A few cultural things to know about Brazil
Brazilians are full of life & culture
1. Learn the Lingo
It helps if you learn basic Portuguese before traveling to Brazil, as not many people speak English. You should be able to get by if you speak Spanish. However, if you don´t you will notice that although they might not be able to speak English, Brazilians are very friendly and helpful and will try to help you somehow.
2. The Weather
Weather forecasts are not always reliable.So just book that flight! 🙂 The summer temperatures in Brazil are generally between Nov-March and their colder months are between June and September.
3. Eat like a local
Brazil is globally known for its amazing meat and food so the chances of finding a great restaurant are high. So do not be afraid to explore local places. My favourite restaurants in São Paulo are in Vila Madalena and in the Ipanema area in Rio.
4. Typical Brazilian Food
If you are like us and like to try local dishes, for example you would love to try the Brazilian feijoada, make sure you check what restaurants serve feijoada and on what days. I remember when traveling to São Paulo you could only eat it on the weekends or Wednesdays. I also recommend trying to go to a churrascaria to taste all their delicious meat.
5. Money
You are able to pay with credit & debit cards in most places, except for maybe Taxis.
6. Brazil is a huge country
It can take hours to fly or drive from one city to another. Depending on where you are travelling to you might need to rent a car. If traveling to São Paulo you definitely need a car. In Rio you can get by with a taxi. Depending on where you are traveling to traffic can get really bad, especially if you are visiting São Paulo.
7. Leave your expensive belongings at home & don’t wander around a city aimlessly
Although people are generally very friendly, it is still a third world country and you should leave all your expensive belongings at home. If you like to be spontaneous, do that in another country. It is best to have set plans for locations and tourists spots you would like to see. Depending on what city you are traveling to, like Rio for example the poor areas are mixed and in between tourist and richer areas.
8. Music
Not every loves soccer, but most Brazilians love music. If you love music you will be pleasantly surprised that there are many restaurants & bars where they play live music.
9. Shopping
Unless the products are Brazilian, shopping can be very expensive. Any products they will have imported from other countries will be expensive so try to pack and bring all the ítems you think you will need. Especially baby products.
10. The best Sushi
Japan and Brazil have a long history of cultural and economic exchange. Today, Brazil has the biggest Japanese population with circa 1.5m people outside of Japan. Therefore if you do come across a Japanese restaurants the food will probably be amazing. I especially love the Brazilian Japanese fusion places.
I hope you have found our tips about Brazil useful. For more information on our trip to Ilha Bela Sao Paulo please stay tuned. Blog to be posted shortly. Alternatively please feel free to drop us an email if you have any question about Brazil or traveling to Brazil at hello@jetlifebaby.com
Happy Baby Happy Travels,
Marisa
