Brasilien

Understand

Brazil is the largest country in South America. The country has a soul of history and culture and includes nightlife, scenic beauty, white sandy beaches, inland waterways and lush green forests that are among the largest in the world.

Get in

thumb|375px|A map showing the visa requirements of Brazil, with countries in green and light blue having visa-free access

Get around

Travelling between major cities in Brazil can take a lot of time.

Sleep

thumb|Night in [[Campinas]] High season in Brazil follows the school holidays calendar, December and January (summer) being the busiest months. New Year, Carnival (movable between February and March, see Understand above) and Holy week are the peak periods, and prices can skyrocket, especially in coastal cities like Rio and Salvador. Also, during those holidays, many hotels restrict bookings to a 3 or 4-day minimum and charge in advance.

Hotels are plentiful in just about all areas of Brazil and can range from luxury beach resorts to very modest and inexpensive choices. The Brazilian tourism regulation board imposes specific minimum attributes for each type of facility, but as the 1-5 star rating is no longer enforced, check in advance if your hotel provides the kind of services you expect.

Pousada means guesthouse (the local equivalent of a French auberge or a British boarding house), and are usually simpler than hotels, and will offer fewer services (room service, laundry etc.). Pousadas are even more widespread than hotels.

In wilderness areas like the Pantanal, travelers usually stay in fazendas, which are ranches with guest facilities. In small towns of Minas Gerais people are fond of hotéis-fazenda (farm hotels) where you can swim, ride, walk, play football, and camp as well as sleep in picturesque barracks.

Also there is great fun in going on a boat hotel which will take you to inaccessible places on the rivers and lakes for great fishing trips or for simply relaxi…

Stay healthy

When visiting the Midwestern states of Brazil, the relative humidity can be below 30% during the dry season from June to September. It is important to drink plenty of water to avoid the unpleasant effects of dehydration.