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Travelling to Brazil

Here’s what you can do in Brazil now that you can enter visa-free

Brazil has just announced that it will open its doors further to Canada, the United States, Australia and Japan.

Now that the government has waived visa requirements, a lot of travelers must be excited with this news.

Despite safety risks (which are present in all countries as well), Brazil presents loads of fun things to do.

Consider doing these things on your trip to Brazil:

Botanical Garden Rio de Janeiro

Let’s start with Brazil’s capital of Rio de Janeiro. The colossal statue of Christ the Redeemer and the favelas usually come to mind when it comes to Rio.

What some happen to sleep on are the beautiful botanical gardens of Rio. It has more than 6,500 species of Brazilian and foreign flora.

The 54-hectare garden also have snapshot-worthy monuments and greenhouse architecture.

Tijuca Forest

Speaking of the Christ the Redeemer statue, the Tijuca Forest National Park is where its territory lies. The large urban forest also happens to have other great attractions such as the Mesa do Imperador, Vista Chinese outlook, murals of Candido Portinari and Cascatinha waterfall.

Corcovado Mountain

Ever wonder why we didn’t include the famous Christ the Redeemer statue on this list? It’s because you will get there eventually if you follow the itinerary.

The Corcovado Mountain is located within the Tijuca Forest. The 2,329-feet tall mountain is where the beautiful statue of Christ is erected.

Seeing the statue in movies and on social media speaks Rio loudly. The statue stands 100 feet tall, its arms stretching over 92 inches wide, and weighs more than 635 metric tons.

Escadaria Selaron

The Escadaria Selaron is an attraction due to it’s beautiful artwork by the steps. This attraction features many pieces painted by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron.

It is popular among tourists for its snapshot-worthy background.

Copacabana

It is inevitable that you visit Copacabana while in Rio. Brazil’s most famous beach hosts more than two million visitors each year.

New Years and holidays are extra special as events and fireworks displays are all around the area.

Ipanema

Ipanema literally means “bad water” in the Tupi language, which is stunning revelation considering it’s one of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous areas today. The prosperous neighborhood is famous internationally for its world-class shopping, restaurants and cafes. One of the largest Carnival blocks in Rio de Janeiro takes place here as well.

Inhotim

In Mias Gerais, you must visit this art museum and botanical gardens. Bernardo Paz (former mining magnate) is the founder of this museum who started buying plots to stop developers from destruction of the natural landscape. Today the garden features more than 4,500 species of plants.

Ariau Towers

From the capital city’s nature now to the country’s rainforest. The Ariau Towers is the oldest and largest boutique hotel in the Amazon.

The place is situated on the banks of the Amazon River, which brings you as close to nature as you can be in Brazil.

The dense surroundings of the tropical forest boasts an extreme escape from city life whilst its amenities.

It is famous for its amenities, celebrity guests and luxuries. If you are looking for something

Theatro Municipal

Traveling thespians rejoice! The most attractive theater in Brazil awaits. The Theatro Municipal in São Paulo is just pure astonishing from the outside.

The inside is just as beautiful as well as the theater is highly regarded for both its architectural value and historical importance.

São Paulo Museum of Art

Speaking of art in São Paulo,  it’s art museum consists of more than 8,000 pieces of art. It also happens to have one of the largest libraries in Brazil.

It actually takes up an entire day just to go around the entire São Paulo Museum of Art but based on feedbacks, it is all worth it.

Museum of Tomorrow

While we are on the topic of museums, this creation of Spanish neo-futuristic engineer Santiago Calatrava is famous for its five exhibition areas featuring Earth, Cosmos, Anthropocene, Now and Tomorrow.

The Museum of Tomorrow is a very interesting place to take your kids to when you visit Brazil.

Serra da Capivara National Park

We go up the northern region of Brazil this time at the Serra da Capivara National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage attracts plethora of visitors from around the world for its prehistoric sites.

The park has prehistoric paintings that date back to at least 22,000 years ago. It’s like relieving the stone age visiting this world heritage site.

Gruta Do Lago Azul

Also known as the Blue Lake Grotto, this natural monument is so beautiful that it has been listed as a protected area since 1978.

The place holds two caves with interesting but fragile calcareous formations. The blue pool of water inside the cave is 200 feet deep, and is part of one of the largest flooded cavities on the planet.

Gruta do Lago Azul can be found in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Elevador Lacerda

The Elevador Lacerda is the highest elevator in the world. It connects Salvador’s upper and lower city.

This public urban elevator was built in 1873. You can enjoy amazing views on the top towers.

Cathedral of Brasilia

The Cathedral of Brasília is one of the most uniquely designed churches in the world. This Roman Catholic institution serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Brasília.

Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer teamed up with Brazilian structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo to create this masterpiece. It was completed and dedicated on May 31, 1970.

The church’s unique design grabs the attention of visitors from all over the world.

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Krakow, Poland

Weekend trip in Krakow: What to do

Krakow, Poland, is a charming, beautiful and interesting city that makes for a great weekend trip. If you only have a few days in the city, don’t worry, you’ll be able to see all the highlights. Try to invest in an accommodation close to the city centre so you don’t have to spend time (and money) on transportation. Krakow is an excellent city to walk around in and most sites are situated close to each other. But if you’re planning on visiting Auschwitz, you’ll need a full day to do so. Plan wisely so you don’t have to exclude anything from your itinerary!

