Live from Brazil

Having explored Central America thoroughly I have always been desperate to return and discover South America. And now here I am on a 3 month adventure that will take me through Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. I will be posting regular blogs throughout my journey.

I began my stay in Rio de Janeiro. My first day here was a Sunday and this is a wonderful day to be at the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema as the roads in front of the beach are closed off to traffic and it is a day of leisure for Brazilians. Everyone is out at the beach enjoying themselves and it creates a brilliant atmosphere. I would highly recommend a visit to the hippie fair in Ipanema on a Sunday where artists and designers exhibit their work.

A visit to Christ the Redeemer is essential. The views of the statue from nearby Sugar Loaf mountain are equally spectacular and I would highly recommend trying to make your trip to Sugar Loaf near to sunset. The views of the city at this time of day are spectacular and watching the sunset with the iconic statue in the background is simply breathtaking.

I split my time in Rio between staying on Copacabana and in the up and coming town of Santa Teresa. I would highly recommend a trip out to Santa Teresa even if you do not choose to stay here as it offers a very different and equally wonderful view of the city from the famous beaches. It is a fabulous area in the centre of the town with a very bohemian feel to it, with many artists selling their work in wonderful little shops and friendly atmospheric bars and cafes spilling out onto the streets. You can also see the iconic yellow tram whizzing through the streets up here. Nearby Lapa is also a must for the evening with the absolutely fantastic Rio Scenarium samba club in its midst. This is a highlight, set in a 3-storey converted house - each floor has a terrace which looks down onto the main dance floor - the club has wonderful live music and a great atmosphere whether you wish to join in with the dancing, have dinner on the 3 floor overlooking it or sit with a drink and just enjoy the music.

Finally, as a tip to all that visit Rio, do not miss the incredible Porcao Churrascaria. This is the most fantastic all-you-can-eat restaurant in the city. There are actually now 3 restaurants but the best still remains in Flamengo Park. If you arrive here before dark the views are beautiful.  The food is incredible with waiters continuously bringing the widest variety of meats imaginable to your table to choose from. Be warned, be selective at the begining as it is all so delicious you want to save room to try as much as you can!!

From Rio I travelled to Buzios, a beautiful little fishing village about 3 hours north of the city. The area is so wonderfully relaxed offering 23 beaches nearby and a selection of fantastic restaurants in its small central town.  The best way to explore the area is by hiring one of the famous Buzios 'buggeys' - small petrol driven beach buggys that allow you to easily get between the many beaches the town has to offer. I would particularly recommend Geriba and Ferradura beaches.

One of the best restaurants in Buzios is Briggittas which offers fantastic tables looking right onto the bay. The food is incredible and they offer a wonderful lobster dinner for 2 that I would highly recommend.

Finally I finished my trip to Brazil with a visit to the incredible Iguacu Falls. These are situated in the south of the country bordering Argentina and are a short flight from Rio. This is an unmissable trip when visiting Brazil or Argentina, the falls themselves are utterly breathtaking. I would recommend a 2 day stay here so you can visit both the Brazilian and the Argentinian side of Iguacu as both offer very differnt views. The Brazilian side is slightly further away from the main falls and therefore has more panoramic views of the area while on the Argentinian side you can visit walkways from which you can look right over the falls, you can stand alongside the falls (take a waterproof!) and you can even take a boat trip under the falls. An afternoon is plenty of time to visit the Brazilian side however ensure to allow a full day for visiting the Argentinian side as there are many more trails to the falls on offer, all with spectacular and very different views that should not be missed.

After a wonderful 10 days in Brazil I am now on my way to Argentina. My first stop is the estancias of Cordoba.

Email or call our South America Team on 020 7386 4646

Costs for our 17-day 'Ultimate Brazil ' tour start at £3,235 per person inclusive of flights from London.