Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Florianapolis
Jan 9th, 2012, 06:22 PM
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Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Florianapolis
We traveled through the South Coast of Brazil in Dec 2008 (sorry for the delayed report!) Just realizing how much valuable information I've obtained from this site, that I just felt compelled to give back!). The report will not be as comprehensive as a trip report, but hopefully helpful enough for some of our readers. Trip was 2 full weeks and we split it quite equally between the below locations.
Rio: Stayed at the Copacabana Palace (Rio) - was amazing...mainly because of the service. Great brunch on Sunday (Fiojada) and amazing pool. They even gave us a room upgrade...view was excellent...facing the beach/balcony. After a long day a the beach and prior to a great dinner experience, we would sit out, staring at the nightlife unfolding under our very own eyes. Very inspiring scenery. The beach was perfectly fine...yes, crowded (both in Copa and Ipanema), but living in a major city, I am used to crowds so it did not bother us. Instead, we felt very much part of the city.
Also stayed at the Fasano in Ipanema...a bit cleaner, I get the appeal (over Copa), but service at Fasano, interestingly enough, was less attentive than Copacabana...we though about going back to Copa (especially since it's 1/2 the price - Copa was about $500/night - Fasano about $900USD), but the balcony and view of the ocean won over. Rooftop pool was also incredibly awe-inspiring. A "younger" scene...(we are in our early 30s). But service that reflects that ... not as "high touch" as what you would expect from perhaps an older, more refined establishment (the difference was palpable). Nonetheless, it wasn't frigid...just different.
*Side trip for lunch in Santa Teresa Hotel (on-site restaurant) and Apravizel (sp?), not to be missed!!
Amazing - particular Apravizel dining experience...if you are staying at a top hotel, have them make reservations, you are essentially guaranteed wonderful, reserved seats.
*Favela trip via "Real Rio Tours" or similar sounding name was one of the highlights of our experience there...walking tour. I don't want to spoil it for you, but please do consider going. A social responsible tour company, part of the money goes back to the community (schools in favelas, etc). Do your research, but it sounded legitimate. Guide was Carioca, with great English speaking skills - they picked us up at the Fasano.
Buzios: I think we took car service there (3 hours?). Also amazing fishing town... Rather not divulge name of where we stayed because of an avoidable mishap during the check-in process. Basically, we got the wrong room and the way they handled it was disappointing and infuriating (therefore we will never visit them again and I do not want to encourage business). I know some people don't care about the room, but we do (especially when we are spending a significant amount of time in research (and dollars) searching and selecting the "right" room (especially if we book it far, far in advance). Anyways...hotel facilities were great. Town was predictably touristy (heavy European and other South American, i.e., Argentinian descent influence), but the number of options was nice. Walkable town - definitely great for 2 nights/ 3 days. Highlight of this trip: take a private boat tour that takes you "beach hopping" -- about 4 hours (just you and your guest)...magical experience. Seriously, you hop from remote beach to remote beach and you jump off the boat to this random beach where it's just you, your friend/partner/significant other and the boat driver...you look around and NO ONE is around. Kinda freaky, but memorable and very, very special. Rum punch, fresh fruit are served and great authentic music plays in the background as you are swimming in the middle of the option. I believe the cost was between 300 - 500 USD for 4 hours - can't remember specifics.
