Excelsior Copacabana Hotel, Rio de Janeiro

Advantages: Crazy town
Disadvantages: Violence

...Rio de Janeiro is probably the most known city in Brazil. The statue of Jesus on top of one of the mountains is one of the main attractions together with the beaches. My advice is NOT to go to Copacabana, which is where only tourists and thieves go. Some of the main hotel are just in Copacabana and when you walk on the beach you find many fat Americans lazying around. Instead, you can go to Leblon, which is more fashionable with the young elite from Rio. Another part of Rio I liked is Barra de Tijuca, where you have a tropical forest, just in the middle of the town. I stayed in a chap but not very clean hotel in the borough of Flamengo. There where plenty of cheap hotels there. Out of the Carnival period you should find something without major problems.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: One of the most beautiful cities in the world
Disadvantages: Not the safest city in the world

...for us by Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.co.uk) and they had arranged someone to meet us with a driver, which was probably unnecessary, but quite useful when tired after a long flight. We did however have to put up with the usual hard sell of various additional tours on the way to the hotel. Hotel Luxor Regente, Rio de Janeiro We stayed at the Luxor Regente which is a pleasant modern fifteen-storey hotel, in an absolutely wonderful location overlooking Copacabana Beach and very near Ipanema Beach. We had fantastic views of Sugarloaf Mountain and the beach from our room. Rio is divided by the Serra da Carioca Mountains into a northern and a southern zone and the hillside occupied by shantytowns on both sides. Rio de Janeiro fills a narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea. It is a stunningly beautiful city and any good hotel... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Unrivalled atmoshere
Disadvantages: Crime

...What can you say about Rio. It has everything, sun, sea, sand, great views and of course one the worst crime rates of any major city. Should you be worried abut crime, no but would should be aware of it. I have been involved in a armed hold up (scary) and a pickpocketing (by a five year old). The hold up was at a hotel in an area that to be honest I should not have been in, the pickpocketing, on Copacabana beach. The point is that on both times I carried no valuables. In the case of the pickpocketing my money was in my sock so the kid got nothing. The hold up was remarkable, a couple, wanted only the money from the hotel. I actually had a little admiration for the guy, he searched me, found 20 reais and gave it back to me. Super cool and oddly enough I felt less threatened than on the beach. The moral is be sensible, dont go into bad... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful