10 Travel Safety Tips For Rio

With breathtaking beaches, friendly cariocas, and year-round sunshine, Rio was truly an amazing place to hold the Summer Games. Like any metropolis, it has its challenges.  How can you stay safe? 

Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette expert, author and founder of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide, who is also a frequent international traveler herself, says travelers may apply some common sense tips to enjoy travel to Rio.

1.      Meaning of Color: Considering the current political crises, certain colors have explicit meaning; red is associated with Rousseff’s party. Yellow and green (Brazilian flag) are the oppositioncolors. Avoid these colors.

2.      Get around safely: Travel by bus is popular in Rio. The bus doesn’t stop automatically; hail with your hand or pull the cable above the window to notify the driver. If you don’t speak Portuguese, it’s best to plot your route in advance so you know exactly when to get off. When taking a taxi, use a map to be aware & don’t just assume you’re being taken to the right spot. Use EasyTaxi, an Uber-like app, for increased safety.

3.      Health Precautions: Ask for bottled water at restaurants, decline ice in drinks, and stock up on large water bottles your hotel room. With the current Zika epidemic, protect yourself by wearing bug spray. Mosquitos are a fact of life in Brazil; they’ll be at the hotel, restaurant, and the Games.

4.      Currency: Brazil uses the Real, currently exchanged at $0.25, don’t carry more than needed. Have multiple modes of cash access (debit, credit cards) in case of loss or theft. Avoid random ATMs. Only withdraw from a guarded bank or hotel ATM during daylight hours.

5.      Don’t be flashy: Leave the nice jewelry, watches, cameras and electronics at home; if you must carry them – conceal them in your bag held close to your body. Why make yourself a target for a crime of opportunity?

6.      VISA/Passport: Brazil has extended a visa waiver for up to 90 days from June 1 - September 18 to promote visitors from select countries. Check the website for qualifications.Lock your passport in the hotel safe, and carry a copy at all times with a driver’s license, military or student ID card.

7.      Be aware of surroundings. Walk in populated areas, especially at night, and notice who is around you at all times. Walk confidently (don’t look lost, even if you are!) and use the buddy system, ideally with a local. Avoid areas with few people. If a group approaches, cross the street or go in to a store. Be aware of pickpockets; keep valuables in a concealed waistband, shoe, or closely guarded bag.

8.      Drugs & Alcohol: Don’t do drugs.  While a local might get away with smoking pot, and even offer it to you, police are stricter with non-locals. Stings are common. Just like at home, when alone, decline drink offers from strangers and don’t leave your drink unattended. These are common set-ups for theft. Avoid being over-served, especially at night or alone, which can leave you vulnerable to crime.

9.      A samba culture, not salsa: You aren’t likely to be harassed; but Brazilians samba, not salsa or merengue.

10.    Favelas: Rio is infamous for its favelas, a complex subject not to be feared or avoided outright. On the one hand, it’s true that favelas can be dangerous for travelers to wander through; on the other hand, favelas are home to people from where much of Brazil’s beloved culture – samba, capoeira, funk – are and were created. For as much crime, violence and drugs you will also find community activists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Understanding the favelas before you go will help you comprehend their complexity as you jump around Rio during the Games.

http://www.protocolww.com/

T-Mobile Users Get Free High-Speed Data At The Rio Olympics

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T-Mobile just made it way easier for its users to navigate Rio and the Olympics.

Bonus: the offer also applies to family members of Olympic athletes.

Heading to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this August and worried about rationing your international data plan to cover Snapchat and Instagram? If you're a T-Mobile customer, you're GTG. From August 1, U.S. customers will have free unlimited access to the carrier's high-speed 4G LTE network in Brazil.

Brazilian tourism isn't the first destination to benefit from T-Mobile's travel-friendly plan. The carrier already offers high-speed roaming benefits to its American customers going to more than 40 countries, mostly throughout Europe, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, Russia, and Turkey.

For Olympic athletes' families, T-Mobile will sweeten the deal with free high-speed service as well as free Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge handsets and Samsung Gear 360 cameras from August through October.

“If a member of your family qualifies for the biggest global sporting event on the planet, your damn phone bill is the last thing you want to worry about,” John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile, said in a statement. “We’re going to make it simple for our customers—and families of the U.S. team—to enjoy the Games, stay connected and share every historic moment with those they care about.”

To qualify for free international high-speed data roaming, T-Mobile customers will need to make sure they're on the carrier's Simple Choice Plan. Families of Olympic athletes competing in the games can email RoamFreeInRio@t-mobile.com to inquire about qualifying for this year's perks—make sure to include your name, the name of the athlete you're related to, and the dates you'll be in Rio de Janeiro in the body of the email.

