Wonders of Brazil

Travel Just 4U's representative in Brazil will meet you at the airport upon arrival. They will be holding a sign with your name after you leave the secure area with your bags. 

They will escort you to your private transfer, assist you with your bags and make sure you get your detailed itinerary for your experiences in Brazil.  

Just 130 m from Copacabana Beach, the Windsor Palace features a rooftop terrace with a pool and beautiful ocean views. Surrounded by trendy shops, it is only 3 km from the famous Ipanema Beach.

The air-conditioned rooms at the Windsor Palace Hotel provide a balcony, modern bathroom and cable TV. Amenities also include a minibar, telephone and radio. Some rooms include partial sea views.

The restaurant serves Brazilian and international food in a cosy atmosphere. Room service is available 24 hours a day. Several international and regional dining options are available within a 5-minute walk.

Copacabana is a great choice for travellers interested in beach walks, sandy beaches and promenades.

You will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast to visit the most famous landmarks of the city and see the natural beauty of Rio de Janeiro from up above. 

Embark on a comfortable train that ascends the mountain, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located 700 meters above sea level. The Christ statue, known as the “wonder of Rio”, was recently elected one of the 7 "New Wonders of the World". Upon arrival at the top, you can use the panoramic elevators or escalators to arrive at the foot of the statute. There you will marvel at the panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro and discover why it is called the "Marvellous City".

Afterwards, descend the mountain and stop for a delicious lunch (not included). From there passengers will continue to Sugar Loaf.

Over a million tourists each year visit the world famous ‘Pão de Açúcar’, (Sugar Loaf Mountain), which has become an iconic symbol of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Rising up from a small peninsula at the entrance of Guanabara Bay, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of a concentrated, refined sugar loaf. The journey to the top is made in glass cable-cars. The first cable-car takes passengers to the top of Urca Hill, which rises 215 meters above sea level and offers spectacular views of the entire bay and its surrounding islands. From Urca Hill, passengers continue in a second cable-car to the top of Sugar Loaf which rises 395 meters above sea level and offers a 360 degree view of the entire city including Botafogo and Copacabana Beaches, Corcovado Mountain and downtown Rio de Janeiro.

You will be transferred back to your hotel after the tour.

You have approximately 6 hours with a private driver and guide to take you to the sights of Rio. You will be picked up from your hotel and have the chance to discuss with your guide where in this beautiful city you would like to go. We would highly recommend you visit Santa Teresa.

Get a feeling for the legends and stories woven around these narrow streets and old historical buildings of downtown Rio. The tour can include a visit to many interesting points, such as the São Bento Monastery, Candelaria (the candle-makers), Praça XV, the "Travessa do Mercado", Imperial Palace (Paço Imperial), the cultural center located in the beautifully-restored Banco do Brasil, the Casa França-Brasil, Ouvidor (the listeners) Street, Gonçalves Dias Street with the traditional Colombo Coffee Shop and the Metropolitan Cathedral. 

After this, you can visit Santa Teresa, to explore the neighborhood, located on Morro do Desterro (Exile Hill). During the XVIII century this area served as a convent. The hill is located in the heart of the city, and has been well-maintained in order to preserve aspects of Old Rio (‘Rio Antigo’). Artists and bohemians flock to Santa Teresa because of its architectural and cultural charm. Old-fashion cable cars maneuver the narrow streets and are considered one of the city’s historical heritages.

After this tour, you will certainly feel as though they know a little more about the history and culture of Rio de Janeiro.

Departure: Evening, exact time to be confirmed closer to travel
Duration: approximately 4 hours
Show Location: Teatro Leblon on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

You will be picked up at your hotel and will first enjoy a delicious dinner before enjoying this multicultural show that brings different cultures of Brazil to the stage. 

The show perfectly combines a variety of Brazilian dances that developed from African rhythms via the slave trade and from the natives that lived in Brazil before colonization. The presentation combines diversity and culture: the Ziriguidum from the Northeast, the Folklore from Amazon, the Capoeira from Bahia, and samba dance from Rio de Janeiro.

After dinner and the show, you will be transferred back to your hotel. 

Note: This cruise only departs on a Monday

Overview: 
Designed exclusively for cruising on the Amazon River and its tributaries, the Amazon Clipper 3 day cruise offers the best small-ship cruising in the Brazilian Amazon. Its cruises are ideal for those who are looking to enjoy unsurpassed wildlife-watching opportunities on an authentic traditional Amazon riverboat.

