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I visited this country in late 2002 and it's by far one of my favourite destinations. It can be hard to decide where to begin your Brazilian adventure simply because the country is so vast, so you might be asking yourself, where do I start? Brazil offers something for everybody; the large urban centres of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are situated in the south. The northern half of the country is still largely unexplored and covered with thousands of square kilometres of rainforest. When I first set foot on Brazilian soil it was in Rio, where most tourists tend to land. Before my arrival I heard that Brazil, and Rio in particular was not a safe place for visitors and I would almost certainly be robbed. There is some truth to these stories, you do have to watch your wallet when visiting Rio's beaches, but they are largely exaggerated. I didn't have any trouble during my visit. Here's why I think you should plan a trip to Brazil, and if you take the time to learn some Portuguese before you leave and exercise some common sense when you're there, you'll remember this trip for a lifetime and will want to return for more.

Rio's two largest beaches are Copacabana and Ipanema, and this is where the locals play after work, and sometimes they do come here instead of going to the office and I understood why. Rio is a place to get a tan and have a good time. The workaholics are living in Sao Paulo and I thought it didn't have quite the same zest for life. First you will want to see the Christ the Redeemer statue which stands on the summit of Corcovado Mountain. The views are spectacular from the top on a clear day.

Sao Paulo is the economic engine of Brazil. If you love big cities then it's worth staying here for a couple of days. It has a diverse population, from Italians to Arabs to Japanese, and a nightclub scene which rivals New York. The residents are called "Paulistas" and they have money to burn, just take a look at the residential districts of Morumbi and Jardins.

Iguacu Falls is a natural wonder which can be hardly described to somebody who has never seen it before. A combination of semi-tropical rainforest and waterfalls which flank the borders of two countries, Brazil and Argentina, this is definitely on the "to see before you die" list.

Salvador, in the northeastern state of Bahia, is the African heart of the country. The Pelourinho (which in Portuguese means whipping post) is where slaves were auctioned in the days when this activity was considered legal. The food here has a decidedly African flavour, with lots of ginger, coconuts, hot peppers and the powerful dende (palm) oil.

The Amazon is wild, literally. Thousands of species inhabit this region which is snaked by the mighty Amazon River, the second largest in the world. The settlements up here are smaller and much further apart. Don't think about going without some malaria pills, and remember to get a yellow fever shot before you arrive. The Brazilian authorities will not let you into the country without proof that you've been vaccinated.

Brazil has it all, it's a cultural experience like no other.

Learn more about this author, Scott Hayden.
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