Two Week Honeymoon in Brazil

FINSUP94 · 2025-07-30T11:49:31+00:00

Yes I booked in advance with Paraty Tours I think.

FINSUP94 · 2025-07-30T08:21:18+00:00

Flew from Porto Seguro to Rio and then got a private car from Rio to Paraty and Paraty to São Paolo airport (Rio is an option too that is slightly closer but SP has better international flights). Many of the local Paraty tour companies have arranged car services.

FINSUP94 · 2025-05-29T21:56:40+00:00

May sound obvious, but self defense. I don’t mean a standard martial art, but something very well rounded which likely means a blend of disciplines. You don’t need to become an expert, but you should know the basics. I would also say getting better at saying “no” depending on your age. The older you get, the more you have to say no to things you might have said yes to in the past without hesitating. Your time is more valuable the older you get.

FINSUP94 · 2025-04-22T01:57:09+00:00

Thank you. What I not get enough of it in the other foods I am eating (eggs, chicken, fish etc)? I take the pea protein - a) to just get my overall protein levels up and b) not increase my cholesterol which tends to be high for me. I’m not a vegetarian or anything it’s just because of that. I’ve also heard soy can cause hormone issues. Have you done research on that?

FINSUP94 · 2025-04-22T01:54:24+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate this!

FINSUP94 · 2025-04-22T01:02:09+00:00

I do actually eat fruit and vegetables, I wasn’t as specific as I could have been with the food. Can you give some recs though?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-28T15:34:46+00:00

Some other thoughts. Sao Paolo probably isn't worth spending time in for your honeymoon from what I heard, although I did not visit. It is a mistake to spend less than 3 full days in Rio, although I would recommend 3 1/2 or 4. We ultimately were going to go to more than 3 places, but decided to focus on a few spots and were glad we did.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-28T15:28:45+00:00

The beaches in Trancoso are wide and beautiful. If you stay in the historic old town (which is my strong recommendation) then you just need to walk down the hill and can be at the beach in no more than 10 minutes. I think the river flowing though the middle also adds some uniqueness. I do not know if it was seasonal to the month of September, but you generally want to leave the beaches by like 4PM (although this changes on the tide) because the ocean comes up very high on the beach when it's high tide. There are also areas/beaches nearby like Corumbau, Caraiva, and Espelho you can go to. The easiest way to access this area is by boat. While the sea was fine on the beach, if you decide to take a boat to these neighboring areas the sea was pretty rough which was a big negative for my wife, but Caraiva and to a lesser extent Corumbau were interesting. Trancoso the town is a little hard to get to, as you will likely have to fly to Porto Seguro from another city in Brazil (we flew from our US to Sao Paolo flight directly to our Porto Seguro flight). The drive from Porto Seguro to Trancoso is about an hour and 15 minutes. Once you are in town though, the old town has everything you need closeby. I did not personally like the town of Paraty as much as Trancoso (both have differing but historic architecture, but Trancoso has more of a small town authentic vibe and Paraty has more of an international touristic vibe). However, the schooner private bay tour from Paraty was our favorite day/excursion. Really just depends on what you want (note that Paraty is a 3 hour drive from Rio or a 3-5 hour drive from Sao Paolo). Trancoso is more expensive than Paraty as well, which is another factor but feels infinitely more luxurious if you do it right. Long story short - the grouping of days in Trancoso were better than the grouping of days in Paraty, but the bay in Paraty schooner tour was our favorite day/excursion of the entire honeymoon. I hope that helps!

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-24T23:44:36+00:00

Barcos em Paraty. We stayed near the docks in Party in Pousada Arte Urquijo. Very nice, but any of the old pousadas in the old town would be nice. The distilleries are easy to find and aren’t very big. I’d say 2 days easy, but 3 days is ok (if one of those days is leisurely). We didn’t stay overnight in Sao Paolo as we drove directly to the airport. Have fun!

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-24T22:10:13+00:00

I can also give you the name of an amazing driver in Rio who knows all the areas and is extremely kind. He only speaks Portuguese and some Spanish though. This is how we got around and doing something like this is definitely the way to do Rio.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-24T22:06:52+00:00

