Sao Paulo Reports

[QUOTE=Lalabo;2997542]I will add my 2 cents, so folks can decide where to stay. Mercure hotels usually don't seem to have sound proofed windows and that is the case with Mercure Times Square (MTS). The windows they have are bit better than the ones in apartments. If there is a nearby construction during you stay, then you don't need an alarm to get up in the morning. Other benefit of staying in MTS when there is nearby construction is you can do clinica runs, sightseeing or some other activity during daytime because you won't be able to sleep. At night there won't be any construction and also there are not many flights going over Wyndham either. There was construction across the street (near Al Kaseem restaurant) from hotel MTS during my 1st stay. The construction noise woke me up every day by 8 am and couldn't sleep during the day because of the loud noise. Luckily there is no such loud construction during my recent stays. I would pick Wyndham over MTS if there is nearby construction. That said, under Wyndham management the hotel has gone downhill. It is now very poorly maintained and with poor management. One big advantage MTS has over Wyndham is that it is, like Steve9696 said, very girl friendly.[/QUOTE]I stayed at this hotel at least a couple of times and there was [B]zero[/B] noise from planes flying overhead. I don't know if the windows were sound proof or not. All I know is there was no airport noise. There also was no construction going on at the time of my stays though, so I can't address that. The Wyndham is in a more convenient location, but the MTS certainly isn't inconveniently located, and the screeching overhead planes cancel out any advantages to be had from the Wyndham's location if you ask me. Advantage MTS when it comes to avoiding airport noise. Based on my direct experience. I won't stay at the Wyndham again.

I thought this was the best decision I made. I experienced a vibrant, diverse community closely populated by entertainment, restaurants, and shopping malls. In fact, it seemed to be a carbon copy of New York. Yes theres like 2% homeless people but no different in America with the invasion of fentanyl. Police ride up and down the roads consistently at night time. Apart from the homeless the other people roaming the streets are party goers like yourself. I loved walking to and from casarao to my apartment building, which had great security. I think the earliest I walked home was 2 am and sometimes coming in about 5 am. In my opinion Casarao was the best somewhat reasonable priced place to monger with numbers of talent so why not be as close by as possible. There was no annoying noise from flight as people posted about moema. But if you are into the spas then I would agree to be close by in the moema area.

[QUOTE=Guest19;2997527]

Walked to the mall to get some money. Santander ATMs declined my chase debit card. I called chase and they told me there was no any declines on chase side. It is the bank. There is an exchange on a third floor, so exchanged some dollars.[/QUOTE]Look for Bradesco ATM's, they're the best.

[QUOTE=Guest19;2997527]Thanks.

Walked to the mall to get some money. Santander ATMs declined my chase debit card. I called chase and they told me there was no any declines on chase side. It is the bank. There is an exchange on a third floor, so exchanged some dollars.[/QUOTE]Try the ATMs at the free standing banks. Not the ones in stores or the mall.

This is my go to bank on the same avenue and accept Chase bank card.

Banco Bradesco. Agência 0495.

[URL]https://maps.app.goo.gl/f5aTpqji5YxRs1Eu7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy[/URL]

[QUOTE=DasBooty;2997602]Look for Bradesco ATM's, they're the best.[/QUOTE]Bradesco is my preferred but Santander also works well with my Schwab debit card. Schwab also refunds all ATM fees (was like $60) which I greatly appreciate!

[QUOTE=SamaRiding;2997615]Try the ATMs at the free standing banks. Not the ones in stores or the mall.

This is my go to bank on the same avenue and accept Chase bank card.

Banco Bradesco. Agncia 0495.

[URL]https://maps.app.goo.gl/f5aTpqji5YxRs1Eu7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy[/URL][/QUOTE]Agreed use Bradesco bank inside the lobby. There is a Bradesco across from Moema metro. I think the lobby closes at 8 pm. Personally my go to are the Bradesco banks with lobby open late at night until 11 pm. The Santadar ATM in Shopping Ibirapuera mall is a 50-50 deal. Sometimes works fine with credit card withdrawal other times has limits of 1000 reais max. Sometimes rejects debit card transaction with nada explanation.

Also be careful using debit card vs credit cards because some bank ATM run out of paper to print proof of withdrawal or in case of ATM malfunction or not dispensing any money. Until the damn whirring stops and money is dispensed anything can happen.

