Travelogue from Brazil: a dream came true

In April 2019, our travel consultant, Beate, visited Brazil on our Highlights of Brazil tour. Read about what she experienced on the tour below.

When we arrived in Rio, we and the friendly guide who had met us at the airport headed along a winding road straight up Corcovado to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue.

Early in the morning, you have a breathtaking view of Rio, the stunningly beautiful coves and the Sugar Loaf. Almost entirely alone, we were captivated by the beauty of this place.

We then headed to the lively Santa Theresa district, to Escadaria Selaron. This famous staircase, created over many years by the artist Selaron from thousands of tiles, enthuses everyone.
Visitors from all over the world have over time brought tiles there, so tiles from places such as Berlin are also found here. After this, we drove right through the city, and finally could see Copacabana and its small but more exclusive “sister”, Ipanema. The city never sleeps here… In the morning, early birds meet to enjoy sports on the water and on land, and in the afternoon, evening and at night, the stretch becomes a varied place where people meet to go for a walk or hit the city. The whole city meets here to chat and celebrate with Brazil’s national drink, a Caipirinha – an absolute must for anyone visiting the city! Rio de Janeiro is definitely worth a visit.

The next day, we headed into the countryside – up to the Igazú Falls!

The Argentinian side has countless walkways and roads going up and down with direct access to the cascading volumes of water, which crash 82 metres into the depths with a deafening roar. You are guaranteed a soaking! Breathtaking, enchanting nature! However, this wasn’t enough for us – we wanted more: A speedboat ride to the waterfalls! As well equipped as we were with rain jackets, floor-length plastic ponchos, bare feet and with head protection, we didn’t stand a chance and got soaked through – a wonderful, thrilling experience.

The next day, we went to the Brazilian side of the waterfalls, where we had a spectacular panoramic view of the 270+ waterfalls. Various speedboat trips are also available here – a wet ride (as previously described) and a dry ride, where you are guaranteed to stay dry.

On the way back, we also enjoyed a very special experience: Before our very eyes, we saw a family of jaguars padding across the road. How cool was that?!

It was not long before this nature experience got even more intense. After a short overnight stay in Manaus (the Amazon), we travelled by boat, ship and minivan to Tupana Amazon Lodge, 200 km south of Manaus on the Tupana River, to the absolute middle of nowhere: four days without internet or phones, with power for just one hour a day, showers with cold water, lovely clean yet simple accommodation – it doesn’t take long for you to come right down to earth here.

We were absolutely blown away: no mosquitoes (due to the low pH of the water), authentic jungle walks, boat trips, piranha fishing, kayaking, swimming and the absolute highlight: an overnight stay in the jungle in hammocks – pure nature – unforgettable moments and impressions. We left this paradise and its friendly, warm-hearted people with heavy hearts and tears in our eyes.

Back in the real world, in Brazil’s most beautiful city, Salvador, we were met by glorious sunshine and open arms. The cradle of Brazil on the Atlantic coast oozes joie de vivre, buildings painted in vibrant, happy colours and open-hearted people. Salvador bears the characteristics of the Portuguese colonial era and the Afro-Brazilian influence like no other town or city. This is seen in the streetscape, in the crafts sold at the roadside throughout the city and in the culinary specialities: We ate Brazil’s best fish stew here: don’t miss the “Moqueca de Peixe” with fish fillet, crabs, peppers, onions and coriander! In the modern districts of Santo Antonio and Pelourinho, music is played and people party long into the night! Pure joy of life!

Throughout the tour, we had excellent and professional guides who were happy to answer any questions we had.

Thanks!

We are grateful and happy to have had the chance to go on this adventure-packed journey and we will look back on all the things we did and saw for a long time to come.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller