Brazil Local Customs

  Detail View of Showerhead, including...
by glabah
 
  • Detail View of Showerhead, including electric tape
      Detail View of Showerhead, including...
    by glabah
  •   Fitas
    by Kellyba1989
  • Moqueca Capixaba - Whiting and Shrimps
      Moqueca Capixaba - Whiting and Shrimps
    by ThiagoRamos
  • Moqueca Capixaba - Cação
      Moqueca Capixaba - Cação
    by ThiagoRamos
  • The little duck is in the middle.
      The little duck is in the middle.
    by MarioPortugal
 

Most Viewed Local Customs in Brazil

126.

Beach   Rio de Janeiro

Beach, Rio de Janeiro

 33 Reviews  When you are in Rio you quickly realize that we all love the beach, no matter if the weather is fine or not, but we always find any reason to be close by the sea. Even when the sea is flat you will... 

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127.

Portuguese needed... or not?   São Paulo

Portuguese needed... or not?, São Paulo

 6 Reviews  it's difficult to travel here without knowing some rudimentary Portuguese (even Spanish helps a lot! for some reason most Brasilian/Portuguese people can understand Spanish, but not the other way... 

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128.

Bahian dress   Salvador da Bahia

Bahian dress, Salvador da Bahia

 4 Reviews   When you enter Pelourinho in Salvador you’ll be met by baiana women wearing traditional Bahian dresses. The outfit of a baiana woman is turban, starched skirts of colourful pattern, shawl over the... 

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129.

Thumbs Up! Speak Portuguese   Manaus

Thumbs Up! Speak Portuguese, Manaus

 4 Reviews  Brazil is not a bilingual country and, in Manaus, as well as the rest of Brazil, most people are not fluent in English or any foreign language. In shops and turistic points you' ll probably find... 

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130.

Cachaça and Caipirinha   Rio de Janeiro

Cachaça and Caipirinha, Rio de Janeiro

 4 Reviews  Cachaca is a spirit native to Brazil and is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice. Considered a member of the rum family, it is lighter than other rums which are molasses based. Cachaca has a light,... 

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131.

Good food !   São Paulo

Good food !, São Paulo

 3 Reviews  The city's Italian community is large and vibrant, and much of their culture has found its way into the daily lives of every paulista (i.e. someone from São Paulo). However, the Italian influence is... 

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132.

Bahian Food   Salvador da Bahia

Bahian Food, Salvador da Bahia

 7 Reviews  Bahian cuisine has the influence of Portuguese, African and Indian cultures with a predominance of local exotic ingredients. Is characterized by the generous use of malagueta chili peppers and dende... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

133.

local people   Manaus

local people, Manaus

 4 Reviews  from the Manaus Region, have become very much aware of their Heritage and try to preserve their way of life and culture. much of their land has been confiscated, burned and left the tribes on a knifes... 

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134.

Fitas   Salvador da Bahia

Fitas, Salvador da Bahia

 5 Reviews  I went to Salvador in 2007 and had my wrist covered in these beautiful Bahia Wish Bracelets. Long story short, I long ago forgot about them and the story behind them until I recently came across them... 

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135.

fishing   Manaus

fishing, Manaus

 1 Review  fishermen at the port of Belem...the main income source for many in the 70s, has been still is I suppose, a spectaculare pasttime for tourist, when the Fishermen brought their catch home in the late... 

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136.

Berimbau   Salvador da Bahia

Berimbau, Salvador da Bahia

 3 Reviews  The Brazilian berimbau is a single-string percussion instrument, braced musical bow or African origin. It consists of a wooden bow (traditionally made from biribi wood) about 1,2 - 1,5 m long, with a... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

137.

Capoeira   Salvador da Bahia

Capoeira, Salvador da Bahia

 5 Reviews  Capoeira is a unique Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics. But capoiera is much more; it is a ritual and a philosophy, a cultural tradition and a... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

138.

