First Timer in Brazil - SAO/RIO/IGU/SSA
May 20, 2018, 11:18 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: AA ExPlat, NW Plat, UA 2P
Posts: 565
Thanks, RafKa, I did not know that. Caesar Park is indeed a great location. Your knowledge and advice are usually spot on, and that is why I was so puzzled by your post. Am glad I asked. Cheers!
May 20, 2018, 1:57 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
The Caesar Park is available on Hotwire for US$137++ per night. Is that a good deal and should I consider this property as an option?
May 20, 2018, 2:04 pm
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
It used to be considered one of the best hotels in Rio, but of course it doesn't look impressive like the iconic Copacabana Palace. I suspect that the rooms and suites facing the water are much more pleasant.
May 20, 2018, 7:53 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Silver (OW Sapphire), A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, HHonors Diamond, LeClubAccor Silver, UA Silver
Posts: 1,778
That’s a good deal. You can thank the crashing Real for that (-15% in the last 2-3 weeks). The rooms are large and comfortable. Not sure if they have been refurbished in the last 2-3 years, but all rooms have an ocean view (high floors obviously better). Breakfast is good, my guess would be aroung $20, but you can also have a breakfast on the go at the counter of nearby Polis Sucos for a fraction of that price.
May 21, 2018, 2:14 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
I did a bit of research and it seems that the Sofitel / Caesar Park is in the middle of a renovation right now which is probably why the prices have dropped significantly. I'm going to keep an eye on that for now as my trip isn't for a couple months still and then decide closer the time if that or the BW on points is a better option.
Jun 6, 2018, 3:27 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
So a few minor changes thanks to flight re-schedulings.
We will now have an additional night (22 hour layover) in Recife on the way back.
I've booked the Radisson Recife Boa Viagem on points (was originally planned for Courtyard by Marriott Recife but seems that property is now either closed down or rebranding).
Any tips for Recife? We will arrive on Monday 3pm and depart Tuesday 1pm, so not a huge amount of time to do anything.
We will now have an additional night (22 hour layover) in Recife on the way back.
I've booked the Radisson Recife Boa Viagem on points (was originally planned for Courtyard by Marriott Recife but seems that property is now either closed down or rebranding).
Any tips for Recife? We will arrive on Monday 3pm and depart Tuesday 1pm, so not a huge amount of time to do anything.
Jun 13, 2018, 4:06 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
Or do as I did and when at Boa Viagem beach (where all the shark signs are posted), enter the water next to some tender young children ! LOL
Jun 13, 2018, 4:27 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
We will now have an additional night (22 hour layover) in Recife on the way back.
I've booked the Radisson Recife Boa Viagem on points (was originally planned for Courtyard by Marriott Recife but seems that property is now either closed down or rebranding).
Any tips for Recife? We will arrive on Monday 3pm and depart Tuesday 1pm, so not a huge amount of time to do anything.
I've booked the Radisson Recife Boa Viagem on points (was originally planned for Courtyard by Marriott Recife but seems that property is now either closed down or rebranding).
Any tips for Recife? We will arrive on Monday 3pm and depart Tuesday 1pm, so not a huge amount of time to do anything.
Check out the unique sculpture park and studio Olaria Brennand !!!!!!!
Go to Colonial Olinda. (Start at the TOP of the hill and walk down.)
See the mid-17th century synagogue Kahal Zur and the Recife Velho neighborhood.
Go out to the restaurant Casa de Banhos on the reef/causeway ---great view back to Recife Velho----and eat fried argilha fish, held by the needle like nose to eat. Note: They close early.
Or eat on the deck at Bar Biruta on the beach in the Brasilia Teimosa neighborhood, at the (very end of the beach that includes Boa Viagem, and the) start of the causeway to that restaurant on the reef.
If more time, see the Brennand castle museum (cousin of the Olaria artist) with its art and armor.
