Featured Destination for Bachelors: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Cynthia Henriquez

There are many places around the world for singles to go. The best place for bachelors? Where else but launching pad of the G-string: Rio de Janeiro. The sun is always shining and there’s always a party going on in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With the weather reaching a high of 95 degrees and a low of 77 degrees in the summer, it’s no wonder that days are often thought of as spent lazily in the sun. Now, before you pack your bags and head for the airport, keep in mind that summer months are December through March. But when the tropical sun goes down, what else is there to do?

Top landmark to watch for: The beaches aren’t the only things Brazil is known for. While visiting Rio de Janeiro, be sure to visit Sugar Loaf. No, it’s not a Brazilian pastry. It was named for its resemblance to the loaves of sugar used by the Portuguese at the time of the city's discovery. It’s actually two steep hills, Sugar Loaf (575 meters) and Urca (220 meters), joined to a base station by a cable car that begins across the General Tiburcio square.
The cable car lifts you 887 feet over Copacabana Beach. Sugar Loaf is the only place to see the entirety of Copacabana Beach. Tickets are only $8 per person and lifts run every thirty minutes from eight a.m. to ten p.m.

To enhance your experience at the end of your ride to Urca, there are also climbing lessons on the hillside facing Botafogo. Although it’s not a high climb, it’s very steep. If you’re not the athletic type, at the top of both hills there are shops, an amphitheatre, and fast food restaurants. For more information visit www.interhabit.com and www.bondinho.com.br.
  Events: Every year, ending on Ash Wednesday with the beginning of Lent, Rio de Janeiro holds one of the most heard of events in the world: Carnival. Taken very seriously in Brazil, months of preparation go into creating this festive occasion. What sets the Rio Carnival apart is the parade of the premier samba schools on the Sunday and Monday before Lent. For more information and pictures of Carnival visit www.ipanema.com/carnival.

Open-air markets are also popular places to visit at the end of the day on Copacabana beachfront, between Rua Miguel Lemos and Rua Djalma Ulrich. On Sundays, they are held at the Feirarte, better known as the Hippie Market, on Praça General Osório in Ipanema. These markets are treasure troves of unusual buys. If you’re searching for something unique to take back as a souvenir, you’ll find it here.
  Where to stay: There are scores of hotels located right on the Copacabana beachfront. If you’re looking for somewhere familiar to stay, the JW Marriott has 245 rooms and suites located just 22 km away from Sugar Loaf and within walking distance to the beach. Information on where to stay can be found at www.ipanema.com/hotel, or www.marriott.com.

Language: No need to worry. Although the official language is Portuguese, English is understood in tourist areas such as restaurants, beaches, hotels and bars. Local law officials are even trained on how to deal with tourists and speak English fluently.

Currency: The Brazilian currency is the Real (R$). There are 100 centavos in one Real, just like 100 pennies in one Dollar. Their coins are similar to ours as well, so no confusion is possible. The bronze-colored centavo is a different color than the rest of the coins, like our penny. As for 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos, they are silver. There is also a nickel and bronze coin for R$1. The denominations of the notes are R$5, R$10, R$50 and R$100. The value of the Real against the US Dollar changes daily and moneychangers are obliged by law to display net rates of exchange. However, receipt notes must be issued by law so it’s recommended to keep these until after departure.
There are many more things to see and do while staying in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so don’t limit yourself to just the beaches and nightclubs. Some other interesting places to visit are Corcovado ("Hunchback") mountain, Guanabara Bay, and Tijuca Forest. More information to these locales and other places mentioned can be found at www.carnaval.com/main.htm