HAPPIEST PERSON IN BRAZIL - ME!!!!!

Have you ever posted an article just to say how happy you are????

I guess not...or maybe yes...because happiness is a state of spirit, when you have a positive attotude towards life you are happy. When you see a bird flying and singing and because that you smile like crazy, no you are not mad, you are just happy. when you talk with a stranger like you are talking with an old friend, it means that you have happiness inside of you!!!!

Somehow this 30th of October I am happy, maybe because three years ago my life had another reason, my work got stronger, my reputation is even more respected, I found many people who really care about me, I have met more people and I have visited more places and of course when you have life constantly smiling at you, you are happy....

NO MONEY, NO BIG FORTUNE, JUST SIMPLE AND INDEPENDENT LIFE.

When you live life with love you get love, when you live life with enthusiasm you get enthusiastic gifts!!!!

I am so grateful for this life that I just need to share with all of you that I am very happy!!!!!

SOMETHING IS VERY TRUE, ANYTIME YOU COME TO RIO YOU WILL FIND A VERY HAPPY TOUR GUIDE!!!!

Rafa

All the pictures in this posting were taken in the beautiful state of Maranhão where I organize my Amazon Tours

ILHA GRANDE - A TREASURE THAT RIO PROVIDES YOU :)

People always laugh when I say that I am busy...but yes I am, here I am in this wonderful island!!! Taking care of danish students group who came to Rio for somedays before some important meetings in the countryside of Paraná State.

But I come to Ilha Grande very often, I always take my guests to see this magnificent island and also this is the place where I come to rest and to have fun; I like exclusive and quiet places to relax and there is not place like Ilha Grande for you to enjoy life, enjoy Nature and have a great time.

To get to Ilha Grande, we have two ways, either getting to the small piers of Mangaratiba or Angra dos Reis.

There are few options from Mangaratiba, but if you want to get to the island easier, taking the 8:00 am ferry boat is a good option, but it means that you will have to leave Rio by 4:00 am. Once you get to the island, you are at Abraão Village by 9:30 so that you can enjoy the whole day and even taking the boat tours that starts from the private pier at 10:00 am.

Another handy option from the continent is getting to Angra dos Reis, in the pier called CAIS DA LAPA where the BARCAS leave, you have the official ferry boats and also other boats that takes you to the island!!! So more or less from time to time you will have some boat going to Ilha Grande. From 1:30 pm on you will find a way to go to the island, if you get to Angra by lunch in front of the main square there is a nice local restaurant called FOGO DE MINAS, marvelous country food, actually the best of simple Brazilian food can also be found there!

In a way, if you want to go to ILHA GRANDE from Rio and you do not want to get up soooo early, so the best way is heading to Angra, but when you get to the island you will be there by the afternoon so there will be no choice but strolling around Abraão village, which is nice in a way because you can hike many trails that leads you to a nice waterfall called POÇÃO, you can also visit the old aqueduct and see some beaches like Preta and Feiticeira, it is nice to walk in the forest and see the enormous palm trees in the way, and from corner to corner you’ve got such a cool view to the main village!

By 10:00 am, it is always better to get the boat tours from this pier…you can reach the most distant beaches like Lopes Mendes or you can take boats that covers a good number of beaches and inlets going to two lagoons, one is called LAGOA AZUL and the other one is called LAGOA VERDE. I really prefer the boat ride that goes to LAGOA VERDE, but it will always depend on the tides and ocean conditions, and this kind of information just the pier staff will let you know.

All busy life in the island concentrates in the main village called Abraão, there you will find nice local restaurants with delicious sea food, home made food made by fishermen’s wives, you will find the bars where all people sit to have a cool time drinking the famous caipirinhas, sucos and our famous and fresh Brazilian beers, normally the most porpular beers here are the BOHEMIA, SKOL and ITAIPAVA.

Ilha Grande in my opinion is one of the best escapes when you spend all days in Rio and willing to find a different place in the State, the island has more than 100 beaches, you can find the privacy that you are looking for in such a delicious paradise atmosphere, the pace of life is very slow, the locals are kind and happy to see you there, and from the pier you can reach the best beaches like LOPES MENDES, DOIS RIOS, SANTO ANTONIO. For more professional hikings I know the right people who can take you there and believe me, the endless beauty you will find there will forever stay in your mind, so many birds, so many green, so many animals and such an energy that will make you feel one of our first European conquerors.

