BRAZIL

Introduction:

Brazil can provide a holiday adventure like no other, pulsating with the energetic tropical vibe of a sexy, joyous people living in romantic cities such as Rio de Janeiro or in the immense dark heart of the Amazon.

This is a great country for backpackers on a shoestring budget seeking a cheap vacation as it's possible to survive on less than US$20 a day. If you have enough money to enjoy yourself, budget about US$50 a day for food, travel, accommodation and entertainment.

History:

The Brazilian currency is called the "real" and its ongoing devaluation since the late 1990s has made Brazil holiday tickets increasingly cheap for travelers.

Brazil uses metric measurements and tourists should be cautious about electricity supplies as the current is mostly 110 or 120 volts. Currents vary from 100 to 240 volts and power surges happen occasionally, so be careful with any electrical appliances you bring into Brazil during your holiday travel through South America.

Climate

Brazil's climate is mostly warm and comfortable throughout the year but the south of Brazil is very hot and sticky from December to February and experiences non-stop rain from June to August.

The famous five-day Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is usually held in February (starting at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday). The Carnaval is celebrated in cities and towns throughout Brazil but none can match the Rio experience.

Although this giant street party is the biggest magnet for tourists, summer is an expensive and uncomfortable time to holiday in Brazil as the sticky heat can be unbearable and many Brazilians are on vacation, making accommodation scarce or crowded and tickets a little more expensive.

Many tourists believe the best time to buy airline tickets for perfect weather and cheap vacations in Brazil are September, October, April and/or May.

Rio is also the ultimate party town every New Year's Eve, when about a million people congregate around Copacabana Beach. There is nightlife everywhere but popular areas are Ipanema, Leblona and Leme. Since the 1990s, Lapa in the old quarter of Rio has restored its former glory as a nightlife haven for all forms of traditional Brazilian music. If you hope to impress a member of the opposite sex while in Rio, learn at the least the basics of samba before you begin your holiday.

Places of Attraction

The city's fanatical beach culture is centred on Copacabana Beach, a 4.5 kilometre stretch of white sand backed by high-rise apartments. Small bikinis are the norm and women in one-piece bathers are usually assumed to be tourists. Beware the water currents and don't take valuables or more money than you need to the Rio beaches.

A must-see is the famous Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio from Corcovado hill. The statue is 30 metres high and weighs more than a thousand tonnes, overlooking one of the world's great vistas. Most hotels have organised tours to the Corcovado and a taxi from the centre of town will cost about US$18.


Interesting Places to Visit

Apart from the sexy salsa-swinging nightlife, there are countless outdoor holiday activities in Brazil including windsurfing, surfing, fishing or swimming along the coast and rivers, or hiking to explore the remote jungle areas where native wildlife abounds.

Some tributaries of South America's interior Amazon basin are still unexplored. Intrepid travellers can find primitive locations in Brazil where dangers and adventure travel abounds.

Belem is the gateway city to the Amazon and is also a common route for travel into the rainforests.

The Federal Republic of Brazil is enormous, covering 8,514,215 square kilometres of the South America land mass with a population of 175 million.

Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world and huge areas remain unpopulated, although settlement is beginning to decimate some of the interior jungles.

About 30% of the world's surviving forest can be found in the Amazon basin of South America, which holds about one fifth of the world's fresh water.

Brazil's balmy north-east has almost 3,000 kilometres of virtually uninterrupted white beaches from Sao Luis to Salvador.

The country has three time zones plus daylight saving in different locations.

Just over half the people are of European descent and most of the remainder are of mixed blood with strong African connections dating back to the slave trade. About 200,000 are native Indians, concentrated inland.

Travellers to Brazil should learn at least a few Portuguese phrases before buying airline tickets for their South America holiday adventure.

In 2004 more than half the Brazilian population was aged under 21, so expect a young society.

Communication within the Country:

The most adventurous and educational way to cross the border into Brazil is via a slow boat journey down the Amazon from Peru or on the Rio Paraguay from Paraguay into Brazil.

It can be worthwhile buying a Brazil Airpass ticket if you're planning several airline flights within the country, although these are purchased outside Brazil before your holiday and you should check the airline ticket's fine print regarding strict regulations on flight changes and timing.

Tickets for domestic and international route buses are fairly cheap and most buses are of a high standard. Airline tickets inside Brazil are expensive.

Necessary Careness & Medicals:

A dengue fever epidemic has hit Rio de Janeiro in early 2008, killing almost 70 people and infecting about 50,000 others. Forty of the dead are children aged between 5 and 12. Dengue causes high fevers, severe headaches and joint pains, and military troops have been spraying insecticide in hard-hit districts to reduce the number of mosquitoes which carry the disease. Rio suffered serious dengue outbreaks in 1986, 1995 and 2002.

Wash everything before eating, buy bottled water for drinking and use liberal doses of insect repellent as there are plenty of tropical diseases flying around which could spoil your South America vacation.

Pharmacies in Brazil, which are known as "farmacia", are mostly open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. The age, authenticity and quality of drugs should be closely monitored, particularly in regional areas. Staff usually don't speak English and sometimes don't have professional training.

Brazil travel tips 

Visa is the most reliable credit card to have during your holiday in Brazil. Cambios (money exchangers) are widespread but it's worth cashing up to get through weekends when many close their doors.

It's also sensible to get as many small notes as possible at cambios as change is often scarce during your travel and small bills provide a cheap way to satisfy the never-ending demands for a tip.

Almost every service provider you encounter during your travel in Brazil will expect a tip, although taxis are an exception and restaurants mostly include a service charge on your ticket.

Be prepared to haggle and beat down the price for most purchases during your Brazil vacation, whether you be looking for a hotel room or shopping at the markets.