Travelling With Kids in Brazil

Travelling to Brazil with children can be a very stressful thing to do but with enough preparation you can easily ensure a pleasant and comfortable trip to all of the implicated parts. As you all know, Brazil is known to be a very exotic location and due to this reason, just like any other exotic location, make sure that you visit the Center for Disease Control’s website which is: cdc.gov. It is imperative to check which shots are necessary to take and also check if there are any medical warnings you should be aware of. We recommend that you double check so that you won’t have any unpleasant surprises and also we advise you not to go to Brazil with a sick child as the symptoms may get even worse with the stress of the travel.

Moving on to more pleasant topics, there are a lot of interesting and fun activities to keep children busy in Brazil as many locals take their children almost everywhere and you will feel comfortable doing the exact same things. For a family trip we recommend the Amazon Rainforest as this is a must-see for your family. The range of family-friendly lodges and tours will ensure children have a safe and educational experience. Sao Paulo can keep your children occupied with theme parks, a very interesting science museum, a lovely zoo and a unique snake study centre – Butanta. Sao Paulo also offers a wide range of sporting arenas, shows and lovely parks. Siqueira Campos Park offers a good break from the noise of the city with its several small play areas featuring swings, teeter-totters and slides.

We couldn’t have made a family travel guide without including the fabulous Rio de Janeiro. The city’s main family attraction is the beach. Speaking of beaches, Leblon offers a free play area with toys for children. Jardim Zoológico is the city zoo, and always popular with the little ones. For an interesting educational experience, try Museu do Indio in Botafogo where your children can play with stamps and body paints to create native designs. There are models of native Indian houses that can be played in as well. Parque do Catete offers a “toy library” where you can hire toys by the hour. If you get too hot, take the kids to the Wet 'N Wild Rio, which is a massive water park that opens in September and closes in May.

As far as finances are concerned there are a couple of things a family should know: The currency in Brazil is called the Real, in plural is Reais. All banks and "cambios exchange" recognized travelers’ checks and foreign currency. There is an extensive network of ATMs all around the country. The US Dollar is the most popular foreign currency. Almost all major international cards are accepted in Brazil. Check with your credit/debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.