hey everyone just wanting to hear about anyone experience travelling with kite gear and staying in hostels. Has anyone had any problems with not having storage space/ lockers? Is it something i should inquire about before arriving at a hostel? planning a trip to Brazil and will be staying in hostels for a while in Reo De Janiero. would be good to hear anyones experiences from Brazil as well.
Hi mrpapy,
I am a brazilian from Rio and these are what I think you should stick to:
- Stay away from Copacabana, specially at night. Unless you are with a local.
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Did I mention get travel insurance for you and your gear ?
- Don't use public transport, rent a car. Expect to tip a kid/bloke every time you park...
- Stay away from favelas, even though they are "pacified"
- I used to live in Leblon and this is a nice neighbourhood, try to stay there.
- Don't carry "I am a tourist signs" as much as possible.
- Do carry a bit of cash, not much. Purchase things with credit card.
- People in Rio are known to be very friendly, some people take advantage of that to pretend they are nice....Don't trust everybody blindly.
- Go to "Praia do Pepe" (E - NE winds) to kite and see the most beautiful brazilian girls.
- Go to Buzios.
- Visit the Southern states of Brazil if you can ( Santa Catarina, specially Florianopolis. About 10-12 hours from Rio )
- Go to Angra dos Reis (about 3 hours from Rio), if you manage to find a friend with a boat.
- Learn a bit of Portuguese, not everybody speaks english
Have fun :)
thanks so much for all the details fcalmon. interesting about Copacabana so far everything i read on touristy websites says it is safe and recommended for back packers. Lucky i checked on seabreeze :) Ill definantly try to make a trip to Santa Catarina as well.
What are the roads like for driving if i hire a car? is there a lot of traffic/busy roads? Is the main kite spot barra de Tijuca in rio? Is it another name for Praia de pepe?
thanks again. 
Select to expand quoteMRPAPY said...
thanks so much for all the details fcalmon. interesting about Copacabana so far everything i read on touristy websites says it is safe and recommended for back packers. Lucky i checked on seabreeze :) Ill definantly try to make a trip to Santa Catarina as well.
What are the roads like for driving if i hire a car? is there a lot of traffic/busy roads? Is the main kite spot barra de Tijuca in rio? Is it another name for Praia de pepe?
thanks again.
to Santa Catarina I wouldn't drive, fly and rent a car there. In Rio, I've been away for 8 long years and I didn't kite back then, from what I know barra is the place on E/NE, on SW I heard Leblon is the go.
Roads are pretty busy and drivers are nowhere as nice as around here. Praia do pepe is just a name for part of barra da Tijuca where the kite/windsurf spot is. About Copacabana go on daytime and if you go at night time stick to Atlantica ave (Beach) and go in a group