Ilha Grande is still untouched in many places of the island, if you are looking for a place in the wild where you can see what Brazil really looks like, Ilha Grande is the place!!!

Between Buzios and Ilha Grande, the island is my favorite decision. I strongly recommend my guests to see the island, people who are looking for a pleasant and peaceful place to spend at least two days with comfort and privacy; people who are looking for adventures in the wilderness; people who love the ocean and open air activities, romantic couple in honeymoon or simply romantic people who want to give a spacy taste in their lives (Like I usually do…hahahahha!!!!).

For the record, I can meet my guests when they come to the island in the cruiseline ships and take my people to some places where no ship tours can cover, so it can be a cool chance for you to see this incredible island in a very unique way!!!!

ILHA GRANDE IS THE GREATEST DESTINATION WHEN YOU CHOOSE RIO TO SEE PART OF THIS INCREDIBLY ENDLESS COUNTRY CALLED BRAZIL!!!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

RAFA AND HIS GUIDES - MARCONE, DIANA AND MYSELF ARE READY FOR YOU

Thanks to you, thanks to all reviews about my tours at http://www.tripadvisor.com/ (if you type my full name there RAFAEL TORRES LOPES, you can read it) and also reviews at http://www.fodors.com/ and the so fantastic webpage for all the cruise ship travellers, http://www.cruisecritic.com/ ( I guess if you type GUIDE IN RIO, or even my name Rafael Torres Lopes, or my nick name DONRAFA) many people from all over the World have written me requesting tours in Rio and also cool advises about many other destinations in Brazil where I have my tours organized and some hot contacts that also provides such a unique experience, here in Brazil, in Uruguay, in Argentina and now in Venezuela.

Anyway, so many people and my whole schedule is getting tight, of course I have many days left but I am also very busy for some other dates, so I start to get together the best guides of Rio, the guides who are really interested to offer an unique and genuine experience for my guests!!!!

NOW YOU CAN HAVE DONRAFA AS YOUR TOUR GUIDE, BUT YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE CHANCE TO HAVE DONRAFA'S GUIDE TO MAKE RIO DE JANEIRO SUCH A INCREDIBLE AND MAGIC PLACE IN YOUR HOLIDAYS!!!

YES I AM NOT ALONE. I do have the honor to have wonderful people working with me!!!

When I am busy, for sure you will have someone of my entire trust and my entire friendship. Much more than spectacular professionals and registered tour guides, these people who I will recommend you they are my best friends and they have direct access to everything in my life!!!!


We are now a sort of a "FAMILY" who will always provide you quality, knowledge, information, fun, incredible views, unique places!!!! Of course we will do the basic attractions but you can be sure that your tours will be full of new things that you will never read in any travel log!!!!!

For the moment, I have 6 tour guide to offer and I will be writing about them in my blog, in my future webpage and I need your help to write great reviews about them when you experience our guidance!!!!

I AM A TOUR GUIDE FOR 9 YEARS AND IT IS TIME FOR ME TO HAVE A FAMILY AND I AM LUCKY TO HAVE MARCONE, DIANA, CEDRIC, MANU, INEZ AND DORTHE.

I HAVE WRITTEN SOME POSTINGS ABOUT MARCONE AND DIANA, AND I ALSO REGISTERED THEIR VERY SUCCESSFULL TOURS IN MY BLOG, YOU NEED TO FIND PATIENCE TO KEEP ON READING ALL MY POSTINGS UNTIL THE VERY FIRST ONE, BUT FOR SURE YOU WILL KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT RIO IF YOU DO IT......

Anyway....


Now it is time for you to know that Marcone and Diana are one of my greatest tour guides that will be ready for you if by chance I am busy, also we can make some tours together, like a duo, or you can have one of them exclusively for you, we will always see the best option for you!!!!

MARCONE - Well, he is almost turning two years of good work in our tours. He has welcome so many great groups, wonderful families and lots of travellers. He has the happiness and positive vibe of Rio, his knowledge is simply incredible and he knows how to make Rio so simple and so fascinating for you!!!! If you read all my blog you will see many postings about him.

