Brazil

Brazilian
Real

Português

Foz do Iguaçu

Manaus

Rio de Janiero/Buzios

São Paulo

Florianópolis

1

2

3

4

5

Rio de Janiero

Needless to say I was here during the busiest and most expensive time of the year - Carnival! This made me feel a lot safer with parties and events on 24/7, the streets were never empty and everyone was in high spirits. Like most people I had heard many horror stories about Rio (mainly from people who had never been) but I was told by the hostel manager to practise the same caution in Rio that I would use in London and I would be fine. Aside from carnival, a trip to the famous Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugarloaf mountain are a must. I did this with a tour company (Rio40) which included pick up and drop off, transport between the two locations and they took us right to the bottom of the steps leading up to the statue, however the cheaper option would be to find your way to the parking lot and hike up to the top. The metro was easy to use and a cheap, time efficient alternative to Ubers, especially with the traffic during this period with roads blocked off for blocos (street parties).
Check out my full Carnival rundown here!

Hostel

Palace Beach Hostel - Nice location close to Copacabana and Ipanema beach, staff were nice and breakfast was included (very few veggie options) but we were not permitted to use the kitchen which meant always dining out. The hostel was safe and blocked by a gate but the price was expensive because of carnival so I paid around £80 a night for a 6 person dorm, however as a solo traveller a hostel was the best way to meet people to go to blocos with.
Other recommendations include Books Hostel and El Misti Hostel Ipanema.

Veggie Food

Lots of veggie options and completely vegan restaurants on Happy Cow, I went to Lemi (vegan) and Doppel Brugger (vegan) more than once!

Other

Even though I never experienced it, I met quite a few people who had their phones or wallet stolen, especially at blocos. Prior to this trip I was recommended a money belt, I used my running belt which I kept under the waistband of my shorts and it fit my phone and cash which gave me peace of mind whilst out and about.

Buzios

Buzios is a popular holiday destination for those wanting to go to Brazil without 'going to Brazil'. Just a 4 hour bus journey from Rio, this area is filled with resorts, beaches, clubs and restaurants. It was really quiet and I felt extremely safe running around Buzios in the early mornings and walking alone at night near the centre. I treated myself to the Abracadabra Boutique Hotel which was super nice with a great view of the ocean and was a short walk from the main strip. There's lots of restaurants along the strip so vegetarian options were easy to find but I did wander beyond to Rolling Chef (vegan) which was a small window with outdoor bench seating and great vegan food.

Manaus

Manaus is the capital of the State of Amazonas which made it my first stop so I could tick 'visit the Brazilian Amazon' off my bucket list. Although it's expensive to get here from Rio, my
4 day Amazon tour definitely made it worth while (you can read more about that here). Most tour companies will collect you from the city to take you into the jungle as it is difficult to get to. As this is Manaus' main attraction, I found little else to do in the city, but was lucky enough to be there at the right time to experience Manaus carnival. There are companies providing day trips however I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST them. Had I known what it was like beforehand I never would have gone. It involved; several paid photo opportunities with heavily sedated animals looking dead or chained to the 'owner' (monkeys, sloths, alligators, parrots, snakes), exploiting a local indigenous tribe to dance for tourists multiple times a day (you could see it on their face, they were not happy) and 5 minutes sitting in a life vest near the dock to 'swim' with pink river dolphins which they feed to entice them to get closer to humans (unsustainable practice). Don't go.

Hostel

Local Hostel Manaus - Great location in central Manaus, really friendly staff who helped me book my multi-day Amazon tour, it was always very clean and there was a kitchen for guest use.

Veggie Food

Casa da Pamonha (Vegetarian) - Has vegan options.
China in Box - Had a veggie noodle dish without eggs and there was an okay pizza place opposite Local Hostel, but be warned, pizza is very different in Brazil, mostly dough, heavy on the cheese and extra light on the sauce...not my cup of tea.

Other

From speaking to other travellers, you can visit the Amazon from almost every South American country and their multi-day tours have similar itineraries to the one I did, sometimes for cheaper. If you're dead set on Manaus, a cheaper way to get there is a 3-day boat for £50 from Leticia in Colombia, although you are bound to your hammock most of the time.