[QUOTE=Tochka;2997667]Or in case of ATM malfunction or not dispensing any money. Until the damn whirring stops and money is dispensed anything can happen.[/QUOTE]This happened to me once in Brazil (Curitiba). It was at a major mall using a machine that was not specific to a particular bank (that's what I could find). Apparently the machine lost connectivity or something and didn't dispense my money. It said wait a few minutes and try again. I did, and on the second attempt I was able to withdraw the money. Afterwards I checked my Schwab checking account which showed two attempts to withdraw the money, the first unsuccessful and the second successful. I then locked my account so that no more withdrawals could take place until I myself unlocked the account. I love that feature! That along with refunds of any and all fees and great customer service (I don't hand that compliment out easily because most businesses don't deserve it) makes the Schwab debit card an excellent choice for the traveling monger. One of the best things I ever did was open that checking account with Schwab. They put $60 in ATM fees recently incurred in Brazil back into my account. Not a lot of banks are going to do that. When I'm overseas I hit the ATMs freely because I know I will get all of the fees back. The Cane does not pay fees to access my own money!

I haven't written a report in almost 1. 5 years, but still go to Brazil (mostly SP) about 6 x a year. With the abundance of reviews, feedback and questions the past few months in this forum, I feel motivated to give back and provide new insights I've gleamed in 2024 and 2025, as well as answer some questions or update on some pricing: Note: All mentions of money are in Brazilian Real, unless denoted by USD.

Accommodations:

I generally stay at higher end hotels and have found all the mid to high end hotels in SP and RJ to be guest friendly. You should ALWAYS book for 2 or maximum allowable guests for that room category. (3+ for suites, etc.). Some hotels, especially the night staff, will try to charge you a guest fee if you only book for 1 guest. Sometimes they will try even if you book for 2+. In those situations, you just need to politely push back and point out you booked for 2+ guests.

Something new I've experienced is that some hotels will try to differentiate a "visitor" vs. A "guest". They consider a visitor as temporary visitor. They consider a guest as someone who can get a keycard and make room charges, etc. I had one instance where a hotel tried to register a girl as a "visitor" and ask me pay a visitor fee. I told them I booked for 2 persons, and they warned me that to avoid the "visitor" fee, I had to register her as a "guest" so I did so. I simply unregistered her once she left in the afternoon.

I have stayed at the following hotels found them to be guest friendly:

Rosewood (Best hotel in SP IMHO, luxurious and modern, conveniently located, expensive).

Emiliano (luxury hotel with a modern Brazilian flair, conveniently located, expensive).

Fasano (both locations) (Old school Brazilian luxury hotel, conveniently located, expensive).

Hotel Unique (Not a fan, small rooms ok location, expensive).

Tivoli (Nice luxury hotel, conveniently located, expensive).

Renaissance (Best Marriott hotel location wise. A bit dated, good service).

Grand Hyatt (Amazing service, typical Grand Hyatt, far from the action).

JW Marriott (Newly renovated luxury Marriott hotel, far from action).

W Sao Paulo (Newlly built great service, good location amd modern luxury).

Intercontinental (A bit dated, good location).

My friends found the following hotels to be guest friendly:

Palacio Tangara (Super luxurious, far away from action, expensive).

Hilton (Far away from action).

Sheraton (Far away from action).

Marriott Apartments (Close to Bomboa and Caf Photo.

Pullman Sao Paulo (both locations).

Grand Mercure and Mercure (various locations).

Wyndham SP Ibrapuera (formerly known as the Bourbon) in Moema (Beware of airplane noise).

Friends who have stayed at Airbnb have had little trouble finding guest friendly options in both SP and RJ, although they did have to do their due diligence and ask about the host's guest policy.

Transportation:

Uber is the way to go, as it's cheap and convenient. I generally use Uber Black as many drivers cancel UberX so you might have to wait longer to save a little coin. Uber Black also usually isn't much more than UberX and a few times, it's even cheaper! A new option I noticed in 2024 is Uber Taxi, which can be quite useful in avoiding traffic. Uber Taxi usually is similar to UberX in pricing (and often times run promos which cost less than Uberx). Taxis can use special lanes for only Taxis and Buses to avoid traffic during rush hour. Occasionally, I would use regular Taxis when leaving Scandallo or my hotel if it's right there waiting for a passenger. For short and medium distance journeys, their pricing is comparable to Uber. It is usually the long distances rides and trips from / to airports that they become significantly more costly than Uber.

