Rio de Janeiro travel tips

Yes, this beautiful city is well known because it will host next Olympics, it has flashy carnevals, white-sand Copacabana, large statue of Christ the Redeemer, but many more things that are worth exploring. I’ll try to give you a few tips on where you should go, what to see, and what to know before going. With Olympics coming this year, it is expected to be really crowded here, so have that in mind if you don’t like big crowds. On the other hand, don’t expect less people on Copacabana. It is world famous beach so there’s always many people throughout whole year.

Here’s a few things that you should know before you leave: have in mind that summer in Brazil is from December to March, and that the festival season is in February. You probably heard about favelas and violent crime in Rio, but it’s not all that bad. Just avoid being alone somewhere and leave expensive jewelry at a hotel. In Brazil they speak Portuguese language, and the currency is Brazilian Real. If you want to travel, the metro system is clean, safe and cheap, so I would definitely recommend using it. When using a taxi, make sure that the driver will turn on the taxi meter.

If you have enough to spend, I’ll recommend hotel Fasano. It has rooftop pool, Italian restaurant and elegant interiors. On the other hand, if you’re on a budget, then a guesthouse called Castelinho is a perfect choice.

Regarding places that you should visit, here are some most important ones:

• Christ the Redeemer – A world-famous icon of Rio de Janeiro and voted one of the seven wonders of the modern world
• Maracana – The undisputed home of Brazilian football and the largest stadium in the Brazil.
• Museu Internacional de Arte Naif – It is set in a beautiful house in traditional Cosme Velho and it tells a 500-year old history of Brazil.
• Museu de Arte do Rio – It is reopened in 2012 after considerable restauration work, and now has many visitors throughout the year.
• Jardim Botanico – The city already had the mountains, the beaches and the forest, but apparently Prince Dom Joao VI and his son Pedro didn’t think that was enough natural beauty, so a royal plant nursery became one of the world’s great botanical gardens.