Why Brazil is one of the Best Places on Earth to Travel
Ok, first, don't worry, I'm not in jail.
That lead photo below was from my first night going out in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The party my friend Marleny and I ended up at was "Cowboy and Jail-themed," hence the fake jail.
You see, from the first day to the last day of our month-long travels through Brazil in 2005, Brazil surprised and delighted us. I simply have to write about it now, in 2012, because it's one of the best places on Earth I've ever visited, so we've got to get it into this blog!
I was initially terrified to visit Brazil. My brother, David, had moved to Rio for a semester abroad during college, and my dear buddy, Marleny, started obsessively proposing that we simultaneously visit David and tour the country.
"But I hear it's so dangerous there!" I protested.
"No it's not," rebutted both Marleny and my brother. "It's one of those places where, if you're smart, you'll be fine. Like New York!"
And thus we ended up with a raucous, ridiculously fun, and 100% safe travel summer in Brazil. We toured Sao Paulo, Rio (my favorite!), Salvador, the paradise island of Morro de Sao Paulo, and massive Iguazu Falls. Wow!
Here's why we loved Brazil travel so much:
1. FUN.
Of the 30-something countries I've visited, Brazil is #1 in terms of overall fun-in-the-air feeling. Maybe it's the sun, or the smiles, or the music, or the food, or the fact that they have Cowboy-and-Jail-themed parties, but we were giddy with fun the whole time in Brazil.
2. FOOD.
Where to begin... Brazil has tons of restaurants where you pay by the kilo and serve yourself, buffet-style, from heaping piles of fresh cooking. Brazil also has the lots-of-meat-on-sticks-in-your-face deliciousness known as Churrasco. The country is also teeming with tropical fruits and berries (and their fresh juices!), from pineapple to acai.
3. VALUE.
It is insane how inexpensively Marleny and I were able to live it up in Brazil. Quality backpacker hotels and hostels were abundant and cheap, food was abundant and cheap, and in-country travel options were easy and cheap... even our 15 hour bus ride to Iguazu Falls. The only problem came in readjusting back to home prices. I got so spoiled ordering $1 freshly-squeezed exotic fruit juices that, once back in the U.S., I nearly punched the clerk in Boston who charged me $6 for a "tropical fruit smoothie" from frozen fruit!
4. BEAUTY.
The whole time he lived in Brazil (and years later for that matter), my brother delighted in sending us email links to every award Brazil won for "Most Beautiful Beaches" or "Most Beautiful Scenery," or even "Most Beautiful People."
But you really have to admit: Brazil is gorgeous, no matter what type of beauty floats your boat. I spent much of my time in Rio muttering, "How is it possible that a shopping street this chic is next to a set of mountains this grand, which is next to beaches this luscious? Zowie!"
5. FRIENDLINESS.
Locals were outgoing and open, and fellow tourists were amiable and easy to connect with. We were never lonely in Brazil, with so many new friends every day. Many of them we still keep in touch with to this day!
6. CLIMATE.
Since Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, our summer is their winter, meaning we visited in the heart of their winter... and yet the weather was perfect!
7. HISTORY.
My brother wrote his Thesis in college about Brazilian History, thus giving me a taste of the richness Brazil has to offer. David explains: "Brazil’s history is fascinating and frustrating. In the words of historian Marshall Eakin, it is “a nation of paradoxes”. For one, Brazil received more African slaves than any country (8 times more than the U.S.!) and it didn’t abolish slavery until 1888." Some call Brazil a "Racial Democracy," while others critique its brutal history of income stratification.
8. DIVERSITY.
David explains, "Home to the Amazon Rainforest and the lush Pantanal wetlands, Brazil arguably has the most diverse set of ecosystems on earth. Brazil's human population is also incredibly diverse. It actually includes the largest African population outside of Nigeria, the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, and more Lebanese people than anywhere (including Lebanon!)." Wowza!
9. BEACHES.
In the words of my brother, "Brazil has over 4,600 miles of coastline, meaning there are countless pristine, sun-kissed, aquamarine beaches to choose from."
Yup! And did I mention that Marleny and I got a private room with a porch and two hammocks right on the beach in Morro de Sao Paulo for the price of a cheap dinner back in Boston?
10. DANCING AND MUSIC.
I was doing a Zumba dance fitness exercise video at home yesterday, and a Samba song from Brazil came on. "Yay!" I squealed, as a flood of memories came back. There is something so fun and accessible about Brazilian music! It makes you want to join in and jump around, no matter how gangly you are. And, yes, you WILL have the song "Girl from Ipanema" stuck in your head your whole trip.
11. IMPORTANCE.
As my brother points out, "Brazil has the world’s 5th largest population, 6th largest economy (it just passed the United Kingdom), and a land mass larger than the continental U.S."
It's worth it to pay attention to Brazil, because it's important. And it's fun!
Indeed, we loved Brazil, and we bet you will, too!
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
Brazil is nice place to venture. Great tips.
Hey, my friend and I are thinking of travelling to Brazil after our last year of highschool. How was the language barrier in Brazil? Do u speak portuguese? My friend and I understand spanish pretty well but not portuguese
Hi Eve,
Thanks for your message. Exciting travel possibilities!
