Rio is more than just Carnival

The 2012 Carnival is only days away. Though this wild and vibrant festival of music, dance, and dazzling costumes is a major trademark of Rio, there is so much more to explore in this global party capital. Rio is a truly fascinating city with a ton of exciting attractions. There are so many of them that you risk to get lost on the pages of your travel book, even before your plane lands in Rio de Janeiro.

Christ the Redeemer embraces you on top of Corcovado 

The key secret to enjoying a multidimensional metropolis such as Rio is knowing what you want from your vacation. Before you embark on the mesmerizing adventure called Rio de Janeiro, you need to set your priorities straight. That’s what my husband and I had to do as we started planning our week in Rio.

Although we wanted to see as much of Rio as possible, my husband and I collectively decided that it was more important to us to savor the good moments than check off all the items on our wish list. So we agreed to experience Rio as if it was a leisure trip, not a marathon; we were on vacation after all. :) 

Our strategy was to visit one major attraction each day - for example, climb the Corcovado or go to the beach. That way we would conquer the must-see attraction on the agenda and spend the rest of the day going where the wind blows us. It was amazing how we accomplished all of our pre-determined activities and still had plenty of time to venture into the unknown and unexpected, and have fun in Rio as a carioca. 

Travel tips:

1. Top 3 things to do in Rio - Copacabana & Ipanema, Corcovado, and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Gliding in cable car atop the sweet Sugarloaf 

Depending what time of year you plan to go to Rio, the weather can be rather unpredictable and tricky. It could be cloudy in the morning and perfectly sunny in the afternoon. And vice versa, a cloudless morning can turn into a gloomy and rainy day. So my advice to all of you - do these top three activities as soon as you get a chance, do not save them for another day!

2. Make your own travel plan!

It’s good to consult your travel book on what to do and to see in Rio, but do not feel like you have to check out every touristy site you’ve read about. For example, unless you are a Biology major and enjoy reading signs of tropical Brazilian plants in Latin, do not waste your precious time at the Botanical Garden. It has such an artificial, still atmosphere that you feel like you are at a boring museum rather than a live, delightful garden. Want nature? The true nature will be surrounding you everywhere in Rio, whether you are on the beach, on the Sugarloaf Mountain, or in the vast urban rain forest. Before you head to check out the Botanical Garden, at least make sure you visit your top-choice places first.

Gorgeous Ipanema with turquoise waters and white sand 

3. Stay at a hotel or rent a condo close to the beach.

Rio is a large city, and it can take a lot of time to get from one part of town to another. The city is very stretched out, plus the traffic is horrendous. You probably would want to go to Copacabana or Ipanema more than once during your stay. So it will definitely pay off to spend a little more to have easy and quick access to the most essential Rio attraction - the beach.

Even though we always have ideal plans mapped out, sometimes the weather, or God, can always change them. This is what happened during our trip. Neither we nor the locals expected for it to rain at the end of November. But we had to accept that some days during our week it was going to rain. Luckily, we quickly learned that in this city rainy clouds very suddenly turn into the blue and sunny sky. So we decided to be optimistic and not trust the gloomy forecasts. The weather made us adjust our schedule several times, but we knew how to be flexible and smart about our time so that we could still accomplish one big highlight every day. Although the unpredictable Rio weather threw a few curveballs at our travel plans, it all worked out even better than we expected.

No matter if you are planning a trip are just curious in general about Rio, leave your comments below and I will be happy to answer any random questions you might have. :)