No. The tap water is not considered as safe drinking water. It’s strongly recommended that you stick to bottled mineral water.

Brazil is considered the most LGBTQ-friendly destination in South America. Rio de Janeiro is one of the best destinations in the world for LGBTQ travelers and families to visit with lots of activities in the day and plenty of LGBTQ pubs, clubs, and nightlife to enjoy. They also have the Sao Paulo LGBT pride parade, one of the largest LGBT events in the world. Although Brazil is generally a very laid-back country when it comes to sexuality, in some regions and smaller towns discrimination towards the LGBTQ community is still present.

Brazil is a family-friendly country that offers excursions and sightseeing popular amongst all age groups. The destination is full of family-friendly hotels and lots of activities geared toward children. Brazil also offers an abundance of beaches and wildlife viewing opportunities for families to enjoy together.

Local transportation includes buses, taxis, and the metro which can be found in Rio and Sao Paulo. Flights can be easily taken between major cities as there are a variety of airports throughout the country.

The internet is well developed in Brazil, so most hotels will have access to the web and there are cyber cafes in many of the main shopping centres.

Postal services are quite good in Brazil, but it happens that some consignments take a very long time to arrive or just disappear, and it also occurs that some packages/letters have been torn open before arrival. Post offices are named “Correios” and are normally open weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays until noon. Mailboxes are small yellow boxes, that sit atop metal pedestals on street corners.

You can dial direct (DDI), which is cheaper, to most countries in the world, by first dialing 00, the long-distance operator code (21 for Embratel or 23 for Intelig), and then the country’s code followed by the area code and the number you want to contact. Should the area code start with a zero, the zero must be dropped. The local telephone directories have a full list of country codes as well as the major area codes, but this information is also available free of charge from the international operator on 000333. The operators speak English and also offer a translation service in French, Japanese, German, Italian, and Spanish at 0800 – 7032111. If you already know the number you wish to call but want to make the call collect, person-to-person, or use your telephone credit card, contact the international operator at 0800 – 7032111.

Most restaurants and bars include a 10% service charge on the bill. It is customary to leave a bit extra for extra good service. When not included on the bill, 10% is the general rule. There are many places where tipping is not customary but a welcome gesture. The local juice stands, bars, coffee corners, and street and beach vendors are all tipped on occasion. Because of the massive amount of unemployment in Brazil, some services that may seem superfluous are customarily tipped anyway. Parking assistants are the most notable, as they are dependent on tips, usually the equivalent of 25c to 50c. Petrol station attendants, shoe shiners, and barbers are frequently tipped as well. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped. Most people round the price up, but tipping is not expected. In deluxe hotels, tip porters are R$1.00 per bag, chambermaids R$1.00 per day, and R$1.00 for room and valet service. For moderate and inexpensive hotels, tips tend to be minimal. At this level, salaries are so low that virtually anything is well received.

For sightseeing and leisure, casual clothing and good walking shoes are both desirable and appropriate. For beach vacations, you will need lightweight sportswear, a bathing suit, a sun hat, and sunscreen. It should be avoided to offend the local sensibilities and mainly the women should not expose too much bare skin if they don’t want to be molested. Women should also never go topless at a beach or a swimming pool! Of course, the best is to travel light with a few items of clothing that are easily washable in a hotel or an inland stream. Synthetic fibers are easier to wash and to dry. Shorts and bathing wear are not allowed for visiting many museums (mainly the ones exposing sacred arts), churches, and theaters. However, you may wear shorts during the day and most restaurants, cinemas, malls, or shops will permit entrance during the day, mainly in the beach towns. During the winter period, temperatures in the south and southeastern regions may vary from -4° C to 18° C, depending on the places to be visited. Therefore, a coat or a jacket should be added to the luggage. Common sense should prevail, because inappropriate dress can cause unwanted attention.

You can visit Brazil without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism. If you want to extend your tourist visa, contact the Federal Police (in Portuguese) before your visa expires. For more information about visas, contact the Brazilian Consulate in London. If you overstay your visa, you’ll face a daily fine. However, we recommend validating the information from https://visacentral.co.uk/?login=lumleholidays and https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil/entry-requirements

As with the food, in a country the size of Brazil there are many local specialties for the shopper. In most major cities shopping centers stay open until late (up to 10.00 pm), while street shops close at 6 pm. Good-quality arts and crafts are available at regular outdoor markets, which are colorful and entertaining places for tourists to visit.

Brazil’s climate ranges from tropical in the north to temperate in the south. Throughout the country, however, dress is informal. Generally, light cotton shirts, shorts, dresses, and trousers are ideal for day wear, whilst in the evenings long-sleeved shirts and leather shoes are normal. You will not normally need a jacket and tie in Brazil. In the winter (June/September) it is worth bringing something warm, as the temperature can be quite cool in the south of the country.

The most common dishes feature various meats, rice, and the ubiquitous Brazilian black beans (feijão), whilst restaurants often offer all-you-can-eat barbecues and buffets. Brazil also has many regional varieties of cookery. An example is the Bahian cookery, which includes dishes such as Vatapa (shrimp, fish oil, coconut milk, bread, and rice), and Sarapatel (liver, heart, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and gravy). From Rio Grande do Sul a typical dish is Churrasco (a kind of barbecue). From the Amazon comes Tacaca (thick soup with shrimp and garlic).

All alcoholic drinks are available, including excellent large-style beers: Skol, Brahma, Antarctica and Cerpa. The most popular local alcoholic beverage is Cachaca, most commonly served as “Caipirinha” with slices of lime. Soft drinks include Guarana (a carbonated cola-like drink) and many varieties of excellent fruit juices (sucos) including several vitamin-rich fruits you will never have heard of. Coffee tends to be served as a very strong. If you want to avoid sugar in coffee and juices, you should specifically ask for this. In Rio, you may see it’s common to ask for coconut water in restaurants or kiosks by the beach, and “mate”, a beverage that reminds an iced tea.

In most restaurants and bars a 10% service fee is added to the bill. More sophisticated places may add up to 15%. If service is not included it will be stated at the bottom of the bill: “Serviço não incluído”. Cab drivers do not expect a tip, but it is normal to round up the final price. You should be aware that the amount shown on the taximeter may not always correspond to the amount you are due to pay – look out for a separate sheet taped to the window which will tell you how much the amount on the meter equates to.

The climate varies from arid scrubland interior to impassable tropical rainforest in the northern Amazon jungle and tropical beaches along the eastern coast. In the south, the seasons are more temperate. The most important thing to know about Brazilian seasons is that they are the inverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere (e.g. summer in the Northern Hemisphere is winter in Brazil). Summer and winter averages vary depending on city and region. Rainy periods occur from January to April in the north (22 is the average number of days with rain); April to July in the northeast (14 is the average number of days with rain); December to March in the Rio/Sao Paulo area (the average number of rainy days is 10).