Marcone is a very well prepared tour guide, he is a very popular English Teacher and he is studying medicine to be a nurse. His english is excellent, he has the charisma of a happy brazilian and of a very respected teacher, and even better, this very experienced tour guide has a face of a baby!!!! But believe me, he is more adult than me!!!!!


DIANA - ohhhhhhhh she has a very relaxed way to deal with my guests...her patience,k her guidance, her attention is simply unique!!! She also knows the secrets of Rio and she can provide you the fantastic surprises of Rio's surroundings. SHE CAN MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS SIMPLY INCREDIBLY UNFORGETTABLE!!!!


People say that she is my FEMALE VERSION!!!! (well, every man has a female side, am I right??? )... she has a very comfortable car and her knowledge about Rio is endless. She was very well received by my guests and got lots of compliments as well. I absolutely rely on her skills as a tour guide and I will always recommend her to anyone when I might be busy if you need my tours!!!!!

You see???? Now I can be more than one tour guide, now I have wonderful people to work with me, and we are a real united team, maybe more than that, we are a family, some special people who will see you and treat you like an old friend!!!!!

KEEP ON WRITING TO US AND OUR RIO WILL BE EVEN BETTER!!!!


We need wonderful people like you to make our passionate work something fantastic for all of us, the tour guides and our new visiting friends!!!!!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH....

ME, MARCONE AND DIANA ARE READY TO GIVE YOU THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER IN YOUR TRAVELS!!!!


Rafael Torres Lopes
donrafaguestsinrio@yahoo.es

ONE MORE HAPPY DANISH FAMILY

I hope my so dear american friends don't get jealous, you can be sure that I love you all and I am always very grateful for all love, friendship and confidence that I always receive from the States, but the danish presence in my tours is growing bigger and I am honored to make so many incredible friends from Denmark, another country that I admire and another country that I am very interested!!!

DK gave me a fantastic friend, Jakob that also works here provinding so many ioncredible trips to all our visitors. And after the prestige to show Rio to Jakob's parent, Anita and Bent, he also recommended my tours to a very good friend, Dorthe and she wanted to make the visit of her parents special, so Hanne and Henning joined the group.

Dorthe lives in Rio and her parents came to Brazil to see her and visit many cool places in the country.

And I was in charge to show some secrets and little surprises of Rio....

As usual I focus our tour on lots of nature, so we saw the Forest, we went to our tiny ands charmous beach of Joá ( I love Copacabana, but nothing is better than a privacy of a wild beach, so Joa is a blast!), we went to the wetlands of Marapendi and we spent the rest of the afternoon in my beloved city, NITEROI.

We stopped in the Contemporary Museum which is not interesting inside, but outside you can see incredible views and you can take fantastic pictures; then we had lunch at A MINEIRA, a very exclusive brazilian typical food, all you can eat and you can have the best experience in our gastronomy in this local place. Then we went to PARQUE DA CIDADE, the famous view point to see the city of Niteroi and the skyline of Rio; and for a golden end, we went to the fishing village of Jurujuba where we interact with the locals, and they told us delicious fishermen's stories, we met Carlos and we played with the children. After that we went to the beaches of Adan and Eve close to the old fort of Santa Cruz constructed in 1565, one of the first construction in the Colonial Rio!!!

We had a tour full of culture and laughs. Dorthe is such a clever girl and in the future she will work with me providing even more quality in our tours, her knowledge about World's Fact and her view about Brazil is absolutely interesting; Hanne and Henning were so happy to see real things and dealing with genuine people.

YOU CAN VIEW THEIR OPINION ABOUT MY TOURS IN A VIDEO THAT I RECORDED IN JURUJUBA.

Please have a look and tell me what you think, right???

The address is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-62xIZe-U

And to see more of this visit in the fishing village, we also have two more videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm8QMZQ8-FA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0dMWU8sYP0

They are amazing and again I am making more and more fabulous friends from Denmark!!!

TAK TAK,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

A WORK OF HEART - TERRY YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME!!!!

Just as usual, I had a guest, and I ended up with a great friend!!!! :)))))) Mr. Brayboy!!! :) Terry for good friends!!!! Talking about friend, Terry is a friend of Brazil. He comes here very often and now he has Rio as his main destination in Brazil.

We had a tour yesterday, sunday afternoon, october 25th...

