BRAZIL TOURISM OVERVIEW - (Federative Republic of
Brazil):
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the largest in South
America. Brazil tourism has been very popular
for its Carnival, beaches, tropical climate, natural beauty and a tremendous
passion for football (soccer). There are several tourist attractions in Brazil
including the Amazon forests and Igazu falls. Music is also an important part of
the Brazilian community and dances like samba, bossa nova and choro are
considered to have been originated here.
It was colonized by Portuguese for over three centuries starting in 15th
century. This also explains why Portuguese is the most wide spread language
here. Brazil is a country of ethnic diversity, you will find people of
Portuguese, Black, European and Indian descents.
POPULAR TRAVEL AND BRAZIL TOURISM ATTRACTIONS:
Rio De Janeiro:
It was the capital of Brazil for about 200 years (1763-1960) and is
extremely famous for its yearly 4 day CARNIVAL celebration in February. Also not
to miss are the magnificent natural scenery, tourist beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, nightlife, giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer on the
Corcovado mountain, shopping complexes, cinemas, theaters, museums, rooms of
concert, show houses, art galleries and libraries. Brazil tourism offers a nice mixture of the Indian,
White and Black cultures. Portuguese explorers that arrived at Guabanara bay
were amazed because of Rio's extraordinary beauty and the city became wealthy
exporting diamonds, gold and sugar. Present capital of Brazil is Brasilia. Rio
is truly a remarkable travel and tourism destination.
Sao Paulo:
A city with all languages and accents, beliefs and tastes. With over 10 million inhabitants, it is the world's third largest city and the largest in South America
You will find a lot of religious, cultural and Brazil tourism historical sites. Popular places also include The Municipal Market, The Park of Ibirapuera, The Zoo, The Trianón Park.
Barra Grande is a beautiful tourist village in the south coast of state
of Bahia, in north east Brazil. Barra Grande is famous for its untouched
tropical beauty which includes its beaches, forests, rivers and waterfalls. It
is located in the Peninsula of Marau and has the charm of an old fisherman
village.
Ilha Grande is a beautiful island located just 100 miles from Rio, very
popular spot for Brazil tourism. Its an
island covered by tropical forest, white sand beaches, famous for its scenic
beauty, swaying palms, adventurous diving activity, rugged landscape and
luxuriant vegetation. Unlike Rio which is vibrating modern city, Ilha Grande is
largely undeveloped and thus gives the tourists to enjoy the untouched beauty of
this island.
Trancoso is a small and popular town in the state of Bahia. Brazil is
famous for Carnival and beaches of Rio but nothing beats the white sands and
emerald seas of Trancoso. It possesses a 12 kilometer area of crystalline
beaches and exuberant vegetation. The beaches are the most beautiful of the
region.
Buzios (or Armacao dos buzios) is a famous is a coastal city located
about two hours ( about 175 km) north from Rio de Janeiro. Its a tiny fishing
village beautiful white sandy beaches, nightlife and a perfect place to relax,
offering high quality of Brazil tourism services to both domestic and international tourists.
Noronha is a famous archipelago 545 km away from the Brazil's shore line
in the Atlantic ocean with a total area of 18.5 square kilometers.
Florianopolis or Floripa is located in southern Brazil with an area of
about 436 square kilometers. It is the capital of Santa Catarina State and its
main island 'Santa Catarina' is known for its amazingly beautiful beaches,
traditional Azorean fishing villages and of course an excellent seafood.
TRANSPORTATION:
In Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road. In Rio de Janeiro,
buses are the main means of mass transportation. Rio de Janeiro has two subway
lines (Metro Rio) and several commuter rail lines.
ELECTRICITY:
220V ,60Hz (Some hotels provide 110V outlets too)
RELIGION:
Roman Catholic.
LANGUAGE:
Portuguese. Some people also speak Spanish, English and French.
CURRENCY
BRL - Brazilian Real( 1 US Dollar = 1.68 BRL)
(For latest exchange rate goto :
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=BRL).
TIME ZONE:
There are 4 time zones in Brazil. The time in most of Brazil visited by foreign
tourists (ex Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasilia, Bahia) is three hours behind
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-3).
VISA and Embassy- Brazil Tourism:
Brazil has a reciprocal visa policy with all countries. Therefore visas are required for tourists of many nationalities, including Australia,
Canada, European Union nations and the USA; Tourist visas are generally granted
for a period of 90 days, with one extension of up to 90 days possible. Please
check your nearest consulate for latest visa information.
San Francisco:www.brazilsf.org/visa_tourist_eng.htm,
NEW York: www.brazilny.org
Canada: www.consbrastoronto.org
London: www.brazil.org.uk
Australia: www.brazil.embassy.gov.au
CAUTIONS FOR BRAZIL TOURISM:
Most visits to Brazil are trouble-free but keep in mind that Rio has large
disparities between rich and poor. The worst of the poorer areas are known as 'favelas'
and are troubled by widespread drug-related crime, gang warfare and lack of
sanitation and other issues. Try to take taxis belonging to the airport's own
service. Tourists should be careful going out after dark. Precaution and
Immunization should be taken with Yellow fever, typhoid, Malaria and Cholera so
health insurance for Brazil is recommended. You should drink bottled water, eat
proper cooked food and boiled milk. Readers are advised to visit US Department
of State Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel and http://travel.state.gov/travel/brazil.html
for safety, travel and brazil tourism guidelines.
