safety for single women traveling through Brazil
 

Hi,

I'm a female student in my early 20s studying Portuguese and will be going to Brazil for a month to travel about on my own. Any safety issues I should be made aware of? I'll also be in the country during the height of the Carnival season, any things I should specifically see or AVOID? Thanks!

HI! Iam a brazilian guy,would u like to learn more portugues??? you can email me if u want.

Please check the government website for human trafficking in Brazil. The fact that you've already been solicited by a male speaks volumes...

If you are staying at hostels you will soon meet other people.

You need to exercise the usual caution in big cities: watch for pick pockets, be careful about where you put your handbag, Brazilian women often clip their hand bags to the table, and don't have your camera round your neck (this is a bad look anyway so should be discouraged!.

Folks . . . The OP and portugues' reply are THREE YEARS OLD, and neither poster has been back since (heck -- maybe they met up in 2008 ;) )

Well.. as a brasilian female.. Don´t be a tourist.. use light tshirts, regular clothes, jeans... buy clothes in brasil.. and don´t show gold stuuf, such as necklaces, rings... big earings... someplaces in Rio and tourism places it´s ok to have a camera... don´t have huge handbags... use regular one with ONE document, some money and credit card with PASSWORD...
just act normal... guys WON´T kidnap you... they are friendly, they like to talk and sometimes if it´s both desire you can have a beer with them... don´t be afraid of the guys... just don´t be very lost.. try to know ehere you are at, and keep a TAXI phone number with you, if you get lost call on collect, and this you get you...
Brasil is very fun... and carnival is CROWDED... anywhere you go in brasil... Good luck!!!
If you want more information email me... [email protected]
I´ll be glad to help u...

I tryed to email you, but it didn´t go... anyway
Hi Diane,
Don´t worry about Rio, if you are around the beach, in Copacabana is very safe... as a brasilian I was scared of Rio, but around 3 years ago my dad had to live there to work and i had the opportunity to be there, and the main beaches(tourist ones) had no problem at all... a lot of tourist were there, some of them that really look like a tourist! There ar policeman everywhere, and of course, there´s a couple of people asking for some money, theu build things on the sand and ask for money... you can give 1 ou 2 reais for them, just to show that you appreciate theis "jobs". But, like I told you, don´t carry too much money with you, credit and debit cards are accept everywhere. One copy of a document, it can be a passport copy, it´s enough... hotel... I´ll take a look on the internet. There´s a website... www.decolar.com.br that has great prices... you´ll have to check the map to see where it is. I´ll take a look and let you know!
About the cruise... enjoy... take a lot of pictures... talk to people... specially brasilian... we like to talk to foreign people!!!!
Don´t forget to buy the souvenirs at night in copacabana streetwalks... there are shirts, "canga" that is a piece od cloth that you use to lay on the beach and to cover the body while u r with a BRASILIAN BIKINI, hehehe... Buy a brasilian bikini, ok???
I´ll be around here, close to São Paulo, if you have any other questions, ok?
Talk to u later...

Ok, just emailed you again....thanks so much for all the great information! We will be very careful and take your advice. I'm looking forward to meeting alot of fun Brazilians. We did get hotel booked in Copacabana beach, looks nice, safe and wasn't too expensive.

We will be in Sao Paulo on Monday, march 7th, but have to be back to the ship by 10pm, do you know if there are any fun Carnival activities in Sao paulo?

as to the bikini, I think I will leave that to the young ones.....been too many yrs for me, ha ha
thanks again for all the good advice.
diane

Brasil é o lar de mulheres muito bonitas e homens. Se você é uma pessoa atraente, vocês vão certamente tentar contato com você. Fora isso, uma vez que está nas grandes cidades e áreas povoadas, você deve ser muito seguro.

Sorry.

Brasil is beautiful. Women and men is beautiful. If you beautiful, men contact you. Stay in big places with plenty people. You will be safe.

Oh Yeah, in São Paulo there´s the samba schools presentation, almost the same as rio, if you like, but there´s some clubs that they present parties, carnival parties... but those parties people usually drinks too much... get drunk and if you don´t get into their mood it feels weird... i feel i am too old for those kind of parties. Me and my husband like to go to calmier spots, we are going to the beach for carnival... it´s his mothers house, so it will be better for us!!
São Paulo is a little hard to come and go from places... everything is far, you will need a taxi, so be sure where you wanna go exactly... ok? if u ned more info just tell me,
take care..