Whatever you think you know about Rio de Janeiro is probably wrong.
The information that most international news sources publish about Rio de Janeiro is often misrepresentative of the Brazilian reality.
The opinions that many people outside of Brazil have about Rio are often formed by scene they see from Carnival, postcard images of the beaches and Christ the Redeemer. Maybe they see news reports about crime and drug violence and watch movies like Tropa de Elite and Cidade de Deus and think that Rio is completely unsafe to visit.
There is so much more to Rio de Janeiro than these tired stereotypes.
If you are planning a trip to Rio it is important that you get practical information that hasn’t been sensationalized to generate page views.
I recently sat down with my friend Adam Newman, an American who has been running a bed and breakfast in Rio de Janeiro for the past few years, to see what advice he has for those traveling to Rio de Janeiro.
In this interview Adam provides useful information and insider tips that will help you have a more enjoyable and less stressful trip to Rio.
:30 Adam’s story of how he came to Rio
1:00 What Adam loves about Rio
2:10 Lesser known things about Rio that are worth knowing about
3:18 What Adam tells his guests at his Bed and Breakfast when they first arrive in Rio
3:40 Is Rio a dangerous city?
4:02 How to stay safe while traveling to Rio de Janeiro
5:01 Tips for how to act in Rio to stay safe
5:30 How can a blonde hair, blue eyed gringo come to Rio and stay safe
6:33 How to minimize as much risk as possible during your stay in Rio
7:24 The neighborhood that everybody gets robbed in and how to not get robbed there
8:29 Other safe experiences that you can have in Rio on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9:30 Cool events on Tuesday and Thursday
10:04 TodoRio.com has tons of information about different events and venues around the city
10:18 Places to go hiking in Rio
10:41 An insider tip for saving money and having a cooler experience at a Pão de Açucar
11:26 An area of the city worth visiting that you won’t find about in guide books
12:23 How to get to the Complexo do Alemão
13:01 Are favelas dangerous?
14:03 Experiences you can have in the favela
14:34 Don’t go on a safari favela tour. Go on a walking tour in the favela.
15:05 Government sponsored favela tour in the Santa Marta favela
16:20 Where to stay if you want to have a typical beach experience
16:46 Where to go if you want to have a party experience
17:11 Where to stay if you want to be surrounded by nature
17:29 Where budget travelers should stay
18:10 The number 1 most important thing you should do in Rio
19:29 Learn Portuguese before you come to Brazil with culturally immersive Portuguese video courses.
19:50 How to find Adam: RioPalazzo.com and HauteHospitality.com
20:20 Email Adam: Info@RioPalazzo.com
Are you traveling to Rio soon? What’s on your mind?
