Rio de Janeiro Reports

[QUOTE=Errlmcdabbed;2484971]Hey boys,

I've lurked here on and off for a while but just moved to Rio this week so thought ID finally make an account. Love the info spread around here. I'm living with family here so I can't host but Ill eventually hit some termas and clinicas and make sure to report back what I find. I'm a long time fan of Copa 583 with it traditionally being so clean and having showers in each room so will likely head there first. Thanks for having me, and looking forward to contributing.[/QUOTE]Welcome to the board and please feel free to share some intel.

Assume you are Brazilian and excellent English BTW.

[QUOTE=Bookie77;2484863]I was planning to move in Brasil permanently but I am a bit scared of covid. I am not too old I am 43 yo and I really can't decide whether is a smart move to move there now or not. Another thing that concerns me is whether I should move in SP or RJ. I am not going to Brasil for work just to stay there because I have a steady income. What would you do? Would you move to Brasil right now or not? Which city you think is better SP or RJ? Even if I spent a couple of months to SP and a couple of months to RJ I am pretty sure that it would be a tough call to decide which is the best city to stay and spend my life.[/QUOTE]Most importantly, if you spent a couple of months in SP and then a couple months in RJ, you would likely decide which one was best for you. They are very, very different cities.

Secondly, the Sao Paulo thread (and sometimes here) always has extensive discussions with new travelers of where to spend more time. I believe this was discussed in detail just in the last month on the SP thread. The basic comparisons would mostly apply to new residents as well.

Briefly without regurgitating every comparison, Rio is a world class tourist destination with many beaches and surrounded by tropical mountains and greenery. Sao Paulo is a concrete jungle better for mongering. My opinion is that a resident in Rio would find many local mongering options beyond the usual locations. You can guess where I think you should live. I don't think I would live in Sao Paulo unless a job took me there. Flying to the other city is also cheap and quick.

Note: Barra (in Rio) is a great place to live for a full-time resident. You might be thinking more about neighborhoods not just cities. Do you want to be around the tourist havens of Copa and Ipanema? Do you want to be near the subway? Lots to think about.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2484938]But my travel time is very limited, so monthly rates won't work for me. Regardless, I'm sure I'll be able to find a suitable vacation rental in Barra. Time to try some new things, LOL.[/QUOTE]How long are you going to be in Rio? Are you sure you want to spend the time and cost on transportation getting from Barra to the rest of the city?

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2485062]Most importantly, if you spent a couple of months in SP and then a couple months in RJ, you would likely decide which one was best for you. They are very, very different cities.

Secondly, the Sao Paulo thread (and sometimes here) always has extensive discussions with new travelers of where to spend more time. I believe this was discussed in detail just in the last month on the SP thread. The basic comparisons would mostly apply to new residents as well.

Briefly without regurgitating every comparison, Rio is a world class tourist destination with many beaches and surrounded by tropical mountains and greenery. Sao Paulo is a concrete jungle better for mongering. My opinion is that a resident in Rio would find many local mongering options beyond the usual locations. You can guess where I think you should live. I don't think I would live in Sao Paulo unless a job took me there. Flying to the other city is also cheap and quick.

Note: Barra (in Rio) is a great place to live for a full-time resident. You might be thinking more about neighborhoods not just cities. Do you want to be around the tourist havens of Copa and Ipanema? Do you want to be near the subway? Lots to think about.[/QUOTE]Good description. Sao Paulo is like New York in South America. If you like New York, especially Manhattan, you'll like Sao Paulo. If the level of activity and congestion in New York drives you nuts, Sao Paulo will do the same.

[QUOTE=OldBelly69;2485035]Welcome to the board and please feel free to share some intel.

Assume you are Brazilian and excellent English BTW.[/QUOTE]Haha I have dual citizenship with US and Brazil, American mom and Brazilian dad, but have lived in US most of my life. Fluent in both English and Portuguese, but many more errors in my Portuguese.

[QUOTE=GValenz;2484891]I hope you never venture outside the tourist safe havens and have to ask a local for help. You should know by now the importance of learning a few lines of Portuguese it is well appreciated by locals.[/QUOTE]Looking forward to more of your valuable insights.

BUT, before you respond to another member you might want to see how many posts they have (Sperto has over 3500) and you might want to review a few of their previous posts.

Sperto has visited all the states of Brazil and has been making extremely valuable contributions to this forum for years. He is fluent in Portuguese, English and other languages. His post was meant as a joke.

Ha ha ha (rsrsrs kkkk in Portuguese).

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2485062]Most importantly, if you spent a couple of months in SP and then a couple months in RJ, you would likely decide which one was best for you. They are very, very different cities.

Secondly, the Sao Paulo thread (and sometimes here) always has extensive discussions with new travelers of where to spend more time. I believe this was discussed in detail just in the last month on the SP thread. The basic comparisons would mostly apply to new residents as well.

Briefly without regurgitating every comparison, Rio is a world class tourist destination with many beaches and surrounded by tropical mountains and greenery. Sao Paulo is a concrete jungle better for mongering. My opinion is that a resident in Rio would find many local mongering options beyond the usual locations. You can guess where I think you should live. I don't think I would live in Sao Paulo unless a job took me there. Flying to the other city is also cheap and quick.

Note: Barra (in Rio) is a great place to live for a full-time resident. You might be thinking more about neighborhoods not just cities. Do you want to be around the tourist havens of Copa and Ipanema? Do you want to be near the subway? Lots to think about.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the info.

Barra the Tijuca that's the place I would like to live in RJ. In SP I think Jardim Europa.

So my AIRBNB host cancelled, so we just decided to get a hotel. Thanks to Rio Bob, I decided to get the ocean view room he suggested. Just over $100 a night.

The reviews on TripAdvisor are so bad though.

Is Pestena really Girl Friendly? That is the main reason I selected the hotel, that and the great location and view.

Can anyone confirm or deny. I also saw in the forum from a search that Porto bay was GF too?

Any confirmations. Tminus 33 days.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2485065]How long are you going to be in Rio? Are you sure you want to spend the time and cost on transportation getting from Barra to the rest of the city?[/QUOTE]But would I actually need to get anywhere from Barra? I might miss Copacabana a little, but from Vagabundo1 postings, it seems that Barra can be self-sufficient in terms of mongering, food options and the beach. I think I've visited all normal tourists sites during my many trips to Rio, and besides, there is now Metro station in Barrra from what I understand. I've almost always stayed in Copacabana or Ipanema during my visits, but I'm tempted to give Barra a try.

Hey guys,

I am in Rio for a couple of weeks and bombing in all the girls. Every one I find is a horrible experience and a waste of money. What am I doing wrong? How do I get a few good ones.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2485303]But would I actually need to get anywhere from Barra? I might miss Copacabana a little, but from Vagabundo1 postings, it seems that Barra can be self-sufficient in terms of mongering, food options and the beach. I think I've visited all normal tourists sites during my many trips to Rio, and besides, there is now Metro station in Barrra from what I understand. I've almost always stayed in Copacabana or Ipanema during my visits, but I'm tempted to give Barra a try.[/QUOTE]One can certainly make a vacation of Barra. You can certainly travel to the rest of the city from Barra. Perhaps you have been to Rio many times and desire a change of scenery.

I myself prefer crowded urban beaches to expansive beaches. It's the eye candy factor. More bodies per square feet. I'm not a swimmer so I don't worry too much about clean water. So I visit Barra from Copacabana and Ipanema when I am in the mood.

Honestly, I don't know if Barra is self-sufficient for mongering. The top termas and clinicas are in Centro and Zona Sul. Vagabundo seems to travel to many of them. You have to realize many Rio gringo mongers hit the scene running in a stay that can be a week or less.

[QUOTE=WyattEarp;2485364]I myself prefer crowded urban beaches to expansive beaches. It's the eye candy factor. More bodies per square feet. I'm not a swimmer so I don't worry too much about clean water. So I visit Barra from Copacabana and Ipanema when I am in the mood.
[/QUOTE]My buddy's wife is Brazilian. The last time they went down they stayed in Barra. He said never again. Nothing was really walkable from the place they stayed and everything was spread out. It is like you taking a trip to New York City, but staying in White Plains. Like you said, Barra could be a get away but a lot of folks want to stay in the better known areas with more going on when they are on vacation, not out in the suburbs. As Bookie kind of alluded to, living or a long-term stay somewhere is a lot different than being there for a 1 week vacation.

[QUOTE=TravelBug2020;2485275]So my AIRBNB host cancelled, so we just decided to get a hotel. Thanks to Rio Bob, I decided to get the ocean view room he suggested. Just over $100 a night.

The reviews on TripAdvisor are so bad though.

