ریو د ژانیرو

See

thumb|200px|right|Copacabana sidewalk

Buy

350px|thumb|right|Colonial buildings next to modern skyscraper around the Largo da Carioca, in downtown Rio

When shopping in street commerce, always bargain; this can lower prices considerably. Bargaining in stores and malls, though, is not welcome. But naturally merchants won't bargain unless you ask, especially if you are clearly a tourist. To tourists, items can easily be overpriced by a factor of 20% especially in highly informal markets such as Saara or on the beach.

For trinkets, your best bet is the "hippie fair" in Praça General Osório in Ipanema every Sunday.

Great bargains can be had on Brazilian-made clothing, as well as some European imports. Most imported items, however, such as electronics, tend to be insanely expensive due to protective import duties. For example, you will find digital cameras sell for about twice what they sell for in Europe or the U.S.

Store managers in Rio often speak some English, as this gains employees an almost-automatic promotion. But "some" can be very little, so it is useful to learn at least some very basic Portuguese. Just knowing basic greetings, numbers, and how to ask directions and prices will get you at least a "B" for effort, and despite finding that store clerks may know more English than you Portuguese, it can still come in handy to know a bit of the language. Don't be afraid to resort to writing numbers, pictures, or resorting to pantomime. Shop assistants will often tap out prices for you on a calculator. Visa and Mast…

Eat

thumb|Feijoada with rice, fried kale, cassava crisps (biscoito de polvilho), cassava flour, and vinagrete (Brazilian tomato slaw) In Rio de Janeiro you can probably find something to fit any craving. A good approach to local food is "comida a kilo" – buffet style restaurants where you pay by the weight of the food on your plate.

Don't miss the most famous Brazilian dish, feijoada (fay-zho-AH-da), a black bean stew filled with big chunks of meat, like sausage, pork and beef. Along with the "feijoada", you also get some colorful side dishes that come with it, such as rice, cassava (roasted manioc), collard greens, fried pork rinds, and some orange slices, to sweeten things up a bit. This is bonafide, authentic carioca culinary excellence, almost worth the trip alone! Best while sipping down a "caipirinha".

For the hungry, nothing beats a good rodízio (all-you-can-eat service). These are available in numerous types, although the most well-known are the churrascaria, all-you-can-eat grilled meats. At various restaurants around town, you can also find rodízio style dining featuring seafood, pizza, or various appetizer-style snacks. The defining element of rodízio is that unlike an all-you-can-eat buffet, the servers continuously bring skewers of various meats.

If you like meat but want an alternative to the rodizios, a good place to eat at is Filé de Ouro (Rua Jardim Botânico, 731, Jardim Botânico; ; see Google Maps for directions). The place is simple and cozy. During the week…

Sleep

thumb|right|Sunset at Arpoador, best in Rio In the Zona Sul, you will find Rio's fanciest and most popular hotels along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, but there are lots of small, cheap, clean hotels around Flamengo and Catete. The street in front of the strip of tourist hotels in Copacabana can be seedy, due to both garishly-dressed tourists, and a few opportunistic locals ready to take advantage of them. The apart-hotels in Ipanema are a much more pleasant alternative, being both better appointed and in a nicer neighborhood with fewer tourists.

Accommodation in the lower Centro can be convenient for business travellers. The surrounding areas, however, are far from pleasant at night, being nearly deserted and lacking decent restaurants and leisure options. The central Santa Teresa neighbourhood, however, is quite departed from the city centre life and has plenty of pleasant bed and breakfasts and a significant nightlife.

Given Rio's rise as a fashionable destination with creative and fashion people, some hotels that cater to the design-conscious crowd have also been popping up at the most upscale neighborhoods. The city also has a large selection of apart-hotels, which provide apartment-style accommodations with kitchen facilities. Private condominium apartments can also be rented short-term at reasonable rates, and can be found on the internet. This is probably a preferable means of finding one of these than the notes that will be passed to you by anonymous person…

Stay healthy

Rio is vulnerable to epidemics of dengue fever, particularly during the late summer months of February and March. If an epidemic occurs, be sure to take the appropriate precautions by using insect repellant and, if you happen to be staying at a place with a balcony, make sure there is no standing water around.

As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Rio are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the latest weekly bathing bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de balneabilidade) of the state's Environment Department (INEA). At the bottom of the page, there is a large ad for a mobile app called Partiu Praia Inea that provides you an up-to-date map of bathing conditions.

Use sunscreen, especially in your face and shoulders, to avoid having a bad experience with sunburns. Any common drug store sells a variety of sunscreen products, and even cocoa butter lip sticks, to avoid having little cuts after dry lips.

Here is a list of medical clinics and hospitals in Rio de Janeiro:

Hospital Copa D’Or - Address: Rua Figueiredo de Magalhães, 875 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22031-011 - Phone: +55 (21) 2545-3600 Hospital Rio Laranjeiras - Address: R. das Laranjeiras, 72 – Laranjeiras, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22240-000 - Phone: +55 (21) 2555-2000 Hospital Israelita Albert Sabin - Address: Rua Professor Gabizo, 319 – Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20271-065 - Phone: +55 (21) 2176-8800 São Lucas Hospital-Copacabana - Address: Condo…

Stay safe

right|thumb|Armed robbery taking place.

Rio de Janeiro's reputation as a dangerous city was cemented internationally by the critically acclaimed movie Cidade de Deus — a reputation that's not entirely unwarranted.

Although most visitors to the city have a great time with no incidents, Rio can be dangerous. As a traveler, even if you don't leave the "Zona Sul" (which includes Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Gávea, Jardim Botânico, Flamengo, Laranjeiras, Botafogo, Urca) or Western Suburbs (Barra, Recreio), you may experience a palpable tension over security.

Generally, tourists (also called "gringos", which is not derogatory but means "outsiders") and teenagers are considered "easy" targets for criminals. Day-to-day living has also been affected by this. For example, banks all have security doors and armed guards. Rio can be a dangerous city and it is wise to follow the advice below even if it seems exaggerated.

Don't walk around with lots of money in your pocket. ATMs are everywhere (stick to the ones inside shopping centers) and credit/debit cards are widely accepted. But don't walk around without any money: you may need something to give to the bad guys in case you are mugged. Not having money to give a mugger can be dangerous as they may get angry and resort to violence. An excellent idea is to buy a "capanga" (literally meaning bodyguard), that is, a small pouch worn under your shirt, normally used to carry your wallet and keys.

Avoid showing visible signs of wealth (cam…