Brazil or...

[Alaskabear]

Hi guys!  So I've been planning on a trip to Brazil for quite some time and FINALLY this spring I have a 2 month window!  But after checking out flight prices, I'm having second thoughts.   Its looking like $1300ish for a round trip to Brazil this January with a return in March.  Which is high!  In fact when I was doing some research into flights all over planet earth, Brazil was consistently the most expensive.  I found a one way to Lisbon from the states for $323 for comparison.   We all know that no place is quite like Brazil ( I have yet to visit myself but I trust your opinions)  and in terms of adult fun, I realize few places will compare with Rio and other cities down there.  But a cheap flight to Portugal followed by overland through Spain and a month in Morocco sounds incredible as well. Taken on a whole, is the premium for the flight to Brazil not that bad when factoring in exchange rates, airbnb costs, food costs, escort costs, etc when compared to a month in Spain and Portugal and a month in (cheapish) morocco?  If any of you fellow travelers have any thoughts about this I would love to hear from you.   

cheers!

[tassojunior]

Columbia is very cheap to get to and much shorter flight.

[Tomcal]

I have been multiple times to all the countries you mentioned except Morocco where i was only once!  It really depends on your objectives for the 2 months!  Portugal and Morocco would not be in my top 10 places for sex! But for sight seeing and tourism they are both good for varying reasons!  Spain especially Barcelona is great for general tourism as well as opportunities for sex!  If you have been waiting for a long time to visit Brazil i would do it now!! I do not think personally that the sauna scene will last more then a couple more years!  If you think about it Sao Paulo is over 24 million people and yet only has 2 saunas still operating and both have slow nights...so i would push you to try Brazil!

[Guest bobbalino]

This is a challenging head to head comparison, especially since these are extended trips and you have not specified your Brazilian domestic travel.

In USD equivalency for Toronto-Rio return I spent $550 in May Air Canada, $930 for upcoming November CopaAir, and $770 for upcoming January Air Canada. Currently to book for January has escalated several hundred dollars.

Last Jan-Feb, I spent over $6,000 for a one-month trip Toronto to São Paulo, on to Rio, to Salvador, to Fortaleza, to Lisbon, and then back to Toronto via São Paulo. Just for airfare and accommodations mostly Airbnb interspersed with a few hotel nights.

The flight cost differential for you in terms of eastbound versus southbound sounds significant on a stand-alone basis, but likely represents a small percentage of overall costs, total costs that are hard to assess when factoring in meals and entertainment and whatnot, and that can grow surprisingly a lot over longer trips.

If you prefer self-contained quasi-regulated sauna experiences (as I and some others here do, compared to more seasoned Indiana Jones'n members), Brazil is more expansive in choice and less expensive in cost than Europe. 

BTW, I just returned from Barcelona and hope to soon post commentary on Thermas. That venue is great for what it is and perhaps unsurpassable in Europe, but after starting out in London and Spain years ago for "play dates" and more recently several forays into Brazil, I am drawn more to Brazil and will likely not gravitate back to Barcelona.

[Alaskabear]

Great information guys.   I plan on spending the better part of two months in the country if I do choose Brazil, which I'm leaning towards.   In fact I would like to spend a month just in Rio to get a really nice "lived in" feel.   SP, Salvadore, a day or two in PA and a side trip to Iguazu is sort of on my horizon.   

[TotallyOz]

If you go to Brazil for that long, let me suggest also spending more time up north.  I love Salvadore and there are some amazing beaches around the area that you can get great deals on.  I'd spend at least a week up north in Salvadore and that area.

I'd also spend good amount of time in SP.  I know most of the posters on Boytoy love Rio, but I love the big city feel of Sao Paulo and I also find amazing guys there and amazing restaurants and clubs and bars.

[Guest riosul77]

Given the alternative you have in mind, Spain/Morroco sounding great, tough decision. Here are some thoughts relating to Brazil. Given the length of time, you will really be able to get into a relaxed, slow-paced frame of mind in Rio. You will be able to do as little or as much as you want. You can be much more choosy about the neighborhood you might want to rent an apartment in since you will find apartment rentals will offer significant discounts for rentals for more than a month, 30 to 50% discounts, for really nice places in Copacabana or Ipanema. Post-Olympics, business is slower and availabilty is there. This could significantly off-set the costs to get there. You will get to know cafes for breakfast, beach in the afternoons, a sauna if you are so inclined or just watching the sun go down at the beach.

You will have time to take some portuguese lessons, if you are so inclined. You can check out Ilha Grande, Paraty, wonderful and close get-aways. You will also have time to try out those places you mentioned for weekend trips and still get back to 'your' place for more relaxation.

