BootsnAll Travel Community

It's been a longtime daydream of mine to visit Brazil and because my frequent flier program has decided to release seats to Rio in October, it looks like I'm going! I don't speak Portuguese (semi-decent Spanish) and I've never been further south than Venezuela, so I'm trying to figure out how to make the best use of my 2.5 weeks there. Is there any chance somebody reading this might have been there (or is there) and could recommend ways for me to buy airpasses and make connections with tour operators while still here in the US? I'm not too eager to spend time in Rio, I'd rather go to Salvador, Igassu Falls, and any areas that are more rural/colonial.

Great call on not going to Rio!!

I think both of your choices are great (Salvador/Igassu). I have been to both as well as other places in Brazil and both were amongst the top places I've enjoyed. Get an airpass from Tam or Variq (even though this airline I hear has serious financial problems). I don't think you need to book tours in the US you can get them there.

Another place I'd reco is Fernando De Noronha (sp??) Is a beautiful island 300 miles or so off the coast. It's a nature preserve so they only let around 430 people on the island at a time. Great snorkelinh and they also have planto-scubing. It where they draging you behind a boat and you can see the wild life...the water is clear all the way to the bottom.

Sorry for the typos... in an hurry.

First of all, get a good guidebook like Lonely Planet and read it thoroughly. Brazil is a huge country. Decide what you like to do (deserted nature, beaches, famous sites)and the level of comfort/luxury you are accustomed to.
If you like beaches, the Northeast has more than you could ever want. Salvador has lots of music and African culture; the interior and south of Bahia can be quite beautiful as well. Minas Gerais has some beautiful colonial cities, including Ouro Preto, Tiradentes, etc. Iguacu is really spectacular, as is Fernando de Noronha. Santa Catarina in the south has great beaches too. And Rio's sites are a must see for a few days at least. Try VT Brazil and bahia-online as well to ask questions. Remember that Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish or English, esp. away from the biggest cities.

For the sake of time, I would try and focus on two areas. You could spend over a week in the Northeast (Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador), check out surrounding beaches and delve a little into the interior. Then do another more-then-a-week in some other local (perhaps in the South of Brazil; a stark comparison to the Northeast).

Just a plug for slowing down. And don't buy Varig - they're all but defunct. If you choose not to do an Airpass, look into GOL airlines (www.voegol.com.br) as the in country tickets are cheap.

Hey, I am a pretty new traveler myself, but I am currently in Brazil staying with a friend in Belo Horizonte before traveling around the south at the end of September and the beginning of October. Gol is an impressively cheap airline so you may want to check out voegol.com.br
You'll have to mess around with dates to get the best fares, but I have found tickets for half the price of other airlines. Quotes are in Brazilian Reais and the site is in Portuguese, but it's not too hard to navigate. Good Luck!

I too am in search of advice on where to go, so, we find ourselves in the same boat.

For the poster in B.H. right now (Erin), make sure you see the "historic cities" of Minas Gerais. Sabara is right outside of B.H., reachable by local bus, and has some charming places left, among them a small chapel that sticks in my mind to this day. Ouro Preto is probably the most well-known and most untouched--a real picture postcard. You can visit a gold mine outside of town. As for the other towns, the church on the hill in Congonhas with the famous sculptures has a spectacular view. Nearby you can take the Maria Fumaca steam train from Sao Joao del Rey to the charming Tiradentes for a carriage ride and a stroll around to the myriad of shops. Any caves mentioned in the guidebooks around B.H. are not worth it---too trashed to retain any beauty.

In general, Iguacu is well worth the effort to make the trip for at least a couple of days. The falls are amazing.

In the south, the whole island of Santa Catarina is fun--great beaches. Also there is a lovely little beach about an hour south called Praia de Rosa.

Get to Rio and buy me a painting ? ( refer to the Rio hippie market thread). Hank u.

Erin, that´s great, another traveler in BH (they´re don´t seem to be many of us). I´ve been here 4 months, but I´m leaving Thursday for Vale do Jequitinhonha. Enjoy your travels (I´m sure if you have friends in BH you don´t need much advice, but feel free to PM me if you need anything).

tchau
chris

Excellent - thanks so much for the suggestions. After thinking about it, I've decided to push the trip back to late April in order to have more time to plan out where I'm going. So far it looks like Rio, Salvador, Parity, Sao Paolo, Igassu, and the Pantanal.

Also, I am very stoked because I managed to get my ticket using frequent flier miles!!! Who knew they were actually worth something at the moment? Seriously, just getting the ticket for my miles and a $70 ticketing fee alone is enough for me to consider it a successful trip .