Florianapolis: Ponta Dos Ganchos (planning a special event? - book it now!! I promise you will have no regrets (unless you want a party scene - and this was the end of our "party" trip, for our 9th year anniversary). I have never been as inspired and blown away by natural beauty, scenery and SERVICE (which was the best we have ever, ever received at any luxury hotel and that's saying something). Snapshots: after extensive travel, my mani/pedi needed replenishing...hotel arranged a local business spa owner to come to our individual cabana for a mani/pedi in our very generously sized balcony/terrace...a few nights in, we mentioned in passing during breakfast that we wanted to see a certain movie (not included in their already extensive DVD library)...without even hinting at it, Part I and Part II of the movie we mentioned arrived at our cabana that evening!!!! Someone literally went to town to get us both movies!!! Rooms are censored, so every time we left the room...even if just for a 1 hour walk around the beautiful premises or to the vegetable garden, the room was refreshed upon our return! They knew it was our anniversary (and I wondered if this had something to do with it, so we kept getting ongoing free drinks (bottles of champagne, glasses of wine at dinner, etc). By the way, cost was around $900/night USD, however it was inclusive of all 3 meals...high quality meals (lots of quality seafood given the location and excellent, fresh organic vegetables). Chef came out to meet and greet us a few times (my partner does not each fish, so the chef made it a point to cook creative vegetable meals during our stay to enhance our dining experience). Above and beyond! The beach was exceptional, surroundings were lush, staff seemed REALLY happy...not corny happy, but genuinely happy to be there (as an HR professional, I asked the general manager about their team selection and what appeared to be a highly engaged staff) and he went into detail about the selection and training process. Wow. I was impressed and I work at a Fortune 50 company that invests heavily on hiring and retention... Anyways, I can go on forever...all I have to say that this place was magical and the only thing that comes close to our experience at Ponto dos Ganchos in Florianopolis was our stay at Park Hotel Kenmare in County Kerry (Ireland). At the risk of sounding...overly sentimental...I chocked up upon departing both of these hotels...I just did not want to leave...
I hope these assist you in any way during your trip planning!!
Rio: Stayed at the Copacabana Palace (Rio) - was amazing...mainly because of the service. Great brunch on Sunday (Fiojada) and amazing pool. They even gave us a room upgrade...view was excellent...facing the beach/balcony. After a long day a the beach and prior to a great dinner experience, we would sit out, staring at the nightlife unfolding under our very own eyes. Very inspiring scenery. The beach was perfectly fine...yes, crowded (both in Copa and Ipanema), but living in a major city, I am used to crowds so it did not bother us. Instead, we felt very much part of the city.
Also stayed at the Fasano in Ipanema...a bit cleaner, I get the appeal (over Copa), but service at Fasano, interestingly enough, was less attentive than Copacabana...we though about going back to Copa (especially since it's 1/2 the price - Copa was about $500/night - Fasano about $900USD), but the balcony and view of the ocean won over. Rooftop pool was also incredibly awe-inspiring. A "younger" scene...(we are in our early 30s). But service that reflects that ... not as "high touch" as what you would expect from perhaps an older, more refined establishment (the difference was palpable). Nonetheless, it wasn't frigid...just different.
*Side trip for lunch in Santa Teresa Hotel (on-site restaurant) and Apravizel (sp?), not to be missed!!
Amazing - particular Apravizel dining experience...if you are staying at a top hotel, have them make reservations, you are essentially guaranteed wonderful, reserved seats.*Favela trip via "Real Rio Tours" or similar sounding name was one of the highlights of our experience there...walking tour. I don't want to spoil it for you, but please do consider going. A social responsible tour company, part of the money goes back to the community (schools in favelas, etc). Do your research, but it sounded legitimate. Guide was Carioca, with great English speaking skills - they picked us up at the Fasano.
Buzios: I think we took car service there (3 hours?). Also amazing fishing town... Rather not divulge name of where we stayed because of an avoidable mishap during the check-in process. Basically, we got the wrong room and the way they handled it was disappointing and infuriating (therefore we will never visit them again and I do not want to encourage business). I know some people don't care about the room, but we do (especially when we are spending a significant amount of time in research (and dollars) searching and selecting the "right" room (especially if we book it far, far in advance). Anyways...hotel facilities were great. Town was predictably touristy (heavy European and other South American, i.e., Argentinian descent influence), but the number of options was nice. Walkable town - definitely great for 2 nights/ 3 days. Highlight of this trip: take a private boat tour that takes you "beach hopping" -- about 4 hours (just you and your guest)...magical experience. Seriously, you hop from remote beach to remote beach and you jump off the boat to this random beach where it's just you, your friend/partner/significant other and the boat driver...you look around and NO ONE is around. Kinda freaky, but memorable and very, very special. Rum punch, fresh fruit are served and great authentic music plays in the background as you are swimming in the middle of the option. I believe the cost was between 300 - 500 USD for 4 hours - can't remember specifics.
