Brazil - Rio de Janiero

[Dismagic1]

Anyone visited? Did it exceed your expectations? Thinking about going for 10 days or so in 2014 for the World Cup.

 

[freckles and boo]

I have never been but my husband has been to both Rio and Sao Paulo for work. He enjoyed his time there but you do have to be on your toes. There is quite a bit of crime directed at tourists and the traffic, like in most huge cities, is insane.

http://tsgdev.his.com/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html

 

[JasonDVC]

Personally, I would never go there. I have friends that are Brazilian and my wife's cousin is married to a Brazilian, they all say that if you are there as a tourist, chances are very high that you will be targeted by thieves.

The coast line is gorgeous but that's not enough to make me want to visit there.

Good Luck with your trip!

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

GO! I spent 6 weeks there, it is my favorite place in the world.

It's true, crime is higher than, say, New York, Paris, London... but the VAST majority of tourists who get in trouble are not being careful. It does require being more careful - i.e., don't go out on the beach at night. I very rarely went out alone at night. Go with a group. Learn to speak some Portuguese (this was the biggest for me). A big group of loud Americans IS a huge target, so try to avoid that sort of behavior. Don't go to certain parts of the city - or if you do, go with a group of Brazilians who know the area (i.e., going to Maracana stadium with a group of Americans is kind of asking for trouble).

That being said, it is incredibly beautiful, the vast majority of people are so nice, the food is great, beaches are awesome, great sights...

If you have more specific questions send me a PM, I'd be glad to help!

 

[Aisling]

DH and I are going to Rio...but not until 2016! Since it's the Olympic year, bookings for accommodations have already started, and 2 weeks ago we put our down payment for our condo rental. We'll be there for the 2 weeks of the games.

I'm trying not to think about it since it's so far away, but I can't help it...the beaches look gorgeous and the nightlife exciting. Learning Portuguese is a great idea, as I sure have plenty of time to learn. (And it'll help in dealing with the Brazilian tour groups at WDW!).

OP, how exciting for you! Definitely go!!

 

[sandramaac]

I have been to both Rio and Sao Paulo. Rio is a VERY adult place to visit. It requires you to keep your wits about you at all times. Gangs and thieves run rampant there. It draws adult visitors who are very interested in adult night life. There are many 'women' there who cater to the special likes of certain men. These 'women' are absolutley stunning and you would NEVER know that they were really men, who are mostly transsexual with a few transgendered and cross dresser thrown in. I am not really sure how the olympics will fair there with it being such an adult city, and not the least bit family friendly.

 

[pogo791]

A beautiful city with beautiful people, but as others have said, definitely a place where you have to keep your wits about you.

On the bad side, crime is a problem. We've been to Brazil several times, and we think we know the ropes, but it's hard to stay on your toes twenty-four hours a day. (We returned from Salvador just three weeks ago. DW was returning from shopping, and was the victim of the classic ploy: a young man grabbed her gold chain necklace, yanked it off and ran away.)

You will be warned that there are large no-go areas, and you should definitely respect these.

On the good side, the multiethnicity of Rio (and Brazil in general) as well as the vibrant culture are real attractions. The food is usually superb. (One thing might surprise you at first: when you order a serving in a restaurant, it is usually intended for two people to share!)

Learning basic Portuguese will help. You'll get by with English in the larger hotels and the main tourist areas, but the staff of smaller hotels and restaurants will more likely than not be unable to speak English.

And even though it is still four years away, you might think about reserving a hotel room. The World Cup is a big thing just about everywhere in the world outside of the U.S. (and increasingly even within the U.S.), and there will be a huge demand for tickets and for accommodation.

 

[Aisling]

I am not really sure how the olympics will fair there with it being such an adult city, and not the least bit family friendly.

I'm thinking that since so many people there will be "foreigners", we'll outnumber the locals? Seriously, though, it's unsettling hearing that Rio is still so dangerous. I thought the government had cleaned things up a lot a few years ago.

And even though it is still four years away, you might think about reserving a hotel room. The World Cup is a big thing just about everywhere in the world outside of the U.S. (and increasingly even within the U.S.), and there will be a huge demand for tickets and for accommodation.

I so agree with this! The Olympic Games aren't until 2016 and reservations are being taken NOW, so far in advance. The World Cup is sooner, so don't take any chances that everything will be booked by then. It sounds crazy, but so many people plan to go with limited accomodations.

 

[Dismagic1]

I'm thinking that since so many people there will be "foreigners", we'll outnumber the locals? Seriously, though, it's unsettling hearing that Rio is still so dangerous. I thought the government had cleaned things up a lot a few years ago.




