The Beaches
Ipanema
We were staying in Ipanema so after along flight we ambled down to the beach to spend the day recuperating. The beach itself was phenomenal. Golden sand, gorgeous blue water...I was in my element. Unfortunately, until I get my disposable camera developed I am lacking in photos but believe me...it was AMAZING! This brings me on to an important point, do not flash your wealth whilst in Rio, you will become a target for pickpockets. Also, do not take your valuables to the beach, often they are stolen whilst you are in the water, be careful, be wary and be smart. You wouldn't leave your valuables alone at home so why change in a different country. Also, hire chairs or bring a bed sheet or sarong to lie on, towels are considered very touristy and you again could be a potential target! There are sellers for everything here, whether it be sarongs, caipirinhas or water, there will be a someone selling it on the beach.
Copacabana
This beach has better eateries beside it and a lot more sellers. You have great views of the Sugarloaf Mountain, again you will have to wait for the disposables! I would advise the same regarding valuables and beach etiquette. Also, get ready to see a lot of speedos and thong bikinis...apparently less is definitely more here!
Garota di Ipanema
We were recommended this restaurant by someone staying in our hostel. It was literally on our doorstep so if you were staying at Mango Tree it is great if you cannot be bothered to cook etc. This restaurant gets very busy very quickly so if you are in a large party or want a table looking out of restaurant, I would recommend booking. We noticed here that the portion sizes are massive, so often main meals are best to share between two. We ordered garlic steak, rice and what we thought we chips...turns out they were crisps. Nevertheless, the food here was really good and the service was too. Something to take a note of; bills in Brazil come with a 10% cover charge, whether this is in a restaurant or a bar.
Christ Redeemer
It wouldn't be a trip to Rio without seeing this famous monument. There are two main ways to get to e Christ Redeemer; tram or van. We picked to use the tram because it was cheaper and we could get a public bus for R$3 to the Trem de Corcovado (The tram station). The trams themselves are every 20 minutes. *WARNING* If you have vertigo, the tram is not for you because it is quite steep so may not be very enjoyable!
One interesting point regarding a visit to the Christ Redeemer, is whether you book online or you pay in person. I personally think this depends on: what day you are going, what time of year you are going, what you are planning to do for the remainder of the day. We didn't book online because we were informed it wasn't necessary by people who had been before and also from staff at our hostel, plus it is more expensive to book online. We arrived at just after 12 and were informed that the next available tram was for 4:20. Bare in mind, we went on a Saturday so it was obviously going to be busy. We booked this tram because we had no other time to see the attraction and because we were already there so in his time went for lunch. So when making your decision to book or to not book, if you are going on a weekday and only plan on doing this that day, then don't book...otherwise really consider it.
Anyway back to the tram, we were lucky to be able to get on the 4oclock tram in the end... I am not sure why but a worker asked if we would like to go on the 4oclock rather than the 4:20 and we Ernest going to say no. The tram ride itself, showed the best panoramic views of the city.
Once you arrive at the monument, you can either take the lift or walk up. Just walk, the line to get in the lift is ridiculous and the walk takes two minutes. Once you are up there,regardless of the stautue the views are amazing. The day we went was abit foggy and it still looked spectacular.
I would definitely recommend making a trip here if you are in Rio, if only to take touristy photos of you doing the infamous pose...GUILTY.
Mamma Rosa's
This was a recommendation from a member of staff at the tram station. If you come out of the tram station and turn right, carry on for about ten minutes and it's on the left hand side of the road. We again shared a steak but this time ordered broccoli rice and chips. This was more than enough for two people but again was such a good filling lunch. I would really recommend eating steak if you come out to Brazil because you get such good value for money! This place is perfect if you have some time to kill before or after going to see the Christ Redeemer.
Out in Ipanema
The nightlife in Rio is notorious, wherever you are there is something going on. We were advised that as two young girls who don't know Portuguese, the infamous Lapa may not be be best idea. On hearing this we decided to go out around Ipanema. After a drink at our hostel we headed out, there are numerous bars in Ipanema so decide on which one has he best music/atmosphere/drinks prices and have fun! After a few caipirinhas, we then went on to Bar emporio which is free to get in to! Make note that bars will also put 10% on to bills so be wary! I had an amazing night and would definitely recommend Ipanema for a good night out!
Sugar Loaf Mountain
Again, if you have vertigo unfortunately this attraction is not for you. Sugar load mountain or Pao de Acuçar, is a mountain in Rio in which you can take a cable car first to Mount Urca? And then on to Sugarloaf where you are met with the most amazing views!
We took the public bus, if you choose to do the same the bus stop is not clear but you will drive down a road where there are colonial buildings and a military base.
If possible I would advise you to eat before going because one of the restaurants at the half way point does not always serve food and the selection after this is not great and very expensive. However, if you do want a snack I would definitely recommend the fruit pot place but remember that you pay by weight here.
As well as the amazing view, you will be met by little monkeys scampering around. Just remember to not feed them!
The views from the top of the mountain are phenomenal! The pictures don't even get close to doing it justice.
Si Señor
This is a Mexican restaurant we visited in the Ipanema area. For a good price and good portions you can get fajitas, enchiladas, burritos and much more. I ended up getting a burrito and had chicken and also machaca which is shredded beef with pepper- definitely worth a try! We had churros for dessert which were sublime but I feel I a biased because I have such a sweet tooth.
All in all, we had very attentive service and a good meal I would definitely recommend checking this place out.
Rayz
This bar/restaurant is very near Ipanema beach. For R$20, there is an all you can eat buffet with fruit, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, pasta dishes and all different types of potatoes- so something to please everybody! The staff here are really nice, I managed to misplace my ring in there and they all banded together to help me find it, which I did so I owe the staff big time.
No comments:
Post a Comment