I honor of Carnaval season in Brazil being underway… …besides the massive block parties that happen ALL the time during the month of February and sometimes into March (which you can see above from last year’s Carnaval)..here is a list of my favorite things to do in Rio if you get a chance to get away from all the madness for a few minutes! 1: Dos Irmaos Hike: I’ve posted about this hike before and I will continue to write about it for many reasons, the most important being it’s not only a hike but a cultural experience as well. To get to the top of the famous Dos Irmaos,... Read More

Situated above the world famous Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, the Dois Irmaos hike is one for the books. The Dois Irmaos, or the Two Brothers, are the famous double mountains you can see looking down the Rio coastline, lying between the areas of Leblon and Sao Conrado. Not only are the views amazing (looking out onto the ocean and almost all of Rio) but you also take a thrilling moto taxi ride through the favela of Vidigal on the way up. For those of you who don’t know, favelas are the slums in Rio. They are known as being hazardous, but nonetheless full of culture and amazing energy.   To... Read More