More than a tour we had such a great day, Marcone came with us, so Terry had TWO GUIDES...and we had a challenge:

Showing him in a half day what he could have seen in two days!!!!! Good, we love changes, and as you all know, Marcone is also one of the best tour guides that I have...

We met him in a apartment Terry rented in Copacabana and we took him to Niteroi.

Very few people know that Niteroi is one of the most hidden surprises in any tour to Rio, I was born and raised there, and humbling speaking I know the city as the palm of my hand, and I know exactly what people expect to see, places where locals love having fun, wild beaches and many view points that offers a very unique view of Rio from the opposite side of the Bay, the Guanabara Bay.

Not only we explored all over the Bay Side, visiting the CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM, the so famous "spaceship" (I am sorry OSCAR, but it is an UFO!!!!), we drove along the bay passing in Icarai beach, entering in Froes Road to finally reach the inlet of São Francisco; we decided to reach the famous viewpoint of Parque da Cidade, the weather was not likely to have a cool sunset, then we decided to show our friend Terry the oceanside of Niteroi which normally demands one more different full day.

Then we drove to the ocean beaches of Piratininga, and we stopped in Camboinhas Beach to see the GUARANI indian tribe by the Canal de Itaipu and we finished our day DANCING IN THE RAIN AT ITACOATIARA BEACH!!!!

In a half day (which was a full day indeed) we did both sides, the Bay and the Ocean, we had lots of laughs giving Terry two more arms, and we danced with our umbrellas on the impressive rock of Itacoatiara, we also showed how lovely Rio can be seen from the other side of the Bay!!!!

Marcone and I we have lots of passion for our activity, and when we work with our guests, we give them our souls!!!!

That is why Rio is so dear for real travellers who always write to me requesting for more tours and tours!!!!

That is why we enormously thank Terry, from the lovely mountainous state of North Carolina for such a precious confidence and friendship and we are very sure that he will always be back!!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO MY FRIENDS AND FUTURE GUESTS

I am sure that no one knows how honored I am to welcome people from all over the World and provide to all people a real and genuine experience when they visit Brazil, specially my dear land Rio de Janeiro where I was born and raised!!!!

Your guide and friend Rafael is frequently working to make Rio de Janeiro so much easier and fantastic when you first set foot in such a delicious and positive place!!!!

RIO IS FOR CARIOCAS (= natives from Rio) and my mission here is putting some carioca taste in your mind and heart, and I am sure you will fall in love with Rio, and my love for Rio is big. I strongly love my sacred land!!!!

Many people, I say, MANY, are writing to me requesting tours and you know how detailed I am when I write to you a letter, am I right???????

Almost every day I am touring around and show with extreme dedication all the hidden corners and beautiful places of the city.

Myself, RAFAMOBILE and my wonderful crazy guides are always active to provide many unique moments for every traveller that needs my services....

When people ask me for a tour in Rio I am always giving them the best experience ever...this is my function in life, this is my mission and this is my passion!!!!

I really love what I do and you can be sure that when you come here you will not only have a tour guide, you will have a friend for life time!!!!

SO THE REASON WHY I AM WRITING TO YOU TODAY IS A VERY IMPORTANT REQUEST, WHEN YOU WRITE TO ME PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IF I TAKE SOME TIME TO WRITE BACK IT MEANS THAT I AM EXTREMELY BUSY IN MY TOURS AND ALSO PLANNING SO MANY TRIPS THAT MIGHT BE YOUR OWN SPECIFIC TRIP.

I WILL NEVER FORGET ANYONE WHO WRITE TO ME, EVERYONE WILL HAVE THEIR RESPONSE, SOONER OR LATER, BUT BELIEVE ME, YOU ALL LIVE IN MY HEART AND YOU ARE ALL ESSENCIAL TO ME!!! :)

When I reply an email I can be very practical, but you can be sure that you will read a lot of REAL RAFA in your message!!!!

But sometimes I cannot reply an email five minutes after I got it...

Well, now...meanwhile I posted some tours activities on YOUTUBE, and I will be very glad to read your comments!!!!

Here you can see some nice comments from my lovely Michigan Family, Ralph, Mary, Aaron and Lisa, cheack what they talked about OUR TOURS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHYVXNyBVAg

I need your comments there so I can get to know who is writing to me!!!!

