On the road again: Good morning Brazil!

Finally, that time of the year has come for me to travel again, this time to Brazil!

Every year or two, I plan to go on a big trip! I try to go for a long time in order to make the miles worth the trip.

This year has been very special, as I have done more than one holiday, but it seems it’s been ages since the last one.

I am still going through a lot of pictures and videos and will share more on my experience in Brazil soon.

Brazil in December

So in December, I was in…. Brazil!

Brazil is a HUGE country! I have seen only a part of it, but I have made 3 trips in 1: Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and of course my dream came true going to the magnificent Iguazu falls!

Brazil in December can be a little wet, it’s the beginning of the summer there, and 28 ºC can feel like 35! However do not worry, skies clear up very quickly and it’s rarely raining the whole day.

December is also starting to get busy because the Brazilian people have their big holidays at this time of the year, too.

But for me, escaping from the European winter for almost 3 weeks was simply awesome!

What a better way to recharge your batteries in order to face the rest of the winter!

Why choose Brazil as a holiday destination?

Brazil is great when coming from Europe because it’s only 3 to 4 hours time difference in December. Which makes it easy to adapt to the time zone.

Another great thing about Brazil, one of its hubs, Salvador de Bahia, is only 8 hours away from Lisboa, which is easily connected with any European city. So for me who can’t handle long flights, it’s probably the closest flight to South America!

How I found an affordable flight to Brazil

If you come from outside Europe, you may check on the airport website to see what direct flights are operating.

Once you find out, you can easily figure out what companies are operating and you can then check on any Online Travel Agent site to find the best deals.

Remember: Direct flights are always a more eco-friendly option than several ones. That’s because flights spend the most fuel during take-off and landing. So if you want to continue travelling, do it in a more conscious way, and make sure to offset your carbon footprint by taking many other actions during your day to day life like using public transport instead of owning a car for example, or any other things that are suitable for your lifestyle (don’t beat yourself up either!).

In my case, I was lucky enough to get a great deal with Tap Air Portugal. In my case, I usually don’t wait for last-minute offers. I prefer to book in advance as I have learnt over the years that it’s the best way to get good deals, although things may change.

How to find the best accommodation

As of hotels, I usually start my search in the same place I booked my flight, as they may offer you a higher discount on the hotels when booked as a package. However, if I don’t find what I need, I go on any website to search for a hotel, and then, I go directly to the hotel brand website as they often offer special deals when selling directly. You also support better the hoteliers as it avoids them paying a high commission to the OTA.

In Brazil, I would recommend Pousadas, because that way we help the local economy.
However, I have found very cheap options in historical places and 5-star hotels which were for me the best option for all my health needs (diet, mattress etc). I was assured to get all I needed! Although I must say I stayed in a Pousada as well, and I managed to get all I needed as well. But I had the opportunity to enjoy the experience of a 5-star historic hotel in Salvador at a very affordable rate so I took it! Just got lucky I guess!

What else can you expect in Brazil?

Brazil has so much to offer: wonderful landscape, history, culture, paradise beaches, delicious cuisine, friendly people, and lots of fun stuff to do! They absolutely love dancing and partying, so be ready, especially if you go to Rio or Salvador!

In many places, I also found lots of help for people with physical challenges. In Iguazu (Argentina side), the whole area is wheelchair accessible, it’s a an amazing job what they have done for accessibility! Plus if you have no wheelchair but cannot stand for a long time, you can request a special one.

All in all this trip has been one of my best trips ever!

I will give more details area by area later! Hope you start looking forward to it 🙂