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stopovers: South America |
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South AmericaBRAZIL
A visit to Brazil, using the invaluable Brazil airpass would enable you to visit the main attractions of this vast country: Rio de Janeiro, The Iguacu Falls, the lush Green Coast and colonial port of Paraty, Salvador de Bahia and the north-eastern beaches, the jungle at Manaus and the vast swamplands of the Pantanal. Climate:Weather: Most of Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to the north is blessed with a tropical climate where it is difficult to tell when spring becomes summer and summer, autumn. Rio’s average temperature, for example, is around 27ºC (80º F) which climbs to 40ºC, the low hundreds, during the summer months that stretch from December through to March. In the middle of winter, July, the temperatures in Rio can drop as low as 18ºC (65ºF) during the day! North of Rio, the weather becomes noticeable more tropical while to the south it can get quite cool, even cold, during the winter months. Visa:European Community passport holders do not need a visa to enter Brazil but passport holders from some other countries, such as the US, Australia and New Zealand do. If you have any doubts about the need for a visa, consult the airline with which you will be flying or contact your nearest Brazilian Consulate (In London: 020-7930-9055, visa@cgbrasil.org.uk). Hotel Overview:
In the major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, expect to pay £200 a night or more for a standard double in the deluxe hotels; £150 a night in the other five star properties; between £45 and £80 a night at the four and three star properties; and around £30 a night or less at the two star hotels. As part of a package booked on the Internet or though a tour operator, that £200 a night room at rack rate can fall to £100 a night or less. Another excellent option throughout Brazil are the pousadas. These are normally small, privately run hotels that offer a varying degree of comfort that will be reflected in the price. Pousadas are the accommodation backbone of most of the coastal towns and villages as well as the historic towns of the interior.
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Brazil stands out from the rest of the countries, which make up South America, not solely because it is a former Portuguese colony rather than Spanish one. It is also an incredibly sensual country, its people are inveterate partygoers. It is the land of samba, carnival and beach culture. While Rio de Janeiro might claim to be the most beautiful city in the world, Sao Paulo could be one of the most industrious. Brazil is also a country with terrible economic inequalities; while some absentee farmers own vast tracts of untouched land, thousands of land-less peasants last year walked from Sao Paulo to Brasilia demanding land rights. The language in Brazil is Portuguese. Spanish, and to a much lesser extent English, will help you get around.
Brazil's hotel industry does not revolve around European or North American visitors, as the vast majority of guests come either from Brazil itself or from the other South American countries. Hotels operate on their local reputation, and because of this you tend to get what you pay for: prices are a fairly accurate guide to the degree of comfort that can be expected. Price also reflects the location of a hotel: for the amount you pay on the oceanfront, you can often find a better place two blocks back from the beach. |