Brazil Travel Guide

Vaccinations

There are no required vaccinations for the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro areas of Brazil. You may want to consider immunization against typhoid, hepatitis-A, polio, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) and malaria. A yellow fever vaccination and malaria tablets are recommended for travelers visiting jungles.

There is currently a yellow fever epidemic in Brazil and the Brazilian government requests yellow fever vaccination for guests traveling to the country. The affected areas are Río de Janeiro, San Pablo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Pará, Tocantins y Distrito Federal (Brasília). The vaccination needs to be administered 10 days before entering the country. Please note that it is not mandatory but highly recommended. 

Your country’s government may have its own vaccination regulations and recommendations. Be sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date: influenza, chickenpox (or varicella), polio, measles/mumps/ rubella (MMR) and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT).

The Zika virus and dengue fever are spread by mosquito bites from the Aedes mosquito found in tropical and sub-tropical areas such as Brazil. It’s reported that four out of five people infected show no symptoms at all. There’s no vaccination for Zika.

Dengue fever causes discomfort, fever and fatigue for several days. Currently a dengue fever vaccination is only available in Brazil. The best protection is preventing bites by using mosquito repellent (preferably with DEET), wearing long-sleeve shirts, long pants and a hat while in affected areas. Consult your doctor before traveling.

Language

Portuguese is spoken throughout Brazil.

On your Enchanting Travels trip, we will provide English-speaking guides for your activities, however, please note that English is not widely spoken in areas outside of tourist establishments. Drivers will only speak Portuguese in Brazil, unless otherwise specified. While locals don’t usually speak English, most are warm and welcoming people who will try out some rudimentary English phrases and make an effort to communicate with you as best as possible.

Currency, cash and cards

The Brazilian Real R$ is the official currency in the country.

Visa is the most widely accepted credit card in South America, followed by MasterCard. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, major shops and restaurants. Please note that in Brazil, ATMs are not open 24/7.

While tipping is not mandatory, it is common practice to tip 10%in establishments such as restaurants.

The Enchanting Travels team is happy to help you plan private and customized luxury Brazil tours.