Rio de Janeiro

Pros: Warm and soft and sensuous...
Cons: Crime, many rough neighborhoods...

People in Rio de Janiero call themselves "cariocas", and the cariocas refer to their city as "la Cidade Maravilhosa" --- the Marvelous City. Anyplace else on Earth, and such a thing would sound like just so much puffery and imagination. Calling Rio ...

Pros: Spectacular, exciting and perfect for budget travellers.
Cons: 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....

Pros: Sheer spectacular setting, gorgeous Cariocas, The Sugarloaf Mountain and vibe of the place
Cons: tricky to exchange "exotic currencies" like pounds, euros, yen..

Words cannot describe my love for the 'Cuidade Marvelosa'. It was a deep unconditional affair with what must be one of the most spectacular cities in the world. And to leave was almost physical in it's painfulness. It slivers around the contours of ...

Pros: Depends on your personality
Cons: See above

Rio de Janeiro has always been one of those places that writers love to write about. Depending on what you read it could be excellent (Fodors, Frommers, etc..) or scary (newspapers, Time, Economist, etc..)

After all the research I did prior to...

Pros: Really unique city
Cons: Violence

Brazilian people refer to Rio as "Cidade maravilha", which means, wonderful city.

It is thought that when the first Europeans arrived by the sea in the bay of Rio, they were stuck with its sheer beauty, and the name originated from those...

Pros: beautiful city, beautiful people
Cons: there are poor people so be careful of crime.

I decided to go to Rio from Dec 27 to Jan 15. Rio is famous for Carnivale but its also known for New Years where they have fireworks on copacabana beach which I had the opportunity to see. Language - first off my biggest difficulty was the language ...

Pros: Beautiful natural sights, friendly people, cheap for its quality
Cons: Mediocre in many areas, people aren't 100% tourist ready.

I decided to write this review with my memoirs of Rio still burnt fresh into my memory. I just got back from this wonderful city yesterday, after a very pleasing 5 day stay in one of Copacabano's 4 star hotels. My original intent was to go lie down at ...

Pros: Take your spot on either Ipanema or Copacabana beaches; Corcovado, macarana stadium; the samba and the people; mixed religions
Cons: The mushrooming of new age groups...too many of them

At dusk, they head to the sea, the beaches. Clad with white outfits, the high priestesses, priests or babalao and a large group of devotees are heading to Ipanema and Copacabana, two of the most famous beaches in the world. In Rio de Janeiro, local...

Pros: Sensual and passionate as always, Rio welcomes you with arms wide open.
Cons: Do not act as a tourist.

The greatest cities in the world, don't only carry a name, they also carry a slogan: New York is the Big Apple, Paris is the City of Lights, Rome is the Eternal City, and Rio de Janeiro is the Wonderful City. Yes, Rio...

Pros: Exotic and cheap with fabulous weather
Cons: For a woman: all those perfectly-formed Brazilian women in skimpy thongs on the beach

I visited Rio de Janeiro in February 2001, just in time for the Rio Carnival.
I traveled alone from London, meeting with friends already traveling around South America. My first disadvantage was the language barrier. The language of Brazil is...

Pros: Laissez rouler les bons temps is a carioca's motto.
Cons: Beaches can be crowded at times.

Most tourists tend to think of Rio de Janeiro as the embodiment of Brasil, a land with so much wealth and poverty, a land of huge contrasts. Are you ready to let down your sensibilities on this journey? If you are still readin along, then you may be...

Pros: See the most in a short time
Cons: Are you afraid of heights or flying?

Day 5 -> FLYING AND SURFING FURTHER AFIELD Well, dreams don’t last forever and this is your last day in Rio. How about a leisure and unforgettable time then? Hopefully you have made some local friends by now because you will need to invite...

Pros: friendly locals, churrascarias, beachwear
Cons: underlying threat of crime, 70s architecture

Ever felt like getting away from it all but want to do something a little different (ie,"not Hawaii?")? That's what we decided to do for our honeymoon -- after months of detail-oriented planning and high emotional drama, we decided to go...

Pros: endless history and beauty
Cons: bumpy bus ride

Besides being a city, Rio de Janeiro is also the name of a beautiful Brazilian state in which the famous Marvelous City is just the capital and a small part of it.

Therefore, after following my VI former reviews on Rio, it’s time to adventure...

Pros: See the most in a short time
Cons: Long Walks

Day 3 -> THE GREEN SIDE OF RIO AND THE BEST VIEW

Begin your day taking a cab to the Botanical Garden in the Jardim Botanico area, located behind Ipanema and Lagoa.

Created by the King Joao VI when he lived in Rio, this tropical...