Is Pestena really Girl Friendly? That is the main reason I selected the hotel, that and the great location and view.

Can anyone confirm or deny. I also saw in the forum from a search that Porto bay was GF too?

Any confirmations. Tminus 33 days.[/QUOTE]Yes the reviews are bad on trip advisor but whose writing those reviews and why? For the most part all those reviews are from regular tourists and they're pretty much just complaining about the fact that the hotel needs a renovation. Yes the hotel does need to be renovated but it's not a showstopper. The pool area could use a little paint but this is not a showstopper, they could sweep the pool area a little better but nothing so bad. The rooms are clean, I tip the cleaning ladies a few reais and they leave extra towels and toiletries and clean the room very good, they appreciate it and do a great job. Sure the furniture in the room like the desk or chairs or couch are outdated but who cares. The big thing that room the ocean front suite is huge and with that balcony the price you're paying is a tremendous value. Even if you went to the Marriott down the street for a comparable price the rooms would be small, no balcony just a drag.

So I overlook the imperfections of the hotel because what I get is tremendous, as soon as I have a girl come over we get a drink and go out on the balcony. They love the balcony, we have our drink then on the balcony they all give me a BBBJ, with my drink in hand and sometimes a smoke, it's become part of my routine. About 30% of the time I even bang them there, just adds so much to the experience. Also the shower is huge, some guys like to do it in the shower, no problem here.

Then at times even around carnival time I sit there on the balcony and watch the various Blocos go down Avenue Atlntica, it's really a good experience. Below is a video of the pool area at night, before Covid they had DJ on weekends, I met girls there and during the day at the pool I've seen girls there looking for guys. So it's a good interesting place. Also below some videos from the balcony and pool.

[URL]https://youtu.be/Hf5gvWsfc9I[/URL]

[URL]https://youtu.be/2ojH-Axt1lg[/URL]

[URL]https://youtu.be/5VDuXbekyLI[/URL]

[URL]https://youtu.be/n5pfGvb9iIc[/URL]

[QUOTE=RioBob;2485447]Yes the reviews are bad on trip advisor but whose writing those reviews and why? For the most part all those reviews are from regular tourists and they're pretty much just complaining about the fact that the hotel needs a renovation. Yes the hotel does need to be renovated but it's not a showstopper. The pool area could use a little paint but this is not a showstopper, they could sweep the pool area a little better but nothing so bad. The rooms are clean, I tip the cleaning ladies a few reais and they leave extra towels and toiletries and clean the room very good, they appreciate it and do a great job. Sure the furniture in the room like the desk or chairs or couch are outdated but who cares. The big thing that room the ocean front suite is huge and with that balcony the price you're paying is a tremendous value. Even if you went to the Marriott down the street for a comparable price the rooms would be small, no balcony just a drag.

So I overlook the imperfections of the hotel because what I get is tremendous, as soon as I have a girl come over we get a drink and go out on the balcony. They love the balcony, we have our drink then on the balcony they all give me a BBBJ, with my drink in hand and sometimes a smoke, it's become part of my routine. About 30% of the time I even bang them there, just adds so much to the experience. Also the shower is huge, some guys like to do it in the shower, no problem here.[/QUOTE]At Riobob. Thanks for the detailed response. I will give the hotel a shot, you mentioned some nice benefits. The BJ on the balcony with an ice cold beer taking in the scenery does seem like something I'll never forget and regret. Appreciate all the info you provide l.

[QUOTE=TravelBug2020;2485449]At Riobob. Thanks for the detailed response. I will give the hotel a shot, you mentioned some nice benefits. The BJ on the balcony with an ice cold beer taking in the scenery does seem like something I'll never forget and regret. Appreciate all the info you provide l.[/QUOTE]I'll follow up with Rio Bob's recommendation, the Pestana is a nice hotel. Especially the balcony rooms. I'm not familiar with the Trip Advisor reviews but I enjoyed my stay there in 2017. From my experience, it is girl friendly. The one time I brought a girl up, the guy behind the desk just smiled and as I walked my girl to the elevator. I don't know if he thought we were going to the upstairs pool bar but she was not stopped to show ID. And you can also find some action at the pool bar on the roof. I met a few semi pros, two when I was staying there and two when I was just visiting. One of them lives in Spain now and I still communicate with her til this day. I would stay at Pestana again but I chose the Arena on this trip. Good luck.