City Guide Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Party rocking on the beach tonight.

Beach, sun, capirinhas, cheap frango food, not getting mugged, favela funk party, samba evening, the balcony hooker/breakfast bar. Rio is a completely random place full of energy, fun and hot women in thongs - it would be rude not to.

Insider Tip:Go up only 1/2 of Loaf and Christ, I recommend Christ. Mellow Yellow Hostel organise Favela Funk Party on Sunday Night it is quality. Pay 45-65 real for a taxi from Airport to Copacobana. Avoid taking your wallet out with you whenever possible. Carry ID for nights out. Don't eat a Salty Cone Pizza Cone.

rio

Nice place, the beaches from leblon all the way to the end of copacabana are great and you can walk easily. Lapa is the place to be in a saturday night, awesome atmosphere. Poor subway but the taxis are cheap. Off course you have to be careful most of the time but its pretty safe around the main neighborhoods.

Insider Tip:Bolinho de bacalhau in the Pavão Azul bar and beers in the informal bar are great. For the touristic points, try to by online days before you go, so this way you won't be in line "SO MUCH". They should be more organized about that.

Way better than I expected

I knew the town had been planned on the beginning of the 20th century, but I thought nothing good had survived. I was wrong. there are the favelas, but the "skeleton" of the city just... works... huge boulevars, sights over the horizon. Really like it.

Awesome city. Central area is almost a big, bustling city, and just a few minutes out you'll find a beautiful city with a privileged, dramatic natural setting of mountains, lakes and bays. The city is snuggled into this unique setting and it just looks amazing. Nightlife can be drinking in the streets at Lapa, reminiscent of Bairro Alto in Lisbon, samba, or your regular international pop music-based variety - Rio excels at all three. Many great beaches that are RIGHT THERE IN THE CITY! Easy to get

Insider Tip:Pedra da Gavea! Why doesn't anyone talk about it?! It's big, higher than Corcovado (840 vs 700 metres), and the hike/climb up is a ton of fun. Unforgettable view from the top. Make sure you get back down before sunset. You can climb, hang out at the top and return in 3 or 4 hours. Bring good shoes, water, snacks and a spare shirt for the sweat. Catch bus 557 at Copacabana and get off at Victor Konder 190. Forget the tourist bars - cheap beers at the "botecos" that are often just a minute or two from the

Incredibly Breathtaking Fabulous City

Rio has everything you want in a city: places to party, places to relax, incredible food, beaches, vistas, attractions, activities, cultural options (eg. visiting favelas), and absolutely breathtaking scenery. I highly recommend Rio as every moment spent there took my breath away for 2 weeks straight. Could not imagine a better place to spend a vacation.

Insider Tip:Carry belongings in a plastic bag (and leave valuables at home eg. kindle, iphone, large amounts of money) because it will help you avoid getting robbed. Visit Cantina do Gouchos on top of Santa Teresa (around the corner from Casa 579) for the best food in Rio at very cheap prices! Visit the Ipanema hippie market on Sundays for a fabulous shopping experience.