Another side of Rio- Trip Report

[brazilgirl]

I just got back from a wonderful 4 day trip to Rio with my family (DH and 3 kids ) and my mother, who is visiting from the U.S (Iowa).

 

My mother has been to Rio several times on her prior visits. However , it had been awhile and she requested that we go again.

 

I decided to plan a trip to show her a "different side" of Rio. Traditionally , most tourist stay in the Copacabana , Ipanema or Leblon areas and have the Rio beach/bar/shopping experience. Been there , done that , so we decided to stay in the Santa Teresa area.

 

I booked a boutique hotel called Rio 180...lots of good reviews in recent Brazilian travel magazines and it had been cited by Conde Nast. We weren´t disappointed.

 

We left Friday afternoon..rainy , rainy...We live about 2 and a half hours from Rio and we had a beautiful drive. But , as soon as we got to Rio , we hit awful traffic. Took us forever to get to the hotel.

 

The hotel is on a residential street. Hard to find -just a little sign identifying on the wall which surrounds it. It only has 8 rooms (2 of which we were in). We were greeted with juice , coffee and little cookies. And , the most incredible view of Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer.

 

[/img] (This I took during the day , but you get the idea).

 

We went to our rooms and decided to go out to eat. The one drawback to our hotel was that on the raining Friday night , no cab wanted to come and get us...we waited forever.

 

We ended up in this charming little "boteco" ( a bar which serves drinks and traditional homecooked food) called "Bar do Mineiro".[/img] There were great marionettes and interesting objects all over. The food was delicious and we all ate more than we should have!

The next day we woke up and had a great made to order breakfast in the room which overlooks the terrace (on sunny days , you can eat on the terrace.)

[/img] We also enjoyed drinks ( caipirinhas!) on this terrace on the nights we stayed in.

 

After breakfast , we decided to take the kids to the zoo , as it was a drizzly , non-beach sort of day. The zoo is not in pristine condition-but , it has a vast bird collection as well as a great variety of primates. We enjoyed the visit.

[/img] Outside the zoo with grandma.

The zoo is located in an older area of Rio .The residence of the former Imperial family is located right across from the zoo . It is called "Quinta da Boa Vista" and there is a museum which you can explore to get an idea of this period of Brazilian history.

[/img]There is a walkway between the palace area and the zoo : "The Fauna and Flora" Walkway. You walk over an area which is similar to the Panatanal. there are deer , capibaras , antas and other cool creatures.

 

I´ll finish my report later , as I must go make a living!

Kim

[Lobbylin]

Loved reading your post and looking at your pictures! I will be in Rio in December :)

 

Thanks for posting.....

[phmcm477]

The one drawback to our hotel was that on the raining Friday night , no cab wanted to come and get us...we waited forever.

 

Kim,

 

I am interested in this comment - We will be in Rio next sping and since we are not beach people, we have reserved a B & B in Santa Teresa for our three day pre-cruise stay. Were you telephoning a particular taxi company? Was one better than another?

[chicagogal]

I just got back from a wonderful 4 day trip to Rio with my family (DH and 3 kids ) and my mother, who is visiting from the U.S (Iowa).

 

My mother has been to Rio several times on her prior visits. However , it had been awhile and she requested that we go again.

 

I decided to plan a trip to show her a "different side" of Rio. Traditionally , most tourist stay in the Copacabana , Ipanema or Leblon areas and have the Rio beach/bar/shopping experience. Been there , done that , so we decided to stay in the Santa Teresa area.

 

I booked a boutique hotel called Rio 180...lots of good reviews in recent Brazilian travel magazines and it had been cited by Conde Nast. We weren´t disappointed.

 

We left Friday afternoon..rainy , rainy...We live about 2 and a half hours from Rio and we had a beautiful drive. But , as soon as we got to Rio , we hit awful traffic. Took us forever to get to the hotel.

 

The hotel is on a residential street. Hard to find -just a little sign identifying on the wall which surrounds it. It only has 8 rooms (2 of which we were in). We were greeted with juice , coffee and little cookies. And , the most incredible view of Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer.

 

[/img] (This I took during the day , but you get the idea).

 

We went to our rooms and decided to go out to eat. The one drawback to our hotel was that on the raining Friday night , no cab wanted to come and get us...we waited forever.

 

We ended up in this charming little "boteco" ( a bar which serves drinks and traditional homecooked food) called "Bar do Mineiro".[/img] There were great marionettes and interesting objects all over. The food was delicious and we all ate more than we should have!

