Brazil Travel Tips

With our travels through Brazil now behind us we thought it would be fun to share some tips we learned along the way. Once we return home to Canada there will be one final blog post – a summary of our South American travels. Stay tuned!

Tip #1:

“Buses with Wi-Fi internet connections are a great option for booking your hotel for that same night that you are arriving.” (Buses to Florianopolis)

Tip #2:

“If you are on a bus for close to 24 hours bring ingredients to make pickle, cheese and mustard sandwiches. It works - you just have to be creative.” (Buses to Florianopolis)

Tip #3:

“If your hotel wants to charge you a small fortune for laundry services, just use the private Laundromat down the road for a fraction the price.” (Campeche)

Tip #4:

“When your buffet breakfast is included in your hotel stay, make sure you set your alarm clock to the PROPER time so you don’t miss it.” (Campeche)

Tip #5:

“When you have a feeling that the neighbourhood that you’re staying in is a bit sketchy, go and get take-out pizza to bring back to your room before nightfall.” (Iguaçu Falls)

Tip #6:

“When paying for your dinner try not to drop your wallet in front of everyone so that the wad of cash doesn’t litter the ground.” (Iguaçu Falls)

Tip #7:

“If you are visiting the Brazilian side of Iguaçu Falls make sure to bring a rain jacket as the mist will get you very wet (it is completely worth it though).” (Iguaçu Falls)

Tip #8:

“Visit the Pargue das Aves (Bird Sanctuary) as it is spectacular. You are even able to enter the bird cages.” (Iguaçu Falls)

Tip #9:

“To be safe, back up your photos online with a program like Hotmail SkyDrive in case you lose your camera and/ or computer (we did this just as a precaution).” (Iguaçu Falls)

Tip #10:

“If you can find a cheap flight that takes 2 hours instead of a bus that takes 22 hours – take the plane.” (Iguaçu Falls to Rio de Janeiro)

Tip #11:

“If traveling in Rio de Janeiro the neighbourhood of Botafugo is a good place to stay. It is close to attractions and is fairly safe.” (Rio de Janeiro)

Tip #12:

“Bring headlamps while backpacking – you never know when the power might go out.” (Rio de Janeiro)

Tip #13:

“Even though you have to take an old ferry boat though ocean swells and then hike 15 minutes through the jungle to reach Lopes Mendes beach, it is worth it.” (Ilha Grande)

Tip #14:

“If you really want to get hammered try a Brazilian caipiranha. There are extremely potent and will mess you up rather quickly.” (Ilha Grande)

Tip #15:

“When you have been taking an ferryboat through treacherous ocean waters to a private beach two days in a row and you see that one of the ferries has capsized and has its mast sticking out of the water, don’t go back the next day it’s just not safe.” (Ferry to Lopes Mendes beach, Ilha Grande)

Tip #16:

“When eating at a Brazilian buffet where the cost of the meal depends on the weight of your plate be careful how much food you take as the price can quickly add up.” (Ilha Grande)

Tip #17:

“If you are going to be spending a long period of time on a ferry boat without a washroom bring some Imodium just in case you have an emergency.” (Ilha Grande)

Tip #18:

“If you are boarding a 2-hour bus down a windy coastal highway that does not have pre-arranged seating make sure that there are seats available before getting on and paying.”  (Ilha Grande to Paraty)

Tip #19:

“When walking around Paraty, make sure that you wear good shoes as the cobblestone streets are intense.” (Paraty)

Tip #20:

“When flying home after an intense 7-week period of travel, don’t space out your flights over two days in order to cut costs – it is just too exhausting.” (Rio de Janeiro to Canada)