louie-m

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has helped with sorting out our Brazil/Argentina/Uruguay trip so far.....

The final piece of the jigsaw is two nights in Rio (Friday 15/Saturday 16 March). We started off thinking somewhere reasonably modest and atmospheric, but our plans are getting grander by the day and now we need to bite the bullet and book as we are flying on Wednesday!

We are an early 50's British couple. First time in Brazil though we have been to Peru and Bolivia before, don't speak Spanish or Portuguese. Pretty well travelled and comfortable in both high and low budget situations (the middle bit of the trip includes nights on buses and in hostels, the early part flying first class to GRU and staying in boutique hotels!). Yet somehow I find myself rather apprehensive about Rio in particular, mainly because the levels of crime are so widely publicised.

The beaches/views look so lovely we're thinking of maybe a beachfront hotel in Ipanema/Leblon or Copacabana, up to say $400 per night, maybe a little more. Location, room comfort and views are our priorities rather than service or price. Any recommendations for places to stay or to avoid, including advice regarding the best area for us?

Thanks very much.

boboqui

The best area is Leblon, it's uncrowded and tranquil, plus there are many shops and restaurants. I stay at the Marina Palace Hotel right on the beach. Choose a Deluxe Suite so you have the beach view. www.hotelmarina.com.br/palace/en/

VidaNaPraia

Don't worry overly about any crime stories you may have heard or read. Once you are on the ground, you will understand that quite clearly. You must be vigilant, as you would in any major city, but not be distracted by worry.
There is only one hotel "on the beach", the Arpoador, which is a bit tatty. The rest are across a wide main street at best. Any location in Ipanema, Arpoador, or Leblon would do nicely, as well as parts of Copacabana.
Praia Ipanema perhaps? http://www.praiaipanema.com/

oiRRio

I agree wrt not worrying overly about crime whether it's Copacabana or Ipanema. In fact the only 2 muggings I've seen in Rio both happened mid-afternoon in Ipanema.

Hotel rates in Rio are ridiculous at the best of times but there's a hedge fund conference at the Copacabana Palace on Mar 18/19th which seems to have pushed them up even more. That said Caesar Park in Ipanema seems to be available on Mar 15/16th for roughly USS$400-425 per night.

boboqui

Security is a lot better now, here's a recent article on Rio in the NY Times that may allay your fears. http://travel.nytimesl

XLR26

I just spent 5 nights at Mar Ipanema Hotel. Really liked the central location. Nice bed. Great water pressure in the shower. Was on the 10th floor and could see the hills to the south and a slice of the ocean. Not the greatest view but I was only there to sleep so I really didn't care. Can typically be had for $250-300per night.

louie-m

Well we ended up in the Arena Copacabana. Pleasant room with a great view a couple of floors down from the roof, cost was GB£574 for the two nights (ouch). Great views from the quiet rooftop bar too. Started off the previous night in a hotel in Lapa, which was OK.

Can't say I felt particularly unsafe anywhere we went, though we were careful. To be honest, I was surprised how few people were around. Didn't really get Rio though. Beaches were nice enough but no better than say in the (Australian) Gold Coast and the surrounding mountains made for a pretty setting but it was expensive (compared with everywhere else we went on that trip), we struggled to find anywhere decent to eat within walking distance of the hotel and nearly everywhere smelled of pee. Sorry to the Cariocas, but I much preferred Buenos Aires (except for the traffic)!

SoCal

Well, you picked Copacabana. I would have gone with Ipanema (in general, cleaner, IMHO). Rio is, of course, much more than beaches (and Brazil is much more than Rio), and the beaches were somewhat polluted even when I worked there in the mid-90s. If I wanted to swim, I preferred Barra de Tijuca, an outer suburb area. Where else in Brazil did you go? If all you saw was Rio, your view was very limited (somewhat like judging all of the U.S. based on, say, New York City or Miami). Best beaches in Brazil are not in Rio (Rio's beaches great for scenery-- human and otherwise). Buenos Aires is certainly less expensive than Rio. But a very different city. Brazil is expensive (we're there).

louie-m

Yes, I wish we had gone for Ipanema, with the benefit of hindsight, but we decided the view was more important and rooms with views in Ipanema were outside our budget.

I wasn't judging Brazil in any way, just comparing my perceptions of Rio v BA after spending four or five days in both. I don't doubt there are many better beaches in Brazil either, but non-Brazilians associate Rio with Copacabana, Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain and Christo Redemptor, so I had expected those beaches to be absolutely fabulous (or maybe unique) - and for me, the reality was not quite as good as the expectation.

We travelled overland from BA to Rio, arriving in Brazil at Iguazu and taking in, inter alia, Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Parati, and had a side trip to Brasilia. So we've only seen a tiny part of the country and I look forward to seeing more of it in years to come.

Incidentally, thanks to you and to the others that responded to queries I had when we were planning this trip; your help is much appreciated.