Iberostar Bahia - Salvador, Brazil 

We do hope that the following review is of use as we heavily rely on Trip Advisor to learn the real truth about possible holidays! My wife and I have recently been to Brazil with First Choice – 14th to the 28th June 2008. We paid a bit extra to fly premium class which for a long flight is well worth it, especially if you’ve got long legs like me! The food was much better and unlimited drinks. We chose to do the 5 day trip to Rio and Iguassu followed by 9 nights at the Iberostar in Praia Do Forte in Bahia. Generally all very well organised. We flew into Salvador arriving at our hotel very late and ate at the hotel as was really the only option. Remember, for this 5 day trip, the only food provided is breakfast, the rest you find and pay for yourself. We knew before hand that this was the plan but still to this day we don’t understand why you don’t fly straight to Rio which would save hours of wasted time, travel and lack of sleep. Also, for this 5 day trip you obviously have all your luggage with you throughout so if possible, try and be organised enough to live out of one case to make life easier. Anyway, we left the hotel at 6 am the following morning and flew onto Rio arriving at our hotel in the afternoon. Our hotel was on Copacabana beach. The hotel was ok and well located. The rest of the day was our own and we explored the beach front. We were well researched regarding the crime problem in Rio (like any other big city in the world) and all I would say is reduce every risk of being targeted, stay alert and don’t stray into obviously dodgy areas and I’m sure you’ll be fine. We never had a single problem and clear for all to see, we carried next to nothing of any value. Every hotel has secure safes in the rooms which we always used. I used a money belt under my shorts for my camera and the odd monetary note, everything else including jewellery we left in the safe. Rio was a great experience. We like to venture and do our own thing rather than go on every expensive trip/meal offered that every other tourist goes on so we found our own eating holes during our stay. Nice little Italian just round the corner from the hotel plus a real South American diner! The following day we did the included trip to Christ the Redeemer – the Redeemer and views are absolutely fabulous! Thankfully we got there just before the fog and rain descended. If you want to do Sugar Loaf Mountain, I would suggest do it off your own back, considerably cheaper. First thing the following day we flew onto Iguassu arriving mid afternoon – take lunch with you as nothing is provided or thought about otherwise. It was a sunny day, the falls had more water than normal and there was a magnificent rainbow over them. Words cannot express the awesome wonder and size of the falls so we’ll leave it for you to behold! Seriously don’t forget your waterproofs! We also saw vultures, coatis and parrots. Iguassu is obviously at the bottom of Brazil and June is the start of the winter season so it is cool, it was actually down to 0 degrees at night so don’t get caught out like lots of people who did not bring trousers, a jumper and I would also suggest a coat. The hotel was lovely; we would also recommend the room service if you’re feeling lazy and tired after all the travelling – very reasonably priced, quick and lovely. We didn’t succumb to the pressure of the rep to spend twice as much and go out on an organised meal that night which most people weren’t that impressed with. It appears that the crime situation in Iguassu is similar to Rio but again we had no problems. Disappointingly and where we did feel mislead, the only trip really available the next day was to Argentina to see the falls from the other side. We personally felt that this was very expensive (230 Real each, lunch again not included, with the rep no doubt on commission although very pleasant with it) and very similar to what we had already done. Some people preferred the views, some were indifferent and some preferred the Brazil side. To be honest, the falls were so powerful because of the exceptional volume of water that I can’t believe you would have seen anything within Devil’s throat. Personal choice but we instead got a taxi (70 Real round trip) to go the Parque das Aves located by the entrance to the falls. 22 Real to get in and a highlight of our holiday. You walk amongst every tropical bird you can imagine in a huge and peaceful section of rain forest and can get really close to such birds a toucans, parrots and humming birds, truly amazing and something else we really wanted to do when planning the holiday. Suggest about 4 hours to leisurely do it. We did go to the organised meal/show in the evening which was good fun, plenty of colour, music and dancing. The next morning was a real waste of time. You can go on the trip over to Paraguay but everyone who went said it was a waste of time and money and it meant that you don’t fly again until 4pm (via San Paulo) therefore you don’t get to the Iberostar until about midnight! When you do fly out of Iguassu, if you’re lucky you’ll sit on the right hand side of the plane as you fly over the falls which will save you 150 Real (each) for the 10 minute helicopter ride over them! Anyhow, the Iberostar. A wonderful hotel, palatial in fact! A lovely hotel; clean, fresh with a huge and wonderfully comfortable and relaxing lounge/bar area (couches to die for!). Great choice of drinks, delightful smoking room, good food – always something on offer 24/7. The rooms are lovely. We were lucky to be tucked away on the golf course side. Air con, BIG bath (!!) and fridge that is topped up every other day. Our balcony overlooked trees which were home to parakeets, really sweet. Generally good weather. Very hot when sunny but because of the time of year, it could start raining any time, something to bear in mind if you want sun all the time. Still got a tan though. You can get beach/pool towels every day with cards you’re given on arrival. The beach is lovely but as we had found out before going, the sea is very rough and not suitable for swimming and certainly not snorkelling. However, you can do this at Praia Do Forte itself which you can either walk to (about an hour along the beach but be mindful of the incoming tide) or get a 10 minute taxi ride. Would recommend at least one visit here if only to see the Tamar Project – protection and breeding programme for turtles. A great experience to see the turtles and other sea creatures like sting rays and even sharks! There are plenty of activities going on at the hotel if you like that sort of thing. We went on the golf range a couple of times which was fun, even ventured round the course in a buggy, that was real fun! It costs about 150 Real for a day’s golf but that includes everything and it is a beautiful course with the last 3 holes running alongside the Ocean. The hotel’s evening shows were fun, some better than others but very colourful and clearly a lot of effort involved – some people were overly critical as it is hardly the West End and it was much better than what we’re used to abroad! Overall a great holiday with some great experiences and photos to remember it by. Hopefully our views regarding being thoughtful about all the expensive extras offered to you on the 5 day trip will also prove helpful. Enjoy!

I passed my honeymoon in Iberostar Bahia, in October 2007. The hotel is huge, really very large. Has many European clients, and I and my wife felt foreigners in our own country. Food is great, apartments are great, the hotel has many swimming pools and places to rest. Three notes: a) the library doesn?t one single book or magazine in Portuguese; b) all prices for fun are in euros and far more expensive than if you contracted them outside the hotel; c) no nightlife. The hotel is 15 kilometers away from Costa do Sau?pe, a great tourist complex in Bahia.