The views over stunning Rio de Janeiro Harbour ( . . . one of the Natural Wonders of the World) from Sugar Loaf Mountain, walking along the sands of the world-famous Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, and heading up the cog train to see Christ the Redeemer (. . . one of the Wonders of the World), Rio has about as many world-class highlights as any city in the world and is a must if visiting Brazil.
Naturally, with such fame comes crowds, and it’s hard to really avoid them in the main sites where it can be a bit energy sapping as you’re queuing and wedged in with thousands of fellow tourists.
I only stayed in Rio for 3 days so don’t feel that I can do this superb city justice with a full review, but my 3 tips for a great stay and to help a little with the crowds::
Tip #1 To counter how tiring Rio can be, you’ve got to allocate a day to chilling on one of the beaches. They are in many ways the real heart of Rio and it was fun just to see how life on these often enormous beaches unfolds through the day. With the likes of Sugar Loaf Mountain and Chris the Redeemer in the background, its a real wow.
Tip #2 Join one of the high-tempo Brazilian cooking courses. Food courses always help bring a city and its culture to life and in particular the “Simone Almeida’s Cook in Rio” located in the Copacabana neighbourhood was fantastic. You’ll learn to make 4 traditional Brazilian dishes, but its the enthusiasm Simone provides, to both the food and the endless caipirinhas she plugs you with, that makes this so fun. It was probably one of my favourite things to do in all of Brazil.
Tip #3 Be aware of the crime risk. As with all large Brazilian cities, crime is a problem so use a bit of common sense. Firstly, always carry something to hand over like a basic wallet with some small cash in it. Secondly, hand everything over you have been asked – thieves in Latin America really don’t mess about. Take taxis in the evening, and totally avoid the beaches at night. In fact, the beaches are so huge, that you can actually get robbed in the daytime – fun times!