I so agree with this! The Olympic Games aren't until 2016 and reservations are being taken NOW, so far in advance. The World Cup is sooner, so don't take any chances that everything will be booked by then. It sounds crazy, but so many people plan to go with limited accomodations.

I've looked at trying to reserve a hotel room but when I go the websites, none of the reservation systems go beyond a year or 18 months at the most.

 

[Aisling]

I went through a travel agent to rent a place. I didn't want to take any chances not knowing anything about the neighborhoods in Rio. An agent knows the good places that are taking reservations now. If you're not ready to go to a TA, keep searchiching online; at least you'll get the "feel" of what's out there.

 

[pogo791]

I'm thinking that since so many people there will be "foreigners", we'll outnumber the locals? Seriously, though, it's unsettling hearing that Rio is still so dangerous. I thought the government had cleaned things up a lot a few years ago.:scared.

Right. And just over the last few weeks they have even begun to crack down on the beaches, for example by prohibiting football (sorry, that's soccer to people in the U.S.) on the beaches in Rio. Can you imagine? That's like prohibiting American kids from playing baseball at camp.

Brazil has a serious, and I mean serious, problem with crime. One of the biggest problems is the criminal justice system itself, ranging from police officers who find it more effective to "off" some street children suspected of petty crime rather than turn them over to the social welfare authorities, to prison systems where the gangs have, in many cases, taken over the prisons. The government appears to be really serious about cleaning up this mess, and not "just" because it would be embarrassing come the World Cup in 2014, or the Olympics in 2016. The problem is, it is so entrenched.

That said, I am sure the Rio police will flood the area with police during the World Cup (and the Olympics). If you act with the same sensibility as you would in downtown Detroit, Houston or New York (for that matter), you shouldn't have any problems.

I hope that doesn't sound too dire. Brazil and Rio are wonderful places to be, and I hope the US team makes it to the finals!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

A beautiful city with beautiful people, but as others have said, definitely a place where you have to keep your wits about you.

On the bad side, crime is a problem. We've been to Brazil several times, and we think we know the ropes, but it's hard to stay on your toes twenty-four hours a day. (We returned from Salvador just three weeks ago. DW was returning from shopping, and was the victim of the classic ploy: a young man grabbed her gold chain necklace, yanked it off and ran away.)

You will be warned that there are large no-go areas, and you should definitely respect these.

On the good side, the multiethnicity of Rio (and Brazil in general) as well as the vibrant culture are real attractions. The food is usually superb. (One thing might surprise you at first: when you order a serving in a restaurant, it is usually intended for two people to share!)

Learning basic Portuguese will help. You'll get by with English in the larger hotels and the main tourist areas, but the staff of smaller hotels and restaurants will more likely than not be unable to speak English.

And even though it is still four years away, you might think about reserving a hotel room. The World Cup is a big thing just about everywhere in the world outside of the U.S. (and increasingly even within the U.S.), and there will be a huge demand for tickets and for accommodation.

My thoughts exactly!

I am lucky that we had relatives to show us around Brazil. They told us not to rent a car there, because the bandits will lay down in the road in front of a rental car, so you stop, then their friends will jump out of the bushes to rob you. They also say they'll cut off your finger to get your ring.

So the important thing is to be sensible. We wore no jewelry whatsoever, other than cheap plastic watches. We used public transportation if we were not driving with my cousins. We kept most of our money, passport, credit cards, in a money belt under our clothing. We stayed in well-lit, well-traveled areas. We had a blast.

The Corcovado and Sugar Loaf are must-sees.

We stayed in the Leblon area. It's a bit quieter than Ipanema and Copacabana. The beaches are beautiful, but the hustle and bustle of the city is right there across the street from the beach, so a day at the beach feels very different. Go up to Bahia or somewhere a little away from Rio for a more serene beach experience.

 

[KatieG73]

DH and I went to Brazil on our honeymoon in 2006 -we spent a week in Rio de Janeiro and 10 nights in Bahia. We absolutely fell in love with Rio .

We splashed out and stayed in the Copacabana Palace which was outstanding and a good central base for everything.

We did a couple of organised tours ( we arranged a tour guide via the hotel) to see the main attractions and tourist sites but we also explored on our own.

Going out during the day was absolutely fine as long as you are sensible and we didn't feel to vulnerable going out at night, we just made sure we didn't carry camera's etc and stayed in well populated areas. We tended to walk to whatever restaurant/bar we wanted to go to and if it was more than a 5 minute walk we arranged for a taxi back to the hotel.

We will definately go back (would love to go for new years).

I would definatley recommend doing a few guided tours expecially if you want to visit the favela's.