Rio de Janeiro

🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro

• If you go at the time of Carnival you best book in advnace as prices go completely crazy! We are talking $200+ a night for a bunkbed in a hostel dorm! We booked 6 months in advance and still had very limited options but did end up staying in a wonderful shared Airbnb in the Santa Teresa area that we would highly highly recommend! The apartment is owned by a mother and her young daughter. Nicer more welcoming hosts you could not meet!
• We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals as there is a huge amount of variety in Quepos & Manuel Antonio!
• Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!

🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Rio de Janeiro

• Terra Brasilis – under the Sugarloaf, more expensive but so worth it!
• Grégora Arte… Café – Santa Teresa, good food a little pricey though
• Café do Alto – Santa Teresa, excellent
• Mô Café – Santa Teresa, wonderful brunch, coffee, cakes!
• Café 18 do Forte – with views the length of Copacabana Beach, a great spot from brunch, lunch or sun down
• Street Acai – the home of Acai with some great street spots to try!

🧗‍♀️ Do: What to do in Rio de Janeiro

• Bloco! If you are there for Carnival these block parties are the heart and soul of the place. Ingresse is a great app that lets you see where they are on and also buy tickets to any of the paid ones. A must to do to experience the real Rio culture!
• Sambadrome if there for Carnival! Basic tickets only ~€15 and this is the centre of Samba! Witness 7+ unique parades per night with amazing colours, dancing and floats!
• Sugarloaf for sunset! Tickets direct ~€35. Would recommend getting an Uber there. There are 2 levels & 2 different cable cars. There’s food, ice cream and crepe places at mid level with a sunset cocktail bar at the top!
• Copacabana Beach – spend all day on the iconic beach, rent beach chairs and umbrella (it’s needed!). It was ~€12 ish for 2 chairs and umbrella for day but you can shop around all the numbered bars/ tents along the beach.
• Christ the Redeemer! A must see as one of the 7 wonders of the world. Would recommend going early morning to beat some of the crowds and the heat. Buy tickets direct for ~€11 each. You can do bus or train up from Paineiras-Corcovado after getting an Uber to here. The bus & ticket combo is ~€16. There is a restaurant/ cafe at the top which is a great place to get a morning coffee and take in the spectacular 360 degree views of Rio. Not that the buses very easy, frequent and there is air conditioning! But the train can be hot and packed with queues.
• Visit the Selarón Steps! These famous colourful steps are a tourist friendly instagram must see and great free activity!

Ilha Grande/ Angra dos Reis

🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Ilha Grande/ Angra dos Reis

• As we were still in the middle of Carnival our options to stay on Ilha Grande itself were limited and extremely expensive. Hence we stayed in Angra dos Reis and just did a boat trip to the island. However, we would not recommend the Airbnb we stayed in and we don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
• Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!

🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Angra dos Reis

• Cook in – we ate in while we were here
• Boat trip food – depending on the trip you choose you will be brought to a lunch spot or lunch will be cooked directly on the boat!

🤿 Do: What to Do in Angra dos Reis

• Boat trip to Ilha Grande & surrounding spots! There are multiple options at different price points that can be booked in Angra dos Reis near pier with a load of tour companies (better value than on trip advisor etc!):
  – A big “pirate” boat with up to 180 people on it and you go to 4/5 spots ~70 Reals (€13) pp
  – A “speedboat” tour but still packed onto small speedboat ~180 Reals (€30) pp 
  – Completely private boat tour, price depends!

Paraty

🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Paraty

• Pousada Brazish! It is a little walk out of town but has a  tennis court, pool and good breakfast. We paid €50 for a huge private room & en suite. You can Uber in and out for ~€4 if you want to avoid the walk!

🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Paraty

• Restaurante Banana da Terra – not the cheapest but excellent food
• Thai Brasil – if looking for Thai food look no further!
• Van Gogh Hamburgueria – bit of better value and wonderful burgers
• Restaurante e Pizzaria Punto Divino – a genuinely authentic Italian
• Quintal Verde – classic Brazilian and very good!
• Boutique do Açaí – great Acai and Nutella Pizza…

🧗‍♀️ Do: What to Do in Paraty

• Boat trips – you can go as far as Ilha Grande from still or just get out on the water for some activities
• Shopping – there are a number of nice boutique shops
• Stroll about beautiful colonial town – the cobbled streets are often partially flooded but are still a sight to behold
• Feed yourself! – as a Brazilian holiday destination there are some excellent food, drink and ice cream choices so treat yourself!

Sao Paolo

🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Sao Paolo

• In the Jardim Paulista area! We got an excellent excellent studio apartment in a modern building complete with pool, gym and laundry facilities. Would highly recommend!
• That said there are a HUGE amount of options but we don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
• Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!

🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Sao Paolo

• Los Burritos – Mexican and good!
• mug.sp – excellent coffee and brunch
• Veridiana Pizzaria – brilliant pizza

🧗‍♀️ Do: What to Do in Sao Paolo

• Shopping on Avenue Paulista
• Get yourself to a rooftop to see the skyline! If staying in the same place as us they have conveniently put the swimming pool on the roof!
•  Fly to Iguazu Falls ⬇️

Iguazu Falls

🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Iguazu Falls

• So you can stay in either Brazil or Argentina while here! We would recommend the Brazilian side as it is bigger and in particular where we stayed Pousada Cataratas. Complete with breakfast, swimming pool and on the bus route to both Argentina and Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls.

🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Iguazu Falls

• Pátio Pomare – excellent quirky restaurant with food options from multiple restaurants surrounding the patio!
• Park Falls Food – the budget options. A food park with loads to choose from!
• Restaurante China – what it says on the tin, decent!

🧗‍♀️ Do: What to Do in Iguazu Falls

• Waterfall Brazil Side – ‘smaller’ side but can get a great view up close. ~€5 to visit Brazilian Iguazu falls and ~5 Reals on bus from city to falls entrance. Can also taxi or Uber!
• Waterfall Argentina Side – the more extensive side with multiple walking tracks. ~€22 a ticket for both upper and lower walks to get view of falls from above and below! Note that the “devils breath” piece is closed as of Jan 2024.
  40 Reals for a return trip on the bus from Puerto Iguazu to the falls and 10 Reals for trip from Puerto Iguazu to Foz do Iguazu across the border but the bus doesn’t wait at Brazilian immigration so you need to get off and wait for the next one!
  Note: 2 different companies do the run every 30 minutes ish so your ticket will only be valid to get back on the bus if your original company, otherwise pay again!
  You can Uber to the border but can’t go further. The distance between Brazil and Argentina immigrations is ~2.5km so a long walk. You can get a certain taxi that will bring you all the way for 150-200 Reals but the easiest way is to get the bus!
  Border Stamps: 
  Everyone stops on the Argentina side to go in and out each time (no stamp, just electronic). Locals don’t stop on Brazil side (hence the bus doesn’t wait) but it is recommended for foreigners to stamp in and out of Brazil even if just leaving for a day for the falls, which we did. However we saw lots of people stay on bus and just do Argentina in and out if returning to Brazil the same day. Obviously do ensure you have an exit stamp for Brazil when actually leaving for good though!
• Paraguay & Ciudad del Este Visit & Shopping! – Great for shopping brands and electronics. Be aware it is a crazy place with 100 shopping centres just over the “friendship bridge” border with Brazil. Also loads and loads of street stalls selling everything but bring cash (Reals or dollars accepted).
  Tax on electronics in Brazil and Argentina is high but Paraguay no tax so can get electronics for same cost as US. Example: MacBook Air for $1100 if paying in cash or $1188 for card (but note they use a different exchange rate and charge in Paraguayan pesos so not always the same price!) still way cheaper than the Brazilian cost of $1500ish! Nissei is a reliable electronics shop.
  Note: We walked across the border and back and were told by Paraguay official we didn’t need stamp as just staying in city for the day (couple of hours in reality) but our bags were checked coming back into Brazil by Brazilian immigration and they saw what we bought but no issues.