Crime:

Most of the crime in Sao Paulo are crimes of opportunity against the weak (women, elderly, solo unaware gringos, etc.). Snatch and grab make up most of the crime I've heard about from friends, colleagues, girls and others. Try not to walk around the city with your full attention on your phone. When you do need to use your phone out in the street, try to stay away from the curb, where guys on bikes can do a snatch and grab. I usually walk inside a store if I need to use my phone. When calling for an Uber, try to do so and wait inside an establishment, whether it's a clinica, bank, restaurant, bar, etc. And exit when the Uber arrives. The neighborhood you are in also plays a big part on how cautious and aware you need to be. Centro, Republica and north of Av. Paulista at night can be especially shady. Even tourist hotspots near Av. Paulista, Liberdade, etc. Need extra awareness at night. The areas I've found to be safest at night were Itaim Bibi, Vila Olimpia and Jardim Paulista. I also found Moema to be relatively safe both during the day and at night, as it has a Bohemian vibe. You can also get a wrist cord or neck lanyard for your phone. It has saved my friends from a few attempts at snatch and grabs.

Banking / FX and Credit Cards:

I mainly use ATMs for most of my FX / cash needs. You get an exchange rate very close to the current rate with Santander and Bradesco. I try to use ATMs inside bank branches. In branches near busy and more affluent, touristy or commercial areas (Jardim Paulista, Itaim Bibi, etc.) and in shopping malls, I usually can withdraw $2,500 per transaction up to your local bank's daily withdrawal limits (so probably $5,000 per day in 2 transactions). I have 2 ATM cards with me so I can withdraw up to $10,000 per day. 1 to 2 visits to the ATMs usually satisfy my cash needs for the trip.

Using a debit card that refunds ATM fees is suggested. Schwab and Fidelity have online accounts that are easy to use and returns ATM fees. Higher tier bank checking accounts at big western financial institutions will refund your ATM fees. I carry 2 of these cards with me when I travel (Schwab and my main bank card).

I also supplement that by brining around $1,000 USD for emergency funds. Many girls will take USD in lieu of Reals. You can also go to a cambio if you want to exchange. Two that I have used and can recommend are: 1) Seattle Turismo in Jardim Paulist and 2) Casa de Cambio in Morumbi Shopping.

For most of my expenses in Brazil, I use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees and high point reward bonuses for restaurants and travel. I use my credit cards at hotels, restaurants, super markets, pharmacies, tourist attractions, boates (Scandallo, Bamboa, etc.) and even some clinicas and Termas (in RJ) where there is no surcharge or fees for using a credit card. I mostly use cash when paying the girls or when visiting clinicas that don't take credit card or charge a surcharge for its usage.

I usually only take with me 1 or 2 CCs and 1 debit card with me when I am out. I also only take what I expect to use in cash that day / evening. As I usually do overnights with girls and usually visit boates, I leave most of my cash in the hotel, as I only pay the girl when they leave in the morning / afternoon. I also leave my passport and most of my IDs and CCs, etc. In the hotel safe. I carry with me my PADI ID and a paper copy of my passport. I've used my PADI ID at all the boates, bars, clubs, etc. Without issue. I am sure an expired license or any local ID you use would suffice if they would accept my scuba diving ID. My paper copy of my passport was also accepted by cambios I've used for USD to BRL cash exchange. They usually will also take a photo of your passport from your phone. I also take with me a burner phone, which basically is the last phone I used before I upgraded to my current phone. I do the above to minimize risk when out about town.

Cellular Communications:

I have no experience getting local SIM or international eSIM cards, as I have used 3 plans the last 5 years in Brazil that worked great. Google Fi has unlimited talk, text and data and is great for international use. T-Mobile has 5 Gig of monthly data for international use. AT&T has unlimited talk, text and data in South America (including Brazil). However, GRU and GIG airports have free wifi if you need access to internet and to grab an Uber when you land without cellular internet.

Hobbying:

With some of the recent discussions devolving into subtle or not subtle jabs as to the right way to hobby, I want to put the following disclaimer.

I believe is NO RIGHT WAY to hobby! Everyone has different tastes, budgets, approaches, goals, etc. You can go visit as many different venues as you want or stick to a select few that you repeat often. Spend as little or as much as your budget allows or your heart desires! Fuck as much or little as you want!

Here are my personal experiences and YMMV.

