Ois & Nix

Arrival & preparations The next stop on our trip was the Pantanal . To get there from Foz do Iguaçu we took a flight to Cuiaba via Curitiba. We had a long layover in Curitiba, unfortunately the internet was not working, they only had three sandwich bars which all offered the same food and it was freezing cold in the airport. Bring your coats or jackets! To go to the Pantanal we have booked a tour with Ecoverde Tours . We had organized everything in advance via email ( joelsouza@ecoverdetours.com.br ). Communication with Joel was really easy and we can fully recommend the tour. It included: the pick up from the airport, one night in Cuiaba before the actual tour started, a guided tour (3 days / 2 nights, including food and all trips) and one night in Cuiaba after the tour . The tour cost 1600 BRL per person (paid it in cash). Day 1 On the first day of the tour we had an early breakfast before we got picked up. In total we were 6 people in the car: the tour guide, the dri...

Arrival From Cuiaba we had an early flight to Salvador via Brasilia. Unfortunately the weather was too bad to land so we had to fly to Maceio, wait a bit and then to Salvador. The pick up at the hotel was organized by the hotel and was about 115 BRL for a 30 minute ride . Day 1 We stayed at the Pousada Estrela do Mar , a very nice hotel in Barra with great breakfast, close to the sea in a very safe area. Close to the hotel there is the famous lighthouse in Salvador and many restaurants and bars . Make sure to have a delicious Açaí during your time in Brazil. It’s a sort of ice cream which you can mix with fruit or granola. Salvador is famous for its historic center - the so called Pelourinho . We took a taxi (25 BRL) from Barra to the upper side of the elevator which connects the lower town to the upper town. At first we were not sure where it is safe to walk around, but there is quite a lot of police around, so we just tried to stay within an area where you can al...

Arrival & day 1 From the Hotel Pousada Salvador Paradise to the airport it was only a 10 minute ride. The flight to Rio was uneventful. When you arrive in Rio Santos Dumont Airport you have the option of buying a prepaid taxi , which we did. It cost 60 BRL to the hotel Mirasol Copacabana Hotel . You might get it cheaper if you just hop on a regular taxi. The hotel was nice, but the pool was closed for maintenance. After some discussions with the manager, we were upgraded to a nicer room with a private sauna & whirlpool . We also had a nice view to the Christ the Redeemer and the Copacabana beach. Unfortunately the weather was not great, so we decided to go the the Museu do Amanhã . It was really interesting, very interactive and very modern. The area around the museum is also nice to visit. You can get there by metro (7 minutes walk from the stop Uruguaiana). Day 2 On the next day we joined a free walking tour for downtown Rio and Lapa . The 3 hour tour was info...