Travelling Brazil
In 2019 I lived in Sao Paulo, and I am now traveling two times a year to Sao Paulo to visit friends and family. Living and traveling in Brazil has taught me a lot about Latin America. I am trying to summarise why you should visit this beautiful country, but I am not doing it justice.
Why travel to Brazil?
- A lot to discover! Brazil is the biggest country in Latin and South America. The capital is Brazilia (a city built for the government), the biggest city is Sao Paulo (around 16mil inhabitants), and the most famous city is Rio de Janeiro (home of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue).
- Amazing Weather! Brazil's weather is hot and tropical all year around. Especially in the North-East of Brazil, which is closer to the equator, the weather is hot all year around. Where cities like Recife are famous for their beaches.
- Dreamy Beaches! Aside from the beautiful climate, Brazil has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, where you find lots of opportunities for surfing and discovering fantastic nature.
- Culture, fun, party! People are very open-minded and very friendly towards Europeans in general. Brazilian Culture is famous for its carnival, a fanatic soccer culture (where Brazilian world cup games are considered a public holiday), and a unique connection to music (especially Samba, Jazz, and Blues).
- Yummy food! Brazilian cuisine has deep roots and uses the unique fruits from the Amazonas. There are many new dishes you will not find in Europe: like Açaí, Tapioca, Feijoada, or the small Salgados are all very unique and delicious.
Stuff to keep in mind
- Safety and security? Most frequent question about traveling in Brazil for Europeans is whether it's safe to travel – the answer depends on what you want to experience. Brazil is a third-world country. There is a massive gap between the rich and the poor. Most people struggle to live a life regarding the most basic needs. Therefore, you should watch out for expensive jewelry and phones when you are not in a wealthy city area.
- Sao Paulo is the commercial and financial center of Brazil. The closer you get to the city center, the more expensive and rich it becomes. You find the most expensive restaurants and the most exclusive shopping centers. In those parts of the city, there is a different level of police presence and protection. On the other hand, the closer you get to the old downtown SP or the city's outskirts, you have to be careful when walking the streets. Here it's recommended to travel with Uber from place to place and not take out your phone in public.
- Rio de Janeiro is the most famous tourist destination of Brazil. There are more pickpockets, and the Favelas (Ghettos) are spread throughout the city. You can walk from a safe neighborhood straight into a Favela without much of a transition. This can be dangerous, and you should try to stay out of the Favelas.
- In general, try to not walk home when it's dark. Do not wave around your phone in public. And try to stay out of dangerous neighborhoods.
- Winter can be cold! However, in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the weather can go below 10ºC in Winter (from May to August). In general, the climate is also more cloudy and has more rain. During this time of the year, I recommend going to the northeast.
- Only a small percentage speaks English. Brazilian Portuguese is a Latin language and very close to Spanish, Italian, and French. If you speak any of those languages, you should be able to navigate Brazil very easily. However, if you only rely on English, try to do you research upfront and do not rely on other people pointing you in the right direction.
So what?
If you are up for an adventure and you want to explore Latin America with its beautiful nature and stunning beaches, go visit Brazil.
