BRAZIL

Brazil officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and the Latin American region. It is the world’s fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population. It is the largest Lusophone country in the world, and the only one in the Americas

Brazil can well be called a land of passion – the people of Brazil are vibrant, energetic, and full of an irrepressible zest for life. Visit the country during the Carnival to get a sense of the essence that is Brazil. The thick Amazon forests, the pristine tropical beaches, the long winding rivers and the people themselves make Brazil a land full of mystery and surprises.

Brazil gets it’s name from the tropical redwood – the Pau do Brazil, which the first settlers exported from the country. Occupying almost half the continent, Brazil is the largest country in South America. Its the fifth largest in area and sixth in population when compared to other countries in the world. Distances in Brazil are enormous. Its population is over half that of all of South America —over 65% of the population is below 30 years of age.

Brazil is a young country and promises to be an exciting one.

Capital: Brasilia

Best Time of Visit:

  1. The peak tourist season is the summer time (December till March), which in most of the Brazil is very hot and the temperature may rise up to 43 degree Celsius.
  2. The peak holiday season starts before Christmas and lasts till Carnival (which is in February to March depending on the year)
  3. Another ideal time to visit Brazil and enjoy its pleasant weather is during the spring season of September till mid November, as well as the autumn season, which occurs right after the carnival, between March till May.

Min Days Required: 6 days

Places of Interest: 

  1. Brasilia – Catetinho, Catedral Metropolitana de Nossa Senhora da Aparecida , Memorial JK, Parque Nacional de Brasilia
  2. Rio De Janeiro – The Corcovado, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio Center, Santa Teresa, Tijuca Forest, Maracana
  3. Sao Paulo – Sao Paulo Museum of Art, Sao Paulo Catherdral, Ibirapuera Park, Vila Olimpia, Morumbi
  4. Salvador – Sao Francisco Church and Covent, Carnaval en Salvador de Bahia, Frades Islands, Mam Museu de Arte Moderna, Ponta de Humaita

Climate:

  1. Rain is frequent in most of Brazil all through the year – but it doesn’t interfere with normal life.
  2. June to August is winter – the cold actually only touches south of Rio de Janeiro. The dry interior of the northeast gets rain for a few months of the year – at times droughts parch this region.
  3. The average annual temperature increases as one moves up from the south to north. The average temperature at the equator (in the Amazon) is not more than 27 C.
  4. The mean temperature is from 23 to 27 C along the coast and from 18 to 21 C in the highlands. Humidity is high in Brazil, particularly along the coast.
  5. The rainy season in the south is from December to March- this is also the holiday season and you will find Brazilians flocking to the coastal resorts.

Currency: Brazilian Real

Things to carry:

  1. Travel light! The climate’s warm and people are informal – so why stuff your bag with clothes? Just throw in a pair of shorts, long pants, a couple of T-shirts, a bathing suit, towel, underwear, a long sleeved shirt and a light rain jacket.
  2. Light cottons are the best!
  3. Don’t forget to carry sunscreen lotion, sunglasses and a hat.

How to get there:

Air:

  1. The cheapest airfares are from February (after Carnival) to May and from August to November.
  2. By far the largest international airport in Brazil is São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport , the hub of TAM airlines, which has direct flights to many capital cities in South America. Other direct flights include: North America: New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, and Toronto. Europe: Lisbon by TAP, Madrid by Iberia, Amsterdam and Paris by KLM-Air France, London by British Airways, Frankfurt and Munich by Lufthansa, Istanbul by Turkish Airlines. Asia: Seoul by Korean Air, Tel Aviv by ELAL, Doha by Qatar Airways, and Dubai by Emirates.
  3. The second largest airport in Brazil is Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, the home of Gol Transportes Aéreos, which flies to many regional destinations including Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Asuncion. Other direct flights include: North America: Delta Air Lines flies to Atlanta, and New York, US Airways flies to Charlotte, and United Airlines to Washington, D.C., and Houston. Africa: Taag Angola to Luanda about 3 times a week. Europe: Paris by Air France, Rome by Alitalia, London by British Airways, Madrid by Iberia, Amsterdam by KLM, Frankfurt by Lufthansa, Lisbon and Porto by TAP Portugal, Istanbul by Turkish Airlines.