As preparations ramp up for the Opening Ceremonies, there are still plenty of tickets to premium events to be had. It's not too late to plan a last-minute trip to Rio this summer! Here's our guide to what to see and do in town, how to avoid mosquito bites and protect yourself from Zika, and everything you need to know about getting to and from the summer games. Looking for some celeb inspiration? Here's Ryan Seacrest's Olympic travel plan download.

Written by Poppy Garland

 www.cntraveler.com

Guide To Visiting Rio For The Olympics, From Safety To Samba #Rio2016,

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In this April 26, 2016 photo, the sun rises behind Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.... Read more

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — With the Olympics just a few weeks away, Brazil faces a litany of problems: an economy in freefall, the Zika virus and a political crisis with an impeached president. But for those brave — or foolhardy — enough to make the trip, Rio de Janeiro is a city rich with potential rewards. Broadcasters have already deemed the city's backdrop for the Summer Games the most telegenic ever. But no matter how good this teeming seaside metropolis — where the urban jungle and the literal jungle meet — looks on TV, footage simply can't compare with the experience of actually being here.

Here's a Q&A on tips for visiting Rio, from staying safe to samba parties:

A: With an estimated 85,000 police and soldiers patrolling the streets during the games — twice the security contingent in London in 2012 — Olympic and local officials have insisted Rio will be "the safest city on earth" during the Aug. 5-21 games. Still, violent crime is a fact of life in this city, starkly divided between haves and have nots, so it's best to keep a low profile.

For Cariocas, as Rio's 6 million residents are called, low-key dressing is de rigueur for both safety and practicality. Havaianas, the Brazilian flip-flop brand, are Rio's uncontested footwear of choice. And the city's golden-sand beaches make board shorts and T-shirts, or hot pants and tank tops, a uniform for rich and poor alike. (While Rio's Southern Hemisphere winters tend to be mild, thermometers can dip in August into what Cariocas consider the bone-chilling depths of the mid-60s, so pack a sweater or light jacket.)

Watches and jewelry not clearly made from plastic are best avoided, as is using cellphones in public or conspicuously carrying camera equipment. Electronics are extremely expensive in Brazil, and a smartphone can cost several months' worth of salary for locals, so it's best to keep them under wraps.

If you do get mugged, don't react or fight. Hand over your possessions calmly and without hesitation. It's only money and/or stuff. And no matter how much of a pain the ensuing nightmare of card cancellations proves, it's not worth getting injured.

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Q: Do people speak English?

A: In a word, no. Outside Olympic venues and high-end hotels and restaurants, most Cariocas only speak Portuguese, though they might know a few words of English or Spanish. On the other hand, most people are eager to help foreigners and will resort even to pantomime to get their point across.

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Q: What's for dinner?

A: If you go to one of the myriad "churrascaria" (shoe-hass-car-EE-ya) all-you-can-eat Brazilian barbeque joints, the answer is meat, meat and more meat. Roving waters brandishing spits stacked with cuts of prime beef, lamb chops, pork sausages and even wizened black chicken hearts will insist on refilling your plate till you verge on bursting.

For vegetarians or those recovering from a meat overdose, options are limited. Best bets include corner juice bars offering a cornucopia of freshly squeezed tropical fruit juices, as well as acai (ah-sa-EE) — a deep purple Amazonian palm berry that's frozen, blended and served slushy.

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Q: Is there public transportation?

A: The city's metro line is being extended to serve the beachfront Leblon neighborhood and reach the far-western Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, where Olympic Park is located. But the project is behind schedule and may not be finished in time for the games. Buses are confusing, packed, dangerous and generally best avoided. Cabs are plentiful and decently reliable — just make sure your cabby turns headlights on after dark. (Many won't.)

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Q: Besides sports, what is there to do in Rio during the games?

A: Plenty. And the good news is, the best things in Rio are free.

Rio was hard hit by the recession, with the economy shrinking last year by 4 percent, sending unemployment and inflation soaring. The nosedive of the local currency, the real, has made Rio much cheaper for visitors spending dollars or euros. But the cost of hotels and restaurants can still be shocking. Savvy travelers can staunch the bloodletting by taking advantage of the city's many free attractions:

—Sugarloaf Mountain: The sheer granite outcropping that presides over the waters of the Guanabara Bay will no doubt prove a breathtaking backdrop for the Olympic sailing races. But rather than just ogling the iconic rock, why not hike it? A guide is necessary to scale the Sugarloaf itself, but its stumpier twin, the Morro da Urca, is doable without help. A mud path winds through tropical vegetation to a summit with peerless views over the city's dense patchwork of towers, hillside "favela" slums and mist-enshrouded rainforest.

—Sunset at Arpoador: Take in the sun's spectacular nightly performance as it sinks into the Atlantic from atop the Arpoador rock formation in between Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. The crowd there raucously applauds the glittering show, night after night.

