When to Travel to Brazil:
Best: April-September
Worst: Dec-Feb [summer holidays, so accom. & transport
are a problem]. Oct-April in far south [rains, humidity].
Feb in Rio if you're not there for Carnival time.
Length of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: Rio
& a quick wildlife or beach trip - 9 days
Recommended: 3 weeks +
Festivals Guide:
Dec-Jan, Salvador, Festival of Jesus of Navigators.
Boats, booze and bands.
Dec, Rio, Iemanja [see below]
Feb, Carnival, Rio de Janeiro. Also in other Brazil
cities that will be cheaper, more relaxed and better
in some respects. e.g. Salvador, Olinda.
Aug, Fortaleza, Iemanja [Goddess of the sea festival],
wild religious beach parties!
Sept, Nationwide, Independence Day.
Activities Guide:
Wildlife walks: Amazon of course, though most beasties
come out at night and you wouldn't want to walk
then. Also the Pantanal, tho' a canoe may be better
there.
Bird watching: The Pantanal.
River travel: Up the Amazon, whether on posh tour
boats or local craft. More to see wild Brazilians
than wildlife.
Surfing: near Rio and to the south in Santa Caterina
state.
Fishing: inland river fishing is especially interesting.e.g.
Rio Araguaia
Hangliding: over Rio!
Rock climbing: near Rio and in some national parks
Hiking: All along the coast.
Why Travel
there?
A monster of a country, larger than Europe, with some
great sights, pretty towns, lively locals, lots of
sun, beaches and wildlife, and mostly at a low cost.
Downside:
Thievery of course, tho' primarily in cities.
Malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever.
Huge distances need flights or LOTS of time.
Hands up who speaks Portugese...
Brazil people are not overwhelmingly friendly
Where to go:
- ***Rio de Janeiro. An exquisitely beautiful setting
with gorgeous beaches and elegant urban folk, spoiled
somewhat by run down buildings, encircling hillside
shacks and the poverty of much of the population.
North to:
- Brasilia. Large, hot, dull city; don't bother
unless you have a special interest in futuristic
architecture.
- ***Salvador [da Bahia]. A walkable, attractive
colonial city with a humming music scene, loads
of exceptional beaches all around and a terrific
carnival. Now becoming a package destination.
- **Olinda, near Recife. Lovely little colonial
town, wonderfully located, with a lively cultural
scene and great Carnival.
- *Fortaleza. Busy city with superb beaches both
east and west, tho' city beaches not so good.
- *Belem. A not unnatractive Amazon city and starting
point for Amazon boat travel.
- *Manaus. Miserable and unsafe, if historically
interesting city, but a necessary base for [Brazil]
Amazon exploration. Wildlife is probably more visible
in the Pantanal.
South to:
- Sao Paulo. Only if you really, really like skyscrapers
and big city life, tho' there are good beaches nearby.
- ***The Pantanal. A massive swamp alive with wild
things, including iguanas, jaguars, crocodiles,
giant snakes and anteaters, but in particular birds
[emus, macaws and so on].
- **Iguacu Falls. Monstrous waterfalls, a world
natural phenomenon, bigger than Victoria falls and
higher than Niagara. Travel into Argentina/ Paraguay
while you're there?
- **Curitiba-Paranagua, nice town, spectacular train
ride, & Vila Velha weird stone formation park,
95km from Curitiba.
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