Rio de Janeiro

Advantages: Rio
Disadvantages: Violence

...Rio de Janeiro "River of January" is the second major city of Brazil, behind only São Paulo. Its 8 million inhabitants occupy an area of 485 square miles. There are three main city districts: Centre, South, and North. The city centre is the financial and business district of Rio. After the transfer of the capital to Brasília, in 1960, the process of economic transfer to São Paulo was increased. The summer months officially begin around November and end in March. Rio has a Tropical climate.The temperature can occasionally reach 40°C in inland areas of the city, The official song of Rio de Janeiro is "Cidade Maravilhosa", which means "marvelous city". The song is considered the "civic anthem" of Rio, and is the favourite song during Rio's Carnival in February....

Nazuku 29.06.2006 (01.03.2007) · Read review
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Review of Rio de Janeiro

The Real Rio de Janeiro

Advantages: Beaches, gorgeous tropical islands, unbelievably great value.
Disadvantages: Having to keep your wits about you, but no real problem.

...They call the city of Rio de Janeiro "Cidade Maravilhosa" (The marvellous city), I have to say that visiting Rio was an eye opening and awe inspiring experience. This review is a selection of the best parts, with a few pointers on what not to do there. SAFETY TIPS ------------------ **Hotels First of all, it is recommended that tourists stay in a Hotel that is on the coastal road of Copacabana beach - Avenida Atlantico, or one of the coastal roads that run adjacent to Ipanema beach. Or choose one that only a short distance from the coast. This is because if you want to go out at night, you will not have to walk down any side roads, where you are only asking for trouble. Therefore it is much safer to take a taxi. Take 'Sul' taxis. They are yellow, with a blue strip down the sides. We were tricked a few times by other taxi...

jala 13.02.2004 · Read review
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Review of Rio de Janeiro

Find Redemption in Rio

Advantages: Breathtaking views over a sprawling, stunning city.
Disadvantages: Can be very crowded.

...At risk of expounding a horrible cliché, Rio de Janeiro is very much a city of vivid contradictions - sharp cleavages between rich and poor, favelas and gated compounds, hectic city life and remarkable natural beauty, all mixed-up and poured out across the myriad bays and hillsides of this corner of south-east Brazil. Perhaps this close intermingling of the many facets of Rio life create its very individual brand of chaotic, visceral charm - however, when in the midst of the city, it can be hard to get a bit of perspective. Of course, the famed beaches offer some respite from the manic pace of the streets, but the best way to step back from the city and appreciate the scale and beauty that one loses sight of from close-range is to go upwards. Corcovado, at some 700-odd metres, is one of the taller peaks around and amongst which Rio...

Puggers 19.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

'Welcome to Rio' says Christ the Redeemer

Advantages: One of the iconic 'must see' sights in the World
Disadvantages: A long way from UK

...Corcovado The famous iconic statue of Christ the redeemer blessing the city of Rio with his open arms is about 30 metres high and is on the top of the Corcovado Hill which is about 700metres high so it can be seen from many parts of Rio on a clear day. Once you are up on the Corcovado hill standing under the statue you have the most wonderful 360° view of the city of Rio de Janeiro provided there are no clouds hovering over the statue. The statue was designed by the Brazilian artist Heitor da Silva Costa alongside the French sculptor Paul Landowski. The statue was built between the years 1926 to 1931 from donated funds. Mr da Silva Costa was the engineer overseeing the construction and the French sculpture concentrated on carving the face and hands of the statue. We were quite concerned the day we went to visit the famous monument as...

catsholiday 04.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

Blame it on Rio

Advantages: Spectacular, exciting and perfect for budget travellers.
Disadvantages: Is that a knife in your pocket or are you just trying to rob me?

