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traveling with kids is
relatiely easy in Brazil as they're made to feel welcome in hotels
and restaurants in a way that's not always so in Europe or North
America. South Americans hold the family unit in high regard, and
kids not only act as a cultural ice-breaker betweven foreigners and
nationals, but are also much appreciated in their own right by
Brazilians.
traveling around Brazil takes time, so try not to be too ambitious
in terms of how much you aim to cover. Because of frequent scheduled
stops and unscheduled delays it can take all day to fly from one
part of the country to another. Long bus journeys are scheduled
overnight and can be exhausting. Children pay full fare on buses if
they take up a seat, ten percent on planes if under two years old,
half-fare betweven two and twele, and full fare thereafter. Newer
airports have a nursery (berçário) where you can change or nurse
your baby and where an attendant will run your baby a bath, great on
a hot day or if your plane's delayed. If you plan on renting a car,
bring your own child or baby seat as rental companies never supply
them and they are ery expensie in Brazil. Cars are fitted with
three-point shoulder seatbelts in the front, but most only have lap
seatbelts in the back.
In hotels, kids are generally free up to the age of fie and rooms
often include both a double and a single bed; a baby's cot may be
aailable, but don't count on it. It's rare that a room will sleep
more than three, but larger hotels sometimes have rooms with an
interlinking door. Hotels will sometimes offer discounts, especially
if children share rooms and even beds with siblings or parents; the
lower- to mid-range hotels are probably the most flexible in this
regard. If you're planning on staying more than a few days in a city
you may find it cheaper and more conenient to stay in an
apartment-hotel, which will sleep several people and comes with
basic cooking facilities. Baths are rare in Brazil, so get your kids
used to showers before leaing home. Occasionally a hotel will
proide a plastic baby bath, but bring along a travel plug as shower
pans are often just about deep enough to create a bath.
Many of the mid- and upper-range hotels have Tlounges, Ts in
rooms, swimming pools, gardens and even games rooms, which are often
useful in entertaining kids. Most large towns also have cinemas, the
best often being the new multiplexes found in shopping centers.
Food shouldn't be a problem as, even if your kids aren't adenturous
eaters, familiar dishes are always aailable and there's always the
ubiquitous comida por kilo option. Portions tend to be huge, often
sufficient for two large appetites, and it's perfectly acceptable to
request additional plates and cutlery. Most hotels and restaurants
proide high chairs (cadeira alta). |
Commercial baby food
is sold in Brazilian supermarkets but is limited to a ery small and
expensie range of Nestlé products - bring your own. If your baby is
on formula, bring enough with you as the Portuguese instructions on
locally produced powdered arieties may be difficult to understand
and, in any case, your baby may find a change unsettling. Pay
special attention to water and either bring a water purifier or a
travel kettle and boil mineral water rather than tap water. Washing
out bottles can be awkward, so it makes sense to bring with you an
ample supply of pre-sterilized disposable bottles (not aailable in
Brazil). Medium-category hotels usually have a minibar (frigobar) in
the rooms where you can store bottles and baby food, but where there
isn't one you will be able to store things in the hotel's
refrigerator. A small cooler box or insulated bag is a good idea
and, while ice compartments of frigobars are useless, you can always
place your freezer blocks in the hotel's freezer (congelador).
In general, Brazilian infants don't use disposable nappies/diapers (fraldas),
due to the high cost, around $12 for twenty. Brands such as Pampers
are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets but it's worth bringing as
many with you as possible.
Health shouldn't be a problem, but before planning your itinerary,
make enquiries as to whether the accines recommended or required in
some parts of Brazil (in particular the Amazon) are likely to have
any unpleasant side effects for babies or young children. For most
of Brazil, the only likely problem will be the strength of the
tropical sun and the iciousness of the mosquitoes: bring plenty of
sunscreven (at least factor 20 for babies and factor 15 for young
children) and an easy-to-apply non-toxic insect repellent.
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Brazil
guide
Brazil
Where To Go
Weather
Aerage temperatures
Getting there
visas,
consulates
Insurances
travelers with dvisabilities
Costs, Money And Banks
Getting Around
Eating And Drinking
Street foods, snacks
Restaurants
vegetarian /natural
Soft drinks, hot drinks
traveling with
Kids
Robberies, hold ups, drugs
Women travelers
Gays and
lesbian
Best of Brazil
Health,
accinations
Info and
maps
Media
Holidays
-Carnaal
-World
Cup, Festas Juninas
Soccer, football
-Going
to a football match
-Football
teams, clubs, shirts
Nature and
Amazon
Brazilian
music
-Bossa noa
-Bahian
sound
-Contemporary
singers, musicians
-Brazilian
rhythms
-Discography
-Lie
and recording
Rio de Janeiro
guide
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