Bastek - andyg1 gives good advice.
About Rio, see my other post on 'Rio hotels'. About the favela tour,
check out http://www.exotictours.com.br
But as the price of everything in Brazil varies (depending upon how
much money it appears you have), you might ask over the phone when
reserving your hotel if they can help you with the Rocinha tour...
just to get a second quote.
Finally, I know that cultural tourism is wonderful, and everything,
and the Rocinha tour has been very popular for some years now, but
recently (in the past six months), Rio has become more dangerous.
Almost weekly there are reports in the news about pockets of looting,
city buses being set on fire, etc, mostly near the favelas. It is
also said (and I believe it) that police will not enter the favelas,
except for occasional heavily armed, swat team-type 'blitzes' for
specific purposes.
Yes... I know... the tour is very safe... the people of the favela
protect the tour route and would never let any harm come to the
tourists, etc. I used to want to go on the tour. But living in Sao
Paulo for three years, and seeing on the news what is happening to
Rio, I don't want to anymore. Just my opinion.
- Quem |