# Please help - Carnival 2012



## AfroPrince

Hi All,

I'm looking to book a ticket to Brazil for the 2012 Carnival and hope that someone can advise me on the best options for my trip. I'm from London UK and It'll be my very first time there. I'm looking to stay there from the 16th to the 22nd Feb 2012. I've been studying a few Brazilian Portuguese phrases so I'm not completely lost when I get there. I'll have roughly £1000 excl. ticket i think and I'll be traveling alone.

I really hope someone can help me with the following:

1. Specialist Travel Agent (Should I get a Plane ticket or package?)

2. Carnival ticket

3. Good priced(cheap) best location hotel (pref. near beach)

4. Places to visit (I will plan to go to Ipenema or Copacabana beaches)


Thanks so much for your advise! 

Prince


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## 2DaSilvas

*Hmmmm*

Dearest Afro Prince,

I am an American living in Sao Paulo for awhile now, however, I am familiar with Rio De Janeiro. The best advice I can give you ( and I wont sugar coat the pill) is the following: Brazil in general is SUPPPPPER expensive. Unless you plan on staying in a small ****ty village on the outskirts of the city, we are talking major money. I came here with a decent amount of cash in my bank account and went through it like it was nothing... and I have family over here! So that just tells you.. 

First off, the nice, safe hotels are about $50 American dollars a night or more... so about 100-150 R and up. I am not sure about your money system.. but perhaps you can compare. There is no breakfast included, or dinner or anything like that, and if there is, it is so tiny you will need to buy 3 extra meals to satisfy your hunger. The whole idea of "Customer Service" does not exist here unless you are wealthy and spending $500 or more at a pop. I am an extremely healthy American woman and am used to healthy green salads, a variety of legumes and meat. Here the salad that accompanies a meal is light green, not very healthy at all and about 12-13 R for a small ****ty plate in the city. Juice drinks freshly squeezed are about 4 R each and like I said, the quantity is horribly small. Sodas are cheaper but any kind of juice or power aid is extremely expensive. Your going to spend easy $100 American dollars per day just hanging out in the streets due to excessive thirst and hunger ( your coming at a very hot period... Rio will get up to 110 degrees at times). 

Next tip: PLEASE PLEASE DO learn portuguese. Most Brazilians are nice and will try to help you, but they quickly lose patience and you will feel stupid. Also, it is dangerous for you NOT to speak the language as you put yourself at risk to be robbed. Simple phrases are not good enough. Criminals here do NOT fit the typical description of a criminal and asking someone for help could lead you around a corner with three other dudes who may or may not rob you. The best advice would be to STAY with a Brazilian friend who you can trust or go with a whole group of your friends and dont leave their side. I am not trying to scare you, but it is THAT serious. During carnival esp. criminals know foreigners are arriving and look for victims. A beautiful girl might try to talk to you and really be a decoy for some dude to rob you. BE AWARE. DO NOT carry your IPOD, DO NOT carry your PASSPORT, DO NOT carry a bookbag, DO NOT carry cash... only SMALL amounts. BE smart and BE aware. Rio and Sao Paulo are extremely dangerous cities. I am telling you this because I know. This country is beautiful and DO enjoy it, but be smart. 

Good luck and god bless


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## Gavin123

Hey

I don't know if you will find this useful, might be able to get the carnival ticket cheaper... 

Travel to Brazil | STA Travel | Brazil 

If you are under 26 they will do it cheaper for you  

Also, if you are a student (?) you get further discounts. 

If all else fails maybe go on ebay or something? people sell tickets for festivals on there all the time so the same might apply for the rio carnival - just remember to go with trusted and highly rated sellers.


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