I generally come to Brazil for 1 week every 2 months. Therefore, time is my most valuable resource. I also am fortunate enough that I have a high enough budget that I can afford to go to the more high-end venues frequently and often. My work schedule also generally leaves me little time for afternoon excursions. I personally prefer the environment of a boate like Scandallo, where I get the chance to see the girl in person, get a chance to chat her up and see if we have good chemistry and see if we vibe, as opposed to a point and shoot option of clinicas or online outcalls / incalls.

Boates:

Scandallo:

Based on the above, it's no wonder Scandallo is my favorite place to visit in Brazil. It's a luxurious venue with good food and good drinks and they bring 100-250 girls together for me to chat up, size up and select for an overnight date. Saves me so much time and legwork as opposed to other venues like clinicas or online options (escorts or Seeking or its Brazilian version MP), which would take multiple visits and still might not get the same results or quality. It's almost like speed dating version of Seeking / freelancers, but you can choose who to approach and go at it at your own pace.

Scandallo Lounge is divided into mainly3 areas, an outdoor terrace (small one by day and then a large one later at night), a restaurant and a disco / club area. You can talk to girls in a quieter setting of the terrace or restaurant (but has darker lighting) or dance and party in the disco.

The average quality of the girls who work there are, in my experience and opinion, unrivalled anywhere in Brazil (some would say all of the Americas or even the world) in terms of looks, charisma, style, intelligence, etc. I've met many professionals and talented artists who worked there from lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses. Etc. And of course, many students, models, artists, dancers, etc. For a girl to work in Scandallo, it isn't as simple as showing up and paying their entry fee, which isn't cheap. They have to submit photos of themselves and go for an interview. I've had a few girls I've met at other boates, who I thought had the looks for working at Scandallo get turned down. They were told they either weren't put together enough or should get more experience working at other higher end boates like Connections (sister club of Scandallo) or Bamboa before they reapply again. I am sure the months / seasons of the year also has something to do with their rejection. During the quieter months in the summer, when many of the girls are traveling abroad (or Brazilian winter), they probably would have gotten accepted.

Once they get accepted, they have to pay an initial entrance fee of $300 for their first day working at the club. Although I've heard some girls get that waved as they are so hot or refined / elegant and the club management want them to come to attract clients. If they work 8 hours or if a client takes them out of the club for a "saida", they will get a free invitation back the next business day. They are expected to work 5 days a week if they want to get continuous free invitations. They can elect to take Saturday or Mondays off (on top of Sundays). They can change their day off each week when they submit their schedule. Once they skip a work day, they will have to restart the first day $300 admission process all over again.

Therefore, a girl who isn't hot enough or have a shitty or sharky personality or don't have whatever clients look for, they will have a sunk cost of $300 plus whatever they consume in terms of food and drinks that clients don't pay for. That weeds out the lower end girls as they have to compete with other young and hot girls who might be intelligent, stylish, elegant, sexy, etc. And they have to PAY to compete, or on subsequent working days invest their time to compete.

Some of the best girls can show up late or whenever they want as they can get a client whenever they show up.

For guys, their cost is $300 before 7:00 pm (All count toward consumption) and $500 after 7:00 pm ($300 toward consumption). What that basically means is that there is a $200 cover charge after 7:00 pm, and you are expected to spend a minimum of $300 on drinks, food, tobacco products, etc. I find it pretty easy to spend $300 per visit and rarely go under that, unless it's a quick visit on the way to the airport.

If you plan to visit Scandallo more than 1 or 2 x within a 6-month period and / or are going with friends, it's is good advice to get a bottle of your favorite hard liquor. You pay less per drink and the bottle is held for 6 months. The bottle also acts as a placeholder on any table you are sitting at should you go walk around. I usually get a bottle of gin as that's what the girls usually drinks. Some will also drink vodka, tequila and champagne. I find both good and bad whiskey wasted on the girls. If you are going with friends, you can even split the cost of a bottle as everyone would have $300 consumption anyway.

Most of the girls I've spoken to recently have been asking anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000 for a short time romp in the adjacent hotel. Time can range from 60 to 120 minutes depending on how you negotiate. It is generally just an opening ask, and they will usually take $700 to $1,200. A few girls will only come down to $1,500 to $2,000. How far down they will go will depends on many factors. While you are sizing them up, they are also reading you. If they like you, whether it's your looks, hygiene, personality, etc. Can be a factor. Whether they think you are a newbie or a rich gringo sometimes can be a factor. The time and day of the week also matters, as they will take less during quieter times of the day (afternoon or early evenings) or less busy days of the week (Mondays and Saturdays).