The first thing you should do once you’ve landed in Krakow, is to go to the main square Rynek Glowny. Not only is this a great point for you to start at, it’s also really intriguing to look at. It’s the biggest medieval square in Europe in fact so get your camera ready and capture this beauty on film. Start walking around, get lost in small alleyways and don’t forget to look up so you don’t miss any of the details on the buildings. Make your way to the Wawel Castle too, which offers stunning views over the city as well as an impressive architecture that’s a mix of renaissance, gothic, romanesque and rococo. Polish kings and queens used to live here, but today it serves as a museum for everyone who would love to learn more about Polish history.

Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter, is another neighborhood that cannot be missed. It’s hip, bohemian, cool, and full of interesting bars and cafés. Just as with the city centre, the best thing to do here is just walk around and look at the street art, visit art galleries and head over to the Hamsa restaurant, which is Israeli owned and serves some great hummus. After walking around for a few hours, it’s nice to sit and relax in a comfy place.

When night falls, it’s the perfect time to head to one of the many bars that can be found in Krakow. Trying vodka is a must and there’s a ton of flavors to choose from – why not go for hazelnut or cherry flavored vodka? Some of the most unique bars can be found in Kazimierz. Two bars you should check out are “Sababa” and “Once upon a time in Kazimierz”, both really popular amongst locals and travelers.

Krakow is a lovely city that’s best discovered on foot. The restaurant and café scene is big, offering food from every corner of the world and catering to vegans and vegetarians as well. There’s plenty of historical buildings to visit, nightlife is good and Poland is known to be an affordable travel destination. Doesn’t that sound like the ideal weekend trip to you?

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Travelling during Valentine’s day

6 Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day if you are Single (Travel Edition)

Valentine’s Day is usually the time of the year that most singles get hysterical when they do not have dates when February 14 hits.

While those in a relationship already have an automatic date if schedule permits, singles do not necessarily have to be with somebody on Valentine’s.

There are a lot of unique ways a self-loving single can enjoy the day such as unique travel experiences, food trips, and culture immersion.

Fall in love with these eight unique experiences this Valentine’s Day.

1.      The underrated beauty of Java, Indonesia

Bali is always the first thing that people think of when you say Indonesia. Little do they know that the island of Java has the same beauty as well.

Java is also home to a number of volcanic mountains, clear and pristine waters, and temples to visit and enjoy the view in.

It is perfect for soul searchers that wish to take a short break from work or spend the long weekends in paradise.

Finding your own inner peace is highly possible in this part of Indonesia as well since it’s abundance in nature makes it a go-to spot for wellness enthusiasts.

There are as much of it in Java as there is in Bali so it’s up to you to choose which outdoor scenery suits your chi.

2.      Nightlife in Phuket is awesome!

Bangkok has an active nightlife but the fun is actually in the beaches of Phuket, Thailand.

Phuket is actually the go-to if pure nightlife is what you seek. There is also a huge chance you meet new people from different nations as this nightlife spot is very popular for the Westerners as well.

Unlike Bangkok with a number of other things you can do besides partying, Phuket is more suitable for the “drink, dance, party, repeat” culture.

Even athletes who train for Muay Thai fights do not shy away from a night out in Phuket whenever possible

3.      Street food at Hawker Center

Since you might be thinking of a traveling for Valentine’s why not travel to Singapore for shopping and food tripping?

The best place for that is the Hawker Center, where the Singaporean government herded it’s street food vendors.

Chances are that couples who prefer to be practical are there but mostly, it is a singles’ spot on Valentines.

The reason is that their commitment to food and celebrating alone just makes it right for them to be at Hawker Center.

4.      Unique Filipino Ideas

The people of the Philippines have sorts of unique ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day without a date. Filipinos tend to be the most creative when it comes to Feb. 14 ideas.

There are a ton of parties and concerts dedicated to the people who enjoy single blessedness.

The fact that they enjoy the company of fellow singles in their schticks makes it more exciting to travel to the Philippines.

5.      Double or nothing in Macau

Disclaimer: Play for the fun and thrill. Do not play in the hopes of becoming rich.

 

Booking fancy restaurants and buying gifts for a date may cost a lot depending on how you seek to impress.

The good news is that you can actually spend less to travel to Macau and spend the rest taking a chance on doubling your cash on hand.

Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia and for good reason. It’s bright casinos are definitely a more elegant version of the ones you see in Nevada.

It doesn’t guarantee that you are going to come home with extra cash. It’s the thrill of making sure you do that makes spending Valentine’s in Macau exciting.

6.      Feel the heat and go on an African Safari

If you are looking for a unique way to redefine valentines, then go on an African safari instead and rediscover your connection with animals and nature.

You have to admit that you have watched National Geographic more than once in your life as a child.

What better way than to witness how wildlife actually is than to go on a trip there instead? It’s definitely more interesting than binge watching Animal Planet on Valentine’s

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