Vessel:
For those who wish the comfort of a luxury ship, the MV Premium is the vessel for you. It is unique in style and offers “simply the best” small-ship cruising in the Amazon. The MV Premium hosts all guests in 16 spacious all-outside cabins (14m²), with two lower beds or one queen size bed, private bathroom facilities with hot shower, individual air-conditioning and safety box. 

An air-conditioned restaurant with meals served in buffet style. A complete leisure deck with a large covered area for outdoor sightseeing and plenty of comfortable seating, as well as a large air-conditioned room for meetings and lectures. It also has a sun deck with panoramic views of 360°. Excellent to join the sunset, admire at the millions of stars and constellations of the southern hemisphere and best view to observe the spectacle meeting of the waters. 

Day 1 :
Upon arrival you will have a small briefing in the afternoon before starting to board. Once on board and settled into your room you will depart towards the mighty Amazon River while we enjoy a welcome drink and listen to the information about route and facilities. After a snack you will head to the leisure room for a short lecture about the Amazon where you will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology while the vessel take us the Amazon upstream.

Before dinner we may already ordered a caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil. After dinner we will explore the river's edge with powerful searchlights and we see caiman, close relatives of crocodile, sometimes including night-hawks, snakes, toro-rats, sloth and frogs.

Inclusions:
Full board: breakfast, lunch, dinner, mineral water, coffee & tea
Life vest in camouflage color for trips
All activities and tours as described in the itinerary
Bilingual naturalist guide (Portuguese/ English).

Excluded:
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
Bottled water
Tips and any other personal costs

Changes in routing: 
Amazon Clipper Cruise reserves the right to change itineraries without consulting participants, depending on prevailing natural conditions. If the vessel’s arrival or departure times are changed due to force majeure, we are not responsible for missed flights or connections, nor for extra expenses incurred there on.

Day 2: 
We wake up at Janauaca Lake and make a dawn exploration by canoe of the rainforest as it too wakes up, keeping our eyes open for jungle birds and Pink River Dolphins.

We return to the Amazon Clipper Premium for breakfast, which is then followed by a walk in the forest and a visit to the inhabitants of the lake area who live from manioc plantations, fishing, harvesting diverse fruit trees, including Brazil nuts, rubber tapping, logging and other extractive products.

We go fishing for piranha in the late afternoon: despite their fearsome reputation, they are surprisingly easy and fun to catch so it is not only for passionate anglers! At the same time, there are great chances to see Hoatzins and large flocks of egrets.

After dinner, we explore the forest in our canoes to observe nocturnal animals and admire the millions of stars of the southern hemisphere constellations.

Day 3:
Early this morning we explore Lago Janauari Ecological Park, a 9,000-acre reserve of flooded forest which is an excellent place to observe wildlife and a chance to see the famous Victoria Regia giant water lilies.

During breakfast, we sail to the Meeting of the Waters, the confluence of two of the world largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, notable for the clear difference in colours of each river, which take many miles to mix.

We then return to the Tropical Hotel pier, enjoying fine views of Manaus' waterfront - with its floating docks, market, Old Custom House and Opera House - on the way.

We arrive at 11.30am, where your once-in-a-lifetime Amazon cruise ends

Note: This flight is not direct, there will be a stopover depending on what flights are available 

This 19th century colonial mansion is located in Pelourinho, facing Baía de Todos os Santos Bay. It offers luxurious accommodation with balcony, a rooftop swimming pool, a panoramic terrace and free WiFi internet.

Rooms at Hotel Casa Do Amarelindo are spacious and well equipped. All are air conditioned and feature a flat-screen TV, a CD and a DVD player. The balconies offer bay or city views.

Casa Do Amarelindo´s bar is located on the patio, covered with tropical plants. Exotic cocktails are freshly prepared and can be ordered with a selection of Brazilian tapas. Regional and international cuisine is served during the evening.

A work out can be done in the gym or guests can simply relax at the rooftop terrace, while enjoying the views. Being located in the historic heart of Salvador, many tourist sights are within walking distance. The hotel is situated 450 m from Mercado Modelo Market

You will be picked up form your hotel to begin this 3 hour walking tour.  You will begin by visiting the principal attractions of the Historic Centre of Salvador, the renowned Pelourinho. The Pelourinho is the largest assemblage of colonial building in Latin America and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Strolling the cobbled stone streets of the colonial district, flanked by houses in pastel shades, we will visit the exuberant São Francisco Church, most ornate Baroque church in Brazil. On a larger scale, the nearby imposing Cathedral where we see the progression of the tropical Baroque from its first tendencies to the refinement of the Rococo. We continue to the Municipal Square towering above the Lower City offering wonderful views of the All Saints bay. Return to the hotel on foot accompanied by your guide.

