Rio de Janeiro

This really is the city that has everything; no wonder they call it 'the Marvellous City' (Cidade Marvilhosa). I have visited 3 times, and still can't get enough! When picking a holiday do you find it difficult to choose between a city break or a beach getaway; an exotic culture or something more European; rainforests or shopping? Then Rio de Janeiro is the city for you. Everyone should visit at least once. Lapping waves on golden beaches, rainforest coated mountains, a whole city's worth of culture - and not just any city, what a city! If you like music, you won't be disappointed. Samba is only the beginning of what the city has to ...  Read the complete review

I first went to Rio back in July 2007, as my Godfather invited me over for a couple of weeks. I had only just turned 19, and was a hot blooded male. I packed my suitcase thinking I was going on a summer holiday, in went the shorts, the T-shirts, sandals etc. Little did I know it was going to be the coldest winter (our summer) Rio had experienced. Temperatures fell to a pitiful 9 degrees C, this was a little cold for my shorts and T-shirt yet I did brave it for a little while until I finally gave in a bought myself some long trousers and a coat. When travelling out to Rio I was expecting everything to be so much cheaper then England in all ...  Read the complete review

This was my first time at Rio de Janeiro, i arrived at night with a couple of friends, we asked for a guide and there it was whating for us at the airport, a small japonese lady named Missa, We found that lady was the best guide we ever saw in all trips we made until know, why, well she explain you the real rio de janeiro and the Virtual rio, she told us were we could go with no problem, what whater, even the make of the condom. After a 30minuts of road to the hotel i arrived. We stayed at the new Martinique Hotel, new because it had been open 6 month after we arrived, the location was paralel to the Miramar hotel, on copacabana. The cheakin was easy, the normal ...  Read the complete review

Rio De Janeiro ranks amongst the most exotic cities in the world. Its natural attractions are world famous and its people legendary for their party tendencies. Despite being a budget friendly city it also has appeal for those on a 5 star expense account. Like most Brazilian cities it has many problems, its ghettos are to be avoided and the city's gun culture gets worse by the day. Rio has a population of 7 million but you might be surprised to know that its cousin Sao Paulo just down the road has an enormous populace of 17 million. The city is split between the Zona Norte, the industrial and poorest area, and the Zona Sul, the playground of the ...  Read the complete review

Congratualations on your choice of destination. The weather is great, the sea is warm and the people are mainly very friendly. Plenty of excursions run from Rio and I recommend taking time out to see the sights. One word of warning though, crime can be rife out there. Remember that there are extremely poor peole living just outside the city. Don't wear jewellery and carry expensive cameras. When I was there, sitting quite happily on the beach with my brother and an English couple walked past talking about how the crime wave was all talk. Suddenly a gang of youths raced up the beach grabbed their camera and ran off. That said ...  Read the complete review