Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is one the worlds most famous city's, known for its beaches, nightlife, culture and the world famous Carnival festival that takes place each year.  Everyone who visits Rio falls in love with the city, it's just one of those wonderful places that seems to please everyone.  

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, and is the main tourist destination for South America.  When people think of Brazil, they often conjure up images of this city, with its famous beaches, land marks, and celebrations.  The most famous beaches which everyone should see at least once during their lifetime, include Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach and Leblon Beach.  While the beaches draw enormous crowds, the city is also known for its famous carnival celebrations, which take place each year for five days during February.  Rio de Janerio is also know for several famous landmarks including the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, and the Sugar Loaf which can be seen from many hotel rooms.   

A vibrant nightlife has always been part of Rio de Janeiro, with many well known clubs including Baronneti, Hideaway, Icy, and Nuth giving those who are looking to continue partying well into the night a good selection of very popular clubs to choose from.  These clubs are also situated near the main tourist areas, making them easily accessible and tourist friendly.

The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio de Janerio, which will be the first South American city to host the event!  The having all kinds of new infrastructure built up for the games, including crime cleanup crews.   Rio de Janerio is known for its crime but for the most part it's not violent, unless you end up in the slums.  Pickpockets are the primary concern for those visiting the area.   Remember to be aware of your surroundings and just don't carry items of high value.  

The main airport is Rio's Galeão International Airport (GIG) which handles direct international flights from around the world and is one of the main airports for International traffic for visitors, right behind Sao Paulo.