Is Salvador worth it??

Old Sep 24th, 2007, 09:48 AM
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Is Salvador worth it??

I've been researching into Salvador for a bit now, and am still not sure if this is a city worth the visit (we've only got 2 weeks in Brazil). While I know it has a highly African culture, and some World Heritage sights, is it worth the trip from Rio? And if so, what are the main must-see's and dos? How many nights should we stay for?

Thanks.
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Old Nov 11th, 2007, 07:18 AM
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sure, it is woth the visit and much more
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Old Nov 11th, 2007, 09:06 AM
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hi, yes it's great, depends if you want beaches or history though. Spend 2 full days at least to do all of historical area and outskirts of city. Stay in the historical part. The beaches of city are not great so if you want beaches will have to stay further out, but its best to be near pelourinho. Visit the markets, the igreja de nosso senhor do bonfim, go to a capoeira show, def go to the ballet folclorico, a show of all the regional dances and religous ceremonies, capoeira etc, its NOT ballet and is DEF must do.
Make sure you get a good guide and also stay in a nice pousada or hotel. Go for a drink at the ex convent too.
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Old Nov 24th, 2007, 02:20 PM
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gypsy - Any information or links for tour guides?
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Old Dec 13th, 2007, 11:23 AM
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Salvador is my favorite city in Brazil. The Pelourinho area at night is really nice at night with bands playing live Brazilian music.
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Old Dec 18th, 2007, 07:27 AM
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Some people really love Salvador (as pp mentioned), but I wasn't too fond of it. Next time I will definitely skip it altogether - depending on what you're looking for. I would highly recommend heading farther north to Fernando de Noronha - these are the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. Rio is amazing, as is the south of Brazil; and the Pantanal region is a must-see. Have fun!
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Old Dec 18th, 2007, 12:27 PM
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Salvador is a beautiful city to visit for a day or two - but don´t go during carnaval when prices skyrocket. And unlike Rio, Salvador has little to offer during carnaval... they wear uniform T-shirts and jump around behind a truck with music. Great.

Retiro - Buses in Argentina
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Old Dec 18th, 2007, 07:35 PM
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Hi Taia,

I visited Brazil in July 2007 and Salvador was the top highlight for me. Of course, as discussed, it really depends on your interests. I personally love Spanish and Portuguese colonial architecture and Salvador is great for me!

I spent around 2 days in the city, exploring mainly the old city (a world heritage site). The San Francisco Church is splendid and it should not be missed! The Afro Brazilian museum is very interesting as well. You can also take the elevator to go to the lower city.

My hotel was very close to a beach and the lighthouse of Barra - another interesting stop if you want something different from the old city.

One of my tourmates and I went for a folklore show and it was very interesting. The show featured Samba, Candomble dances and Capoeira. The local food served was very tasty and delicious. I also saw a very good folklore show in Rio and both were great and different from each other.


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Old Dec 19th, 2007, 04:48 PM
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Like the PP I am looking for advice on tour guides and companies in Salvador...any recomendations?
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Old Dec 21st, 2007, 03:03 PM
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hi, I've been trying to get hold of the guides Ive worked with in Salvador and as yet have had no luck, have changed mobile numbers but will try again tom.am and let you all know. It's a great place but you do need a good guide there and Ive had my fair share of awful ones in salvador.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 02:25 AM
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sorry everyone re lack of my response on salvador tour guides, the ones I had contact with, espcially one have changed both email addresses and mobile phone numbers and so I havent been able to contact them. Sorry about this. If find anyone good will put a post about them.
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Old Jan 20th, 2008, 07:04 AM
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I agree that Salvador is a fabulous city that will offer you a completely different perspective on Brazil from Rio. Pelourinho is where all the action is... shopping, restaurants, history, music, nightlife. However, staying in this area is not for everyone. Expect it to be noisy and crowded, especially at night. Like a poster above, I stayed in a hotel not far from the lighthouse. This was a peaceful area close to the beach and a short easy bus ride to Pelourinho. Yes, the beach here is not the greatest... there are nicer beaches further outside the city.

So exactly where to stay in Salvador is a personal choice, but overall it is a great city that you will enjoy. Be sure to be there on a Tuesday... that's the night there's all kinds of live music in the streets of Pelo.
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Old Feb 3rd, 2009, 04:27 AM
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If you are looking for accommodations in Salvador, I can recommend Open House. They have 3 locations; Barra, Vitoria, and Pelourinho. They even offer Portuguese and Brazilian dance classes!
http://www.openhousebarra.com
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Old Feb 11th, 2009, 01:20 PM
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By all means go to Salvador (Bahia) the most African of all cities in my favorite country Brasil. It is definitely different from Rio, Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, and its capital.

I've been twice (spending 4+ days each time) and had a magnificent time. By my having an independent guide, these trips were much enriched and meaningful.

Consult www.justbrazil.org for some general information, and contact Fernando at www.bahiaboybrasil.com. Although he was not my guide on my trip one and two, I shall definitely use his services in October 2009 when I plan to return there for at least 4 or 5 days. From folks with whom I've spoken and written, he is suppose to render superb services for all individuals.

Some other writers citied specifics, so I decided to forego that route although I appreciate what they wrote! They captured the essence as to why you should include this part of the country during your South American travels.
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Old Feb 14th, 2009, 05:44 PM
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For some solid information about Salvador (Bahia), go to this site: www.bahia-online.net. It contains a great amount of salient information which will be useful for you while traveling in Bahia.

Tonight during my reorganizing, I encountered some printed pages from the above-mentioned site. Again, what's there is highly meaninful for the first and second time visitor to this beautiful and different city.
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