São Paulo

Fun fact, São Paulo (SP) is the state, but São Paulo city is what everyone refers to as that. Just a 7 hour bus journey from Rio, this city has museums, bars and clubs and if you like to run, Ibirapuera Park is a popular runners spot and in general, it's a nice park to see. Despite this, SP wasn't for me. I felt like there wasn't much to do and again I was just lucky it was carnival. That being said, the bloco in the park was one of my favourites with live music, a stage you can see and huge water blasters. It felt like a music festival and there were some artists I recognised, but be careful as the stage moves forward towards the crowd which results in utter chaos as people scramble and shove to move away in the packed crowd. In terms of safety, I felt very cautious in SP and a bit uneasy walking around in the daytime. Although nothing happened to me, I came across more people who had their phones stolen here than in Rio which is why I kept my phone and money in my running belt. I also travelled within SP state to Santana de Parnaíba for a Dhamma Meditation Course.

Hostel

Ô de Casa Hostel - During carnival this was the best place to stay and it didn't have crazy inflated carnival priced dorms. It's a party hostel and the staff are amazing at getting everyone hyped up and most nights the hostel goes out together to bars and clubs at a discounted entry price. In comparison, I did stay here again a month after carnival and it was completely dead. For every 5 nights you stay you get one night free but in the 'basic' dorm with no AC and tbh when I was in there it was 5 boys and me and the room literally smelt like farts...pay a few pounds extra for the nicer dorms, there's AC and an ensuite bathroom. The hostel also has its own pool, bar and restaurant and security at the door, who after 10pm only allow guests to enter.

Veggie Food

Camelia Ododo (Vegan) - Expensive but so so SO good, ate here multiple times.
Novos Veganos, Pinherios (Vegan) - Burger restaurant, meh.
Tempero Indiano - Has options but I would not recommend it if you know what Indian food is supposed to taste like. I ordered my Indian restaurant regular, dal makhani and garlic naan and it was really sweet with no spice, it's a no from me.

Florianópolis

Let me start by saying I LOVED Florianópolis (Floripa). After the craziness of carnival, Floripa offered some much needed downtime. Just a 14 hour overnight bus away from São Paulo, this surfers paradise is where I did my first (proper) surfing lesson on the baby waves at Praia da Barra da Lagoa. There's lots of surf shops along this strip of the beach so you can walk down and price match whereas I just booked a lesson through my hostel. I also went to Praia Mole and Praia da Joaquina which were quiet and empty to chill on, however the waves were really big so it was difficult to be in the water, these spots are usually better for more experienced surfers. Aside from surfing, there are quite a few hiking trails here. Floripa is generally quite slow paced, however I did end up on a hostel night out at Bar DeRaiz but getting an Uber back at 2am was another story, I recommend you keep a driver's number for the late nights.

Hostel

Tucano House Backpackers - LOVED this hostel, I met so many people as they made it easy to socialise by providing group dinner (at a cost) where everyone eats together at a big table (veggie & vegan options were available). The hostel is safe as there is a pin code needed to open the door. There are lots of restaurants and grocery shops nearby and the hostel has a pool, kitchen and quiet spots to chill in hammocks or beds. It is a short Uber drive away from the beaches so people do opt for the beachfront hostels instead, but if you want more quiet, Tucano's your place!

Veggie Food

KomTodos Restaurante Vegetariano (Vegetarian)- Buffet style, pay by plate weight, many delicious veggie and vegan options that differ by day and the owner is really friendly.
Spitfire Lagoa - Good pizzas and cervecería.
Guaquito Taqueria - The veggie tacos were rubbish and there was a piece of plastic inside one.

Foz do Iguaçu

Foz do Iguaçu (Foz) is a 16 hour overnight bus away from Floripa. It's main attraction is a huge waterfall Brazil and Argentina share at their border which makes it the perfect place to cross into Argentina. The best way to see both sides is to allow yourself a full day on each side but if you only have time for one, the general consensus is that the Brazilian side allows to you take better overall photos but the Argentinian side is better for getting closer and you can also do a boat trip to get real close. The bus was easy to navigate as you take it towards the airport and get off near the national park. From here you get a coach that takes you to the falls with the option to get off further or closer to the falls with your walk finishing at the opposite end. People spend around 2.5 - 3 hours here. I also visited Parque das Aves which is said to be an ethical bird sanctuary protecting rescued or endangered birds (mostly from the Amazon), with some even being the last few of their kind.