Suffice it so say, with so many hot women to suit all tastes, all my friends and I have had no issue getting girls for $1,000 to $1,200, and even with some of my friends who like to haggle and play hard to get netting girls regularly for $700-900 for ST (Short Time).

I personally do not enjoy haggling and don't negotiate too hard so usually just make 1 counter offer that I feel is fair based on what my friends, colleagues and other local friends have been paying ($1,000 to $1,200) and move on. Even then, my successful rate is probably 90-95%.

For ST visits in the hotel next door, Scandallo now charges $300 per hour, which is the same as the takeout "saida" fee. Time starts when the girl opens the door with the keycard to the room. Any time over one hour is charged at a prorated rate.

Short time trysts probably only make up 5-10% of my encounters in Scandallo. I almost always take a girl out of the club at the end of the night for an overnight / pernoite date until the morning. For LT (Long time) dates, I generally pay $1,500 to $2,000. Occasionally, I've paid $2,500 for a girl I really want and once in a blue moon, I've paid $3,000 for a unicorn that I just had to have.

I also make sure to discuss what I want in terms of service and time. For me that's at minimum, BBBJ, DFK, have stamina in both oral and intercourse, as I can last awhile. I also make sure we agree on when they will leave, as I always want a girl to stay until at least late morning for morning sex and then breakfast in bed. If they need to leave earlier, then I either move on or negotiate a lower "gift" for less time.

You can fill in your own requirements in terms of acronyms or requirements. These girls aren't shy and have heard it all, whether you ask for CIM, anal, BBFS, reverse gangbang, 2 guys tag teaming her, BDSM, eating sushi off of them, pegging, waterworks, visiting swing clubs, going to a love model with a pole for a private strip show, etc. Just be direct, but also tactful or smooth in asking for what you want. Nothing worse than being vague and then being disappointed if you didn't get something that you "must" have or presume is included or they leave earlier than you expect.

Generally, GFE (BBBJ, Kissing, DATY) is included, but after 1 instance (thankfully out of 100+) of a girl wanting to do CBJ, I've started making sure even on GFE. I've found the average IOP and service level of the girls at Scandallo to be higher than other boates or venues. It's a by-product of the more relaxing and luxurious environment, vetting process by management, ability of clients to size up the girl, the girl generally being smart enough to want a loyal repeat client, clients who are usually more demanding and not settle for shitty service, girls who are usually more refined and forward thinking, and the ability of clients to complain about a girl to management.

Some of my friends and colleagues (as well as many of the locals) go to Scandallo just to socialize and get numbers for a future meet up. Many locals (which makes up probably 90% of the client base) also go just to drink and party, whether with clients or just with the girls or to get cheap feels.

After reading about an instance of a poster being extorted / scammed into paying a girl to spend time with her, I have to chime in. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY A GIRL FOR SPENDING TIME WITH YOU! They can ask for a tip when she leaves you. Heck, she can ask for drinks, food, etc. It is your right to say yes or no. I've had less than a handful of girls ask for a tip when we couldn't come to an agreement after she spent some social time with me. I've also politely declined each time and they just shrugged and went on their way. Tipping isn't a cultural thing in Brazil and they usually only ask that of gringos.

They will NOT kick you out simply for spending social time with a girl and not compensating her for social time. If a girl or any security guard makes that demand or threat, ask to speak to management. I've asked a few managers and head waiters at the club about this and they all said it's BS and they would ban the girl and fire the security guard on the spot of it was brought to their attention.

To recap for pricing:

$300 minimum consumption (All times) + $200 cover charge after 7:00 PM.

$300ST hotel for 1 hour or $300 take out "Saida" fee.

ST: Generally $900 to $1,200 with a select few at $7-800 or $1,500 to $2,000.

LT: Generally $1,500 to $2,000, with a select few at $2,500 to $3,000.

Bomboa.

A smaller boate with a family restaurant feel. The club is centrally located, which might be its best attribute. I've visited on numerous occasions for a change of pace and at least half the time, I left and went to Scandallo afterwards, as I didn't find any girl to my liking that were available. The number of girls varies from 25 to 50 depending on the night. I almost always see a girl I like, but often times they are occupied. Overall, I like the service and more relaxed vibe, but the limited amount of girls at times make it hit or miss for me.

The pricing is very similar to Scandallo as my last visit in 2024 was $350 all consumption. They also tack on a 15% service charge. They also have a happy hour / executive lunch special during the day at about the consumption.

