Please don't bash me! But, what are these favelas I keep seeing reference to?<BR>Are they barrios or like the name might imply, favor or favors meaning red light districts?

My impression is that they are slums with high crime rates. You do not want to go there, day or evening, alone or really at all. There have been some reports about how drug gangs mark out their turf here.<BR><BR>Despite what some say about experiencing the real Brazilian culture you do not want to go there.

AFAIK, favelas are &quot;improvised&quot; neighborhoods in Brazil. If I recall correctly, the people who live there occupied the land illegaly, and now it is not possible to make them move.<BR><BR>The odd thing about favelas is that they can be in the fringes of the city, or in the middle of a nice area.

Favelas are slums. Shack type housing, no standards, no zoning, homes to drugs lords, etc. Why do you ask?

PS I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil. You do definitely want to visit Brazil. Probably you are considering Rio for New Years or Carnaval. You will be completely safe and completed isolated from any crime ESPECIALLY at these peak times. The criminals have a rule, how do you like that, anyone preying on a tourist in Rio during a major event will be caught, punished, killed, whatever, by the other criminals! Even the criminals have their standards, love their city which depends alot on tourism, and will not tolerate any activity that hinders people from going to Rio. Anywhere else in Brazil other than the two big cities you will be at a beach resort and far from favelas, etc.

Liz,<BR><BR>When you say the &quot;two&quot; big cities I presume you mean Rio and Sao Paulo. What about Salvador? There are favelas up there as well?