Sign in with Facebook"City of God" Rio de Janeiro by Dabs
Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide: 3,628 reviews and 6,543 photos
I'll admit that I went to Rio de Janeiro a bit reluctantly, took the hubby a couple of years to convince me. Every movie I saw, every newspaper article I read, every book I picked up on Rio painted this place in such a negative light, I wondered why are people so fascinated by this place?
Yes, there are beautiful beaches populated by fabulously tanned and toned bodies, the beaches themselves surrounded by a magnificent landscape. But I was uncomfortable for much of the time we were there, always cognizent of the high crime rate and poverty, the prostitutes working openly along Av. Atlantica. I've visited a lot of large cities in Europe, the US and Canada and have never felt that way.
My intent is not to dissuade people from visiting Rio, after all besides a easily removable spot of mustard on my shoe, I encountered nothing else unpleasant on our visit. But the constant vigilance got to me and I found I didn't really relax until we had moved on to our next destination. If you do go to Rio, give some thought to doing some of your touring with a guide or better yet, hooking up with a local VTer, as I was putting together my tips, I noticed that the things that we REALLY enjoyed were all done with our excellent guide, Wilson, who knew the ins and outs of Rio.
- Pros:A feast for the eyes
- Cons:Heartwrenching poverty, lots of vice
Reviews (31)
Sunday market
Shopping
(3)
I was really bummed when we woke up Sunday morning to the sound of pouring rain because one of the things I really... more travel advice
Copacabana beach
Things to Do
(5)
Even though we were staying right on Copacabana beach, we only walked a small portion of it before heading back to the... more travel advice
Favelas
Warnings and Dangers
(5)
Favelas are the slums of Rio, I've seen statistics that estimate that anywhere from 1/5 to 1/3 of Rio's population live... more travel advice
Buffet food by the kilogram
Restaurants
(5)
We had been heading to a place called Kilogram, which has a similar format to Broth, when the mustard was flung on my... more travel advice
Travelogues (2)
- 1
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Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
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Budget Travel
Historical Travel
Castles and PalacesLatest Rio de Janeiro hotel reviews
- Iberostar Copacabana Hotel
- 135 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 10, 2013 - Copacabana Palace
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Latest: May 14, 2013 - Praia Ipanema Hotel
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Latest: May 10, 2013 - Excelsior Copacabana Hotel Rio De Janeiro
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Latest: May 6, 2013 - Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel
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Latest: May 17, 2013 - Ducasse Rio Hotel
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Latest: Aug 11, 2011 - Gloria Hotel
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Latest: Jan 26, 2010 - Copa Sul Hotel
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Latest: Apr 29, 2013 - Best Western Rio Copa Hotel
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Latest: Apr 16, 2013 - Hotel Itajuba
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Latest: Feb 22, 2013 - Hotel Ipanema Inn
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Latest: May 7, 2013 - Best Western Sol Ipanema Hotel
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Latest: Apr 20, 2013 - Hotel Pousada Galeao
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Latest: Feb 19, 2012 - Luxor Aeroporto Hotel Rio De Janeiro
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Latest: Apr 25, 2013 - Royal Rio Palace
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Latest: Apr 26, 2013
Comments (27)
Good idea to hire a guide, especially since yours turned out to be so friendly and competent.
Thanks for checking out Rio, wasn't one of my favorite places especially after the mustard incident!
Very helpful tips for anyone traveling to Rio. I used the same tour group and enjoyed there service.
Solve this problem by wearing sandals whenever possible.
Planned on using Brazil Exped. to book our hotel. Was a little concerned as the person wants us to pay them unfront cash for the hotel directly once they pick us up from the airport. This seems really odd. Any thoughts, or am I worrying for nothing?
MustardOnTheShoe EXTREMELY HELPFUL! On my first day walking along Av. Atlantica, a guy starts pointing my shoe, somehow I had dog crap on it. Since, I have read your post I didnt pay attention to the man and walked awayt quickly. thank you
Your choice to hire a guide was a wise decision, Kristi. Your restaurant encounters sounded delicious--the sports venue very exciting and the tips on warnings really helpful!! I enjoyed touring your page on Rio de Janeiro... THANKS!
Very helpful tips on Rio. We've been undecided about whether to visit here when we're in south America as you hear both good and bad things about the city. Good film tips too - I've seen some of the ones you mention, must look out for the others.
Very interesting and helpful tips. I didn't know about the Visa requirements. We hope to get down that way someday. I have a sister who spent four years in Brazil.
Great pages on Rio... looks absolutely amazing... I so want to visit there... and how big is that staduim... wow... must have an electric atmosphere when its full to capacity.
Good page! I'd love to visit Brazil, I have family in Rio so I have double motivation. I suggest another movie, Orfeo negro (a bit old), with Carnival ambience and a delicious song by Vinicius de Morais (Tristessa nao ten fin, felicidade si). Cheers