It's official, World Cup fever has infected the Van Mildert HQ and we're counting down the days until the highly anticipated footy festival begins. However we know the beautiful game isn't everyone's cup of tea so, here's five non-football related reason to visit Brazil this summer.
Brasília -Built from scratch in just 41 months, Brazilian capital Brasilia is a metropolis of stunning modern architecture. This amazing city was planned and designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in 1956 and built by 1960 on the orders of the Brazilian President who wanted to move the capital to a more central location and it is now the largest city in the world that didn’t exist at the beginning of the 20th century. Hailed for its towering examples of modern architecture, large open inner-city green spaces and exquisite cuisine, why not explore one of the most utopian-like environments on the planet.
Favelas of Rio - Get a real taste of day-to-day life in Rio by embarking on one of the Favela tours which take you on an exploration of the slum areas where tens of millions of Brazilians live. The heavily built-up settlements have a typically bad reputation for drugs and violence but the reality is far different and the only real way to experience this is through one of the many favela tours which take you to local schools, community centres and even bars. The best favela tours to go for are the ones organised by people or organisations based within the favelas as they can pass on first hand knowledge and most often than not channel a large portion of the fees back into the favela communities.
Historic Centre of Olinda - The historic centre of the city of Olinda on the eastern tip of Brazil is one of the many World Heritage Sites in the country and is a great attraction for those who like a blast from the past with the town’s roots dating all the way back to the 16th century. Winding lanes filled with centuries old buildings, gardens, convents, passos (chapels) and 20 Baroque churches mean you can spend your day getting immersed in history before partying it up in the evening with one of Olinda’s famous free carnivals.
Morro de São Paulo - For serene beaches and beautifully picturesque landscapes we definitely recommend a trip to Morro De São Paulo on the island of Tinharé. Preserving its natural beauty, cars are forbidden on the island, so once you’ve landed there by boat or flight you’ll either have to walk or take a tractor ride to get around. The village is highly renowned for its stunning beaches (handily named First, Second, Third and Fourth) where you can stay the night in a pousada shack or snorkel in the expansive stretch of reef.
Amazonia -It should be a feat on everybody's bucket list to experience the wonders of the Amazon rainforest. Stretching over 5,500,00 square kilometres and through nine nations, it would be impossible to see the amazon in its entirety, however boat trips up the Amazon River or small flight tours can give a great insight into this enchanting climate which holds one in ten known species of the world, making it the largest and most diverse collection of animals and plants on the planet.