...Rio De Janeiro ranks amongst the most exotic cities in the world. It's nature attractions are world famous and its people legendary for their party tendencies. Despite being a budget friendly city it also has appeal for those on a 5 star expense account. Like most Brazilian cities it has many problems, its ghettos are to be avoided and the city's gun culture gets worse by the day. Rio has a population of 7 million but you might be surprised to know that its cousin Sao Paulo just down the road has an enormous populace of 17 million. The city is split between the Zona Norte, the industrial and poorest area, and the Zona Sul, the playground of the wealthy. The city's most famous suburb is Cuidad De Copacabana that occupies a narrow stretch of land between the coast and the jungle. Between Copacabana and Ipanema you'll find the city...

indiecater 05.03.2003 · Read review
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Review of Rio de Janeiro

Like Kew Gardens, but with monkeys

Advantages: One of the most beautiful cities in the world
Disadvantages: Not the safest city in the world

...I went on a two-week holiday to Brazil a few years ago, starting in Rio de Janeiro. The main reason for the trip was to explore the Amazon, but we had to start somewhere. Rio is often marketed as the most beautiful city in the world, but has a reputation for being dangerous and crime-ridden, so I wasn't expecting too much, but it turned out to be a stunning and beautiful place. Getting there We flew with Iberia from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro via Madrid, with just a couple of hours wait in Madrid. On arrival, the official Rio de Janeiro taxis at the airport are the recommended, safest way of getting to your hotel and prepaid vouchers can be bought in the airport at the tourism desk. Alternatively there are also shuttle-busses into central Rio and to many of the hotels. We had the itinerary of flights and hotels put together...

AndrewPo 15.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Rio de Janeiro

My visit to 'The City of God'

Advantages: Supports a wonderful school, you find out more about how the people live
Disadvantages: Quite shocking at times

...The Favela Tour: History of this tour from the Favela Tour site: "Brazilian born in 1968, Marcelo Armstrong is the pioneer of tours in favelas in Rio, since 1987 he's been working on the tourism market, having had the possibility to travel to many countries and getting to know different cultures. When he returned to Rio de Janeiro, his hometown in 1992, he decided to organize visits to favelas. Given their bad reputation, it was hard to gain the credibility of local tour companies and hotels. Today FAVELA TOUR is still growing and making possible to a higher number of visitors, a much better understanding of local society and the day by day life in Rio. Marcelo is registered in EMBRATUR (Brazilian Tourism Bureau) number: 01053672730 and he speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish fluently." My experience of this tour...

catsholiday 26.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Favela Tour, Rio de Janeiro

Corcovado

Advantages: Breathtaking views
Disadvantages: Other tourists

...You can climb to the summit of Corcovado on foot, by car or by train. The popular attraction of Corcovado mountain is the statue and viewing platform at its peak, drawing over 300,000 local and international visitors per year. The famous statue Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro. From the train terminus and road, the observation deck at the foot of the statue is reached by 222 steps, or by elevators and escalators. Cloud cover is common in Rio and the view from the platform is often obscured. A highly recommended excursion. There is a website that gives some more information regarding the train along with some interesting historical facts. You can also visit the official Brazilian tourist website....

Nazuku 20.09.2006 (11.01.2007) · Read review
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Review of Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

Go to Rio!

Advantages: You must go!
Disadvantages: none

...Rio de Janeiro is to me one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You have everything to enjoy yourself at Rio, and one thing that you are not going to feel is bored. I know Rio very well, and I would say that if you think in holiday think of Rio. It is in the air the way the cariocas live. They are happy people! I would say it is a very informal city where you can go out in your good old pair of jeans...and there are lots of places to go. Food is one of the things you have to try...meat you can eat with no worries. It is a place or the place where you feel happy and relaxed. You do not need to go to Italy to eat a good pizza, go to Rio. :-) It is really nice place to visit, but to many british people is going and not returning and I think that Tony Blair is not going to like much, because who is going to pay for the high...

1234 05.11.2000 · Read review
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Review of Rio de Janeiro

December in Rio de Janeiro

Advantages: Strong characters, interesting insight into the Rio underworld
Disadvantages: Plot not brilliant

...Introduction I got hold of this book simply because of the author's name and I thought it would be interesting to read a detective story set in Brazil, particularly because I don't know all that much about the country. It was really fascinating to read about the underworld that exists - I was aware of some of the problems, but this really helped to bring it to life. The story itself, although I can't see it winning any major literary prizes in this country, was good - the beginning was particularly gripping and really helped draw me into the book. The author Garcia-Roza was born and bred in Rio de Janeiro and has been there ever since. He has an academic background in philosophy and psychology at is a university professor in Rio. He has written three books in the Inspector Espinosa series, of which this is the second in the series...

sunmeilan 20.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of December Heat - Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza