Jay

Hello all!! I am a 33yo male from san francisco and will be arriving in Rio on Nov 21. I plan on spending a few days in Rio and then heading north. I want to explore Salvador and areas such as Trancoso and Caraiva, maybe morro de sau paulo. I also want to explore the area between Recife and Maceio. Most likely I will be traveling by plane and bus, but have no set itinerary. If any one is interested in meeting for a drink or would like to travel together, send me an email: [email protected]<BR>I do not speak any portuguese, but am easy going and friendly.<BR>Jay<BR><BR><BR>

dick

Have a great itme in Brasil. I'd highly suggest renting a car in Recife. THe coast between Recife and Maceio is great but to see it well a car is the best way to go.<BR><BR>I've had very good luck with Avis and 2 months ago the rates were &lt;$100 per week for an economy car.<BR><BR>Personally, I'd skip Recife and fly into Maceio and then explore the south a couple days and then halfway to Recife.<BR><BR>Email me if you have any questions. I'm familiar with the areas of the NE.

Jay

Thanks for the suggestion. I will probably rent a car, now that you mention it. I was under the impression that auto rentals were near $50 a day, with all the necessary insurance. I have heard that the driving is pretty crazy there, though.

John

Brazilians drive fine, it is the Argentines who are fools on the road. Shouldn't be too many Argies around that far north in Brazil, but watch out!

Bill

I can not highly enough recommend extending your journey to Fortaleza and Jericocoara (spelling).

Jay

I was considering Fortaleza and Jeri but told that it is not necessary to travel so far to be on beautiful beaches. Correct me if I am wrong, but there are beaches that are just as nice in northern Salvador and in places such as Japaratinga. One place I was considering was Pipa, as I have heard that this place is exceptional. I am a little leary about Jeri due to the 6 hour buggy ride on unpaved roads - I have a herniated disk in my back which would be cause for an extremely painful ride...we only live once. Thanks for the comments.

d

Pipa is nice but if you are talking about the one south of Natal it's about 4-5 hours north of Recife and Natal would be a better place to arrive. You could drive from Recife and visit some of the beaches just south of Joao Pessoa. Jacuma/Tambaba is very nice.<BR><BR>Actually you should just take three months and drive from Salvador to Fortaleza.<BR><BR>When I rent cars in Brazil, I decline the CDW as my credit card will cover it. I've found driving fairly easy in the NE but make sure your horn works before accepting the car!

Dilermando Lopes

I would highly recommend you to book a package starting in S&atilde;o Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, it will be much more economical. As we are nearing the end of the year, flights and hotel in the NE will become progressively scarce. There are packages combining Salvador (from where Morro de S&atilde;o Paulo is half an hour away by small plane, this flight is a must !) and Porto Seguro (from where Trancoso e Caraiva can be reached by road, it's a short trip). The north coast between Maragogi and Macei&oacute; is extremely beatiful, still in a pristine condition, however to fully enjoy it it would be necessary to rent a car in Macei&oacute; (or Recife). I think Macei&oacute; is not worth the trip if you choose a package tour. If you dream of visiting Salvador + Morro de S&atilde;o Paulo + Porto Seguro + Trancoso + Cara&iacute;va, I think you should stay 2 weeks in Brazil. May I suggest you send an e-mail to my preferred travel agency [email protected] where Oscar and Sandra will be glad to propose you something. I'm sorry I don't have more time to be more helpful, tomorrow morning I and my wife are leaving to Chapada Diamantina, in the outback of the state of Bahia.

brian

Don't miss Morro de Sao Paulo! It's idyllic. Two friends of mine from D.C. and myself went last November. Only stayed one night because we had a flight the next day - but we wished we'd stayed much longer. <BR><BR>If you go -- just take the boat from Salvador, it's about two hours, and it's cheap. On the way back, make sure you make a reservation, or you'll have to take a very circuitous boat-bus-bus route back to Salvador as we did.<BR><BR>If you go, I would highly recommend Pousada Colibri (http://www.pousada-colibri.com/) a fantastic little spot run by a German ex-pat who speaks perfect English. He'll send a burro down to the boat to get you and your luggage!<BR><BR>Enjoy Brazil. Whatever you do -- book your flights into Brazil from here, but DON'T buy your Brazilian domestic plane tix until you arrive. They are much cheaper if you buy in-country, at the airport. You can buy up until a day or two before with no penalties generally. Check http://www.voegol.com.br/ or http://www.vasp.com.br for lower fares on travel within Brazil. Gol and Vasp are cheaper than Varig and Tam airlines, but you may find Vasp to be a bit shady. <BR><BR>Enjoy Brazil and the fabulous exchange rate!