Top 10 Things Every First Time Traveler To Brazil Should Know

Posted on Apr 27 2018 - 9:49am by Editorial Staff

It is always nice to go for expedited passport renewal and make Brazil your first destination of choice. The country is blessed with some of the most stunning beaches in the world, the weather is perfect for most parts of the year, the food is great and the cultural diversity is simply amazing. If you love football or soccer for North Americans, then you just know the thrills that come with visiting a soccer powerhouse like Brazil. If this is going to be your first time in the country, highlighted below are some of the things you should know to increase your chances of having a wonderful and memorable time in Brazil.

The hosts care a lot about security

One of the things you will admire about Brazilians is that anywhere you go for accommodation; you will always find adequate security measures in place. Of course, it is a good thing to know that you will be spending your time in a safe and secure place. This concern by the host about the security is very encouraging since there are sections of Brazil known to be dangerous and without this assurance, it may be very difficult to have any peace of mind. For instance, with most of the accommodations you will have, you will find an intercom or an advanced system for entering and exiting the compounds. In this manner, those without authorization will never be allowed in.

Brazilians love holidays

Brazilians love their holidays and they will always want to spend their time during day offs in the endless beautiful coastlines they have. Of course, most visitors will also be heading off to these beaches, and during holiday times, they can sometimes become overcrowded, thus ruining the experience for those who had wanted to spend their time in places with few people. However, there is a solution to this. Brazil has beaches away from the populated places like Rio, which you can go to if you want to avoid the crowds. But if you have to spend your time around the big cities, then be ready to contend and embrace the crowds.

You may not visit all the places on your list

Brazil is a huge country with countless attractions and it is common to find people scaling down their travel plans. This is because when you get into the country, you have a lot to see and do, but when you start the actual process of seeing and doing them, you realize that you may be limited for the time if you want to get the best experience from the tours. If you desire to see as many places and do as many things as you possibly can, the set aside a good amount of time, at least one month, for visiting Brazil.

Don’t make buses your first choice

If you have been to other countries in Latin America, then you know that buses are very popular and highly recommended for moving around or from one city to another. However, once you get your expedited passport renewal then head over to Brazil, don’t just think that buses will come as a first choice. With the vastness of the country, traveling around in buses may not just be tiring, but also relatively expensive. The best option is to go by flight if you are headed to some far away destination. Flights will be faster and more convenient, and the price disparity between the buses and the flights, including the last minute flights is very small.

Expect to eat some of the best street foods in the world

One of the things which make Brazil stand out as a top travel destination is its food. Whether you go to the hotels or the beach restaurants, the variety will not just be great, but also you will love just how great they taste. For a good experience, however, always try out the street foods. Of course, you may worry about the hygiene, and that is rightly so, just be sure you choose to sample the street foods from clean joints.

Don’t show support for Argentina

If you love football, then you should already know that Brazil and Argentina are sworn enemies in the world football arena. For all these years, they believe that they are superior to Argentina, and as such, you should be very careful before you show any open support for Argentina, or you try to make claims that Messi is the best footballer in the world. If you know you will be saying anything against their football, teams or players, simply keep it to yourself to avoid unnecessary arguments.

The official language is Portuguese

Most people think Brazilians use Spanish as their official language and some people are always eager to engage the locals in Spanish. This is never true as the official language in Brazil is Portuguese. The locals are also well-knowledgeable in English and so don’t shy to engage them in English if you know nothing in about their official language. They will easily and happily talk to you in English, even if it is broken.

No one is in a hurry

If you think people are conscious of time the way they are in America or Europe, or maybe Japan, then you will be shocked at what you will find. No one is in a hurry. There will always be traffic jams in most of the major cities, and the lines in the malls and ATMs will also be crazy at times. Therefore, if you have planned to meet with the locals, don’t get upset if they show up hours late. That’s just how it happens and you should get used to it if you consider yourself a time freak.

You will be called Gringo

Gringo may be considered a little derogatory in other places, such as in Mexico, where it is used to refer to the people of color. However, when you are in Brazil, you will be called Gringo irrespective of your skin color, and you should not get offended by it. Just know that it is a term they use to refer to foreigners.

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