The girls ask a little less than Scandallo and you can get them for $600-1,000 for ST and $1,000 to $1,500 for LT.

Caf Photo:

Also centrally located and near Bomboa. It's a luxurious smaller version of Scandallo and I've had so good pulls in the past before they finished building the hotel. However, my last few visits (and those of my friends) have been mediocre at best. The quantity and quality of the girls have gone downhill the past 12-18 months.

Pricing is also similar to Scandallo as it was $350 with $200 being consumption. They also tack on a 15% service charge.

The girls ask a little less than Scandallo and you can get them for $800-1,000 for ST and $1,000 to $1,500 for LT.

Gauguin Club:

Located by WTC so lots of businessmen and gringo visitors. Went there for first time earlier this year and did like the setup. It's a bit like Caf Photo, but with better talent (similar to Bomboa) I forgot the entry, but I think we took the $200 option with less consumption.

Girls were asking prices similar to Scandallo.

It's an okay boate to check out if you are in the area.

Clinicas:

I generally separate them into 3 tiers. High-end, regular and budget.

My favorite high end ones are:

The Palms (Tropical theme, Ipad selection, good service) $800 for 60 min.

Oro Spa (Modern Spa look, ipad selection, good service) $750 for 60 min.

Lotus Lounge (Modern Spa look, ipad selection, good service) $750 for 60 min.

Regular Clinicas (I've mostly gone to the ones in Moeama area):

Moema Prime: (good roster, good selection of girls, good to amazing service) $330 for 60 min.

Miruna (moderate roster, okay selection of girls, good service) $330 for 60 min.

Abbobora (Biggest roster, usually hotter selection of girls, but service is hit or miss): $400 for 60 min.

57 Friends (moderate roster, okay selection of girls, good to amazing service) $330 for 60 min. Turns into a boate after 8 or 9 pm.

Enjoy (moderate roster, okay selection of girls, good service) $330 for 60 min.

Budget:

Tangara (huge roster, good selection of girls, okay to great service) $240 for 60 min.

Yankin (large roster, good selection of girls, okay to great service) $240 for 60 min.

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2997729]
Sheraton (Far away from action).

[/QUOTE]Completely agree about being far away for the action, except it's next door to the Gauguin Club. I wouldn't stay there for that reason, but I would definitely visit the Gauguin Club if you're staying at the Sheraton.

Great report. Very useful for the first timer like me.

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2997731]...

Here are my personal experiences and YMMV.

.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=SocratesNY;2997729]........Wyndham SP Ibrapuera (formerly known as the Bourbon) in Moema (Beware of airplane noise)............[/QUOTE]I mostly stayed at the Bourbon in my trips to SP (last one being 2019). Now made aware of the name change. I was always given a room with sound proof windows so had no problem with noise in the room despite its proximity to the airport.

[QUOTE=Blakman;2997587]I thought this was the best decision I made. I experienced a vibrant, diverse community closely populated by entertainment, restaurants, and shopping malls. In fact, it seemed to be a carbon copy of New York. [/QUOTE]You get it and I think you are only scratching the surface based on your report. I do not like Casarao like you so I like this area even without it. In Rio, Lapa is similar but smaller and lesser in scale.

The main thing to watch out for is the people on bicycle. They will try to snatch something from you, even from your pockets. The only place that is safe from them is a place that their bikes can't get to.

[QUOTE=ZuluTango25;2997526]Already booked flight tickets. So I have to stick to the plan this time. May be my next trip. Thank you for your suggestion.[/QUOTE]Don't sweat it. I've done it both ways and there are pros and cons to both.

I think I slightly prefer SP first and then RJ, especially if it's been raining a lot in SP. One of my trips earlier this year, I spent 7 days in SP and it rained every day. I decided to extend my stay and head to RJ where the weather was gorgeous. It was a great relaxing way to end the trip.

It just depends on whether you prefer the more chill and relaxing part of your trip to be in the front or back end.

[QUOTE=Pk099;2997792]Great report. Very useful for the first timer like me.[/QUOTE]Yes excellent info. Someday soon I will get to Brazil but living in San Diego it is so much easier and cheaper to get to Mexico and Colombia. I fly first class so its a lot to SP. I'm in Tijuana almost every week with a chica and never in the zona. Would I be OK with English and intermediate Spanish in Brazil? Would I be able to communicate well with the girls? Do you speak Portugese?