dylansbob said:
In Rio Copacabana is not as nice as Ipanema.
This is not really a fair comparison. Ipanema is an upscale residential neighbourhood. It is prettier and there are more good restaurants and small bars but it is not nearly as a good spot for hotels or picking up an SP. Go to Copacabana for that.
dylansbob said:
Make sure you go to sample the best Brazilian barbecue at Por Quao or Marios....both are fixtures in Rio. Also make sure you try the famous brazilian salad bar....famous for its freash hearts of palm and those awesome hard boiled Quails eggs- yum!
That's spelled Porcõa, a famous chain of restaurants in Rio. The one in Flamengo is the best and Ipanema is okay. By the way if you ask a Carioca for a a Brazillian BBQ restaurant they may not fully understand you. You may get sent to any restaurant with a grill. You need to ask for a Churasscaria Rodizio. They are well worth the trip.
dylansbob said:
The women you've heard about are EVERYWHERE and almost every wonderful thing you've heard about them is pretty well dead on....you'll meet them on either beach...Ipanema or Copacabana.....or in almost any bar or nightclucb on Atlantica BLVD.....the main drag there
Avenida Atlântica is only in Copacabana and it is the place to go. There are a lot of "strip clubs" on, and near, Avenida Princessa Isabela but the drinks are expensive, the girls are expensive, you'll have to pay a bar fine to get them out and any cab called by the doorman will rip you off.
Go to Help Disco (pronounced Helpee Disco). This is the largest disco in South America. There is a cafe in front of it called Terraço Atlantico with 200 tables in it. Every night both the cafe and disco will be filled with SP's. Anywhere from 300 to 600 girls. I was there just 2 weeks ago. You have to see it to believe it.
http://80.78.233.178/index.htm
During the day you can go to a nearby cafe called Meia Pataca or just go on the beach directly opposite it.
I would avoid the other cafes. Some near Avenida Princessa Isabela just have fewer and less attractive women. Others have under age girls. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT IN BRAZIL. Apart from this being a disgusting practice Brazillian prisons are not nice and they will throw the book at you.
When in Rio you must try the bath houses called Termas. These are part strip club, part bath house and part brothel. Very reasonable prices and very, very pretty women.
As for Rio being unsafe. I think that this is greatly exagerated as long as you stay on the south side of the city (Zona Sul). There is a petty crime problem so don't take jewelry, leave your wallet in the hotel and just take enough money for the day or night's excursion. I've been there many times and have never been robbed. Also take cabs at night no matter how short the distance. Walk to the corner to get a cab. Don't take the ones lined up in front of the club or restaurant.