Advantages: Spectacular, exciting and perfect for budget travellers.
Disadvantages: Is that a knife in your pocket or are you just trying to rob me?

...kilometers of dense greenery and hills. Getting to it is not very difficult as it is accessible from all the main tourist areas. Rio's heart is easily found by taking the Metro to either Cinelandia or Carioca stops. Rio Branco is the main thoroughfare but its the streets around it where you'll find Rio's true spirit. The main attractions in town are the grand National Library, the eloquent Museum of Fine Arts and Teatro Municipal as well as the astonishingly ornate Cathedral. There are any number of tours you can take that are laid on by the travel agents spread throughout Rio's tourist centers. The most popular evening excursion is to visit a Samba School. Costing about R$40 these evenings are not exactly authentic (according to the locals, although you'd hardly guess) and are probably cheaper if you venture out on your own steam. Favela... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Beaches, gorgeous tropical islands, unbelievably great value.
Disadvantages: Having to keep your wits about you, but no real problem.

...are there for 4 or 14 days, you’ll be able to fit the most important ones in easily. I would recommend going on guided tours only, as tourists on their own are an easy target for petty crime. Many hotels in Rio, as did ours, offer tours to all the highlights of the city, with reputable companies. Most of which have hard-to-say-no to prices. In fact there are too many to choose from. **Tropical Island tours Angra dos Reis/Itacaruça/Ilha Grande, R$90-100. Available from the reception of your hotel. If not try contacting BTR on Ave. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 324, Store B (Copacabana), phone 235-1320. One of the tours that we went on was to a group of tropical islands. Only a two hour drive to paradise! Take a schooner to the islands and go for a swim in the crystal clear waters. Just perfect! There are a number of tours of this sort... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: The advantages are that you have no contact with the outside world. It's an adventure into nature, where you learn to enjoy life a bit more.
Disadvantages: You must wisely choose the time of the year if you don't want to catch the rainy season... also, since you are part of nature, there are no shops, although the resort sells basic things. The closest town is 30 minutes away by boat.

...I thought i might explore my own country a little bit more and go on a romantic getaway with my European boyfriend. We went to Rio de Janeiro, but after a week of the usual tourist attractions i wanted to show him a part of Rio less exploited. I took him to a little resort on Ilha Grande -an island that has no roads, no mcdonalds, no transportation other than canoes and boats... it was more than paradise. We arrived on a foggy afternoon, and as the island came closer, the abundant nature created a green coloured sky - unbelievable. We had a delicious dinner, and then went to sleep at 9:00pm. The next morning, at 8:00am, we woke up to the sun shining through our "curtain" doors... we had a fruity breakfast, and then off to the boat for a trip around the beautiful beaches of Ilha Grande. Back to the resort, you can either relax... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful