Officially founded in 1612 by French naval officer Daniel de la Touche de la Ravardière, São Luís is the state capital of Maranhão and known as the reggae capital of Brazil . Samba, forro and frevo might hold sway in other parts of the North East, but here in São Luís the good times are…
Tag: brazil
Five landscapes you have to see on your South American trip
South America isn’t short of spectacular landscapes, many of which I’ve been lucky enough to visit over the past ten years. Stunning salt flats, dramatic table-top mountains, thousands of waterfalls and snow-capped volcanoes, there’s something for everyone. Not to mention the world’s longest river, the Amazon which drifts through thousands of acres of primary rainforest….
Four places to relax in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is a vibrant city that wears its heart on its sleeve and lives its life on the street. Thousands of people will surround you everywhere you go, but what happens if you want to escape the crowds for a while? Luckily Rio has plenty of options when you want to relax for a moment,…
Brazil and Chile trip plans!
I’m just a little bit excited that in just over two weeks from now I’ll be back in South America, a fantastic end to a packed year of travel. Our original idea was to split our two-week stay between Brazil and Argentina, but fate (and outrageously high costs in Argentina) had other plans. So now we’re…
4 places to walk on the wild side in Brazil – a post for Backpack South America
A little while ago I wrote a post for Backpack South America about 4 of the best places to walk on the wild side and experience nature in Brazil. ‘Brazil has an incredible variety of landscapes; from table mountains and red rocks to watery wonderlands. Epic sweeping views, on a scale we don’t get…
Visiting Rio 2016? 5 amazing places to extend your Olympic stay
Are you planning a visit to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics? Thinking of extending your stay but not sure where to go? The sheer size of Brazil can make it overwhelming to pick one or two places to extend your stay, but I’m here to help with 5 places that top my list. 1….
How to book bus tickets in Brazil
Want to book bus tickets for Brazil but confused how to do it online? Not sure how easy it is to buy tickets in person? Then I’m here to help. When we first travelled to Brazil back in 2007 it was pretty difficult, if not impossible, to buy tickets online before starting our trip. For one…
Revisiting an icon – when is the best time to visit Iguazu Falls?
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Iguazu Falls twice now and it’s definitely an amazing place to add to your South American trip. But the two experiences were quite different; one in February (summer) and one in July (winter), when the water reached exceptionally high levels due to floods in Parana state. You can read…
My first travel video, the BBC and World Travel Market
In the spirit of trying new things, I’ve made my first travel video! It’s highlights of my trip to Bolivia and Brazil this summer, set to one of my favourite tracks. Hope you like it, feedback welcome! I made the video with a free video editing app called KineMaster, which I heard about on a…
How to spend a rainy day in Bonito, Brazil
I know you probably have a lovely idea of Brazil, bathed in constant warm sub-tropical sunshine, Well, you know what comes with sun in the tropics? Yes, rainstorms. We planned two days in Bonito, the eco-tourism capital of Mato Grosso do Sul; one to enjoy the town, do a little laundry, check out a bar…