Lonely Planet Brazil (4th ed) [Paperback]

Nick Selby (Author), Andrew Draffen (Author)

Book Description

Series: 4th ed | Publication Date: November 1998

This guide to Brazil includes coverage of national parks, festivals, and outdoor activities, and transport information, including rail and bus travel.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

From the stunning splendor of Iguaçu Falls to the mysteries of the Amazon River to the wild debauchery of Carnival and the cosmopolitan streets of São Paulo City, Lonely Planet's Brazil will help you navigate this vast country in the style that suits you, from low budget to no budget. Highlights include extensive coverage of parks and festivals, well-researched sections on ecology and the environment, a Portuguese language chapter, and a special feature on Carnival. --Kathryn True

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 4th edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864425619
• ISBN-13: 978-0864425614
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Brazil

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, September 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Brazil (4th ed) (Paperback)

I just spent one month in the Rio area and Sao Paulo with my wife. We took both the Insight Guide to Brazil and Rio, and this book. I never used the Insight Guide books, they were awful. They only had pretty pictures.

On the other hand, the Lonely Planet book ruled! The book gives detailed info on how to do things everywhere in Rio, and even has great sections on the pequena cidades in the interior. For example, we went to Teresopolis (north of rio) and the info on Teresopolis was very helpful.

I would especially recommend going hang-gliding or para-gliding on Sao Conrado in Rio. The Lonely Planet guide explains how to do it. I did it, and it was better than any dream I've ever had, though terrifying at takeoff!

The insight on places to eat, and places to stay, is the MOST helpful. If you're very wealthy, you don't care--you'll just stay at one of the best places and eat at the two or three most famous places. But if you're constrained by a budget, this book clearly indicates how to maximize your dollar.

If you're going to Brazil for an adventure, and not just to sit on Copacabana and go to the Sugerloaf, this book is a must.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Missing some options here., October 2, 2001

By 

Christopher Wanko "-C" (Nutley, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Brazil (4th ed) (Paperback)

All right, out of the box, knowing nothing about Brazil, I'd toss five stars on it in a second. However, just got back from a honeymoon with wife, who is Brazilian, and we take exception to some things:

Fortaleza: Imperial Othon rooms are not 5-star, but the service and staff are. Make that known. Its location is ideal, but better rooms can be had at the Melia Confort (not a misspell).
Also, add Al Mare as an excellent dinner choice; right on the shoreline, superb food and service, and very cheap if you're used to paying $80 USD for this kind of meal.

Recife: hated it. Boa Viagem beach near Holiday Inn was so-so. The Holiday Inn had clueless staff, cheerfully unhelpful. Worst was Patio de São Pedro: don't go, don't even bother, unless your idea of fun happens to be a flea market in Newark. Some heads-up on dining: liked the Flaminggo (not a misspell) on Boa Viagem, but inexplicably had no soccer telecast for the sub-17 game against France; did not like Bargaço, which attempted to foist a classy veneer on sub-par dinner offerings, and the prices were disparate with the food as well.

Rio: fave city, but does any hotel staff know their city outside of Fortaleza? The Everest Rio is a decent 5-star hotel if you imagine it 10 years ago. At least they had 24-hr room service.

Prices do change, but the LP doesn't generally steer you wrong. A guide needs more updates, however, and the 5th edition was too long in coming for me to grant a fifth star. One final suggestion: my travel style is generally fearless but I like a good hotel and can pay for a good meal, so list some "non-backpacking" alternatives to places to stay and eat and see.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Superficial and doesn't cover 99% of the country!, February 15, 2001

By 

"cued" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Brazil (4th ed) (Paperback)

I used the previous eddition of the LP guide while on an extended (5-month) trip in Brazil and halfway through the trip I gave it away because it was just cluttering up my backpack. It only covered the biggest cities, and even then, I thought Andrew Draffen to some very snobbish opinions about many places (Santos being one of them). One of the most interesting "off-the-beaten path" travels I made (w/out Lonely Planet) was from Lencois Maranhenses (Barreirinhas) overland to Tutoia, and then by boat past the Ilha do Caju to Piaui, and then to Camocim and on to Jericoacoara. Had I trusted the LP guide, this region of the coast would have remained a mystery. I eventually bought a copy of Guia 4 Rodas Brazil guide in Portuguese because the maps were amazingly accurate, and it had hotel and dining options for even the most obscure towns. I also visited Parintins (an island-city in the Amazon) in June for the largest Bumba-meu-boi festival in the world, and LP doesn't even mention the place! There are some newer, better books on the market that appear better... when travelling in Brazil trust the locals and avoid Lonely Planet!