As my biggest getaway of 2016, I spent plenty of time meticulously planning my six week trip to Brazil. And yet for all my research and reading, nothing can actually prepare you for the culture shock of completely immersing yourself in a new country, new language, and new lifestyle. So many aspects of Brazil took me completely…

I read once that local of Rio often say “tenha uma boa praia,” or have a good beach over the much more standard translation for have a good day. It’s a culture-revealing phrase not unlike Thailand’s famous “gin khao reuyang?”, a way of asking what’s up? which literally translates as have you eaten rice yet? In much…

Considering a trip to the land of caipirinhas? Consider accommodation where you’ll have a kitchen in which to whip up your own. Airbnb exploded in popularity in Brazil in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and then again ahead of the 2016 Olympics, a shift that continues to benefit travelers — especially those headed to big cities. Want…

Making the spontaneous decision to cancel our trip to Iguaçu Falls was the quite possibly best call I made in all of Brazil. Within seconds of deciding to skip our flights and spend two leisurely extra nights in the State of Rio de Janeiro instead, I felt a weight lift off of me. But I still…

A week in Rio de Janeiro flew by. I knew it would. Heather and I had debated what to do with our final day in the city. There were so many options! We’d hit a lot of the major must-sees — we’d woken up before dawn to be (literally) the first two people at Christ Redeemer, we’d…

To visit a favela or not to visit a favela: it’s a controversial decision many travelers to Rio will ponder at some point or another. Critics call it poverty tourism, proponents say it de-stigmatizes and brings income to marginalized communities. Even amongst my own peers, there’s discord. Friends from South Africa have made me cross my heart that…