Taste the magic of Rio - ride the cable car up the Sugar Loaf Mountain, the funicular train up to the Christ statue, enjoy the colourful street life, always close to the beach...
Step into the Amazon jungle - the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. Venture along the creeks and trails from the comfortable Amazon Village lodge, with entertaining trips by motorised canoe, fishing expeditions, jungle treks, visits to indian settlements and alligator-spotting by night.
Thrill to the African beat in exotic and exuberant Salvador. Music and dance spill out on to graceful colonial streets. Watch the capoeira dancers demonstrating their acrobatic and martial art skills. Cruise in a traditional schooner across sparkling All Saints’ Bay, pausing for island swimming in calm waters.
From here it’s an hour’s drive to a quiet, creamy, palm fringed beach at the Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte - much imitated, but never bettered, for its facilities and fine food. There are eight pools, water-sports, horse-riding, tennis, a kids’ club with lots of educational and fun activities and a relaxing salt-water spa.
We’ve been there
"Language does not seem to be a barrier at the Praia do Forte kids’ club; and I saw European parents enjoying romantic candlelit dinners while the children ate together with their Brazilian ‘aunties’ - the food is superb by the way." Katie Phillips, Travel Consultant.
Where do you sleep?
3 nights Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana beachfront hotel); 3 nights Amazon Village in thatched en suite cabins; 3 nights Salvador in Ocean-front hotel; 3 nights Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte Resort.
A bit more time?
Head south to the magnificent Iguacú Falls. You can get really close to the falls in a giant dinghy and, literally, soak up one of the world’s most mesmeric sights!
What do you eat?
Try the distinctive African-influenced dishes of the north-east, and the dozens of exotic fruit juices. Fresh ingredients are used in the extensive buffet at Amazon Village (full-board) and Praia do Forte offers both international and regional dishes (half-board).
Weather watch
The tropical regions of The Amazon and north-east Brazil are hot (25-35°C) all year round, but the humidity is tempered by sea breezes on the coast. There is less rain and there are fewer mosquitoes in the Amazon from June to November. Rio can be refreshingly cool in the school summer holidays.
Top Tip
December to February and July are local holiday periods - availability may be difficult so book well in advance if you want to travel in the Christmas holidays or during February half-term.
Did You Know?
The Brazilian Amazon is home to 170,000 Indians belonging to 210 different tribes, many still living as hunter-gatherers in the ways of their ancestors. The river itself holds 20% of the world’s fresh water. |