Hello everyone. pls give me your thoughts & opinions on the following. Myself along w/ 2 other friends are planning a trip in late Feb/ early March. We've decided on either Rio or Costa Rica, but we can't seem to agree on a final destination. We are all 25 yrs old, single males looking for the usual - beaches, clubs, bars, great food, sightseeing - and of course beautiful and friendly woman! ..However, we're also looking to relax and unwind, experience the local culture and people, and look to escape the hustle and bustle of life & work in NYC. I like Rio b/c it seems to have all the above, while my friends lean more towards CR. Our concerns about Rio are the usual, crime, poverty, distance from U.S., language, cost..etc. I would appreciate any feedback on the pros/cons of both places and your final choice. thanks to all!

Haven't been to Rio. I would not recomend Costa Rica for beaches, clubs, and bars. San Jose maybe...but Costa Rica has much more to offer in the way of rain forests, animals, and ecological preservation. But then maybe that's my age talking. It's been a long time since I was 25.

Craig

Check out the Nicoya Peninsula and Jaco for 20 somethings. There are bars and girls and guys and dancing and surfing and beaches. Jaco is closer to San Jose. Tamarindo.com can show you what they have and is on the Nicoya Peninsula. These places are all way smaller than Rio. Lots of english spoken there. Rio and Costa Rica are worlds apart. Rio, I am assuming would have lots of clubs, etc. where CR just has a couple here and there. and they are smallish. The Thorn Tree on the Lonely Planet web site has a lot of 20 something people responding to their Costa Rica message board. You might get a better perspective from them for your age.

Brazil Brazil Brazil!! But I would go to Salvador, Bahia (Northeast) and not Rio. The "baianos" (natives of Bahia) are the nicest people on earth. All the cool bars are located in the neighborhood of Pelourinho, where the streets are paved in cobblestone and the architecture dates from the 17 and 18 century. Everyone walks from bar to bar and dances and drinks on the streets, awesome. Salvador was the 1st capital of Brazil and now is the 1st capital of carnaval (sorry for Rio lovers).
Check www.emtursa.ba.gov.br/index_capa.asp
And yes, the girls are beautiful and v friendly. You and your friends will have only one problem: you might not want to leave...

I have no doubt u should choose rio de Janeiro (yes, i'm from rio!!!!), it's unique, if u look for beaches, fun, nature, nightlife, culture and mostly, beautiful woman, that's the place to go. Besides that, u'll be near to many interesting cities as Buzios, Paraty, Angra dos Reis and Petrópolis.
Any info: [email protected]
fab, a question: r u bahiana? I don't agree with u about bahia carnival (too expensive as rio...)

[email protected]

Hello,

well, haven't been to Costa Rica yet, but would love to go. Anyway I doubt if it is the right destination if you look after clubs, bars, sightseeing, etc.
I would without any doubt recommend you Brazil...Rio de Janeiro is not as dangerous as everybody wants to tell you (I have been there many times and never happened something strange to me!) if you do the normal tourist precautions!
It has many nice beaches, also apart from Copacabana and Ipanema, there are a lot of good restaurants, clubs and bars..and of course some really nice things to see!
Apart from that in early March Rio will not be overcrowded anymore with tourists from Carnival and prices are a lot lower then. And I just don't have to tell you about the beautiful brazilian girls..;-)

I do not know how long you will be staying away from the US, but if you have around 2-3 weeks and if you want you could also reach easily by bus some nice and more relaxing little beach-cities like for example Buzios, Cabo Frio (which are around 200 kms north) or maybe Ilha Grande (around 200 kms south of Rio).

If you decide for Brazil and need any insider-advice on Rio (must sees, where to stay, etc.) please do not hesitate to write me an E Mail...would love to help you!
[email protected]

Greetings
carioquinha

I'm Brazilian and I've been to CR many times before....my advise....Rio, Rio and Rio. If you were a little older and if you were looking for jungle rides, beaches and relaxing I'd recommend CR but three 25 year old guys looking for party smells like Rio. The most beautiful girls you've ever seen, nice beaches, hot wheater and crazy parties. There's no doubt about that! If you need any more info on Rio let us know here and we'll be more than happy to help you having a good time.

Cadu: no, I am not baiana (so de coracao). was born in Rio, grew up in SP, have been living in NY for the past 5 yrs. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Rio (how could I) but have a special love for Bahia

fab, I'll be in NYC in April for only a couple of days. Let me know your e-mail address so I can have your assistance there. Thanks!

I haven't been to Costa Rica and I have no plans to. As far as what you are looking for there is only one place to go in my opinion and that is Rio. I have been to Rio over 50 times and Im alot older than you and the partying can be insane. Its a party city from the beaches during the day to the cafes in the afternoon to the many clubs at night.

Costa Rica may be easier to do as far as distance, language and visa cost but believe me go and do the extra effort and the rewards will be there.

The only problem I see is that once you go then youll become addicted like me and you won't be able to stop.

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. It looks like the majority of posts votes rio as the top choice here..Now if we all agree on Rio, we were planning on spending 6 or 7 nights. Is this enough time?..Also, i've been told to choose ipanema or leblon over copacabana (safer, quieter, upscale)..is this true?..If so where any suggestions on some moderately priced hotels or apts near the beach?...Finally where should we party at? (clubs, bars..etc)...thx!

Take a look at these sites for clubs, bars etc.:
www.blameitonrio4travel.com
www.ipanema.com
True: Ipanema is quieter and more upscale which is great if that is what you are looking for.

One other thing about your timeframe, this year Carnival is Feb 24 so late February is out for you. I guess your timeframe then will be in March, this is a good time to go, if you go early March you still may get some of the left over hangover from Carnival which may be good. This year I am going late March early April when everybody will be rested and fresh.

Leblon offers less hotels and is more residential, Ipanema offers more hotels but Copacabana has the most hotels to offer. You need to do some research and see what would be the best fit for you.

Hello trvlfan20,

yes, Ipanema is a little bit more quiet and upscale, even if I prefer Copacabana.
There are a lot of apartments in the area, maybe if you are with 3 persons you should get one of these, can be more cheap than hotels:
http://www.rioflat.com
http://www.ibibras.com

http://br.dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Pai...ara_Temporada/

http://www.copacabanaholiday.com.br

Greetings
carioquinha

Don couldn't have said it better "going to Rio once is not enough..it's addictive".

My partner and I just came back from Rio over Xmas to New Year's again this year. We went last year and brought friends with us this year, which has created a new problem because we were all supposed to go to Capetown next year during the same period, but everyone wants to go back to Rio next year instead. So now we are trying to figure out how can we go back to Rio yet again and still squeeze in Capetown at some point next year too given limited vacation time.

BTW...we felt very safe, no problems, great exchange rate, friendly people and an easy going pace..truley is relaxing. It has something for everyone but it is addictive so be forewarned!!