HAPPY TRAVELS AND KEEP ON WRITING TO ME!!!! I will be happy to give you lots of attention!!!!

RAFAEL TORRES LOPES

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURES YOU CAN VIEW IT IN BIGGER SIZE!!! :)))))))))

THANK YOU!!!!

HERE YOU CAN ALSO SEE SOME PICTURES FROM MY LATEST TOURS IN RIO AND BUZIOS

FOUR DAYS IN RIO WITH RAFA AND A NIGHT TOUR - YOUR CHANCE TO BE A RIO'S MASTER

FOUR FULL DAYS IN RIO!!!!! Too much???? I don't think so...the more you learn about Rio, more you will see that you need to come over and over again. And you spend two days in Rio you will notice that you will always feel at home. After these days in Rio you will learn more about the city and you will finally realize that Rio has a delicious vibe and you will start to get Carioca friends!!!!

Rio is not only a tour destination, Rio wants to be part of your life and your dearest memories!!!

Me as a tour guide, I want to invite you to be part of this style!!!!

Four days visiting all over Rio, its basic tourist attractions, the secrets that only locals know and some unique places that very few people go. Then in the end you can tell to anyone: I HAVE REALLY BEEN TO RIO!!!!!

SO 4 DAYS IN RIO AND ONE NIGHT TOUR WHICH IS GETTING IN TOUCH WITH OUR VERY INTERESTING LOCAL CULTURE, WILL BE:

FIRST DAY - We will see the Christ, Friday is the best day for us to do the Statue and visit the National Park, the Tijuca Forest, then we will see the Botanical Garden and see the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, we will have short walks there to some unusual places in the famous neighborhoods!!!

WE WILL START AT 9:00 AM

WITH NIGHT TOUR - I THINK THAT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF OUR CULTURE AT OUR MARKET FEIRA DO NORDESTE AND THE GREAT SAMBA HOUSE CARIOCA DA GEMA. We will have dinner at the Market at Chiquita Restaurant, you will have the best of our northern food and you will see lots of different colors in so many different stands, you will hear music and see a lot of people, then after our dinner we will go to Carioca da Gema for you to see what real root samba is!!!

There is also specially in the Summer Season, a cool possibility to see a REAL SAMBA SCHOOL REHEARSAL, we can visit some local communities and be part of their SAMBA PARTY, nothing can be more realistic and funnier than being in a genuine samba school in Rio.

SECOND DAY - Alright, this is the day we have to explore the surroundings of the Sugar Loaf and we will take the cable car to the top of the mountain (I hope you are not afraid of hights). Then we will head the west part of the city, we will see the Wetland Region of Marapendi to see a different style of life that Rio has, we will see some wildlife too, we will visit also a gated community called Joa; and then we will drive to very unknown beaches that hardly few tourists can visit, it will be a journey to the soul of Rio de Janeiro!!!
WE WILL START AT 9:00 AM

THIRD DAY - We will have a very different day going to a place that is hardly visited in details. We will go to Niteroi, our second most important city, the other side of our magnificent Bay, the city where people name it the “SMILE CITY”. We will see the Contemporary Museum, we will see the museum from outside, then we will follow the coast in the Bay Side to see wonderful inlet bays, we will experience life in a fishing village, a wonderful place called JURUJUBA and then we will see historical forts with breathtaking views of the Ocean and the whole city of Rio; we will visit the viewpoint of Parque da Cidade where I have my paragliding courses and where you can see the very best and super unknown view of Rio de Janeiro, it is maybe the most beautiful viewpoint that we have in the country (possibly we will see the sunset from there!!!!), then we will head the Oceanside and see the beaches of Itacoatiara, such a GOD BLESSED PLACE IN RIO; and then we will see the only one Indian tribe in Rio de Janeiro, the tribe of Guaranis…THIS TOUR DESERVES THE WHOLE DAY!!!! And it will be complete!!!

WE WILL START OUR DAY EARLIER…8:00 AM!!!

FORTH DAY – It is our last day in Rio, and I am sure we should keep this day for some shopping if you like, this is the day where I will take you to our city centre, we will see the past and the present of Rio. In the past we will see some beautiful and magnificent barroc churches that will tell us a lot about our Colonial times, the Portuguese Kingdom Era, the time of our Empire and the times of our early Republic back to 1889; and we will see our present time experience the daily life of a city of nine million people, we will visit the Arabic market and I will have all the patience to join you everywhere like shopping centers…

Of course we can plan much more, out of Rio, we can take you to the beaches of Buzios, Ilha Grande, Paraty, we can also plan visits outside of the State, everything will be possible if you plan anything in Brazil.

