Discovering Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: A Traveler's Guide to a Bucket List Destination

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.” 

–Robert Frost

If you are an adventure seeker, then it is crucial you make Brasil - not Brazil- a bucket list destination! There are numerous things you can do to be the explorer you desire to be. Many people believe Brasil is a location just to celebrate Carnival, but it has so much more to offer. Here are some travel tips on the most amazing experiences I have been a part of in the beautiful country of Brasil. 

For starters, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil is extremely LGBTQ+ friendly, which is a major BONUS. As a married lesbian couple traveling with another Woman-loving-Woman couple, it was important for us to feel safe. Per usual, we made sure to stick by our rules of travel: never go places alone, be aware at all times, do not disclose specifics on where you are from, among a few others. Safety was and always will be important to us and Brasil did not disappoint. 

Our trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil was a total of 5 days. We left on a Friday and arrived on Saturday morning providing us a full day to get our trip started. Due to the early arrival, it was important we had a plan for our carry-on luggage items, so we made sure to communicate this with our AirBnB host. Our AirBnB host was super gracious and granted us early access! 

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Saturday - During our first official day we allotted time for town exploration and beach relaxation (it was an 8 hour overnight flight after all). We visited Copacabana Beach and ate at Restaurante Mondego where we tasted our very first caipirinha - Brasil’s national cocktail. Afterwards, we made our way towards the water for a chill experience among the crowds of people enjoying the ocean. This is where we came across many of the local vendors who were speakers of several languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and English. There, we were told by the generous locals to keep an eye out for pickpockets and those making our drinks. Following the day at the beach, we made our way back to the AirBnB to rest, get dressed, and head to dinner at Botequim Restaurante. There, we shared delicious traditional meals in the quaint restaurant. 

Sunday - On the second day, we went to

the pick up location for our first true adventure: hang gliding. I have read about and seen

pictures of hang gliding, but I never truly imagined I would ever do it. Yet, there we were, gearing up and individually practicing with our pilots from Asa Delta Tour as they showed us how to take off during our launch. We each went for it! One by one! When I say the view was worth more than a thousand words and the experience was a 15 out of 10, I say that with my full heart. I would highly recommend taking the leap! Upon landing on Sao Conrado Beach, we made sure to gather our recordings of the experience and enjoyed some caipirinhas paired with cheese and onion filled empanadas. From there we traveled to Carretão Ipanema Classic Grill (a Brazilian steakhouse)- a 10 out of 10 dining experience. Next we went across the street to the market which housed beautiful art, jewelry, and other handmade items, along with a live band and food trucks. Once we were done exploring, and well rested,  we made our way back to Sao Conrado Beach where we enjoyed some cocktails and music while walking the beach. Afterwards we hopped into an Uber to make our way to the Lapa neighborhood for a local restaurant/bar experience. Once there, we spoke with locals who informed us as a group of women it was necessary for us to remain vigilant, speak quietly (so as to not let them know we were tourists), and not inform people where we were from because location can often identify one's wealth status. For example, many individuals believe someone from Miami, Florida must have money as that is what is illustrated in the media. We felt privileged to come across such kind hearted locals who were more invested in our safety than ripping us off. 

Monday - We enjoyed a delicious brunch at Joaquina Bar & Restaurant. Shortly thereafter, we hopped in an Uber to Parque Lage for our hike through Corcovado Mountain. The hike is described as a two hour long trek leading to the entry gate for

Christ the Redeemer, which was our ultimate goal. Please keep in mind this is only ONE of the ways to make it to the statue; other options include by car, bus, or helicopter. We just decided it would be a great deal of fun to hike the mountain. However, we did not consider there would be a closing time to access the statue and missed it by 30 minutes (gates close at 5pm). This was a laughable experience considering how we hiked an entire mountain with steep areas that required actual climbing but could not get to our final destination. So from there we took one of the free shuttle buses to the visitor center where an approved taxi drove us to the bottom of the mountain to grab an Uber. After arriving back at our AirBnB we got ready for a night out on the town. We were informed of a Monday night Samba party at the Pedra do Sal in the Saude neighborhood. There we ate dinner at the Gracioso (San Martin) restaurant and then made our way to the strip. It was a combination of tourists, locals, and vendors enjoying the various music genres and overall vibe. 

Tuesday - Having made it all the way to the statue on Monday and not being let in, we were ready to try another option. We had a quick coffee run at Drop Coffee and then headed to Helo-Rio Taxi Aéreo for our scheduled 30 minute helicopter ride. Despite having jumped out of a plane in Puerto Rico and having run off a ledge to complete my hang gliding experience in Brasil, the helicopter ride still made me nervous. As we

boarded I wondered how it would feel being in such a small aircraft. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the ride was to and from the Christ the Redeemer statue. We were able to capture incredible views while learning about the areas below. Upon our descent our pilot demonstrated his skills with ease as he parked us in the exact position we were in when we boarded. Once we left the landing area, we hopped in an Uber to the largest street mural, Mural das Etnias. This was near the port where we had a small lunch at Déguster Café. Immediately after, we visited Escadaria Selarón - or

colorful steps. We walked up and down the steps to see all it had to offer and did some shopping at the small shops at the bottom of the steps. After making a few purchases, we made our way to the AirBnB for some rest and a change of dress. From there we walked to Copacabana Beach and decided to dine in at Quiosque Nativo where we enjoyed a light dinner. The best part of it all was how despite being in our bathing suits all day and changing into regular clothes for dinner, we finally made it back to the beach! That evening we found ourselves enjoying the waves! 

Wednesday - On our final day in Brasil, we began our day with a tasty breakfast at Panadero. This was followed by our last excursion: rappelling. However, due to our instructor's late arrival and a conflict in timing with our flight, we needed to cancel. This freed up the rest of our day so we enjoyed some ice cream at Sorveteria Benza and a final beach location - Praia do Arpoador. Here we ate local “street food” and celebrated with our last cocktails as we listened to the waves and watched the sunset. It was a great way to wrap up our trip!

Brasil did not lack in the areas of adventure and experience. It provided us with memories for a lifetime that are worth sharing with future travelers. As someone who believes in the word “antevasin,” Brasil was a perfect place to explore new and enlightening adventures. 

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Things to consider before and during your visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil:

-Calculate costs of excursions prior to traveling

-Complete currency exchange at home bank prior to trip (budget for excursions, tips, food, and “random” shopping)

-Contact phone service provider for long distance travel data

-Pack sneakers for hikes or excursions, but keep in mind sneakers may get dirty (fun fact: many locals simply wear flip flops during hikes)

-Stay hydrated

Places Missed but definitely on the list:

• Sugarloaf Mountain

•  Morro da Urca 

• Riding the Santa Teresa Tram 

• Cervantes (traditional Portuguese food)

• Aprazivel (traditional Amazonian food)

• Manoel & Juaquim Bar e Botequim

• Aconchego Carioca  

This itinerary of events and a majority of the photos were the product of our besties Shanessa (@nessa.delonz) and Vanessa (@paintedlady_) .