See what the experts are saying about Ilha do Mel. Get expert advice on how to get there what to see and more.
-
The best outdoor adventures
Hang Gliding in Rio: Running off the edge of a platform with nothing between you and the ground 800m (2,624 ft.) below requires a leap of faith, so to speak, but once you do, the views of the rainforest and beaches are so enthralling that you... Continue reading »
-
Planning a trip
Brazil is a vast, sprawling country, with much to see and do -- from the Amazon rainforests to the civilized beaches of Rio to the restored colonial buildings of Salvador and the hundreds of frolicking dolphins of Fernando de Noronha. This se... Continue reading »
-
Fast facts
Addresses -- When writing addresses in Brazil, the street number follows the name of the street ("Av. Atlântica 2000" would roughly translate as "2000 Atlantic Ave."). Often in smaller towns a street name will be followed by the abbreviation... Continue reading »
-
Visitor information
The Brazilian national tourism agency, Embratur, has a good site at www.embratur.gov.br. The agency also has representatives overseas: In the U.S.: New York (tel. 646/378-2126; fax 646/378-2034; e-mail: ebt.us@embratur.gov.br/assistant.ebt... Continue reading »
-
When to go
High season in Brazil lasts from the week before Christmas until Carnaval (which falls sometime in Feb or early Mar, depending on the year). Flights and accommodations are more expensive and more likely to be full during this period. Book wel... Continue reading »
-
-
Getting there
By Plane Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are the two major gateways to Brazil and are served by most international airlines. The two big Brazilian airlines -- Varig and TAM -- also operate a number of international flights. Contact numbers gi... Continue reading »
-
Health & insurance
Health Standards for hygiene and public health in Brazil are generally high. Before leaving, however, check with your doctor or with the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) for specific advisories. Use common sense when eating on the... Continue reading »
-
Entry requirements & customs
Entry Requirements For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov. Visas -- Nationals of th... Continue reading »
-
Getting around
By Plane Though there are highways and buses, the sheer vastness of Brazil (and the absence of rail travel) makes air travel the only viable option for those who want to visit a variety of cities and regions. However, the Brazilian airline... Continue reading »
-
Money
The official unit of currency in Brazil is the Real (pronounced ray-all; the plural is Reais, pronounced ray-eyes), which the Brazilian government introduced in 1994 in an attempt to control inflation. International money speculations around... Continue reading »
-
Regions in brief
Brazil's 170 million citizens inhabit the fifth-largest country in the world, a nation about 10% larger than the continental United States. The Amazon dominates the northern third of the country -- a vast tropical rainforest with the river at... Continue reading »
Ilha do Mel Travel Experiences
-
Curitiba
Curitiba started in the typical way as a small community of Jesuits helping travellers going west. It is now a model Brazilian town and... Continue reading »
-
I love this town!!!
Wow, Jema and I are in a new town, and it is a vast improvement over the stressful city of São Paulo. At 11... Continue reading »
-
Curitiba
(5.31.06) I spent a week in Curitiba and only now do I have time to write about it. Renato picked me up from the airport after a 3.5 hour... Continue reading »
-
A perky start in the land of the Coffee bean
When I went out to Brasil (yes it is spelt with an ´s´. I have no idea why we spell it differently. Maybe cause we ruled the world a whil... Continue reading »
-
My World Got Flip-Turned Upside Down
Today, we arrived in Curitiba about 1/2 an hour earlier than we expected to, which is a bad thing. Why? Because we planned to... Continue reading »
