Field Research - General Observations

My experience of Brazil was limited to a three week holiday in Rio and Iguazu two years ago, so I set off for North East Brazil on 6th April 2007 (Easter). My time was limited to two weeks so the aim of my trip was to get a general 'feel' for the North East as opposed to viewing specific developments or sites. I flew from Manchester to Salvador with Airtours / Mytravel - thank goodness for the extra legroom option at £35 each way. The ordinary economy seats looked really cramped for a 9 hour flight. The cost of the flight (including the leg room) was £615. I didn't pre-pay for a meal but got one anyway. Note that Airtours flights from Manchester actually call at Gatwick which adds a couple of hours to the journey. If you live in the Midlands you might as well just get on at Gatwick. Thomas Cook also do flights and holidays to Salvador as do Kuoni. Thomson fly to Natal between November and April. I managed to do a whistle-stop tour of: * Salvador and the Coconut Route * Natal and the North coast to Maracajau * Fortaleza and it's Southern environs * Brief stop at Canoa Quebrada.

Internal flights are cheap, for example, it cost about £50 return from Salvador to Fortaleza with GOL. This airline require a CPF tax number to book online so you will need to book through a Brazilian travel agent if you don't have one. If you are travelling to Salvador I can recommend Mariana Ferrari at Tours Bahia. She speaks excellent English and was extremely helpful. Myself and my partner rented a car in each location without any difficulty and for fairly reasonable rates of £25 - £40 per day with unlimited kms and insurance. Driving in the cities can be a bit hairy and some of the rural roads are poorly surfaced (even the major roads). I came across a few 'new' roads which had given way:









There are some unusual road hazards such as wandering mules, dogs, chickens, cows and snakes to watch out for. My navigational skills were tested to their limit as signposts are few and far between. I would imagine that it wouldn't cost much to rent a car complete with driver if you prefer a less stressful trip.

Accommodation of all types is plentiful. I stayed at a five star hotel (£85 per night for two with breakfast) to simple pousadas (average £25 per night for 2 with breakfast). I didn't need to book any accommodation in advance. In fact, with the exception of Salvador and the Coconut Route, most of what are being advertised as tourist resorts were actually devoid of tourists during the time I was there.

Tourism in the Salvador area seems more developed than in Natal or Fortaleza. Although there were down-market and up-market areas in all three cities it seemed as though Salvador is pitching more to the luxury market whereas Natal and Fortaleza are aiming for less well-heeled visitors. Perhaps this is because they are at different stages of development?

You can pay five star prices for food, drink and entertainment but generally costs are lower than we are used to in the UK. Note that outside of the cities it can be difficult to change cash and many small pousadas and restaurants do not accept credit cards. My English pin number failed to go through on a few occasions. Keep a good supply of reais with you, but spread them around different people / pockets and bags.

The weather was extremely hot, particularly in Fortaleza which is close to the equator, but there was nearly always a cooling breeze to be felt. Air conditioned buildings are a necessity and not a luxury for quality tourist rentals.

The general consensus is that most of the crime is limited to certain areas of the cities. I was given very explicit instructions regarding which areas were safe and which were not in all three cities. I stayed away from the 'iffy' areas and I didn't have any problems, in fact quite the opposite. I found the locals to be extremely friendly and helpful - even to the point of driving my rental car for eight miles when I was struggling to get out of Natal at rush hour. If visiting I would check out where you can and cannot go in the cities and dress down (most Brazilians dress very casually anyway). I would avoid wearing jewellery altogether.

English is not widely spoken outside of the cities but I managed to recognise some Portuguese words which were similar to Spanish words. I would recommend taking a good phrasebook with you unless you are fluent in Portuguese.