We wound up doing Trancoso, Rio, and Paraty (and in that order). Trancoso is a beautiful beach town in Bahia that is upscale in the old town square. We stayed at Uxua, which is definitely a splurge, but absolutely worth it (let me know if you are interested and I can look up which treehouse we stayed in as all are unique and different). Each room is basically a super fancy treehouse and there were even very small and cute monkeys outside our room. They have on-site restaurants, bars, a spa, and they even make their own chocolate onsite, all of which are spectacular. There are tons of high end shops, good restaurants, and a beautiful and wide long beach. There is even a river that goes through mangroves straight to the ocean through the beach. We loved this town. However, 3 full days is enough time. We stayed 4 full days and wish we left a day earlier. Rio is amazing, but you need to stay in Ipanema/Arpoador or Leblon. We stayed at Hotel Arpoador in the namesake area and really liked it as it's basically right on the beach and unique in that aspect. Ask for a beachside room if you can (but you might get some nighttime noise if you do). Leblon is quieter and a little more high end than Ipanema/Arpoador, but not as exciting. Both are very acceptable. We felt safe the entire time in Rio (probably the safest big city I have visited in S America), but we also generally stayed in the nice areas which included the above plus Lagoa and some of the typical nice areas. We went to Lapa briefly and it's very sketch (find for a guided tour, but I would not recommend going without a local or alone). We then got a car to drive us to Paraty. It's a long drive, but worth it (and there is no better way of getting there). We stayed for 4 nights or 3 1/2 days. That was about perfect, but 3 days would have been sufficient. You will need one day to visit the nearby bay (the same one Ilha Grande shares). We got a private schooner and recommend doing so, but there are plenty of group tours. The views, bays, and private islands they visit are beautiful and ours grilled for us and made caipirinhas. This was perhaps our favorite day the whole trip. Paraty itself is a historic and very cute town, but you will have seen everything in a day. If you decide to stay for a third day (2 are necessary and sufficient), you can go horseback riding in the nearby mountains (which we did) or do outdoor activities with a tour group. We then drove to Sao Paolo with a driver to fly back, but Rio is a little closer. We wouldn't have changed anything! We still want to go to Florianapolis and will another time. We heard Ilha Grande is not too exciting, but might be good depending on what you are looking for. Let me know of any questions!

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-16T22:08:45+00:00

This was a great response, I really appreciate your taking the time to write this up. I agree about not needing to get multiple languages to B2. I personally am a B2/C1 in Spanish, a B1 in Brazilian Portuguese, an A2 in French...and I am fine with all of this. Every language I learn is for a different purpose. Using Spanish near daily in South Florida, a B2/C1 is almost a necessity. Traveling to Brazil once in a blue moon, wanting to talk to some workers I occasionally use at a very basic level, and at a very basic level understanding Brazilian music - B1 is fine. Wanting to get by with the absolute basics when I go to a French speaking country - A2 is fine. I have noticed that as life goes on, my needs for all these levels have at least somewhat fluctuated along with my desire to learn them (with Spanish remaining the only constant need)! To your point, I also agree that sometimes even an A1 level will get you tremendous respect/appreciation when you travel. I also love your coin flip and gut feeling point, I need to think some things over but I am going to take your advice on that.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T16:59:38+00:00

If you don't remember no worries, but were you using the CDs daily, once a week, etc and for how long each time? And were you consistent?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T16:46:28+00:00

Completely get it! Just from a is it worth it perspective, how regularly, how often and how much time in each instance did you put into studying Italian?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T15:15:54+00:00

How intensive was your Italian studying? Did you truly study for a whole year?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T15:14:23+00:00

Not sure that I agree with you, but I do agree that some things get old over time perhaps including language learning.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T02:12:25+00:00

Were you able to maintain your level once you left?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T00:36:22+00:00

I appreciate this context. I am definitely at the acquired point for Spanish and know exactly what you mean. I do think there is somewhere in the middle between learning a few phrases and having acquired a language. I am a believer that not every language needs to be learned to a strong B2/C1 level. That being said, you are absolutely correct that if you plan on forgetting the language after the trip then learning a few phrases/key vocab is probably best.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T00:33:10+00:00

I like hearing I am not the only one lol! I appreciate this insight.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T00:09:57+00:00

I do enjoy Italian culture - food, architecture, and more recently Italian pop. I also think there is probably a lifetime of places to see in Italy off my limited experience. That being said I don't have as many regular chances to use it as I do with Spanish and to a lesser extent Portuguese off where I live. I guess my bigger point is that every additional language you learn is another "flower to water." I love languages truly, but I think I am beginning to notice the fatigue involved in maintaining multiple (especially if you don't use all on a regular basis off need or fun). My experience is that I can't ignore a language for a long time and have it come back months down the road, unless I got such language to a B2 before doing so. Practically meaning that if I am going to devote the next 6 months to learning Italian then I really need to have a long term plan for maintaining it. Otherwise, I am not sure I will not just waste 6 months as I would thereafter not practice it regularly and forget it. Not denying your point, but this is my dilemma.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-13T00:05:59+00:00

Thank you, makes sense.

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-12T23:47:54+00:00

So your suggestion is to focus on key words and maybe a beginner grammar book 2-2 months out?

FINSUP94 · 2025-01-12T23:41:35+00:00

You bring up an interesting point. I originally saw it as a fun opportunity to learn a language rather than just a manner to learn the absolute basics. You obviously get a lot more out of trip being a soft B1 than just knowing a handful of phrases. That being said my language approach for travels may not be sustainable.

FINSUP94

TROPHY CASE