The next day we woke up and had a great made to order breakfast in the room which overlooks the terrace (on sunny days , you can eat on the terrace.)

[/img] We also enjoyed drinks ( caipirinhas!) on this terrace on the nights we stayed in.

 

After breakfast , we decided to take the kids to the zoo , as it was a drizzly , non-beach sort of day. The zoo is not in pristine condition-but , it has a vast bird collection as well as a great variety of primates. We enjoyed the visit.

[/img] Outside the zoo with grandma.

The zoo is located in an older area of Rio .The residence of the former Imperial family is located right across from the zoo . It is called "Quinta da Boa Vista" and there is a museum which you can explore to get an idea of this period of Brazilian history.

[/img]There is a walkway between the palace area and the zoo : "The Fauna and Flora" Walkway. You walk over an area which is similar to the Panatanal. there are deer , capibaras , antas and other cool creatures.

 

I´ll finish my report later , as I must go make a living!

Kim

 

Thanks Kim! We will be in Brazil soon on a Christmas cruise.

[brazilgirl]

I have been away from the boards because of my mom´s visit...will answer questions and finish report asap!

Kim

[brazilgirl]

Taxis: We only had a problem getting a taxi on our first night-it was raining heavily , the traffic in the city was VERY bad and it was a Friday night. Apparently , there was a lack of taxis...

The hotel concierge contacted the taxis on all other occasions , with no problems. We easily found taxis back to the hotel . They are abundant and very reasonably priced. We didn´t use any particular company.

 

Continuation of report:

 

After our visit to the zoo , we decided to check out a highly recommended restaurant called "Aprazivel" (in the Santa Teresa district). The decor is very charming , the view is spectacular and the food is good. They have delicious drinks , such as caipiroskas with ginger and mango. The homes which surround the restaurant are unique and quite beautiful (it is a residential area.)

 

[/img]

Waiting for a table

[/img]

homes near the restaurant

[/img]

the restaurants´s bar

 

After a long lunch , we got back to the hotel and enjoyed a nice evening together. The boys loved the upper level of the hotel , which is used for parties and events. There is a telescope with which you can enjoy even more spectacular views of the city.

[/img]

telescope

[/img]

The rain has finally cleared up!

[brazilgirl]

The next day we woke up to glorious weather. My mom wanted to visit the Christ statue , however our concierge had recieved the info that the tram wasn´t working and that there was a traffic jam ( 2 hour line) up the mountain. He recommended that we take an alternate route , which included a hike through a forest. We took a taxi up to the park area ( no other cars in sight).. a long , windy , verdant drive. We then hiked 5 km through lush foliage (there was a paved path) , full of waterfalls and wonderful views of Rio .

hiking through the forest/jungle

[/img]

view on our hike

We then continued up to Corcovado on the tram , which had started functioning again. Sadly , Christ was covered by clouds when we arrived at the top. But the whole adventure was worth it anyway.

After taking the tram back down all the way to Cosme Velho ( where you catch the tram to go up) , we got a cab back to Santa Teresa.

Will finish up later!

[brazilgirl]

After visiting Corcovado , we took a taxi back to the Santa Teresa district . We decided to have lunch at the famous "Sobrenatural" restaurant. It specializes in Brazilian seafood (stews such as bobo and moqueca)...really fantastic! It has a charming , colorful ambiance. After lunch , we explored on foot , taking in the architecture , tiles and trams that give the area its unique charm. There are many galleries and quaint stores.

[/img]

streetcar

[/img]

tiles

[/img]

Sobrenatural Restaurant

 

That evening , we enjoyed a clearer view of the Christ Statue from our hotel.

[/img]

 

The next day was Children´s day and the thoughtful hotel stuff prepared surprise sweets for the kids. We had to leave after lunch , so we decided to take advantage of the pool and the warm weather.

 

[/img]

pool

[/img]

boys having fun

 

We loved this other side of Rio and I highly recommend it to those who have already explored the classic "beach" side and would like to see something new and unique.

 

Kim

[tamsocal]

Hi Kim

we are thinking of visiting the zoo on our visit next month to Rio== wondering how far it is & how long it takes to get there- we are staying near beach on Copacabana- we would only have the afternoon-- but sounds like from your post you didnt spend the entire day-- just a few hrs

 

is it easy to do via taxi each way

 

thanks!

