I was enjoying my last days of my vacation, this was around the corner and I finally had the chance…read moreto check it out. Here was my experience on a Friday afternoon. AMBIANCE: Parking: Street parking but it's better Brazil, so you're best with public transportation. TL; DR OVERALL: 4 Stars. It's a wonderful location, you're not too far away from eateries and other stuff. You're not too far from the beach soooo good stuff. I enjoyed the exhibits and learned about Brazilian culture, relaxing here was pretty fun too. TIPS: * If the beach is too hot and need a break from that beach life, this a nice place to relax. * If you're lucky, you'll run into a vendor selling coconut water at a pretty solid price

Service was very good. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Menu has many vegan options and also…read moreoptions for beef, chicken, fish, etc.

There is nothing in the world like the Rio Carnival. Madre Gras of New Orleans is fun but not even…read morea "carnival," more like drunken brawl. Beware of their drink, the "hurricane." It will blow you away. The same pretty much goes for the one in Sydney and the one in Munich too. And yes, I've been to them all. Rio Carnival has samba like no other place. Samba is its heart and its soul. The Schools of Samba work hard and long all year long perfecting their customs and their samba dance. The schools range from the up to date modern glittering of light 14 time winner, Beija-Flor (my favorite) to the deep African rooted traditionalists of Manguaria. IMPORTANT: don't wear fancy watches, jewelry or carry anything loose. There are thieves all over Rio and they are very good at what they do. And don't bother whining to the police.

The Rio Carnival is very very intense but worth the effort…read more My review below is based on my trip to Carnival 2020 and recommends how I traveled and changes I would make. Please note I didn't travel as part of a Tour group. Instead I went with Dancers for the International Samba Congress so this was not a trip for everyone- but its perfect if you want to be in a carnival parade. 1) learn some Portuguese. Only 5% of the people speak English and while I know some Spanish, it was not nearly enough. You really need to learn basic manners, numbers up to 20 and basic questions like "where is the bathroom, excuse me, sorry and may I have this one or that one..." 2) flying to Rio I recommend Copa Airline. Comfortable seats and very good meals with an entree like chicken and rice and a snack like an empanada. And personal entertainment consoles and nice staff. 3) Rent an apartment in Ipanema, Copacabana or Flamingo close to a Metro Station. They have doormen and usually there restaurants and markets within a block or two. 4) eat at little fast food cafes for breakfast and lunch for croquettes, empanadas, kibe or bread and egg sandwiches. Go to a buffet for dinner and you can keep your food cost to $15-$20 a day easily. 4) use Uber - or if you know Portuguese or Spanish take Metro and you will be safe. 5)Go to at least 1 Samba school rehearsal like Mangueira's, the week before Carnival. The rehearsals are going to be at the base of a favela so don't go by yourself, don't walk around- go right in - then at the end get a snack- call uber get in the ride after matching the license plate and go right home. The ticket will be about $8.00 in US dollars. The energy, music and show will be fantastic. Be prepared to be there for 2-3 hours. You will either stand or dance the whole time and you can be there until the sun rises. 6) get VIP tickets for Sunday or Monday night to see the Parades at the Sambadrome, if you are a party animal and want a wild night with all you can eat food and drink. Tickets are expensive like $500+ USA. Or 7) Get covered box tickets for Sunday or Monday if you want an experience more like a great box for 12 at the Hollywood Bowl- guaranteed seats with great views and lines for bathrooms and concessions. Tickets are expensive $400+. 8) order stadium reserved seat tickets ( Section 9) to be with the crowd but have a designated place to sit (remember this Parade goes tor 8 hours) 10) take in the tourist sites- they are all beautiful and well worth it! 11) I would not recommend going to a Favela. Yes I went to a conference in Canta Gallo which is a favela above Copacabana/Ipanema Communities. It was organized by fantastic talented people who grew up in Canta Gallo. My experience was wonderful- But- We accessed our conference location via elevator which closed down at night time. Because of this we had to walk out of the community which is a really steep long trek. And it was really uncomfortable! Do not go as a lark. Sure most people are perfectly fine but, we saw police with guns and residents with their guns. This is not a place after nightfall to play with. There are daytime Favela tours- maybe it's a way to support the local businesses and if so- go but keep your eyes open and be aware.

The Antiques Fair Gavea began in the 90's sometimes, coordinated by Brazilian antique dealers. The…read moreFair is every Sunday from 9h to 17h. It is located at Praça Santos Dumont, in Gávea. The Fair is lined with carpets and sells objects, silverware, china, paintings and clothes.

Real nice hole in the wall place. Good food at a reasonable price. Coldest beers you will ever…read morehave. Great music Bands on the weekends. A drive from Rio or Barra but if the right band is playing there, it's worth the drive . Enjoy!!

We were not there for the tour but enjoyed the amazing service of Wang Ying Hsuan who took amazing…read morecare of our wedding bands and showed us some really beautiful rings. It was a pleasure .

Monday nights, don't miss seeing Zé Paulo Becker. Phenomenal. Sure, the cover is a little pricey…read morefor the average backpacker, but if you are into music, you will love this spot. Worth every centavo. Your ears and heart will thank you. I think every night of the week is good here. Their facebook page has their upcoming events. It's a tiny spot with few really good seats so it's worth calling ahead to reserve a table (though not required).

Me and my family arrived at 9 PM to a rather empty venue. After 30 minutes of trying to get any of…read morethe four(!) waiters attention I had to go get the menu myself. At 10 PM one of the waiters finally took our orders (we were starving at this point). One HOUR later another waiter approaches and tells us the food will take another 20 minutes but we can cancel the food if we want (we had already paid 45 USD for entrance). We waited for another 30 minutes until we had enough and left the venue. When they made us pay for drinks they even tried to charge us for two meals which we did not even order!

Big place!!! Very easy to get lost cause a lot of it looks the same. Monkeys are seen throughout…read more Look at all the colorful birds as well. Its 80 reais (about $16 USD). Worth every dollar as i would be okay with getting charged more. If you get lost just open your phones map and you can find your way to the exit.

I loved this huge botanical garden, which was like a beautiful tropical paradise. It was my first…read morestop after checking my luggage at the hotel. The cost was around $15 for US residents (less for locals) and only cash is accepted. Upon entering, I noticed black monkeys walking around the rainforest-esque environment, as well as climbing trees. There were palm trees, bright and colorful flowers, bodies of water, lovely little bridges, gorgeous fountain, yellow and green state house, greenhouses with rare and award winning orchids, a wonderful cafe serving fancy coffee & beverages, playground, and more. There were plenty of breathtaking views of the many natural wonders. I really enjoyed my time exploring the vast expanse of the garden. The place was sprawling and easy to get lost in. It tops the list as one of my favorite botanical gardens that I have visited.