Duration: 3 Hours
Includes: Round trip shared transfers and Show

The Bahia Folklore Company (Balé Folclórico da Bahia) is one of the most respected folklore dance troupes in the world. The company performs in the intimate Miguel Santana Theatre in the Pelourinho area, putting on a stunning presentation of the multiple African traditions that heavily influence the Bahian culture. 

We will see some of the sacred dances of Candomblé, as well as puxada de rede, a song by fishermen in honour of Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea; maculelê, an acrobatic stick and sword dance with its origins in the cane fields; capoeira, a martial art/dance of Angolan origin; and the samba de roda, a spinning, swirling version of this exuberant national dance. 

You will be picked up form your hotel and drive for approximately 1.5 hours to get to the stunning beach city of Praia de Forte.

In Bahia's trendy Praia do Forte, the luxury Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte is situated in a natural reserve. It offers tasteful rooms with balconies, over 30 outdoor sports and a wellness spa.

The air conditioned rooms at the Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte are equipped with a hammock, cable TV and cable internet. Some of them are located opposite to the beach and others offer panoramic sea views.

Guests at the Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte can enjoy a daily buffet breakfast and dinner. Facilities include 7 swimming pools, a gym and a tennis court. The wellness spa offers a variety of facials and body treatments, including Touch of India and Body Detoxification. The hotel also offers yoga classes on the beach.

Praia do Forte, one of Brazil's most attractive beaches. It is a long beach with a small village 80 km away from the city of Salvador de Bahia, located in northeastern Brazil and facing the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is known for its clear waters, white sand, natural pools, rivers and an ecological reserve of native flora and fauna. Here is a list of the top things to do in this beach side city:

- You can get up early and watch the sunrise - one of the most beautiful in Brazil 

- Visit the local base of Projeto Tamar, a non-governmental organization which protects sea turtles. The base is open year long. From July to September, biologists are managing the nests; in the summer, the newly hatched turtles do their race to the sea.  

- Watch humpback whales from July to October 

- The fort which gave the beach its name is no longer standing. But you can take a tour of the 16th-century Garcia D'Ávila Castle, located on a hilltop and just two kilometers from the village. Built in 1551, the castle, also known as Casa da Torre, is the only construction with medieval characteristics in the Americas. 

- Walk, ride a bike, a horse or a quadricycle at Reserva de Sapiranga, an Atlantic rainforest preservation area with seven signaled trails. You can also take a dip in the Pojuca River. 

-Go on an adventure. Praia do Forte offers parasailing, buggy tours, and canoe rides on the Timeantube Lagoon alongside many more adventurous outings.

- Visit a fishermen's village where you can find a popular market place and restaurants

OPTIONAL: Not included in starting price

You will be picked up from your hotel for this tour. This buggy tour allows you to choose between two beach itineraries, to the north or to the south of the village of Praia do Forte.

North beaches: Starting from Praia do Forte you will see the best beaches on the north coast. We pass on the beautiful Imbassai Beach, where the Imbassai River meets the Sea, this is a great place for swimming and activities such as canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding. 

We will then continue to the beach that served as a stage for the Brazilian film "Men are from Mars, that's where I go", the Paradise beach of Santo Antonio, where it is possible to swim in the natural pools that are formed at low tide. 

Optional lunch on the beaches or in the famous Restaurant Sombra da Mangueira, located in the Diogo village (cost of lunch not included). In the afternoon, return to Praia do Forte

South beaches: also leaving from Praia do Forte this south beach buggy tour will take you to the most structured beaches of the coast. We pass on the quiet Itacimirim Beach, Praia da Espera, famous for the wonderful natural pools and sand stretch on the beach. 

Then we will continue to Guarajuba Beach, where some of the best beach huts in the area are located. The place stands out due to its coconut trees, white sand, and warm waters. There will be time for lunch at a local seafront restaurant (cost of lunch not included). In the afternoon, return to Praia do Forte.

This transfer will take approximately 1.5 hours.