Florianapolis: Ponta Dos Ganchos (planning a special event? - book it now!! I promise you will have no regrets (unless you want a party scene - and this was the end of our "party" trip, for our 9th year anniversary). I have never been as inspired and blown away by natural beauty, scenery and SERVICE (which was the best we have ever, ever received at any luxury hotel and that's saying something). Snapshots: after extensive travel, my mani/pedi needed replenishing...hotel arranged a local business spa owner to come to our individual cabana for a mani/pedi in our very generously sized balcony/terrace...a few nights in, we mentioned in passing during breakfast that we wanted to see a certain movie (not included in their already extensive DVD library)...without even hinting at it, Part I and Part II of the movie we mentioned arrived at our cabana that evening!!!! Someone literally went to town to get us both movies!!! Rooms are censored, so every time we left the room...even if just for a 1 hour walk around the beautiful premises or to the vegetable garden, the room was refreshed upon our return! They knew it was our anniversary (and I wondered if this had something to do with it, so we kept getting ongoing free drinks (bottles of champagne, glasses of wine at dinner, etc). By the way, cost was around $900/night USD, however it was inclusive of all 3 meals...high quality meals (lots of quality seafood given the location and excellent, fresh organic vegetables). Chef came out to meet and greet us a few times (my partner does not each fish, so the chef made it a point to cook creative vegetable meals during our stay to enhance our dining experience). Above and beyond! The beach was exceptional, surroundings were lush, staff seemed REALLY happy...not corny happy, but genuinely happy to be there (as an HR professional, I asked the general manager about their team selection and what appeared to be a highly engaged staff) and he went into detail about the selection and training process. Wow. I was impressed and I work at a Fortune 50 company that invests heavily on hiring and retention... Anyways, I can go on forever...all I have to say that this place was magical and the only thing that comes close to our experience at Ponto dos Ganchos in Florianopolis was our stay at Park Hotel Kenmare in County Kerry (Ireland). At the risk of sounding...overly sentimental...I chocked up upon departing both of these hotels...I just did not want to leave...
I hope these assist you in any way during your trip planning!!
Jan 10th, 2012, 06:16 AM
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"Favela trip via "XXX Tours"...walking tour. A social responsible tour company, part of the money goes back to the community (schools in favelas, etc)."
First of all, the residents prefer the word "community".
These tours can be pretty self-indulgent (oooh, here's my picture in the dangerous slum with pretty views) and a bit like a zoo tour if people don't commit to act afterward in a socially responsible way to help the community they visited.
Very little (percentage-wise of the profit) of the money goes to the community from most of such tours.
If you want to go, IMO much better to use Zezinho, an English speaker who is a resident of the Rocinha community. You can be sure all the money is spent within the community where he also supports the community businesses by doing his own shopping there.
http://favelatour.org/favela-tours/
Must have been quite a contrast, coming from the Fasano at U$900/night to a community where that represents 3 months minimum salary, which may support an entire family of 4+ for those 3 months. What did you learn and what effect will it have on your future actions in life vis-a-vis that community?
First of all, the residents prefer the word "community".
These tours can be pretty self-indulgent (oooh, here's my picture in the dangerous slum with pretty views) and a bit like a zoo tour if people don't commit to act afterward in a socially responsible way to help the community they visited.
Very little (percentage-wise of the profit) of the money goes to the community from most of such tours.
If you want to go, IMO much better to use Zezinho, an English speaker who is a resident of the Rocinha community. You can be sure all the money is spent within the community where he also supports the community businesses by doing his own shopping there.
http://favelatour.org/favela-tours/
Must have been quite a contrast, coming from the Fasano at U$900/night to a community where that represents 3 months minimum salary, which may support an entire family of 4+ for those 3 months. What did you learn and what effect will it have on your future actions in life vis-a-vis that community?