Acaraje   Salvador da Bahia

Acaraje, Salvador da Bahia

 2 Reviews  Acareje is street food eaten at any time as a snack. It consists of a patty, made from mashed feijao fradinho (black-eyed beans). The mash is deep-fried in dende oil (derived from a nut found on the... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

139.

Carnaval   Salvador da Bahia

Carnaval, Salvador da Bahia

 2 Reviews  New info on the last 2005 Salvador Carnaval in my new Travelogue. Carnaval is Locura Total : for 6 day and 6 night million of people dancing, singing and drinking. The old carnival consisted of big... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

140.

Dance   Salvador da Bahia

Dance, Salvador da Bahia

 2 Reviews  I stayed in Bahia from 16th until 25th June (S. Joao). Everywhere you could hear "forro", and in the night there are forro bands all over. You´ll have to learn and dance it (and very close one each... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

141.

Cafezinho   Salvador da Bahia

Cafezinho, Salvador da Bahia

 2 Reviews  At any time of the day you will see these little coffee-cars with with decorations beyond imagination especially in the city center. Some are very basic, but lots of them are equipped with fantastic... 

 See All 48 Local Customs in Salvador da Bahia

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

If you want to buy a...

by deadites

If you want to buy a Portuguese language handbook, make sure it's Brazilian portuguese as there is a slight difference.Enjoy the food and drink lots of Guarana (Antartica is the best by far)and definitely try a caipirinha (not for the faint of heart)! CAIPIRINHA INGREDIENTS1 lime quartered1 tablespoon of sugar1 shot of cacha?a1/2 Cup of ice cubes with waterPREPARE:Place the lime and sugar in the bottom of a glass. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, crush and mash the limes. Pour the liqueur and ice. Stir well.SERVEThis is a summer drink to appreciate before eating.Decorate the glass with a slice of lime.

Tip Photo
Something's brewing

by acemj

There are quite a few beer labels to be discovered in Brazil, although none was particularly outstanding. Skol, Brahma, Antarctica and Bohemia are the major ones that I noticed throughout my journey.I'd recommend just going to a nice outdoor cafe along a beautiful beach and ordering a "chopp" which is simply a draft beer. The prices are cheap and the beer is served cold.

Tip Photo
A few others

by acemj

When you greet people in Brazil you may be kissed, sometimes on one cheek and sometimes on both cheeks. People in general use more physical contact when they talk, so don't let it alarm you. The first time I met people, I simply looked them in the eyes and extended my hand to shake. Normally, they simply shook my hand, but after spending some time with a person, they usually would kiss my cheek when they said goodbye or upon our next meeting (men and women both).A good tip in Brazil is usually around 10%, but in restaurants, look to see if the gratuity has already been included in the bill. In hotels, tipping the bellhops is usually no more than R $1 per bag. In taxis, most people simply round up to the nearest whole number.

African influences

by acemj

Salvador is the epicenter of all things African which have influenced this region and Brazil as a whole. Baianas are the women you'll see in Salvador dressed in the traditional white hoop skirt, lace blouse and African turban.Many of the traditions that the slaves brought with them still persist to this day. The religion of Candomble was brought from West Africa and then blended with Catholicism as slaves got creative while their masters attempted to forced them into practicing Catholicism. Capoeira, the dancing, kicking, spinning and wildly athletic martial art practiced all over Brazil, but more prevalently in Salvador, is thought to have been brought by slaves from Angola. Berimbaus are interesting instruments of African origin that are used in candomble and capoeira. They have an unusual timbre produced by striking a rod and a ring or coin on a metal string attached to a bow...

Tip Photo
Guarana

by acemj

If you're looking for a sweet and uniquely Brazilian soda, try Guarana, which is hard to describe (though I've heard it described as something akin to ginger ale) but delicious. It is made from the Amazon berry by the same name.