I WANT RIO DE JANEIRO TO BE ALWAYS THE MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR FOR THIS FASCINATING COUNTRY CALLED BRAZIL.

And you can always count on me and my incredible tour guides,

Rafael Torres Lopes

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

THREE DAYS IN RIO - YES IT IS POSSIBLE AND NEVER BORING!!!!

Three days in Rio is not a tour, it is a lesson about Rio and believe me I am a good teacher and I love ALL my students!!!! Being a tour guide is such a delicious job, I go everywhere in the city and it is always the best places and places that very few people go, working with tourism gives me a chance to meet so many spectacular people from all over the World. so taking people to see Rio in 3 days is making any trip to Rio sooooo complete, we will see not only Rio but also the surprising city of Niteroi right in the other side of the Bay, and to get there you cross a very impressive bridge.

So if you are prepared to be my student and having RIO DE JANEIRO as your VERY BEST subject, then I have a plan for you:

SO IN OUR FIRST DAY – We will see the Christ, part of the Forest of Tijuca and we will visit the very old neighborhood of Santa Tereza. Very light day where you will see fantastic views of the city, you will see the biggest symbol of our attractions, the Statue of the Christ and you will see where everything started in our history, the first district where the Portuguese settled for the first time! I will also take you for a walk in the nicest places of Copacabana and Ipanema, for some nice pictures!!!!!

SECOND DAY – We will head west of the city to see the off the beaten path coast of Rio, the gate community with a private beach called Joa, the wetland region of Marapendi and we will see the rest of the Forest, and we can end the tour in the Botanical Garden. Or we can start the tour in the Botanical Garden because it closes quite early in the afternoon. We will see how we will organize our time!!! If we have time I will take you to the last beaches of Rio in the western side of the city, so we will see Grumari.

THIRD DAY – Early in the morning we will see the city centre, with our busy rhythm but full of cultural centers, very interesting Portuguese buildings, we will see narrow and bohemian streets and some very important churches in Brazil such as Candelaria and Mosteiro de São Bento, and we will end our tour in Niteroi, our best surprise in any trip to Rio; going to Niteroi you will be able to see Rio from a different perspective and you will see a lot of new places!

In Niteroi we will see Rio from the other side of the Bay and we will discover such a fascinating and positive city. We will cross the Bridge and we will see a fantastic coastline in our Bay, we will see the Contemporary Museum - MAC; we will visit a fishing village in Jurujuba and we will have a grand finaly in my most favorite view point, PARQUE DA CIDADE!!!

I am sure that you will be thinking, three days is not enough...but bear in mind that you will always have a friend in Rio, and I have more ideas that i can share with you and even more secrets of this so SPECIAL RIO THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS.

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

TWO DAYS IN RIO - AFTER THAT YOU CAN SAY "I HAVE REALLY BEEN TO RIO!!!"

Book this tour

Sometimes one day is not enough to see the so many secrets and surprises that Rio can offer, two days in the city you will see that the Rio will ask for more! Specially when I know exactly what you want to see.

I am not interested to take my guests to obvious touristy places and I am always telling them to avoid many tourist traps. I am a local who loves the city who happened to be a registered tour guide, and what I do is very simple. I take people to places where locals love going to enjoy life and have fun. It is a very informal way to see all over the city!!!!

One day in Rio???? Sure I can help you!!! Two days in Rio??? You see, I did convince you to have a better perspective of Rio, and two days in Rio will be the start for you to feel at home!!!!

SO THE PLAN IS:

FIRST DAY - Our first day I will do something that you will have a great idea about Rio, you will drive directly to see the Christ, after that you will explore all over the Tijuca Forest, you will see incredible views and many water springs and water falls, lots of nature. Then you will see our wetlands at Marapendi Channels, you will see more very local ocean beaches like Barra da Tijuca and Joa, you will also see the unknown beaches of our west side like Recreio, Prainha and Grumari. When you get back to the hotel I will take you to see the rocks of Arpoador and the Fort of Copacabana.

