Frommer's Brazil (Frommer's Complete Guides) [Paperback]

Alexandra de Vries (Author), Shawn Blore (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frommer's Complete Guides | Publication Date: May 3, 2010

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go-they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!

Frommer's Brazil is the premier guide to the country, with complete coverage of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Bahia, Natal, Brasilia, and more. You'll get details on Carnaval, Ponta Negra, the ecolodges in the Amazon, the hang gliding in Rio, the prawns of Ilhabela, and the moquecas of Salvador. Whether you're an archaeology buff, an outdoor adventurer, or a partier in search of a good time, Brazil presents so many diverse travel options that it'll make your head spin. Frommer's Brazil will help you plan a memorable trip, starting with our highly opinionated lists of the best experiences the country has to offer.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Drink in the nightlife in Salvador, home to some of Brazil's best bars, clubs, street scenes, and live music. See chapter 11.

• Detailed maps throughout

• Exact prices, directions, opening hours,and other practical information

• Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants,plus sights, shopping, and nightlife

• Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas

• Insider tips from local expert authors

About the Author

A native of California, Shawn Blore has lived and worked in a half dozen countries and traveled in at least 50 more (but who's counting?). Long a resident of Vancouver, Shawn has for the past few years made his home in Rio de Janeiro. He is an award-winning magazine writer and the author of Vancouver: Secrets of the City and coauthor of Frommer's South America and Frommer's Portable Rio de Janeiro.

Alexandra de Vries made her first journey to Brazil at the ripe old age of 1 month (alas, few of her food reviews from that trip survive). In recent years, Alexandra has returned many times to travel, explore, and live in this amazing country. Alexandra cowrites Frommer's Portable Rio de Janeiro, about her favorite place to live, and Frommer's South America, about her favorite places to visit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 5 edition (May 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047059151X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470591512
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Brazil

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overall not bad, but a number of inaccurate listings, October 7, 2011

By 

Scott (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frommer's Brazil (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

I used this book for a trip to some of the more popular parts of Brazil (Rio, Iguassu, Bahia). For those areas, this book is pretty strong (thus why I selected it).

While much of the content was good, including restaurant and bar reviews that seem to accurately reflect reality (unlike some other guidebooks). I disagreed with some of the reviews listed as "overrated", but many of the tips and finds were very useful.

However, there were a number of inaccuracies in the listings that made using the book frustrating. Some of the establishments (restaurants, attractions, bars, etc.) listed as "open daily" were in fact closed some days. Others listed as taking credit cards didn't. Others had the wrong hours listed. I asked at a few of the establishments if they had changed things like hours or payment methods in the past year or so (when the book was updated), and all said they hadn't. This leads me to believe that the authors just got some of their information wrong.

If the information in the book were 100% right, I'd definitely recommend it. But based on my experience, I'd only recommend it if you can call establishments to verify their information while traveling in Brazil.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Seriously lacking, January 22, 2011

By 

Travis (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Brazil (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

I was not happy at all with this book. It ought to be called "A Guide to Rio and Sao Paulo." There was sparse (if any) information about traveling anywhere else in the country. You shouldn't be allowed to refer to a book as a guide to an entire country when two-thirds of it is solely about two cities.

There also seems to be very little oriented towards someone who is not a fat, lazy tourist that wants to do more than just go to the beach and check out the popular restaurants. Brazil is a beautiful country. There should be more about getting out and enjoying it.

I only give it two stars because (1) Its written very well. Frommer's is generally good about that and (2) I'm assuming that IF I wanted to go to the south of Brazil that this would be a good guide. Based on some of the other reviews I've read here, that may be generous on my part.