Tip Photo
Feijoada

by acemj

The national dish of Brazil is feijoada, which originated with African slaves and is essentially a black-bean stew that is served chock full of various meats and accompanied by farofa (manioc flour), orange slices and cabbage.It is traditionally served on Saturdays.

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Sweet-toothed Brazilians

by acemj

Sugar has always been of vital importance to the Brazilian economy so it's no surprise that the natives love their sweets. Desserts are often rich and creamy like this coconut, chocolate concoction I tried in Salvador.

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Bahian cuisine

by acemj

As I stated in my restaurant tips, Bahian cuisine was my favorite food discovery in Brazil. The spicy, African-influenced foods make full use of the seafood bounty found in the state of Bahia and the preparations are hearty and appealing.

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Banks/ ATMs

by acemj

Banks throughout Brazil are open from between 10 am to 4 pm or 9 am to 3 pm from Monday through Friday. I also found that my debit card did not work at many ATMs. I had the best luck with Banco do Brasil's machines, but even there you have to look for the individual machines with the ATM networks sticker on it (Star, Cirrus, etc.).

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Mail

by acemj

Post offices ( correios ) are easy to find throughout Brazil. Look for the blue and yellow color combination on signage and post boxes. Mail delivery is reliable and efficient, but don't expect postal workers to speak English.

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Local traditions and culture in Brazil

Top 3 Hotels in Brazil

Copacabana Palace  Rio de Janeiro

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Aram Yami Hotel  Salvador da Bahia

 1 Review and 100 Opinions  I did not stay at the hotel, but my good friends did and I visited them there, hung out in the... 

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Local Customs: Cities in Brazil
  1. Rio de Janeiro Local Customs
  2. São Paulo Local Customs
  3. Salvador da Bahia Local Customs
  4. Manaus Local Customs
  5. Fortaleza Local Customs
  6. Foz do Iguaçu Local Customs
  7. Florianópolis Local Customs
  8. Curitiba Local Customs
  9. Recife Local Customs
  10. Natal Local Customs
  11. Parati Local Customs
  12. Porto Alegre Local Customs
  13. Bùzios Local Customs
  14. Ilha Grande Local Customs
  15. Ilha de Fernando de Noronha Local Customs
  16. Brasília Local Customs
  17. Belém Local Customs
  18. Campinas Local Customs
  19. Jericoacoara Local Customs
  20. Parque Nacional do Iguaçu Local Customs
  21. Pôrto Seguro Local Customs
  22. Pantanal Local Customs
  23. João Pessoa Local Customs
  24. Petrópolis Local Customs
  25. Angra dos Reis Local Customs
  26. Salvador Local Customs
  27. Pipa Local Customs
  28. Maceió Local Customs
  29. Ilhabela Local Customs
  30. Ouro Prêto Local Customs
  31. Trancoso Local Customs
  32. Niterói Local Customs
  33. Pôrto das Galinhas Local Customs
  34. São Luís Local Customs
  35. Cabo Frio Local Customs
  36. Aracaju Local Customs
  37. Londrina Local Customs
  38. Arraial do Cabo Local Customs
  39. Olinda Local Customs

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Estado do Rio de Janeiro Local Customs  Estado de São Paulo Local Customs  Estado da Bahia Local Customs  Estado do Parana Local Customs  Estado do Ceará Local Customs  Estado do Amazonas Local Customs  Estado do Rio Grande do Sul Local Customs  Estado de Santa Catarina Local Customs  Estado de Pernambuco Local Customs  Estado de Minas Gerais Local Customs  Estado do Rio Grande do Norte Local Customs  Estado do Pará Local Customs  Estado de Mato Grosso Local Customs  Estado do Maranhão Local Customs  Distrito Federal Local Customs 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hi there! I am looking for people, who love dancing, have attended or are planning to attend Brazilian dance (Samba, Forro)... 

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A: I don't think that this topic belongs on a VT forum. This site is about sharing tips, vidoes and photos on travelling. It's not a site where you want to meet up with... 

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