—Pedra do Sal: Experience a "roda de samba," or live samba music, at the birthplace of Brazil's most famous musical genre. Monday nights bring hordes of aficionados to this former slave market in the Gamboa region of historic downtown for an open-air dance party.

—Centro: Rio's beaches tend to steal the thunder, but the Centro downtown region, where the city got its start 451 years ago, is a treasure trove of colonial-era churches and historic monuments. Perhaps the most stunning among them is the Mosteiro Sao Bento, a Baroque church and working monastery where monks perform Gregorian chants during Sunday Mass. Get there early to snag a seat. Also in Centro is the Portuguese Royal Reading Room, a 19th century gem of soaring jacaranda hardwood bookshelves and stained glass windows, tucked into the newly rehabilitated Praca Tirdentes.

By JENNY BARCHFIELD

Avoid Online Scams At Rio Olympics: Dangers of Free Wi-Fi

NordVPN explains security protocols and VPN service benefits to travelers using public Wi-Fi networks

Rio Olympics, taking place from August 5 to 21, will draw more than 10,000 athletes from around the world and hundreds of thousands of fans and spectators.

While Rio is preparing, it is important that everyone who travels to see the Olympics prepares to stay safe.  One of the most important things for travelers who go to crowded public events is not only protecting their wallets and other belongings from pickpockets, but also protecting their online privacy, especially when using public Wi-Fi - whether at a stadium, on the street, at a hotel, a restaurant or the airport.

Free wireless networks, enjoyed by almost every Olympics participant or spectator, provide us with easy access to the Internet service, but are not able to offer security in most cases, since public Wi-Fi can be hacked-into very easily. 

For example, hackers are now using sophisticated technology, such as sniffers - a software designed to intercept and decode data when it is transmitted over a network. Wireless sniffers are specifically created for capturing data on wireless networks. A full stadium of people who are using free Wi-Fi is a goldmine of stolen identities for a hacker.

The most common threat, however, is a hacker positioning himself as a hotspot. When that happens, a Wi-Fi user will be sending their information to a hacker, and that could include credit card information, all emails, and any other sensitive information they might be transmitting. This is extremely easy for a hacker to do, as Wi-Fi spots rarely require authentication to establish a connection.

The best and most effective way for any traveler to protect their data is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN service encrypts all the traffic flow between the Internet and a device thus hiding user¹s IP address.

How to choose a VPN?

Choose a VPN that is easy to use. For example, NordVPN has recently launched its first Mac and Android apps geared towards everyday Internet user, who cares about privacy and security online. How does it work? Log in (the first time only) and press the ON button. The app will then choose the fastest server to connect to, in a country of your choice.That¹s all it takes to hide your IP address and to start safe browsing.

Also, beware of free VPN service providers. Free VPN providers do not necessarily provide highest quality security measures. A VPN service needs to pay for the server maintenance, staffing and operational costs and in itself cannot be free. ŒFree VPNs¹ typically rely on third party advertisers to cover the costs. Often they are free proxy services, marketed as a VPN service, when in fact proxies are not encrypted (they just change your IP address, but do not hide/encrypt it).

Besides protecting your safety and security when you are traveling, a VPN can also help you access geo-blocked sites. For example, social media sites such as Whatsapp occasionally get blocked in Brazil. Using a VPN would allow you to bypass these blocks by setting your connection to another country and appearing to be in the U.S., for example. In addition, you can stream as if you were in USA or UK: with a VPN, you can access most streaming services just as if you were in the U.S. - and that includes Netflix, Spotify, Pandora, Hulu, YouTube with local restrictions and so on.

VPNs are quickly gaining popularity in the world of tightening online security, and soon using a VPN will be as common as going online. Besides using a VPN, travelers should use antivirus and anti-spyware and automatically update their software.

To find out more, visit www.nordvpn.com

ABOUT NORDVPN

NordVPN is the world¹s most advanced VPN service provider that is more security oriented than most VPN services. It offers double VPN encryption, anti DDoS & Tor Over VPN services. It has just launched a new NordVPN Mac, Android and iOS Apps that provide a unique algorithm, allowing to automatically connect to the fastest server. The product is very user friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 550 servers worldwide and is P2P friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is zero log policy. www.nordvpn.com

Olympic Games Make Brazil More Affordable For Travelers: Wildland Adventures Shares Three Reasons To Plan A Brazil Adventure Now

Brazil has recently emerged on the world adventure travel radar as travelers have discovered all that it has to offer: a wide range of unique cultural experiences, captivating adventures and a paradise for wildlife seekers. And with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games quickly approaching, Wildland Adventures (http://www.wildland.com/) offers three ways active travelers can capitalize on the opportunities created by the international sporting event. 1. It just adds up: Brazil has temporarily lifted the mandatory $250 visa for US citizens this summer (through Sept.18), and, on top of that, the US Dollar is the strongest it’s ever been to the Brazilian Real. Add that to that the fact that roundtrip flights from the US to many of the most sought-after adventure destinations in Brazil are as low as $450 in July and August (including the Amazon and Pantanal), travelers can expect significant savings. Many of the popular adventure resorts still have availability for July and August. 2. Can you taste it? There is an emerging mouth-watering culinary scene in Brazil thanks to its being one of the word’s cultural melting pots. From churrascaria to feijoada, Brazil’s distinct tastes and flavors entice and satisfy even the most discerning gourmands. Brazil's history and culinary stage are inarguably intertwined. Sugar and coffee are vitally important crops while also being labor intensive, which fueled the African slave trade to Brazil and in turn, African culinary traditions as well. Brazil’s national dish, feijoada, is thought to be an African take on a traditional Portuguese dish. Another beloved Brazilian dish, acaraje, originally from Nigeria, has become a staple of Bahian street food and the use of dende (African palm oil) is one of the principal ingredients inmoqueca, an otherworldly classic Bahian stew. After the abolition of slavery, immigrants from Italy and Japan joined the Brazilian labor market and added their own influences to the melting pot of the Brazilian culinary scene. Pizza in Brazil can easily rival that of Naples and New York and is practically its own food group.  Unique ingredient additions find their way into the pizza ovens of Brazil's urban centers that include everything from soft catupiry or local minas cheese, cinnamon, bananas and even guava. 3. Where to go: With the huge crowds expected in Rio this summer, now is the perfect time to venture off the beaten path and explore the wilds of Brazil. Brazil offers many rare opportunities such as scouting for jaguars in the expansive wetlands of Brazil's Pantanal or swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon.  Active visitors can snorkel in crystal clear rivers and explore ancient caves in Bonito, or trek through mysterious valleys, past table top mountains and waterfalls in Salvador’s Chapada Diamantia. One can cruise on a private schooner past pirate coves on the Costa Verde in Paraty or gaze dumbstruck at Brazil’sIguassu Falls. Wildland Adventures has even pioneered a new activity where travelers are able to swim at the “Meeting of the Waters”, a natural phenomenon where the Negro River (originating in Colombia) meets the Solimões River (originating in Peru) to form the Amazon River. Wildland Adventures has recently expanded their trips to Brazil by venturing to new areas offering several unique explorations of 9 to 14 days. - Ultimate Jaguar and Wildlife Adventure is 14 days and explores Brazil's two largest and most famous regions of biodiversity: the Pantanal and the Amazon. - The 12-day Best of Brazil: Amazon, Rio de Janeiro, and Iguassu Falls itinerary explores the tropical rainforest of the Amazon and Iguassu Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls. - On the 13-day Brazil Family Adventure kids and parents kayak, snorkel, spot jaguars, hike, play in the surf and learn to cook while exploring Bonito, the Pantanal, Paraty and Rio de Janeiro. - Guests trek through the mysterious valleys, past tabletop mountains and waterfalls in Chapada Diamantia National Park on Wildland’s 14-day Brazil Trekking Adventure. - Into the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil (Costa Verde) focuses on the biodiversity of the Atlantic Rainforest. In the 9-day itinerary, guests will kayak along secluded beaches, search for wildlife and hidden waterfalls in mangrove forests and explore the colonial city of Paraty. Brazil and Zika: Is it safe to travel to affected regions? Until more is known, and out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends special precautions only for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant: Pregnant women in any trimester or women trying to become pregnant should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women who do travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first. Wildland Adventures urges all passengers to travel sensibly, and to take preventive measures against mosquito bites. Any passenger who is pregnant or think they may become pregnant during or prior to their trip should contact their doctor and potentially reconsider their trip in accordance with CDC/WHO advice. Kurt Kutay, Founding CEO/President, and Anne Kutay, Vice-President, established Wildland Adventures in 1986. As active managing directors they are continuously refining and evolving their Wild Style of travel. The ‘Wild Style’ is based on an ethic of sincerity, compassion and understanding that breaks down barriers of separation to build lasting intercultural, interpersonal, and environmental bonds designed to enhance rather than exploit the people and places where they travel. Rated byNational Geographic Adventure as the #1 Best ‘Do-it-all’ Outfitter on Earth and Fodor’s as one of the World’s Best Tour Specialists, Wildland Adventures offers more than 150 unique itineraries on seven continents in 45 countries.By fostering genuine connections to create personalized experiences their travelers, Wildland fosters a growing and vibrant community of enlightened and compassionate travelers. # # # Follow Wildland Adventures Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/wildlandadventures Twitter:          https://twitter.com/WildTravel YouTube:       https://www.youtube.com/wildtravel Google Plus:  https://plus.google.com/+wildlandadventures