Half way during uni I saved up some of my student loan and money I made in my part-time job to travel to Brazil during the easter break, I was pretty short on time so tried to cram as much into just over two weeks as possible...
In Rio De Janerio...
Of course we spent a day sunbathing on the world famous ipanema beach, we were also there during the mano a mano where we got to see Usain Bolt run!
Sugar loaf mountain is an absolute must, the views are incredible. We stayed till sunset and snacked n acai bowls.
If you want to see Christ the redeemer it's best to go first thing before the crowds arrive, we chose to go up on the corcavado train which is an experience in itself- the scenery is gorgeous and we had a samba band jump on for part of the journey.
At Escadaria Selarón in Lapa we stumbled upon a photo shoot with Brasilian babe (And victorias secret angle) Isabeli Fontana - you can find the editorial photos on Marie Claire. The steps were incredible and I loved exploring the surrounding area.
The wildlife was absolutely incredible, and a great chance for me to play around with my photography! We stopped in at the bird park near iguassu falls to get up close and personal!
Iguazu falls ( on the border of Brazil and Argentina) themselves were absolutely breathtaking, the last photo (above) is of the devils throat and I have never heard a noise quite like the sound of the water pouring over the edge. Iguazu falls doesn't seem as popular as some of the other giant waterfalls around the world but I can't recommend them highly enough, we spent two days exploring but could definitely have spent much longer.
Before I left Dan had bought me a 50mm lens for my camera and these super friendly butterflies were the perfect chance to put it to use!
Off the coast of Rio is Ilha Grande, a stunning island which really allows you to get back to basics, of course there's internet and electricity now but there's no cars and the way of life is just a lot slower. The hike to Lopes Mendes on the other side of the island is through dense rain forest and it's absolutely gorgeous. We happened to do it in torrential rain and it was still breathtaking.
On the last day I was taken into one of the favelas with another girl, the locals were so unbelievably friendly and showed us a whole other aspect of favela life (they're fames for their excessively high crime rates).
If I've wet your appetite for Brazil make sure you check out my Brazil blog posts
Is Brazil on your bucket list or have you been already?
xo
psst I'm currently in Brisbane having a mini adventure so I'll get back to everyone when I'm home!