THE PLEASANT KOALA AND KIWI TOUR IN RIO DE JANEIRO

Never in my career I had people from New Zealand and Australia together!!! Thanks for the Kiwi Craig Family and thanks to Ania, my aus-polish dear friend who came to Brazil with her heart and spirit open to learn more about Brazilian Culture and also to get to know all the secrets of Brazil, starting with Rio of course!!!!

This people found me...my NZ FOLKS at Trip Advisor and Ania...BELIEVE ME...she found me in the street!!!!! I was guiding my sweet californian group and she asked me whether I could give her some ideas about Rio, I gave her my email address and BINGO...she was writing to me and quickly I added her in a very cool and adventurous KIWI EXPEDITION in Brazil!!!! :)

At the very first minute they got along so well that we became a FUN GROUP OF OLD FRIENDS!!! And we shared two days of total adventure in Rio, covering the famous places and also the hidden secret of a surprising city!!!

One of the great highlights of our days was a last stop in a distant fishing village called BARRA DE GUARATIBA...such a small village full of incredible people that welcomed us with warm and open heart. We could talk to the people and they were very interested about the "wierd language" we were speaking...GUESS WHAT??? English!!!

Very seldon people from other countries visit this side of Rio that seems to be a lost very countryside spot of our Coast...But it gives you great views to the Ocean and the wild peninsula of Sepetiba Bay, in the limits of Rio and the city of Itaguai. almost reaching the Green Coast of Angra dos Reis in the way to my darling historical city of Paraty!

My great four heroes in beaches which are not commonly present in travel books but always give to the visitor the real taste of exploring a new foundland just like the Navigators once visited!!! A coast of Rio where Nature is the RULER...Grumari is one of these places, today no sands, the water invaded everything because of the high tide.

Copacabana is awesome and Ipanema is really charming but the wilderness of Grumari is impossible to miss. And this is what I want my guests to experience!

A Brazilian Crocodile meeting a KIWI Crocodile...salt water crocodiles in Recreio Beach, hahahahaha : ) OR MAYBE A SORT OF "BRAZILIAN HAKA" AGAIN!!! Sam is used to explode his belly of soooooo much laughing. Our tour is full of joy, energy and good humour. Rafa is very informal, you should know that!!!

The hidden and private beach of Joá...a great way to see the best of our Coast Line...we always have fun there after driving the green road of Canoas. Happy to be together with shining people like little Sam, Princess Bella and the IRON MAN David and the incredibly smart Ania made my day such a spectacular event!!!!

Ania is from Poland but had chosen Adelaide, a beautiful and progressive city in the south coast of Australia. Very important city for me because in the gold times of the street formula one grand prix, our national hero AYRTON SENNA, got his second WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. We all miss him!!! :)

The tour is also very focused in NATURE and we never miss a visit to the LUNG OF RIO DE JANEIRO....wow lots of philosophy today....A visit to Cascatinha, a head wash in the Paineiras, lots of greens and great opportunities to meet some cool animals of our fauna like so many birds, monkeys and other cute creatures. Tijuca Forest is one of our National Parks in the State of Rio and it is very nice to see that in the middle of the city map there is a huge green portion, and this portion is a wild forest providing great quality to our lives in Brazil!!!

Second day, of course a special visit....NITEROI!!!! What to say about Niteroi???? It is hard for me to express any opinion about my special homeland...Going to Niteroi brings me back so fond memories, showing Niteroi to the World makes me feel proud of a very beautiful and unknown spot of Rio de Janeiro. And Niteroi feeds our FOOD DESIRES!!!!! :) A real gastronomy center in the South East of Brazil. NITEROI HAS A LOVELY AND REGIONAL RESTAURANT A MINEIRA. Judging from our faces you can see a total feeling of happiness after a local and very brazilian meal!!!!

Niteroi holds us surprise like Piratininga Beach, a wonderful corner where we can see the city of Rio way far from this other side of the Atlantic Ocean...and it gives us space to have fun, like helping my brother Sam Torres to get rid of some kiwi lices HAHAHAHAHAHA and give some extra arms to the Goddess Ania Ganesha hahahahaha :)))))))

So I do not need to write that every tour is a STORY OF LIFE for me. The tours not only provide you knowledge and information, the tour gives you a large introduction of our culture together with endless beauty.

Coming to Rio just show you the door of a magnicent HOME called Brazil.

Thank you very much my KIWI FAMILY and thank you very much my AUSSIE COUSIN ANIA....You all made my work and my life very special, you are the proof that my work is one of my wonderful missions in my existance!!!!

BRAZIL WILL BE ALWAYS WITH ALL DOORS OPENED FOR YOU!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide

Travel Planner

Kiwi Friend

Kangaroo Friend

OUR HEROES AND BRAVE FRIENDS FROM BRUNEI - THE FIRST ADVENTURERS TO REACH PARQUE DA CIDADE AFTER THE TRAGEDY

For everything in life, if you want to do it in a perfect way, we have to reach the top no matter what difficulty we find in life, we have to conquer our challenges. Me and my brave friends Pauline and Jeff have something in common...THE TASTE OF ADVENTURE!!!

And they were my VERY FIRST GUESTS to reach the top of our magical place in Niteroi, the PARQUE DA CIDADE MOUNTAINS, after all the rain and landslides that caused to many destructions and death in the city of Niteroi. It is indeed the most impressive viewpoint at the famous mountains of Rio, Corcovado and the Sugar Loaf.

In normal days everyone can go there by car and the best thing is that we do no pay anything to go there!!! It is public free!!!

We got into the forest of Tiririca and walked in very easy trails until reaching the not affected part of the road, the acess is a little bit difficult because of the hit and some naughty mosquitoes but we got there!

The funniest part was going to the forest without being noticed by the FOREST GUARD, that gave us a little taste of adventure and it was really great to walk through the eucaliptus forests (with no koalas - kisses to Australia!!! - of course) and the expectation to come accross with a snake in any time. Lucky we did not see any snakes and I am very aware of it.

When we reached the top, we had the place just for ourselves and we could see how GORGEOUS Rio de Janeiro is, from the top of the hill we can see all over the city of Rio from a very different perspective anbd we could understand more of the city of Niteroi which must be addedd with honor and glory to every traveller's list!

It is great that now two more people are living in the great palace of my heart...Jeff and Pauline are now dear friends that I will always remember!!! And they surely have all my gratitude for so much confidence and friendship given to me!

THANK YOU FOLKS!!!!

RAFAEL TORRES LOPES

Tour Guide and Travel Planner