re: GRU

[young]

Hi guys, i need some advice!

I am planning a trip to GRU soon, but i have read/heard from various sources that apart from the central areas in Sao P, safety is a real concern.

My wife and i fly at least twice a month for leisure, mainly to Europe and the US, so we MIGHT have an altered perception when it comes to safety, which is clearly rattling my nerves before i book this flight.

We are two (tiny) asians who love to wander around exploring on our own, and we have never joined a tour group before. Would that be a better (but perhaps more restrictive) option instead?

Any input/suggestions will be gladly appreciated. I thank you in advance.

[SQflyergirl]

Hi guys, i need some advice!

I am planning a trip to GRU soon, but i have read/heard from various sources that apart from the central areas in Sao P, safety is a real concern.

My wife and i fly at least twice a month for leisure, mainly to Europe and the US, so we MIGHT have an altered perception when it comes to safety, which is clearly rattling my nerves before i book this flight.

We are two (tiny) asians who love to wander around exploring on our own, and we have never joined a tour group before. Would that be a better (but perhaps more restrictive) option instead?

Any input/suggestions will be gladly appreciated. I thank you in advance.

Sampa or Cidade Garoa - is beautiful. It is not particularly unsafe if you keep your wits about yourself. It's huge, and some areas especially the favelas can be deadly, but if you stay away from those and stay in areas like Jardim Paulista or around Rua Oscar Frere - they're much nicer and safer.

I however, MUCH MUCH prefer Cidade Maravilhosa - even though it's arguably more deadly. That place, i could almost live in. I'm sure Senor B727 will agree
Leave the hermes and rolex at home. Leave the DSLR at home.

As for being asian - there are a whole heap of Asians in Latin america. You won't feel out of place. How else does a chap named Fujimori end up being El Presidente of Peru?

Can't wait for July - my next Latin American Adventure

[B727]

My wife and i fly at least twice a month for leisure, mainly to Europe and the US, so we MIGHT have an altered perception when it comes to safety, which is clearly rattling my nerves before i book this flight.

We are two (tiny) asians who love to wander around exploring on our own, and we have never joined a tour group before. Would that be a better (but perhaps more restrictive) option instead?

I think anywhere in the world, it pays to exercise some level of caution anywhere you travel whether in North America, South America, Asia, or Europe. On one of my last SQ 67s, an FSS told me she had her purse snatched in BCN of all places

The good thing about about Sao Paulo, you will see local Asians. So unless you are determined to appear very tourist-like, you will prolly not attract too much attention.

Sampa or Cidade Garoa - is beautiful. It is not particularly unsafe if you keep your wits about yourself. It's huge, and some areas especially the favelas can be deadly, but if you stay away from those and stay in areas like Jardim Paulista or around Rua Oscar Frere - they're much nicer and safer.

I however, MUCH MUCH prefer Cidade Maravilhosa - even though it's arguably more deadly. That place, i could almost live in. I'm sure Senor B727 will agree
Leave the hermes and rolex at home. Leave the DSLR at home.

As for being asian - there are a whole heap of Asians in Latin america. You won't feel out of place. How else does a chap named Fujimori end up being El Presidente of Peru?

Can't wait for July - my next Latin American Adventure

I agree with SQfg that the Jardins/Paulista/Oscar Freire is ideal as a base for accomodations and to explore the unique vibe and flavor of Sao Paulo. Even Cariocas would agree

There is a subway/metro system in Sao Paulo, but be very alert and vigilant. My Brasilian girlfriend, a Paulistana (Sao Paulo native), had her iphone pickpocketed from inside a zipped bag with a strap swung across her torso.

Do not attract attention by wearing fancy watches or carrying expensive cameras. Brasilians, when catching public transportation, leave their watches, jewellery, purses out of sight.

Check out the hotel reviews on TripAdvisor before choosing a hotel to see what recent experiences at that location have been like. Other than that, enjoy the electric vibe of South America's largest city and in an area like Jardins (perfectly safe by day), enjoy the sights of unique products in the shops, taste the tantalizing flavors of Brasil in the cafes and restaurants, and feel the vibrant energy of the Brasilian melting pot that makes this a truly unique place, not just in Latin America, but in the world

SQfg have a very special trip with your beloveds in July. So wished we could meet up again in our Brasil brasileiro like we did early last year, but I know you will have a most enjoyable trip for a most momentous occasion

[SQflyergirl]

, but I know you will have a most enjoyable trip for a most momentous occasion

That day will actually be spent on a Hiram Bingham Perurail-Orient Express train from Poroy to Aguas Caliente. Brasil would have been a few days prior

[B727]

That day will actually be spent on a Hiram Bingham Perurail-Orient Express train from Poroy to Aguas Caliente. Brasil would have been a few days prior

Perfecto! How awesome to be celebrating in the environs of a very special world heritage place

I shall be toasting y'all from Miami on that very day

[young]

thanks for the heads up guys.

[B727]

More airlines inaugurating flights to GRU

From the gru.com website, more airlines currently in the process of applying to land at GRU including LO, OZ, W3, and AG

CU has returned to GRU with a weekly flight from HAV effective July 10 and AT returns to Brasil (having previously served GIG a couple of decades ago) this coming December

web article from gru.com (in Portuguese): http://www.gru.com.br/pt-br/Noticias...s-estrangeiras