First, please keep in mind that I wrote this article quite a while ago, so I can't guarantee it's still accurate. That said, when I was in Brazil, I did not find the language barrier an issue. My friend and I speak Spanish, and with that and English, we were able to get by no problem. There were also a lot of friendly, bilingual people who were a great help.
Happy travels!
Hi! I'm a Brazilian girl and I loved your article!! Brazil has got many beautiful northeast's cities, for example : Maceió, Recife, Salvador and others. We have got São João Party that's looks like Carnival or Réveillon. I love this Party!!(sorry if I wrote something wrong, I don't speak English fluently). ðŸ˜
Thanks for reading the article and leaving a comment! We didn't get to the northeast, but I've heard wonderful things!
If I am planing to travel on a winter vacation and I am choosing between Brazil and China. Which country is suitable for a 20 year old guy. If I am looking for an unforgetable trip.
Hi Mo,
I'd definitely say Brazil for a fun time. I found China very intense to travel in, and would be unforgettable, but also has many challenges:. Here's my article about the challenges of China travel: https://www.aroundtheworldl.com/2011/08/28/why-china-is-the-most-intense-country-i-have-traveled-to/
Wow sound amazing!.. My boyfriend's Brazilian and I will visit this year! .. And your blog is amazing!! Thanks!
And also can you please tell me the name of the place in Morro de Sao Paulo?? sounds amazing!!
Thank you! Unfortunately, my trip to Brazil was several years ago and I forget the name of the hotel. :( I'm sure there are many good options out there. Have a wonderful time!
Hi Lillie!!!
I'm a brazilian and I really loved to read this article!!
I love living here but sometimes I want go out because of the highly tax we are paying for.. it is unfair
My dream is to know New York City or Toronto.
I agree with all of these except for #3... Brazil is by no means CHEAP! It is one of the most expensive countries I have ever visited. The ridiculous taxes on imports and the offensively high cost of living that does not match the salaries of the people who live there. What year did you travel here? Maybe you should take out number 3, because it's definitely not true anymore! I'm currently living in Brazil and agree it's an amazing country, yet I find myself struggling and I have a "high salary" for Brazil.
You make a great point. I traveled there several years ago, and have heard prices have skyrocketed with all the huge events going on there now, such as the World Cup. Thanks for the edit!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences in Brazil. It's always great to meet new friends on our trips. Our new friends would make our trip more memorable.
It sounds amazing! I'm going to Brazil for the first time in June and I absolutely cannot wait. Some of the facts from your brother are also really interesting to find out about. Great post!
Thank you! You'll have a GREAT time!
Very true and lovely, but I wonder if you met as much as obnoxious, pushy guys as I did....that for me was a bit too much and annoying for my taste. The rest was amazing and beautiful.....just like you said!
I'm brazilian, and I loved to read it :-)
Brazil is one of the countries that is in the top five of my travel bucket list. In my university I got to know a few guys from Brazil and every time they tell me about the dancing on the beach, the beautiful girls who dance to hip hop music and the nights where the party never ends, I want to go there more and more.
I also thought that this country might be dangerous but all of my Brazil friends told me that it is the same in every city. Some areas are great, others aren't.
Now I dream a little bit more about Brazil and the ocean, endless beaches and pretty girls...
As a brazilian woman, I just loved your article!!! =)
Oh good :)
This is a great article and I love the pictures. I have traveled to Argentina a few times and my favorite place to visit is Iguazu Falls. The views are great and you always meet new people.
Fascinating post!
i'm brazilian and we love receive tourist. And here we love football, watching a soccer game here is much cheaper than a football game in the U.S.
But Brazil is not perfect, we suffer the lack of unemployment, unequal social and especially our government is very corrupt, it's so sad, if one day we had a government like the U.S., we would be the happiest nation in the world!
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Wow, lots of views on this post...and for good reason it seems! We have yet to go to Brazil, oddly enough we almost bought an apartment there, but decided to travel for a couple of years instead. We will for sure, 100% go there soon! Thanks for the great post, Brazil sounds awesome.
Cheers!
Yes, my brother still rubs in in my face that he contributed to such a popular article. :) Yes, go Brazil!
OMG!!! I'm like so obsessed with brazil, I have not had the change to go there but it just seems like a dream place and reading this it's like paradise. Anyways I'm hoping to go next summer, so excited!!,. But question, what you think about going to live there and looking for a job?
Exciting! If you dream of looking for a job there, give it a shot! Best of luck!
You're soooo lucky.
You don't have to be lucky to travel-- Just organize yourself to save and make it happen! :)
Hi, just found your blog. I moved to Rio in December, and I must say, I agree with all of your points. People, food, beaches, climate... I love Brazil!
Triple yay!
I am planning on visiting Brazil during the summer for 3 weeks. Would you recommend traveling during the month of June, July, or August? Additionally, what resources do you recommend that I read to learn more about the best regions to visit?
Thanks!
Stephanie,
How exciting! It was several years ago that I was in Brazil, so there are better people than me to give you specific month and travel specifics. For your research, I'd start with a Google search like: "Brazil travel blog" or "best places to visit in Brazil" and see what you find. Many travel bloggers are very accessible, so if you find a blogger with useful expertise, comment or message to them. Another good resource is the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum.
Have a wonderful trip!
What did your brother study in college?
History. He lived in Brazil for months to study Portuguese and to research for his thesis about a famous slave revolt in Rio long ago.