3 ways to get the best of Brazil

From the white sandy beaches that hug its coastline or the Rio Carnival that fills its streets, to the Amazon rain forest, home to the largest collection of living plant and animal species in the world, Brazil is a country with no shortage of places to go and sights to see. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, it’s likely you’ll end up with an itinerary as packed as a Heathrow flight schedule. Here are three things you should take note of to ensure your trip is a success:

Get the best of Brazil

Invest in a Portuguese phrase book

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil and although many locals in popular tourist areas speak English, when venturing off the beaten path you may quickly find yourself trying to communicate through hand signals and a slow, syllabised version of your mother tongue. In other words, not very well at all. At times like this, the ability to point at phrases in a pocket-sized dictionary will be a lifesaver.

Take a pass on taking a taxi

The best way to get a real feel for the cities of Brazil is to commute on foot. The people are friendly and there are plenty of sites that would be missed from the inside of a taxi – like some awesome sidewalk food stalls. Rio, São Paulo and Porto Alegre all have efficient metro systems that are a far more cost-friendly alternative to taxis, and can get you within arm’s reach of the places you want to see. Most big cities also offer direct shuttle services to and from the airport, which once again, are far cheaper than the taxis.

Get out of the city

This means going even further than those pristine beaches. Even with so much going on inside the city limits you need to get out and explore! Brazil is home to an incredibly rich array of both flora and fauna – the likes of which you would battle to find elsewhere on the planet. We’re not suggesting that you go all Bear Grylls and head out on a solo jungle quest, quite the contrary in fact. Your best bet is to squeeze in a day trip with a tour group or if you’d like to see something which is not included as part of a package deal, hire a reputable local guide. From horseback rides and walks beneath emerald green canopies, to showering under natural cascades and swimming in jungle pools, the choices are as vast as your sense of adventure. Bear in mind point number two, because it quite literally is a jungle out there.

As with any venture into a foreign country, head into it with an open mind and a fully charged camera – there’ll be plenty of new experiences and they’ll be well worth documenting.

As for us, we’ll be an ocean away but watching the games in LIVE and in HD on SuperSport’s two dedicated channels from our less exciting, but ever faithful couches. To get yourself into the spirit of the 2014 FIFA World Cup check this out: