Sun, Sea and Steak...beautiful Brazil

WOW! We've just returned from the most incredible trip to Brazil and Igazu Falls and it did not disappoint. As expected the main hub of Copacabana is a roaring mix of colorful art, golden beaches, sapphire sea, authentic music and succulent steak. We stayed in Copacabana which was nice but having ventured along the shore, Ipanema is the place to be. Filled with restaurants and bars selling food of all cuisines it has something for everyone. The beach here is so much nicer too and a shorter walk from the main town opposed to the distance in Copacabana. Our week spent in Rio was jam packed with excursions and having seen the incredible wonders of Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain, we wanted to see the real Brazil for the working class. Following the advice of the locals we decided to book the Rochina Favela tour last minute and being a little later in the afternoon we followed the website instructions to inquire via the Watsapp number. Our enquiry was replied to promptly with full details of what our tour would include, duration, collection points and how much it would cost. The tour was 90 Reais per person and completely worth every penny! Our guide was Alberto who spoke perfect English and was friendly and professional from the off set. The collection point offered was only a short walk from the hotel but as it is out of season there were only myself and my husband on the tour and Alberto instead collected us from our hotel. Rather than a private bus collection Alberto asked if we wouldn't mind using the public transport to the nearest pick up point where the local Favela bus would collect us. As it was only myself and my husband we had a one to one guided tour with Alberto at no extra cost and thought this was absolutely fine. Throughout the journey Alberto gave us a real insight into not only the Favela but also the history of Rio too and he had a wealth of fascinating knowledge. The journey there was effortless and we felt truly welcomed. Arriving at the Favela was a real eye opener. It is quite astonishing to see such a contrasting way of life in just a short journey from the streets of tourists. Alberto was conscious of our feelings of safety at all times and asked that we felt comfortable with every decision he offered us. We felt completely safe with Alberto and it was easy to see that he was well connected with the locals as he greeted many of the people that we passed and even stoped to allow us to have conversations with them. We never felt rushed for time and we're reassured on several occasions to take our time, if we had no where to be as there was no rush. The tour actually lasted 3 1/2 hours, one hour longer than originally states had again at no extra costs.Without Alberto we never would have had such an experience and we were truly grateful for his informative guide and also for his truthfulness. If you're thinking of booking this tour be aware that if you're not prepared to understand the truth of how the people of the Favela survive by making a living and feeding their families then, it's not the tour for you. I personally thought it was the most authentic and fascinating experience of real life culture I've ever had. Once our tour was complete Alberto took the time to return us to the hotel as promised rather than just leaving us to make our own we, we appreciated this. I Strongly recommend Alberto's tour. It was brilliant!