Originally Posted by
iahphx
So I've spent lots of time in South America, but very little time in Brazil, and I've never left the airport in Rio. I have a November trip to South America planned with my wife and daughter. We're going to be in Argentina and then up to Iguazu. I currently have a flight back to the USA from Rio, and need to decide whether we should spent some time in Brazil and whether we should visit Rio.
My wife, also a world traveler, is nervous about Rio. I can't really blame her -- there are lots of bad stories out there. We don't need "perfect safety" (like I don't think twice about visiting European cities that have regular terrorist attacks), but I also don't want to visit Rio if it's truly dangerous for tourists. For example, I know lots of people are shot in Chicago, but tourists who stick to downtown would never know this if they didn't read the media stories. We're obviously not going to have a good time if we have to be paranoid about safety.
So what's the real deal? Can we have a safe (short) enjoyable visit to Rio? Or should we skip it and spend our time elsewhere? If we do visit Rio, how should we arrange transport, where should we stay, and what should we do (and not do)? Thanks!
I felt the same way you did. I had a conference this summer in Belo Horizonte, but felt that seeing Rio was a 'must.' We stayed on Copacabana Beach and everyone told us how dangerous the city was, to be very careful 24 hours a day. When we arrived, I was frankly scared to leave the hotel. But, looking out on to the beach, there were all kinds of people (old, young, kids, running, walking their dogs, laughing, having a good time) everywhere.
We had an AWESOME guide (found on TripAdvisor - PM if you want details). He spent the day and showed us the main sights, which helped us get our bearings and understand the city/ area. He explained that yes, crime does happen, but in the more touristy parts it is more pick pocketing, etc. He said that we should not make our selves any kind of target (wear flashy jewelry, etc.). After that, we felt MUCH more comfortable there. We rented bikes and joined the thousands of other city residents riding along Copa and Ipanema beaches, we walked around and shopped in both of them, spent time on the beach, had a drink at an outside bar, went to a real Brazilian Steakhouse. I was so glad we stopped and spent a few days there. So, I cannot recommend Rio enough, just be careful of your surroundings.