About.com Brazil Travel

Rio on a Budget: Hotel Novo Mundo in Flamengo

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:46 +0000

Hotel Novo Mundo, in Flamengo, is an option for Rio de Janeiro travelers on a budget. It has a pretty good location facing Guanabara Bay, and it's still got availability for New Year's Eve.

More Budget Hotels in Flamengo:

Rio on a Budget: Hotel Novo Mundo in Flamengo originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 07:42:46.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Nativity Scene Festival 2009 in Rio Opens Nov.29

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:24:08 +0000

Nativity scenes are one of the most traditional aspects of Christmas celebrations in Brazil. A festival in Rio de Janeiro highlights that tradition while making plenty of room for artistic freedom.

The Christmas Festival, or Nativity Scene Festival (Nov.29, 2009 - Jan.6, 2010) will feature 50 nativity scenes in the streets, at subway stations, at the airport. The techniques and styles vary greatly; the "Grafitti Nativity Scene" at the Lagoa entrance to the Rebou�as Tunnel, for example, was created by BR and Toz of the Fleshbeck Crew. Some of the nativity scenes have already been installed.

Nativity Scene Festival 2009 in Rio Opens Nov.29 originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 13:24:08.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Summer 2010 in B�zios: Find a Hotel

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:13:16 +0000

B�zios, one of the top beach destinations in Brazil, will be crowded soon. Right now is a great time to visit; the weather is already summer-like on the beautiful Costa do Sol (Sun Coast).

If you're visiting in the high season, it's time to find a hotel. The Villa Rasa Marina, for example, has already sold out for New Year's Eve. But there's still room for your sunny vacation in one of the city's many hotels, pousadas and guest houses.

I'm listing B�zios hotels by beach, but I haven't even started Jo�o Fernandes (coming soon), a beach dotted with pousadas that's a favorite with South American travelers. For more options, search B�zios hotels on Kayak.

Photo courtesy of Le Relais La Borie, one of the best hotels in B�zios.

Summer 2010 in B�zios: Find a Hotel originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 11:13:16.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

New Moon and Breaking Dawn in Brazil

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:14:18 +0000

New Moon opened today in about 600 movie theaters in Brazil. If you're a fan of the Twilight saga headed for Brazil on vacation and you'd like to share in the local passion for Lua Nova, as the movie is called in Portuguese, find a theater showing it on UOL Cinema. Check the drop boxes for state and city to the left.

At this point, as you can imagine, there's great anticipation in Brazil around Edward and Bella's honeymoon in Breaking Dawn (Amanhecer in Portuguese). When I read the book, I immediately thought that Angra dos Reis, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State and packed with private islands, could be a great location. But many other places would be suitable.

And it's a B�zios hotel that comes to my mind as a romantic haven in white, Cullen style. Browse some photos of the Casas Brancas ("White Houses") Boutique Hotel: not as private as Esme Cullen's island, but don't you think the look comes close?

Twilight Travel:

More About New Moon:

Kristen and Taylor in S�o Paulo:

Press conference photo gallery

Photo of Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Taylor Lautner (Jake) in New Moon � Summit Entertainment.

New Moon and Breaking Dawn in Brazil originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 22:14:18.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Thursday Night in Rio: Braseiro da G�vea

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:09:44 +0000

Thursday night in Rio, where to go? Try Braseiro da G�vea, one of the bars and restaurants in Baixo G�vea (Low G�vea) and a great one for flirting.

Pronounced BYE-shu GA-vya, this stretch of Rio's South Side near the Jockey Club racing track is at its most crowded on Thursdays and Sundays; Braseiro is also good at shaking off the Monday night blahs.

Thursday Night in Rio: Braseiro da G�vea originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 19:09:44.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Celebrate New Year's Eve 2010 at Rio's Jockey Club

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:57:00 +0000

You can still get tickets to one of Rio de Janeiro's top New Year's Eve 2010 parties, R�veillon at the Jockey Club.

The Jockey Club in Rio de Janeiro, founded in 1868, has a great structure for events and beautiful views of Rio's South Side, located as it is near the Corcovado and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. The VIP area of the party will have privileged views of the fireworks in Copacabana and Lagoa.

Celebrate New Year's Eve 2010 at Rio's Jockey Club originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 09:57:00.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Hotels for 2010 F1 Grand Prix in S�o Paulo

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:03:23 +0000

S�o Paulo will host the final race of the next Formula 1 season on the weekend of Nov.14, 2010.

The F�d�ration Internationale de l'Automobile has made the 2010 season a little longer than usual, with 19 races over eight months.

October, the month when the Interlagos GP usually takes place, is the busiest for S�o Paulo hotels, with about 57.36% of the occupancy for the year according to the S�o Paulo Convention & Visitors Bureau. In 2010, that trend is likely to shift to November. How long in advance should you book a hotel for the GP?

Five-star hotels where F1 teams stay, such as the Grand Hyatt, the Hilton S�o Paulo Morumbi or the Transam�rica, have already blocked out their rooms for the F1 weekend. You can e-mail them and request to be notified in case there are vacancies once all the F1 occupancy has been defined -- "possibly in September", a Transam�rica staff member told me today. The risk is having few options left elsewhere if those rooms aren't available at all.

Although many people book hotels as soon as the F1 calendar is released, a reservations representative at the Ibis Interlagos, a budget hotel near the circuit, said that six months is a reasonable timeframe. "However, that varies, and sometimes we've had rooms closer to race dates due to cancellations," she said.

Book a S�o Paulo hotel on Kayak

Photo: Jenson Button of Great Britain and Brawn GP drives on his way to winning the F1 World Drivers Championship at Interlagos on Oct. 18, 2009. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images.

Hotels for 2010 F1 Grand Prix in S�o Paulo originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 17:03:23.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Year of France in Brazil: Closing Show in S�o Paulo

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:29:13 +0000

The Year of France in Brazil officially ends today. In S�o Paulo, there will be a free closing show tonight at Ibirapuera Park, featuring DJ Yuksek (France), Les Tambours de Brazza (Congo) and DJ Marky (Brazil).

Several exhibits related to the Year of France in Brazil will continue past the official closing. One example in Rio de Janeiro is "Brazil, France and the Sea" at Espa�o Cultural da Marinha, through January.

Year of France in Brazil Show:

Great Marquee at Ibirapuera Park
Access through Gate 10
Tonight at 6 p.m.
Admission: Free

Photo �Year of Brazil in France

Year of France in Brazil: Closing Show in S�o Paulo originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 10:29:13.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Proclamation of Republic Day in Brazil

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:50:20 +0000

Today is Proclamation of Republic Day in Brazil. Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, who toppled Emperor Pedro II in 1889, is one of the national heroes honored in the Steel Book at the Nation's Pantheon in Bras�lia. The stars on the Brazil flag represent the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the day of the proclamation.

In Bras�lia, local cycling NGO Rodas da Paz (Wheels of Peace) celebrated with a bike ride this morning.

Photo: Ant�nio Cruz/Ag�ncia Brasil

Proclamation of Republic Day in Brazil originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 09:50:20.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

R�veillon Boutique 2010 in Florian�polis

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:30:41 +0000

Ricardo Kurtz, a young Brazilian entrepreneur, planned two of the best New Year's Eve beach parties in Brazil in 2008 and 2009. This year, he'll be back in Jurer� Internacional, a hip beach in Florian�polis, with a new party called R�veillon Boutique.

Like the 2008 and 2009 R�veillon Pimenta Lim�o, this party is going to have a dance floor in a tent built by the ocean. Featured DJs include Americans Miguel Migs and Dennis Ferrer as well as great Brazilian DJs (Mario Fischetti and Paulinho Boghosian, resident at Warung on Praia Brava, Itaja� are two of them).

The space near Villas del Sol y Mar will feature an LED panel and a laser show. Dinner will be provided by Bistr� d'Acampora, and there will be an open bar. Contact R�veillon Boutique for more information.

R�veillon Boutique 2010 in Florian�polis originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 13:30:41.

Permalink | Comment | Email this