Category Archives: Brazil

Party with Brazil’s own Morro de Sao Paulo!

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Morro de Sao Paulo (St. Paul’s Hill) is just about as good as it gets when it comes to a laid back vacation destination.  And while the island is not far from easy-to-get-to locations like Salvador, the small town has no cars and a much slower-paced lifestyle despite its popular nightlife.

The village of Morro de Sao Paulo is known for its grand festas. Hotels, pousadas, and restaurants that line the sandy path of Rua Caminho das Praias or Beach Road.  Stop in any of the restaurants and try the fresh local cuisine or a raska – Brazil’s favorite cocktail made from local tropical fruits, sugar, crushed ice and a splash of vodka.  Each restaurant will have their own take on the drink so try a few and find your favorite!

The Northeast coast of Brazil is famous for its beaches and Morro de Sao Paulo has arguably the best…so good that the beaches have no names as the natural beauty speaks for itself.  Merely named ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’ and ‘fourth’ each beach has its perks.

Summer homes that have long been located on First Beach now serve as pousadas or “inns” for surfers and other vacationers visiting from all over the globe during Brazil’s winter (America’s summer) months.  This is the best time to visit as the population of the town nearly doubles during the Brazilian summer – North American winter.

First Beach’s offers the most consistent waves to surf on, crystal-clear waters and is also home to most of the seaside restaurants.  Note:  Like everything else, Brazil likes their food spicy!  If you’re not a fan, make sure you order it mild!   This beach is also where you will find the tirolesa, or zipline, that runs from a lighthouse up on one of the morros, or hills, down to the beach – definitely something to try!

If you’re looking for excitement, head down to Second Beach – the party beach!  Bring your camera for a perfect photo op as you wind down Second Beach’s staircase – it offers amazing views of several of the island’s beaches and the sparkling ocean.  Brazilian “Luaus” take place along the beach every Saturday and nightly during the weeks leading up to Brazil’s Carnaval festival.  Since the parties often last into the morning, steer clear of Second Beach if this isn’t your scene. 

However, Second Beach is more than a party – one of Brazil’s most famous cultural arts, Capoeira, is preformed here every evening.  With the setting sun as the backdrop for this acrobatic martial art, you will not want to miss this!  Ask around for performance locations or simply follow the crowd!

Attention divers – on Third Beach you’ll find more pousadas and restaurants and less crowds as the beaches tend to get progressively quieter.  You’ll also find Caita Island, a large barrier reef just off of the shore (with up to 15 meter visibility!).  Rent a a kayak, snorkeling gear or dive gear and head out – the island is right off the beach!

Fourth Beach is the largest of Morro de Sao Paulo’s and is another reef beach.  It is the quietest of the four beaches making it the perfect place to laze under a palm tree, watch for jumping dolphins in the ocean and listen to the sound of the waves while sipping a roska.  Snorkelers and divers will find an assortment of coral and some of the brightest colored fish in all of Brazil. 

With 4 amazing beaches to choose from, a rich marine life, a variety of water and beach sports to partake in and local “must see’s” such as the Old Fort Ruins and Morro Lighthouse, make Morro de Sao Paulo your next south-of-the-boarder vacation!

5 of the World’s Most Amazing & Adventurous Accommodations

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Giraffe Manor:
For the animal lover it doesn’t get much better than Giraffe Manor in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.  The luxury boutique hotel is surrounded by 140 acres of land where the  ”resident herd” of giraffes call home.  These friendly giants feel so welcome at the Manor that they routinely peek their heads through windows and the front door to get fed, pose for pictures and say hi to guests and staff. Giraffe Manor also has well appointed rooms, a friendly staff and a renowned kitchen.

Explorer Overland Hotel:
If you are the kind of traveler that enjoys being on-the-go, the Exploranter Overland Hotel is the perfect hotel for you.  This hotel on wheels, a converted 25-ton truck  that pulls behind it a trailer that can sleep 24 guests comfortably, while it tours the back country of Brazil, Argentina and Chile, stopping at pre-arranged or customized locations.  The hotel has everything you could possibly need to accommodate you and your travel companions…including bringing on chefs from different stops along your journey to prepare local specialties .  And if there is something you want that can’t fit on the truck – er hotel – the Overland Hotel staff can help make it happen for you.  Everything from spelunking and horseback riding, to winery tours and hot air balloon rides and more can be arranged.

Kakslauttanen Glass Igloo

Kakslauttanen Glass Igloo

Kakslauttanen:
The hotel is located near the Urho Kekkonen National Park in Lapland, the most northern part of Scandinavia spreading to the area of the four different countries: Finland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.  Lapland’s extreme climate is what makes a stay at the Kakslauttanen so unique…that and the opportunity to stay in a snow or glass igloo!  The snow igloos have lights inside ice that, when illuminated, create a quiet, serene setting for a cozy night tucked warm into a down sleeping bag.  The glass igloos stay as warm as a regular room, yet give guests the unique opportunity to look up at the Aurora Borealis (August – April) or stay warm inside while watching a romantic snowstorm fall around you.  After staying in either of the igloos, guests are welcome to enjoy the sauna in the morning, followed by a dip in a hole in the ice covering a nearby river – talk about a jump-start to your day!

Huilo Huilo Magic Mountain Lodge:
Nestled in the Huilo Huilo Nature Reserve in Southern Chile, the Magic Mountain Lodge was designed to exist harmoniously in the Patagonian Andes mountain setting and constructed using indigenous materials and other items made by local artisans.  The lodges unique architecture is set around 55 rooms located on 7 floors, each of which has a window that peeks out of the “mountain” lodge and overlooks the forested surroundings.  Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the valleys and mountain ranges covered by the Temperate Rainforest that are a part of an ecosystem that conservationists are trying to preserve.  A variety of outdoor activities and excursions are available, including a hikes to a local volcano, waterfall or through the rainforest where you can observe wildlife.

Kolarbyn Eco-Lodge:
Looking for an overnight experience that falls somewhere between camping and staying in a hostel?   The Kolarbyn Eco-Lodge, billed as Sweden’s most primitive hotel, has forest huts and advertises such swanky accommodations as, “two hard beds,” “cosy sheep-skin rugs,” “primitive kitchen facilities,” and “cord of wood for self-cutting” that you can then use in the hut’s “wood heater.”  If you can get past the fact that you’ll be paying to fetch your own water from a nearby spring, the Kolarbyn does have some cool wildlife safari’s; sign up for the Wolf Howling Tour, Wolf Safari by Horse, Moose Safari, Lynx Adventure, or the Beaver Watching Tour.