South America: Round-the-World Travel Destinations

Budget Scale: 1-5

1-least expensive; 5-most expensive
3– Brazil, and in particular Rio, has been getting more and more expensive as the years pass. Brazil is South America’s most expensive country, and Rio and Sao Paulo its two most expensive cities.

Indie Travel Scale: 1-5

1-not a good Indie Travel destination; 5-a great Indie Travel destination
3– Travelers are definitely in for a bit of culture shock when arriving in Brazil, even if you’ve already been traveling around South America. The language change can be problematic and Portuguese is the language here, not Spanish.
Indie Travel Tips
While there are plenty of touristy aspects to Rio, having an indie experience is not that difficult of a proposition if you follow these tips.

• If you want to be accepted by the locals in Rio, then show some interest in one of their passions – dancing and futbol are good places to start
• While the beaches may be crowded and touristy, jump in a futbol game with the locals to make some new friends. Be careful though as Brazilians are among the most talented players in the world.
• Have some drinks in one of the many open-aired cafes that dominate the city.
• Go surfing, hiking, sailing, and dancing – all in one day!
• If you want to get away from the city, then join the locals in flocking to Buzios on the weekend.

Why you should add Rio to your RTW travel list

• Experience one of the most exciting cities in the world
• Rio is a town with many rich people as well as many poor people
• “Copa! Copacabaaaaaana!” – Neil Diamond sings about it; you should visit it
• A gateway to Brazil with many international flights to and from
• The beautiful beaches and people
• Home to the most historic national futbol (soccer for you Yanks) teams in the world
• Rio will be hosting both the World Cup and Olympics in the coming years.
• It’s one of the most festive places on Earth.

Why you should not add Rio to your RTW travel list

• Watch where you go because Rio can be quite dangerous for tourists.
• It’s one of the most expensive cities in the region.

Are you heading to Rio? What do you need to do?

• Buy a plane ticket to/from South America
• Book a Rio de Janeiro hostel
• Book a Rio de Janeiro hotel
• Talk to travelers on the Central & South America message boards
• Read travel articles on Rio de Janeiro

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