Enjoy some sushi. It's everywhere in Recife, and not expensive. Varieties with cream cheese are popular there.
Try the various caldos, including the bean and the shrimp varieties, accompanied by a caipiroska with kiwi perhaps, some of the best soups you'll ever have. (Recife, and Pernambuco in general, has great food!)
Bar Biruta https://www.facebook.com/pages/Birut...36039559824139
Brennand sculpture park https://pt.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofic...cisco_Brennand
Brennand castle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricard...nand_Institute
Casa de Banhos https://www.tripadvisor.com.br/Resta...ernambuco.html
synagogue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahal_...rael_Synagogue
Last edited by VidaNaPraia; Jun 13, 2018 at 4:34 pm
Jun 18, 2018, 10:38 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: IND/MEX
Programs: AA PPro BA Bronze SPG Gold HH GLD Hyatt Exp
Posts: 1,134
Brazil in general isn't very good for chain hotels, or at least the ones covered in detail on this forum.
In SP I would stay in Jardins or Itaim. The first time I visited I stayed in Morumbi, which does not offer a lot aside from the big chain hotels and a couple of malls.
As others have said I would recommend staying in Ipanema in Rio. Barra is too far out and
I would recommend Morro de São Paulo over Salvador, but Salvador is interesting for a day or two. Both nights I was there I stayed in Pelourinho, which was interesting to walk around and eat. I do not know what else you would to in Salvador for more than 2-3 days unless it is Carnival .
In SP I would stay in Jardins or Itaim. The first time I visited I stayed in Morumbi, which does not offer a lot aside from the big chain hotels and a couple of malls.
As others have said I would recommend staying in Ipanema in Rio. Barra is too far out and
I would recommend Morro de São Paulo over Salvador, but Salvador is interesting for a day or two. Both nights I was there I stayed in Pelourinho, which was interesting to walk around and eat. I do not know what else you would to in Salvador for more than 2-3 days unless it is Carnival .
Jun 24, 2018, 11:22 am
#27
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,667
A good plan for Salvador is to see some of the tourist sights in the cooler, often overcast morning hours, spend the afternoon at one of the many beaches that go for miles, take a shower and plan for dinner and some live music in the breeze that comes up every evening. Perhaps take a more thorough look at my posts above for "what else you would to in Salvador for more than 2-3 days". Morro do Sao Paulo is a small beach town, very isolated, a bit frantic "in season", but very tranquil and relaxing/boring off-season. Boipeba and Marau are much more tranquil, especially in high season, and not much longer to get to .Salvador is a major city with lots of motion, color, music African culture/religion everywhere ......different things to do and see 24/7. I would recommend staying in a less intense and less touristed neighborhood than Pelourinho though. No comparison between Salvador and Morro de Sao Paulo. As I have mentioned before, Salvador grabs the spirit of some people; others, for their own reasons, can't wait to .get out of there fast enough.
Jul 16, 2018, 9:37 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
Once again, thank you all for the wonderful responses as we have been planning the trip for the last couple of months. I have more-or-less finalised on the below plan and wanted to run it by the experts here to see if we are being too ambitious or missing out on anything.
A few more quick questions if I may impose upon the helpful experts here :
1) We are planning to do Corcovado in the morning and Pao de Acucar around sunset based on reviews I've read. Are these the best times to go? I know Corcovado is less crowded early morning and I can book the train tickets in advance, but how bad is the wait for the cable car for Sugarloaf around 5pm or so?
2) Flamengo are playing Cruzeiro at the Maracana on one of the nights we are in Rio. It is a 2145hrs start, so likely close to midnight finish. Would it be safe/advisable for us to try to go to this game? Tickets seem to be only available to general public 2 days in advance unless you go through some tour agency who mark it up 100% or more? If we did decide to go to the game, is it safe to use the Metro to/from the game at the late hour? Any other tips that we should be aware of regarding attending a sporting event, especially with our very limited Portuguese vocabulary?
3) Is Tres Fronteras in Iguazu worth the effort to visit or is it just a tourist trap? I see very mixed reviews online - people either love it or hate it.
4) Keeping in mind how far East it is, how early is sunset/darkness in Recife in August and is it safe for us to be around the Recife Velho area after dark? We only have a short layover in the city and trying to maximise what we can do in a single evening.
Day 1 : Arrive GRU at 1600 hrs - staying at Hilton Sao Paulo Morumbi on points - Hotel to organise pickup/transfer from airport (BRL 400 approx)
Day 2 : Sao Paulo tourism (planning to go to Paulista Ave, Mercado Municipal, Liberdade, Ibirapuera Park) - this is a Sunday so plan to use Uber to get around primarily
Day 3 : Fly from CGH to SDU arriving 12 noon - staying at Best Western Arpoador Fashion Hotel on points - use Uber for both airport transfers
Day 3-4-5-6 : Rio tourism from Monday afternoon till Thursday afternoon - planning on visiting Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer (using the Train), tour of a favela, Botanical Gardens, CCBB, Metropolitan Cathedral, Maracana and of course Copacabana + Ipanema beaches.
Day 6 : Fly from GIG to IGU in the evening - arriving IGU at 1900 hrs - staying at Wish Golf Resort by GJP - Hotel will organise complimentary pickup from airport
Day 7 : Iguazu falls - planning on Helisul helicopter ride + Macuco Safari speedboat ride in addition to the regular viewing areas - possibly visit Tres Fronteras in the evening depending how tired we are
Day 8 : Fly from IGU to SSA departing 11am arriving 1600hrs - staying at Pestana Convento do Carmo. Hotel to organise IGU airport transfer. Uber from airport to hotel in Salvador.
Day 8-9-10 : Salvador tourism from Saturday evening to Monday afternoon. Lots of ideas but we will play the specific itinerary by ear depending on the weather.
Day 10 : Fly from SSA to REC arriving 1500 hrs - staying at Radisson Recife Boa Viagem - using Uber for both airport transfers
Day 10 : Head out to have a quick visit and dinner in Recife Velho late afternoon/early evening
Day 11 : Fly from REC to GRU and connect onward to home. Uber for airport transfer in Recife.
Day 2 : Sao Paulo tourism (planning to go to Paulista Ave, Mercado Municipal, Liberdade, Ibirapuera Park) - this is a Sunday so plan to use Uber to get around primarily
Day 3 : Fly from CGH to SDU arriving 12 noon - staying at Best Western Arpoador Fashion Hotel on points - use Uber for both airport transfers
Day 3-4-5-6 : Rio tourism from Monday afternoon till Thursday afternoon - planning on visiting Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer (using the Train), tour of a favela, Botanical Gardens, CCBB, Metropolitan Cathedral, Maracana and of course Copacabana + Ipanema beaches.
Day 6 : Fly from GIG to IGU in the evening - arriving IGU at 1900 hrs - staying at Wish Golf Resort by GJP - Hotel will organise complimentary pickup from airport
Day 7 : Iguazu falls - planning on Helisul helicopter ride + Macuco Safari speedboat ride in addition to the regular viewing areas - possibly visit Tres Fronteras in the evening depending how tired we are
Day 8 : Fly from IGU to SSA departing 11am arriving 1600hrs - staying at Pestana Convento do Carmo. Hotel to organise IGU airport transfer. Uber from airport to hotel in Salvador.
Day 8-9-10 : Salvador tourism from Saturday evening to Monday afternoon. Lots of ideas but we will play the specific itinerary by ear depending on the weather.
Day 10 : Fly from SSA to REC arriving 1500 hrs - staying at Radisson Recife Boa Viagem - using Uber for both airport transfers
Day 10 : Head out to have a quick visit and dinner in Recife Velho late afternoon/early evening
Day 11 : Fly from REC to GRU and connect onward to home. Uber for airport transfer in Recife.