Jan 21st, 2012, 01:13 PM
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Looking through past travel pictures this weekend and came across the name of the tour in Rio I referenced above: www.bealocal.com. Check them out; we were very happy to have found them - professional, credible, authentic and fun. Again, the favela tour was awesome, and if time had permitted, we would have booked other activity tours with them: http://bealocal.com/
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Jun 5th, 2012, 01:51 AM
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Equestrian - this is a travel forum, not a forum that promotes social responsibility. If you're looking to air your views on social issues, maybe you should go somewhere else on the internet - there any millions of such sites. Crisher has shared his or her experience in a detailed and extremely helpful trip report - it is not Crisher's responsibility to tell us "what they learned" - and frankly no one cares. What a load of drivel!
Your post makes people like Crisher (and myself and hundreds of others) feel guilty about a well-deserved vacation that we have all presumably worked hard to earn. And frankly discourages us from writing in these forums in the future for fear of judgemental nonsense from the likes of you. Sorry - but your post reeks of envy.
Your post makes people like Crisher (and myself and hundreds of others) feel guilty about a well-deserved vacation that we have all presumably worked hard to earn. And frankly discourages us from writing in these forums in the future for fear of judgemental nonsense from the likes of you. Sorry - but your post reeks of envy.
Jun 8th, 2012, 11:46 AM
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Respectfully, amirao and Crisher, I agree with Equestrian on this issue.
No reason to “feel guilty about a well-deserved vacation that we have all presumably worked hard to earn”, but in a country like Brazil where social divides are quite obvious and very wide, it behooves one to consider the privileged social position one occupies in relation to the people whose community you have chosen to pay to enter as a tourist, without their having any say in the matter. If a tourist makes that choice, s/he might actually want to ‘invest’ that money with a community resident guide who will spend the majority of that money at businesses within the community visited, to sustain the local residents more fully, and not just buy a few cheap trinkets as is many times the case. That is an important consideration to some visitors, though it might not be to you or others.
Having spent considerable time among friends who live in poor neighborhoods in various places in Brazil, I myself do not see the romance in such a favela tour or understand the curiosity that impels tourists who may never have thought to explore a slum in their own country.
One can ostensibly have quite a lovely vacation in Rio, or in Brazil in general, without visiting a favela, and I hope you and any other tourist or potential tourist reading these posts will indeed have such a great experience.
No reason to “feel guilty about a well-deserved vacation that we have all presumably worked hard to earn”, but in a country like Brazil where social divides are quite obvious and very wide, it behooves one to consider the privileged social position one occupies in relation to the people whose community you have chosen to pay to enter as a tourist, without their having any say in the matter. If a tourist makes that choice, s/he might actually want to ‘invest’ that money with a community resident guide who will spend the majority of that money at businesses within the community visited, to sustain the local residents more fully, and not just buy a few cheap trinkets as is many times the case. That is an important consideration to some visitors, though it might not be to you or others.
Having spent considerable time among friends who live in poor neighborhoods in various places in Brazil, I myself do not see the romance in such a favela tour or understand the curiosity that impels tourists who may never have thought to explore a slum in their own country.
One can ostensibly have quite a lovely vacation in Rio, or in Brazil in general, without visiting a favela, and I hope you and any other tourist or potential tourist reading these posts will indeed have such a great experience.
Mar 22nd, 2014, 04:21 AM
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Nice post with a lot of great information.
My wife and I will be travelling to Rio for 6 days / 7 nights this June. It will be our first time in Rio. I'm wondering if we should spend all of our time in Rio, or make a day trip to Buzios / Paratay / Ilha Grande.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!
My wife and I will be travelling to Rio for 6 days / 7 nights this June. It will be our first time in Rio. I'm wondering if we should spend all of our time in Rio, or make a day trip to Buzios / Paratay / Ilha Grande.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!
Mar 22nd, 2014, 05:59 AM
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I would go at least to Buzios. Spend a night there, Rua das Pedras is a cool place to be in the night.
Paraty is far away and day trip is not an option. Same for Ilha Grande. You'll need at least two nights in each.
Paraty is far away and day trip is not an option. Same for Ilha Grande. You'll need at least two nights in each.
