My brother and I were given the opportunity to take a mid semester trip to São Paulo Brazil. This was my first time in Brazil (or even south of the equator). We vlogged our trip which I will link here (YouTube). As for now lets go through the trip.
Planning
Thanks to my school schedule we were forced to leave Wednesday afternoon and leave Brazil Sunday morning. That gave us a full 3 days in Brazil. The first thing I did was check each airline for points. I was able to secure a flight to Brazil for only 12K points per person (used LifeMiles), and the way back only cost $250. That brings the total cost to $370 effective which was way cheaper than the $550 cash price. We also only needed a carryon because it was a short trip. This was my first time flying international, so there was a list of tings I wanted to get done to ensure a smooth travel day. I also planned on getting global entry on my way back into the U.S, so I had to make sure my application was done in sufficient time. Uber seems to be a very cheap and efficient method of travel that we planned on using (AMEX Uber credit does not work outside the U.S). Be careful where you go, this is not the U.S and there are some very unsafe areas. Don’t walk alone at night and avoid some of the downtown areas (talk to your hotel staff, they will keep you safe). Prepare for a language barrier, very few people outside hotel staff could speak English, learn basic phrases in Portuguese and be polite and patient. As of writing no extra forms were needed to travel, however this could always change, so look before you go!
Attractions
We went in with very little planned and was just hoping to figure it out as we went. We spent our first day visiting Parque Ibirapuera, this was an art park in the heart of the city. This goes hand in hand with the São Paulo Museum of Art. For any art lovers I would recommend it, might be harder for families at the museum because kids are impatient and there is not as much for them at the museum, the park however would be great. Same with us young adults, its cool but not a life experience moment.
São Paulo was filled with malls which actually came with a really cool experience. Going through the food court and trying different items showed to be really fun, food in Brazil is significantly cheaper than in the U.S, so we had to try it all. Going through all the stores was also fun to compare the local prices to here in America.
On our final day we opted to do a hike. The trail was Trilha do Pai Zé (Pico do Jaraguá). Now the Uber their was a little sketchy, the views were absolutely worth it. You could also take families straight to the top where its only a small staircase to the peak. There is nothing like a view atop a mountain, and the view of São Paulo was something completely different. This city is so large you could never explore it all, (also expect very high traffic downtown during the day).
Hotel
We stayed at the Grand Hyatt (Used Chase points for less than 20k per night!), and this was by far one of the nicest places I have ever stayed at. Not only did we feel super safe, but the concierge was very knowledgeable and friendly. Couldn’t recommend this place enough. Gym, amenities, and rooms all a 10/10.
Food
Definitely my favorite part of the trip. Not only is food significantly cheaper, but this was some of the best steak I have ever had. The best place we went was Fuego Celeste Parrillada, and this was the best steak I have ever had in my life. They cook it in this big oven you can see into and it comes out to you on a skewer (saw a trend of this). Not only was this the best steak I have ever had, it was less than $20 per person. In the U.S this steak could have easily gone for over $80. This was one of the best meals of my life, life experience and a must do.
I would definitely take a day to try all the fast food in the food court, McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, the list goes on. Try something they don’t have in America, it was a fun experience. I would also include Pizza and Ice cream in the mall category because they were very good and very different.
We also went to Fogo de Chao (Brazil steakhouse in America). In comparing with its U.S counterpart Brazil has it beat on meat quality. The selections were very different though and it was really cool to see the changes made when it came to the U.S. Was also way cheaper than a U.S Fogo de Chao.
Try absolutely everything.
Wrap-up
Overall this trip was a really cool experience. I got to explore a whole new culture, work my way through the language barrier, and have amazing food. If you have a reason to go to Brazil, take it. Be careful, any tourist spot can be dangerous if you are not mindful. Thanks for reading!
Travelers
Will Howard