Featured Country: Brazil South America's largest country, Brazil shares a border with every other South American nation except Chile and Ecuador and covers nearly half the entire continent. Brazil is one of those places that truly has something for everyone. Soccer fans know it as the home of the Beautiful Game, musicians and dancers can soak up the sounds of bossa nova, axé and chorinho and move to the rhythm of samba, lambada and capoeira. Adventurous types can take on the mighty Amazon to return with stories of Anacondas, Piranhas and malaria. Surfers and beach bums have thousands of miles of coastline to choose from and for those who like to party, Brazil puts on a small festival every year called Carnaval. You might have heard of it. No discussion on Brazil would be complete without a mention of Rio de Janeiro. A destination in itself, it's famous for the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and instantly recognizable from the Cristo Redentor statue that overlooks the Cidade Maravilhosa and Sugar Loaf mountain in the spectacular harbour. Oh yeah, they also do that Carnaval thing here too. Brazil has a population of over 164 million, there is no state religion (although most are Roman Catholic) and the official language is Portuguese. Dosh-wise, the official currency is the Brazilian Real (BRL), and there are 100 centavos to a real. Current exchange rates (approx.): US$1 = R$2.62 AU$1 = R$1.36 CA$1 = R$1.64 GB£1 = R$3.72 EU€1 = R$2.31 Well, those are a few nuts and bolts. Keep reading for more info on Brazil, as well as other travelers' experiences there. What's in this issue? Airfare Deals Featured Content Featured Message Board Thread What Our Insiders Say Links & Resources Tell a Friend and/or What Do You Want? AIRFARE DEALS Brought to you by the BootsnAll TripPlanner Plan and book your round-the-world or multi-continental trip! When searching for multi-destination air tickets, the BootsnAll TripPlanner is tops. After using the TripPlanner to get an idea of the itinerary you want, be sure to submit it to us and talk to our counselors. The TripPlanner is great for giving a rough idea of fares and prices, but our counselors will help you fine-tune, finalize everything and answer your questions. They can also suggest tweaks in your itinerary that will help you get the most out of your ticket – and probably save you more money too. Here are some examples we found: $2900 US New York City - Guatemala City - Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Salvador - Manaus - Lima - Miami - New York City $2700 US Sydney - Papeete (Tahiti) - Easter Island - Rio de Janeiro - Salvador - Sao Paulo - Buenos Aires - Sydney $2800 US Cape Town - London - Sao Paulo - Manaus - Rio de Janeiro - Salvador - Sao Paulo - Buenos Aires - Cape Town Now, log on to the TripPlanner and put together an itinerary of the places you want to see! More Specials & Deals The only thing better than flying to South America, is getting a bloody good deal on the ticket. We work with other companies to bring you low, hard-to-beat round-trip fares, to help you fly not only to South America, but to wherever you want to go: Cheap Ticket Links Back to top FEATURED CONTENT With so many great stories about Brazil, it was difficult to choose. Here is a quick sampling but if you would like to read more, check out the Brazil travel stories page. What is it About Brazil? - Philip Blazdell ponders some of the things that make Brazil unique, both good and bad (but mostly good). Gringa in Sampa - As Brazil's commercial capital, Sao Paulo can't compare to Rio for sights. However, Christine Michaud reckons there are plenty of alternative sightseeing opportunities if you know where to look. The Spirit of Carnaval - Rowena Hilton found a fail-proof technique for learning to samba and then applied it at Carnaval. If you would like to submit an article on your travel experiences, check out our Writer's Guidelines, then send it along. Back to top FEATURED MESSAGE BOARD THREAD Safe to Travel Solo in SA? On the Central & South America Discussions board, Jennifer has concerns over safety as a woman traveling alone in South America, especially in Brazil during Carnaval. Nessral and Nicola reckon she'll be fine, just use commonsense. Log in or register your handle, then jump into the discussion and throw down your two centavos on travelling solo in South America. Be sure to check out the other discussions on our boards as well: http://boards.BootsnAll.com/ Back to top WHAT OUR INSIDERS SAY BootsnAll Insiders are a great source of information, and they can tell you what the guidebooks can't. We asked some of our Insiders for their take on Brazil, and here's what they had to say: Denise Werneck, Carnival in Rio Those of you who are having trouble finding reasonably priced accomodation during the Carnival week should rejoice to hear that it is much better – and cheaper – to be in town some weeks before. The only thing you will really miss is the official Samba schools parade. But in the last decade it has grown so commercial and touristy that it's really not worth the trouble and the money. The real samba can be found at the so-called rehearsals (ensaios in Portuguese). The best samba schools – the most famous and easiest to reach – are Mangueira at Rua Visconde de Niterói 1072 and Salgueiro at Rua Silva Telles 104. Most people visiting Rio are afraid to go to the samba schools headquarters for these Saturday night big parties but I can assure you it’s safer than strolling along Copacabana beach at night – as far as being robbed. Philip Blazdell Learn the Lingo Portugese is a wonderful language and to get into the real Brazil it's essential to learn at least a few words - people will appreciate this and it will make your time there a lot more enjoyable. Long Distance Buses Travelling around Brasil is best done by long distance bus - they are clean, comfortable, reliable and inexpensive. The longest trip I ever did was 3½ days by bus and what an experience that was. The buses stop regularly for food and drink. It's a great way to travel and meet people. Malaria in Amazonas Travelling to Amazonas is often a dream vacation for many people. Do not forget that much of this area is malaria and anti-malarial tablets are required. Old Wives tales of Vitamin B and Garlic will not protect you from malaria which is a serious disease. Maralone is the new buzz word in tablets and seems to have no side effects. Sao Luis and Alcantara Alcantara is just off the coast from Sao Luis in the NE of Brasil. It is one of the continent's most interesting colonial towns. It's well worth making the day trip from Sao Luis. The crossing, which takes about 90 mins, can be a bit rough, so those who suffer from sea sickness may like to take a tablet or two beforehand. For more tips from Denise and Philip or if you would like to add your own, visit our forum. Back to top LINKS & RESOURCES Use the following sites to learn more about Brazil, what it offers to travelers, and how to plan your trip. Brazzil One of the best magazines published on Brasil is called Brazzil. It's jam packed with cheap flight ads, stories, travel articles and small adds. Worth checking out the letters page for the real word on the street. Rio de Janeiro Hotels Most travellers to Brazil will spend at least some time in Rio, even just to use it as a jumping off point. The above link can help you learn about and arrange hotel accommodation before you get there. Maria-Brazil A great resource with a personal touch. Check out their Little Black Book of secret Rio addresses, including where to buy the best Brazilian bikini. OceanView Translation Page Common words and phrases translated into Portuguese. There are also sound files to help you with your pronounciation. Rio Hiking Denise Werneck, a born and bred Carioca, runs these hiking tours that give you the opportunity to get to know Rio's greener side first-hand. She runs four great tours: Tijuca Forest, Corcovado, Sugarloaf, and Pedra da Gavea. Some of these include an optional add-on of Santa Teresa. Denise offers a wealth of knowledge on Rio, speaks perfect English, and has some great tips on after-hours partying to boot. Back to top WRITE AN ARTICLE If you have a story of your own that you would like to submit on Brazil, have a look at BootsnAll's Writer's Guidelines: http://writers.BootsnAll.com And then send it along. We're always looking for new content and new perspectives, and we hope to get yours soon. TELL A FRIEND If you feel that BootsnAll.com is a valuable resource, or that others might think so, please tell your friends about us. As many of you know, we respond personally to every email we receive in an ongoing effort to build a true traveller's community. Many have responded positively. If you have comments both positive and constructive, we would love to hear them. Tell us what we have done well and how we can improve. We would appreciate it greatly. Back to top