"Rio de Janeiro - My favourite place on... " a Rio de Janeiro Travel Page by Willettsworld

So why is Rio de Janeiro my favourite place on earth? Well in my mind it has virtually everything to offer:

Beautiful world famous beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema
Wonderful panoramic mountain top views from Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado and from Sugarloaf.
Great colonial architecture such as the NS de Candelaria church and the Mosteiro de Sao Bento as well as modern architecture in the form of the Metropolitan cathedral and Petrobras building.
Beautiful rainforests and gardens such as the Floresta da Tijuca, Quinta da Boa Vista and the Botanical Gardens.
Some nice museums for rainy days such as the National museum of natural history, Republic museum and the Indian museum.
Great sporting and outdoor activites including football, beach volleyball, rock climbing, cycling, diving and fishing.
A lively and everything goes attitude in the form of nightlife.
And finally the world famous spectacular Carnaval which needs no introduction.

I've visited Rio two times. The first visit was as part of a South America tour I did in October 2003 when I came to Rio for 5 days before heading to Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Santiago and Asunción before coming back to Rio in order to fly back home. I fell in love with Rio when I first saw Copacabana beach from the top of my hotel (the photo above). When I left I wanted to come back again but to experience Carnaval. So in February 2005 I returned for my second visit and spent a week here visiting places I hadn't seen on my first visit and some places I had. The lure of Rio to come back for a third time has been strong whilst writing this page and my tips. Rio is like a drug. Once taken, it's very hard to say no again!

STOP PRESS: Update 3/4/07 - I've just returned from my third trip to Rio. New tips have been added and older tips updated.