1) We are planning to do Corcovado in the morning and Pao de Acucar around sunset based on reviews I've read. Are these the best times to go? I know Corcovado is less crowded early morning and I can book the train tickets in advance, but how bad is the wait for the cable car for Sugarloaf around 5pm or so?
2) Flamengo are playing Cruzeiro at the Maracana on one of the nights we are in Rio. It is a 2145hrs start, so likely close to midnight finish. Would it be safe/advisable for us to try to go to this game? Tickets seem to be only available to general public 2 days in advance unless you go through some tour agency who mark it up 100% or more? If we did decide to go to the game, is it safe to use the Metro to/from the game at the late hour? Any other tips that we should be aware of regarding attending a sporting event, especially with our very limited Portuguese vocabulary?
3) Is Tres Fronteras in Iguazu worth the effort to visit or is it just a tourist trap? I see very mixed reviews online - people either love it or hate it.
4) Keeping in mind how far East it is, how early is sunset/darkness in Recife in August and is it safe for us to be around the Recife Velho area after dark? We only have a short layover in the city and trying to maximise what we can do in a single evening.
Jul 16, 2018, 9:54 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
Oh, a couple more questions.
We are planning to get local SIM cards (although my work data plan gives me 1GB of free international roaming data monthly, I'd rather have a local number for Uber, etc..) purposes.
My research seems to show that we have 2 options :
1) The TIM Visitor SIM card which has special rates for international calling, but otherwise limits you to a specific plan and associated costs.
2) A regular SIM card which I need to register with my passport (in lieu of a CPF). With TIM at least, this can be registered/activated via telephone by trying to make a call and then being automatically directed to the activation line where English speaking operators can assist. Other operators may require me to visit a store with the passport to activate.
Presumably the latter option will be easier? Although there doesn't seem to be anywhere to buy a TIM sim card at GRU T2 arrivals. I will ask the hotel concierge though about options near the hotel though - I can't imagine the Hilton doesn't get this exact question on a regular basis.
Finally, how much cash should I plan on having on hand for 11 days? Do most places we are likely to visit take credit cards? Is it a Chip + PIN default like in Europe or are US type signature cards not viewed as unusual (specifically the Chase Sapphire Reserve)? If I withdraw around BRL 1500 at the start of the trip, is that likely to carry us through the 11 days with the rest of the spending by card?
We are planning to get local SIM cards (although my work data plan gives me 1GB of free international roaming data monthly, I'd rather have a local number for Uber, etc..) purposes.
My research seems to show that we have 2 options :
1) The TIM Visitor SIM card which has special rates for international calling, but otherwise limits you to a specific plan and associated costs.
2) A regular SIM card which I need to register with my passport (in lieu of a CPF). With TIM at least, this can be registered/activated via telephone by trying to make a call and then being automatically directed to the activation line where English speaking operators can assist. Other operators may require me to visit a store with the passport to activate.
Presumably the latter option will be easier? Although there doesn't seem to be anywhere to buy a TIM sim card at GRU T2 arrivals. I will ask the hotel concierge though about options near the hotel though - I can't imagine the Hilton doesn't get this exact question on a regular basis.
Finally, how much cash should I plan on having on hand for 11 days? Do most places we are likely to visit take credit cards? Is it a Chip + PIN default like in Europe or are US type signature cards not viewed as unusual (specifically the Chase Sapphire Reserve)? If I withdraw around BRL 1500 at the start of the trip, is that likely to carry us through the 11 days with the rest of the spending by card?
Jul 16, 2018, 11:07 am
#30
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 185
Chip and pin is standard but your chase card will be totally fine, I had that when I lived there, no problems at all. Many waiters and such will just be surprised when they hand the machine to you to enter the pin and you stare back blankly then they realize it’s a signature. As far as the favela tour, be careful and make sure your guide is really dialed in to the community. There is some seriously dangerous stuff going on in many of them now...