[brazilgirl]

I am not sure how far the zoo is from Copacabana...we left from Santa Teresa. However , even though we have a car when going to Rio , we frequently opt to go by cab to places we are unfamiliar with.

 

We spent a few hours there...on our more recent trip , we visited Lage Park (Parque Lage). Between the zoo and the park , I´d choose the park..

 

 

There is a cafe which has delicious food and beautiful art exhibits.

 

Kim

[Seacucumber]

Brazil girl, you are such a wonderful and passionate writer, felt like I was being there! All your phtos are so lovely.

[Orlando Vic]

Hi Kim,

 

If you are still following this thread, I would like to ask you a little about the hotel you mentioned. We have a cruise departing from Rio February of 2012. We need a place to stay pre-cruise and the Rio 180º Hotel looks very promising.

 

 

1. Are there other shops & restaurants nearby, or is it somewhat isolated?
   
2. Do any of the staff speak English?
   
3. Are the services of the guide and driver reasonable? Do sightseeing trips have to be scheduled in advance? Do they do (or arrange for) Airport transfers?
   
4. Is the internet included at no extra charge?
   
5. Do they offer any discounts (senior citizens, early booking, ?)
   
6. Do they accept credit cards?
   

Thanks in advance for whatever information you can share.

 

-Vic

 

Rio 180º

 

Rio 180º

[brazilgirl]

Hi Vic-

 

The hotel is somewhat isolated , located on a windy road in a residential area. It doesn´t look like a hotel , there is a high wall and a discreet doorway...

 

The staff will call taxis for you and restaurants and shops are a close taxi ride away. You could probably walk - I didn´t , as I was with my children and mother. It was easier to get a cab , and frankly safer.

 

The staff speaks English very well-almost all of the other guests were foreigners and English was the language of choice. The hotel is owned by a French gentleman (he was there during our stay).

 

We had a car while there ( we used cabs to sightsee , to avoid parking issues etc), so we didn´t deal with airport transfers. I know they can arrange them , as several guests were picked up while we were there.

 

We had free internet access and they accept credit cards.

 

I got a good early booking discount , I can´t recall which site I used.

 

On caveat: anyone with mobility issues might have difficulities navigating the hotel , as it has many staircases. It was a home , then it became part of a famous Brazilian decorating showcase called Casa Cor ( interior designers make over rooms to showcase their work). The hotel was purchased after Casa Cor and the rooms remained intact.

 

There are several other top notch hotels in Santa Teresa....The most famous is Hotel Santa Teresa (Amy Winehouse just stayed there)and another one which looks beautiful is Mama Ruisa http://www.splendia.com/en/hotel/?hotel_id=31354&datestart=04/04/11&dateend=06/04/11&rooms=1

 

Both are pricey , but look wonderful , I plan on trying them!

 

I really enjoyed our stay at Rio 180 and I will confess -I am picky! Hope this helps and hope you have a great visit.

 

Kim

 

Thank you, Seacucumber , for the kind words!

[Orlando Vic]

On caveat: anyone with mobility issues might have difficulities navigating the hotel , as it has many staircases. It was a home , then it became part of a famous Brazilian decorating showcase called Casa Cor ( interior designers make over rooms to showcase their work). The hotel was purchased after Casa Cor and the rooms remained intact.

 

Kim,

 

Thanks for the detailed and very prompt reply. Just one final question... about the stairs you mentioned. Yes, I do have some mobility problems and use a cane. However, if there is a railing, then I can manage...provided there are not multiple flights of stairs. Are there railings on the stairs?

 

-Vic

[brazilgirl]

Hello Vic....

 

Here is a photo of my mom ..you can visualize part of the stairway and railing...The stairs are located next to her ( made of limestone , next to the deck area)

 

 

This stairway has on section going down , then the section shown in the photo. These stairs lead to the pool area as well as several rooms.

 

There are , however , rooms located on the upper level. You could try to request one of those in order to facilitate things.

 

Here is a photo of our room ...remember that each room is totally different from the other.

 

 

Ours had a beach theme and the wood was rustic , with wicker and such.

 

 

There is one more staircase , which leads up to a viewing area on the top level of the hotel. You have wonderful views no matter what , it is not necessary to use this staircase.

 

 

Truly , the hotel is worth the stay for the views alone. Absolutely incredible. I think the photos at the beginning of this review give you a good idea of the 180 degree view of all of Rio´s most beautiful spots.

 

Cheers!

 

Kim