Hostel

El Shaddai Hostel Pousada - Close to the bus stop, very friendly and helpful staff who provide you with all the info needed to see the falls and cross into Argentina. Hostel has a kitchen, pool, spacious rooms and is secured behind a gate.

Veggie Food

Equilibrio Gastronomia - Has veggie options but is expensive, there weren't a lot of veggie options in Foz in general.

Other

It is better to visit the falls earlier in the morning as there are less people, it gets busy later on in the day. If you are crossing into Argentina, it's best to see the Brazilian side first, spend a night, then cross the next morning before dropping your bags at your accommodation and exploring the Argentinian side on the same day (if you're trying to be time efficient). Once at the national park on the Brazilian side the bus to Argentina literally says Argentina on it and takes you to the border to immigration.

Getting Around

The one thing I overlooked was just how BIG Brazil really is. Flights are the more expensive option but can save a lot of time. I took a 4 hour direct flight from Rio to Manaus and used GOL and Azul Airlines, I had no issues with either of them, very much your usual low-budget airlines.

Buses are the cost effective option but at the price of longer travel times, especially when you add on the inevitable delays. Bus journeys between popular destinations can range from 4 to 20 hours, which includes a pit stop for you to grab food and snacks.
All the seats were spacious recliners with personal USB ports which made the long journeys comfortable and made it easy to fall asleep on overnight buses. Checked-in bags were usually tagged and I was given a ticket with the bag number on it which added to the safety aspect. I primarily booked buses through the Busbud app, however a handful of times I showed up to the station and bought tickets directly which was a bit cheaper, though there's no guarantee there will still be seats left so I'd recommend paying a little more to book in advance.

In terms of bus companies, I personally used 1001, Catarinse and Nordeste and can recommend them based off of my experience. The bus stations were sometimes a bit confusing but after some Google translating, the employees were really great at helping me find my way, even walking me to the bus!

Uber was safe, easy and cheap to use in the places I went to. Generally, I felt safe walking around in the daytime. I was in Rio during carnival so there were always lots of people out in the streets at all times, however I was heckled a lot walking around Manaus and felt on high alert in São Paulo. Nothing is without complete risk, I spoke to people with different experiences but I personally did not experience anything bad during my time in Brazil.

I had taken out £100 worth of Real in cash but almost everywhere took card and I ended up forcing myself to pay with cash just to use it up. Although shops, restaurants and tour companies accept card payments, you cannot buy anything online from Brazilian websites or food delivery apps without a CPF (Tax ID) Number.

Brazil is not the best for vegetarian/vegan food. I never went hungry but did have to compromise sometimes with a lot of pão de queijo (cheese bread).

Extra Recommendations

Salvador - Lots of travellers recommended Salvador claiming its carnival was better than Rio's.
Lençóis Maranhenses - The national park is a protected area containing picturesque white sand dunes and rainwater lagoons.

Açai - Brazil is the home of açai with shops where you can choose your base and toppings to make the perfect bowl.

Brigadeiro - For those with a sweet tooth, this dessert is made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter and chocolate, and comes in different varieties.
Coxinhas - Savoury snack usually made with a meat filling however you can find a jackfruit alternative.
Tapioca - Brazilian crepes with sweet and savoury filling options.

Caipirinha - The drink of Brazil made with cachaça (Brazilian white rum made from sugar cane) lime and sugar.
Beats - Brazilian brand cocktail in can, sold everywhere in the streets during the blocos.

Brazil

Brazilian Real

Português

Foz do Iguaçu

Manaus

Rio de Janiero/Buzios

São Paulo

Florianópolis

1

2

3

4

5

Rio de Janiero

Hostel

Other recommendations include Books Hostel and El Misti Hostel Ipanema.

Veggie Food

Lots of veggie options and completely vegan restaurants on Happy Cow, I went to Lemi (vegan) and Doppel Brugger (vegan) more than once!

Other

Buzios

Brazilian
Real