Meningococcal meningitis - Not every headache is likely to be meningitis. There is an effective vaccine available which is often recommended for travel to epidemic areas. Generally, you're at pretty low risk of getting meningococcal meningitis, unless an epidemic is ongoing, but the disease is important because it can be very serious and rapidly fatal. You get infected by breathing in droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by sufferers or, more likely, by healthy carriers of the bacteria. You are more at risk in crowded, poorly ventilated places, including public transport and eating places. The symptoms of meningitis are fever, severe headache, neck stiffness that prevents you from bending your head forward, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, which makes you prefer the darkness. With meningococcal meningitis, you may get a widespread, blotchy purple rash before any other symptoms appear. Meningococcal meningitis is an extremely serious disease that can cause death within a few hours of you first feeling unwell. Seek medical help without delay if you have any of the symptoms listed earlier, especially if you are in a risk area. If you have been in close contact with a sufferer it is best to seek medical advice.

Best time to go

Only in the South of the country are their extreme seasonal changes as found in Europe and North America.
For the rest of the country, the temperature ranges from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius or 70 to 90 degrees
Fahrenheit, irrespective of the season. The summer months between December and February can be hot
and humid, taking temperatures to the high 30s.
The amount of rainfall depends greatly on where you are but around the Pantanal, Manaus and the Amazon basin, you can expect rain all year round. The only respite may be between June and September when the rains tend to stop. In the coastal regions of Recife, Fortaleza and Salvador, the opposite is true. The rains are heaviest here between March and August. Rio and the area around Foz de Iguacu do not have any distinct rainy seasons.
Upon arrival
Once you’ve reclaimed your baggage and cleared customs, you will be warmly welcome to Brazil, assisted with your luggage and taken you to your hotel by private air-conditioned minivan/bus. Please do not leave the airport terminal building unless you have made contact with Amazing Peru staff. Also ignore the calls from taxi drivers as your private transport has been provided for you.
Food and drink
Drink only bottled water. Pasteurised milk is widely available. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Avoid street food vendors and the cheaper restaurants.
What to eat
To try some typical foods, here is a selection of what we recommend.

Acarajé - A specialty of the Bahian women garbed in flowing white dresses. This dish consists of peeled
brown beans mashed in salt and onions, stuffed with shrimp, pepper and tomato sauce and then fried in
dende oil
Bobo de camarao - Made with manioc paste cooked and flavoured with dried shrimp, coconut milk and
cashew nuts

Barreado - Popular in the Parana region. This state dish is a mixture of meats and spices cooked for 24
hours in a clay pot
Caruru - The most popular dish brought to Brazil from Africa. It’s a mixture of okra and other spices boiled in water, drained and then onions, salt, shrimp, malagueta peppers are added
Empadinhas de camarao - Shrimp patties with olives and heart of palm
Coxinha - Manioc filled with meat or fish and deep fried
Salgados - A savoury pastry
Esfiha – A spicy hamburger inside an onion filled envelope
Cocada - A coconut and sugar biscuit
Fruits - So many types to choose from, many from the Amazon that are unique to the area.

What to drink

Sucos - Fruit shakes found in every street shop. They are usually blended with milk and sugar
like a smoothie. You can even mix and match. (tamarindo and sapoti are recommended, as they are impossible to find outside of Brazil)
Agua de coco or coco verde - A coconut water from fresh, green coconuts
Caldo de cana - Sugar cane juice
Guarana - A popular carbonated fruit drink
Coffee - “Remember that it is normally served with sugar.
Beer - Brahma, Cerpa and Antarctica.

Highlights

Rio de Janeiro

Praca Floriano - The heart of Rio today. Take a bus or the metro to Cinelandia, the section of the city
where you will find the main square on Avenida Rio Branco. The area comes to life after lunch with samba musicians, soap box orators and outdoor cafes. From here, you can take a walking tour to many of the city’s most memorable sites, such as the Teatro Municipal (home of Rio’s opera and orchestra), Museu de Arte Moderna, Convento de Santo Antonio, Biblioteca Nacional and Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
Lapa - Otherwise known as the “Red-light” District. This is also where you will find many music clubs. It
also provides the setting of many novels set in Brazil
Santa Teresa - Home to Rio’s most charming colonial homes.
Copacabana - This famous beach has become the hub of Brazilian tourism. There are live musicians.
Ipanema & Leblon - A much more desirable beach location. This is where most of Rio’s upscale shopping and restaurants can be found.
Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain) - No visit to Rio is complete without taking a cable car up the 396 m ascent to this scenic viewpoint. We suggest going at dusk so that you can view the city both in light and among the twinkling city lights of the evening.
Corcovado & Cristo Redentro (Christ the Redeemer) - At 710 m above the city, this statue welcomes all
visitors to Rio. It’s 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes.

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