Here you go, a handful of tips for your trip to Rio.

• Give yourself enough days in the city so that you can enjoy the attractions but at the same time also enjoy spending some time at your hotel. I stayed at the Sheraton Rio, and that is a resort, which allowed for ample relaxing time at the hotel.

• A lot of people will tell you to be careful with your phone and your wallet. I just want to add that, be aware of what you’ve got with you, but don’t go out of your way to try and hide what you’ve got. At no point of time did I feel like I was in danger or that I was about to get mugged, but at the same time, I don’t usually use public transport in a new country or wander off on my own. My suggestion would be to just take the essentials, leave your passport in a safe at the hotel and take minimal cash (just for taxis), cards usually work everywhere.

• Carry cash only for taxis. In South America, the taxis are yet to install machines to take payment using card, and cash is your best bet. I would suggest using your cash for taxis and using card where possible.

• Book activities through your hotel (or if you’re on the G Adventures tour then through your CEO). I had booked an activity through TripAdvisor, however, the tour group didn’t turn up. I did get a full refund but they claimed that they had turned up. To avoid any hassles or upsetting situations I would suggest booking through your hotel.

• Share your meals, especially if you’re not a big eater. Pizza joints usually have an ‘individual’ serving or a ‘family’ serving. The individual serving is about 4 slices of a large pizza.

These are my tips for travelling to Rio. If you have any leave them in comments below.

Until next time,

MiliG