee (kind of like a visa, but really just a reciprocity fee), but if you're planning to go back to Argentina again, it's good for ten years I think (or until you change passports -- as happened to me after one trip. Ouch.)

If you're into beaches, it's not likely to be great beach weather in Rio, but the northeast of Brazil has great year-round beaches.

With the crowd from the World Cup, you'll probably use up more time than usual in Rio, but I don't think I'd stay more than a week, since you probably won't have many (if any) beach days. There's some nice hiking around the city, and if you want to go paragliding it takes some luck with the weather (plus battling the extra crowd). However, you can see the highlights in a few days of dedicated sightseeing, and I haven't been terribly impressed with the 2nd-tier attractions (aside from the Parque das Ruínas which was a cool little venue for photography.

[scout8]

We spent three weeks in Argentina & Brazil, splitting our time between BA, Iguazu Falls, San Antonio de Areco, Rio, & Paraty. I would recommend either Iguazu or BA. I loved BA!! If you want a quick side trip, Paraty was an easy bus ride.

[Moe]

GilliC, I was told at if you keep your expired passport and bring it along (within the 10 years) that it would still be valid!

Because damn, $150 to enter was painful.

[GilliC]

Good to know, Moe ! I'll definitely carry my old passport whenever I go back, just in case!

@sfgal530, depending on your comfort range, the northeast might still be an option for beaches. The temperatures around July are lows in the mid 70s and highs in the mid 80s. There are lots of beach areas up in Ceará, from the urban beaches of Fortaleza out into more remote and quieter areas. Jericoacoara is one of the famous ones, but I haven't been (since SO's family has a beach house on one of the smaller beaches in the state).

For wildlife, I've read that July is actually a great time to visit the Brazilian Amazon, because it's the beginning of the dry season. I know there are some Eco cruises that leave from Manaus as well as some jungle lodges, but I haven't done too much research. I know G Adventures has a few offerings along these lines.

There's also Fernando de Noronha for marine life, but July is in the rainy season there. It's definitely near the top of my Brazil wishlist though!

As for Argentina for the meat, save it for another trip and gorge yourself on churrasco. I generally prefer Fogo de Chão (not the same as the ones in the US -- I compared Rio and Houston back to back on a business trip and vastly prefer the Brazilian version) over Porcão. The Porcão in Botafogo has a great view, but I find the meat too salty. The buffet is impressive, but really you're there for the meat, right?!  Mmm! Don't miss the picanha!

PS - Check the malaria map at some point. While most of the coast is malaria-free, I believe Iguazu (along with the interior) is a malaria zone.

[SJ]

Iguazu! I think it was very well worth the domestic flight.

We did approximately 5 nights in Rio, 2 nights at Iguazu, and 3 nights in the Amazon jungle.

[emilyinchile]

-Moe- is right, GilliC - your old passport (or, in one friend's experience, a photo of the old visa) along with your new passport is enough to avoid repaying reciprocity for Argentina.

Montevideo is a cute little spot for 2-3 days, but it's not somewhere that I think everyone MUST see. I would do Iguazu, Salvador or the Amazon over Montevideo. I know a couple people who've really enjoyed Amazon experiences, but they did theirs in Peru, so I don't have a specific recommendation for you.

From Rio as well as Buzios you have Angra dos Reis/Ilha Grande within driving distance, but those are all pretty much beach destinations. I got great weather when I was there in June a couple years ago and was happy to spend time at the beach, but of course it's not as certain as during summer, so I wouldn't focus on a beach-specific destination like those, Trancoso or Fernando de Noronha in July.

[SJ]

Aug 25, 2013 23:26:38 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Aug 25, 2013 15:51:37 GMT -5 SJ said:

Iguazu! I think it was very well worth the domestic flight.

We did approximately 5 nights in Rio, 2 nights at Iguazu, and 3 nights in the Amazon jungle.

This was pretty much exactly the domestic itinerary I was envisioning if we just did Brazil.  How did you like the Amazon jungle?  Did you cruise or stay in a lodge?  What did you do?  Would you recommend it?

We had a lot of fun in the Amazon. It is important to note that I did this trip with 2 girlfriends shortly after college. They had never been to South America before, so we went with more of a package deal than I normally would have used. We stayed in a lodge, did lots of nature walks, boat rides, etc.

I will go back and try to find my itinerary for you, but it is good to note that we were young and short on cash, and so I don't think the accommodations/packages we chose were anything like what you would probably want to look for. I still think Iguazu is incredible and very much worth seeing!

ETA ITINERARY:

We used a travel agent through www.brol.com. Looking back on it now, I guess we were only in Rio for 2 nights? This was in 2005, so I didn't remember all the details.

Tour Package includes:

=> Round trip air fare from Chicago, Dec-25th
=> Transfers from airport to hotel in Rio, on Dec-26
=> Baggage handling at airport and hotel
=> 2 nights at Rio Internacional Hotel, from Dec-26 to Dec-28 www.riointernacional.com.br

=> Corcovado Mountain Tour

=> Transfers from hotel in Rio to airport , on Dec-28

=> Air Ticket from Rio to Iguassu Falls, on Dec-28

=> Transfers from airport to hotel in Iguassu, on Dec-28

=> 2 nights at Continental Inn Hotel, from Dec-28 to Dec-30 www.continentalinn.com.br

=> Transfers from hotel to airport in Iguassu, on Dec-30

=> Air Ticket from Iguassu Falls to Manaus , on Dec-30

=> Transfers from airport to the Lodge in Manaus, on Dec-30

=> Package E - 4 days / 3 nights , from Dec-30 to Jan-02 ( please see description bellow)

=> Air Ticket from Manaus to Usa, on Jan -02

=> All meals and tours in Amazon
=> Hotel taxes
=> Brazilian breakfast daily ( assortment of fresh fruits, juices, cold meats, rolls, tea, coffee)

Rate: U$2435.00 Per person based on double occupancy

Airport taxes: US$175.00

[anna7602]

Aug 25, 2013 10:11:44 GMT -5 Moe said:

GilliC, I was told at if you keep your expired passport and bring it along (within the 10 years) that it would still be valid!

Because damn, $150 to enter was painful.

We were told this as well. DD's passports expire every 5 years (as a minor) and they promised I could bring her into Argentina on her next passport with the visa from this passport.

[Deleted]

When I studied abroad in Brazil, I was in Salvador in the state of Bahia. It was a really neat place and not overly touristy which was really nice. There are decent beaches in Salvador and you're a short distance from some other really beautiful beaches (Morro sao Paulo was one we went to and it was amazing).