Brazil Holidays

Locations
Brazil is a super holiday destination with a huge variety of things to see and do – jungle, beautiful beaches, historic towns, beautiful cities, the biggest waterfall in South America. We are offering holidays in Rio the pulsating city with the best beach life, Salvador a Unesco World Heritage site and later in the year Natal in the North East corner. We have an excellent range of hotels.

Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a one of Brazil’s most major cities and subsequently offers great shopping opportunities. The balmy beachside avenues offer a range of chic boutiques and malls although the most exclusive shopping district is Ipanema. Street fairs and markets sell all manner of goods from world-renowned brands to locally crafted items such as tiled ceramics, leather goods, coffee, kites and gold jewellery with gemstones.

Salvador
Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia and was one of the first areas of Brazil to be colonised. Visitors can marvel at the city’s beautiful array of architecture in what is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Salvador was also the centre of the country’s slave trade and as a result Afro-Brazilian culture is still going strong. Examples of the region’s unique culture include Capoeira (a cross between a dance and a martial art) and Candomble, a religion with African roots and enchanting ceremonies. All this is combined with miles and miles of the world’s most fantastic and unspoiled beaches and year round tropical warmth.

Natal
This is the nearest part of Brazil to the UK and is only 8.5 hours flying away. There is mile after mile of beautiful sandy coast. Visitors can enjoy thrilling rides along the beaches in a dune buggy, go dolphin and whale watching or sample some delicious local seafood dishes. In November of this year there will be non stop charters from England.

Basic Information

Language
Portuguese is the official language. Although English is spoken in some establishments catering for tourists, we suggest you take a Portuguese phrase book containing Latin American usage with you.

Currency
Brazilian real (R$) is divided into 100 centavos (¢). Coins from 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos to 1 real. Notes from 1, 5, 10 and 50 to 100 reals. Notes are all the same size and are differentiated by colour. US dollar traveller’s cheques and all major credit cards are accepted. ATM machines are available.

Electricity
110/220 volts AC 60 Hz. Plugs should have two round rather than flat pins.

Banks
Opening hours Mon-Fri 10.00 a.m. – 14.00 p.m.

Driving
Driving is on the right.

Time difference
GMT – 3 hours

Tipping and local customs
10% is generally expected in cafes, restaurants and hotels where service is not included on the bill. Taxi drivers also expect a 10% tip.

Water
Bottled mineral water is recommended.

Visas
British passport holders will have to fill in an entry card for a tourist visa on arrival in Brazil. This should be re-checked on booking for any changes. A full ten-year passport is required with at least six months validity.

Tourist information
www.embratur.gov.br
www.brazil.org.uk