So, really, it may depend on what mindset you are in or think you will be in come January. Will you want the stimulation of some fairly constant travel in Europe and Africa, exciting for sure - or - do you think you want a slower pace? 

You can certainly find the latter in Rio for your extended trip, which BTW, is the best way to experience Brazil if you have the luxury of time.

Good luck in you decision.

 

 

 

[Alaskabear]

I'm thinking of flying far north to Recife and making my way down the coast.  My goal is to hit Salvadore for carnival!   I'm told it's pretty wild there.   I'd also like to check out as many gay beaches as possible.   I really love the thrill of cruising on the beach.   Are there any great Facebook pages I should join?  Any local gay travel websites I should be looking at?   

[TotallyOz]

I liked Recife.  I also found a ton of gay boys there at the saunas and the beach. Same for Salvador. But, they are not as organized as other cities.  Go on Facebook and start finding some saunas and the boys who like the gay clubs.  They love to be followed and I met some while down there.  I also just asked my hotel where to go and they made some suggestions. 

[Tomcal]

Salvador is where ihe owner of Meo Mundo goes frequently on vacation. The owner of P-II the sauna there is a great guy and that sauna is the one to go to!  Great beaches

[ihpguy]

Fortaleza - Jericoacoara then overland by 4x4 to Cabure / Atins, standup and kite surf, Lencois Marenhenses, then to Barreirinhas and finishing in Sao Luis.

I've been twice.

 

[torogen]

Google Flights will now notify you when a proposed trip drops in price. They also provide a guess as to future prices. I agree that the tickets to Rio are currently quite high, but Google Flights says that prices are likely to come down to around $770 for a round trip ticket that is currently priced at $1200 (one week stay in April). Gooogle.com/flights I have found that site to be fascinating. You can put in your proposed dates and then click on map view and see what it would cost to go to various places around the work on your dates. I am planning a weekend in Cuba in December.

[Guest KevinC]

Brazilian Reals have been steadily going up this year.  I am sure this contribute to the recent increase of airfare.  Same thing with hotel rate, most hotels are at least 10% more now than last year.

[Guest bobbalino]

Yeah, 1USD bought 4 reais in Jan ... now buys R$3

At least it's not the 1.5 of certain points in time 2008 and 2011.

[Guest bobbalino]

Ihpguy describes a fantastic itinerary n/w of Fortaleza ... if you end up in Fortaleza, alaskabear, 2 things.

At the very least get to Canoa Quebrada 100 miles s/e for a small taste of the beach nature in the event the longer itinerary is not possible.

Since you mentioned escort prospects, note that the organized sauna with RB scene in Fortaleza (ie, Dragon Club, California) was underwhelming last February, though I believe the beach cruising scene is preferable for you (I cannot add insights on that count). And Fortaleza as a whole is not a place to spend a lot of time in ... mediocre colonial and arts sights, city beach horizon dotted with a graveyard of abandoned tankers. 

[Alaskabear]

Still more great information!   Thank you!  I've been reading the sticky posts on the Rio saunas to get some detailed info on how the saunas work.   For those of you who have been recently, do they still have sex shows?  I got a kick out of the campy shows in Thailand and I'm curious if they are still being put on in Rio.   

[Guest bobbalino]

Do you mean Suzy Sticky Rice? I get a kick out of hir.

I am 99% certain that stage shows in BRZ saunas with working boys do not contain sexual interaction among the performers.

Remember as well that the GPs in general are not keen to publicly display MSM behavior and, for example, loathed "no towel nights" because it meant exposing backsides. In contrast, they are comfortable showing off tumescence as a mating tool for customers. 

Behind closed doors is a different matter.

[axiom2001]

Since you will be having lots of time, I'd carefully plan and go to Salvador (Bahia), Sao Paulo, Rio, Foz (the falls for no more than two days if you're traveling solo) venture to Paraty to see and experience this colonial town, and if possible, accompanied by an amigo or an acquaintance with whom you have some trust, and perhaps I'd go to Manaus and the Amazon jungle.

Get a Brasil pass through www.brol.com.  I did one year and went all over the place at a well-paced speed and loved this visit.

Enjoy "Mother Brasil" but plan carefully before venturing to my favorite country and its key cities an towns!

 

{If you are not anti guides, engage the services of Fernando in Salvador, (Bahia) and Danilo in Sao Paulo.  There's a gay guide in Rio who was the pits a few years back, but to date he's apparently improved his business and manner, for he has some positive reviews at www.TripAdvisor.com; his name is Marcelo!  Of these three men, Danilo does not help one in procuring dates.  Fernando is discreet, and from my reading, Marcelo would help you in getting prospective sexual partners!}