THE SECOND DAY - Early in the morning, you would go to the famous Sugar Loaf and the surroundings where you can see samples of our Atlantic Forest . Then you would visit the other side of our Guanabara Bay, you would see the city of Niteroi that gives you a spectacular perspective of Rio’s skyline with its lovely mountains, you would see very charming and unique fishing villages and impressive military forts and of course you will visit the famous Modern Art Museum and my paragliding school on the top of Parque da Cidade Hill.

In Niteroi , which is the second most important city in the State of Rio de Janeiro offers very interesting places. Just by crossing the Bridge, you will have lots of fun. Then you will see just the outside of our MODERN ART MUSEUM which is a project of our famous architect OSCAR NIEMEYER and the building has breathtaking views of the Bay Side, then we will see a very charming fishing village of Jurujuba, you will also visit the Military Fort of the Holy Cross and see other hidden beaches such as Adan and Eve; and as a grand finale we will reach a view point where just locals know where it is, the Parque da Cidade, everything will make your TRIP the most fantastic one!

PLEASE NOTE: GOING TO THE MUSEUM IT IS NOT GETTING IN THE MUSEUM, WE WILL JUST SEE THE PLACE OUTSIDE, THE ARQUITECTURE OF THE BUILDING AND THE LOCATION IS THE ATTRACTION ITSELF, YOU GET ME????
Also, we will always find some time for us to see a little bit of the Centro in Rio, it is our oldest and very interesting profile of the city, it will be your chance to follow the real’s people daily life and be part of it!!!!
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! BOOK THE TOUR!

NOW YOU CHOOSE - VERY SUPER FULL DAY

We will start our tour at 08:00 am. But of course you can choose what time we will start, but remember to see everything in this itinerary, the earliest we can move on is better for us!!!!

We will go to the Christ Area, we will explore all over the Forest of Tijuca, a road full of lush green and with some nice surprises in local areas such as natural showers, waterfalls, some incredible views of the city and a beautiful lake in the middle of the jungle; then we will visit a very unique place, our big area of wetlands with seven islands and intense bird life, this area is called Marapendi, it is a real success in my tours.

THEN AFTER VISITING THE BEST OF RIO WE ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE THE GREATEST SURPRISE OF ALL TOURS: NITEROI

After that we will drive to the other side of the Bay, crossing the bridge, we will find Niteroi, another city very close to Rio which will give you a very different perspective of Rio, you will see all over the mountains and the interesting skyline of the city, plus different beaches with beautiful coastline, we will visit the MAC, our interesting MODERN ART MUSEUM, a project of our famous architect, Oscar Niemeyer, the same one who projected Brasilia; then we will see a wonderful fishing village that will give you an exactly idea of a real pace of life in a different Brazil, we will also see a military fort on the edge of the Bay with the huge mountain of Sugar Loaf right in front of us and we will end our day in a fantastic viewpoint that will convince you that Rio de Janeiro is one of the most sensational cities in the World!!!

VERY INTENSE DAY THAT IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO EXPLORE BY THEIR OWN!!!!

A day that will make HISTORY in your life and you will be able to tell to all people that you know and all people that you love that YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN TO RIO!!!!

You will see the classic and you will see a lot of new and off the beaten path places and I will use a lot of space for improvisation, if we have just one day, so I will have to make two days in one day, you know what I mean???

RAFAEL TORRES LOPES

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es

THE HOLY FAMILY FROM MICHIGAN

My ANGEL FAMILY was also protected by the HOLY GHOST...hahahahaha : )))))) of course that no one will be willing to go to the Christ and see just clouds, but you know, it can be really fun...but people like us, we always know how to make our time always a fantastic one!!!! So there we went...we went to to Christ, not crowded of course...but we laughed like crazy!!!

God is always present in our lives, and literally you can feel it when you come to Rio!!!

Actually going there by car is the best option, cheaper than going there by train and more interesting because you also have the opportunity to see part of Tijuca Forest. The Christ is also part of our National Park.

Thank you very much for so much confidence and friendship and be sure that here in Rio de Janeiro, you all have a friend. I will be always waiting for you everytime you want to have fun and experience the secrets of Rio....

And regarding secrets and surprises of your trip to Rio I am an expert,

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Guide

donrafainrio@yahoo.es