Brazil
BRAZIL
LOCATION
MUST DO
- Amazon river cruise in northern Brazil
- Iguazu Falls
- Bird Park in Iguazu
- Exotic fruits to try: dragon fruit, passion fruit, goiaba, pitaya, guava, açai, cupuaçu
- Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana beach, Corcovado train to Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugar Loaf Mountain
Trip Details
When: March 2010 & August 2014
Where: Belem, Mosqueiro, Barcarena, Vila dos Cabanos, Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguacu
How: Independent Travel
TRAVEL TIPS
- Don’t forget to pack insect repellent!
- It’s helpful to learn a few Portuguese phrases before you go
- Belem:
- There’s a really great market hall in town called the Ver-o-Peso. Fruits, meats, wares, etc. It’s a great place to get an ice cream and people watch.
- Stay: Hotel Regente
- Lima: I recommend staying in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. It’s safe, close to the ocean, and not too far from the historic center. If you’re on a budget, I highly recommend renting a room from Emma, our Airbnb Host in Lima. She’s amazing and our stay was very comfortable.
- Foz do Iguazu:
- Splurge on a stay at Hotel das Cataratas– they let you in the park before and after visiting hours so you have the falls to yourself! (and they have an amazing pool and buffet meals)
- Hotel Nacional Inn Foz do Iguacu
- Rio De Janeiro:
- Hotel Ibis Botafogo. Safe neighborhood. Good location between downtown/beach areas and airport.
NOTES
My first trip to Brazil was back in March 2010. My family traveled to Belem in the northern part of the country to pick up my sister who had been living there for a year and a half as a missionary. We spent time getting to know her friends there. I enjoyed learning about their culture, trying new foods like acai bowls, exotic fruits, farofa, etc., and dancing to forro music. The people are very hospitable, friendly, and have such a great sense of humor! We were always laughing. One day we drove out to spend time relaxing at the beach on Mosqueiro Island. Another day we took a ferry across the Amazon river out to a small village in the jungle called Vila dos Cabanos, near Barcarena. It was beautiful, but so HOT and HUMID!
The second time I went out to Brazil was part of my South American 30th birthday trip. We spent a couple days at Iguazu Falls and a 24 hour layover in Rio de Janeiro. The falls were so incredible! We were amazed at the size and power of the waterfalls. We stayed at a beautiful Portuguese colonial hotel inside Iguazu national park that gave us entry to the falls before it opened to the public and the chance to have the falls all to ourselves for a little while. Our layover in Rio was amazing. The weather wasn’t that great, and we only got a 2-second glimpse of the Christ the Redeemer statue because of the clouds, but the day we spent there was so fun. It’s a very vibrant, energetic, and colorful city. We spent the afternoon at Copacabana beach and were actually glad that the weather was overcast, because we practically had the whole beach to ourselves! We had a fabulous time in Rio.