Study or Intern Abroad in Brazil – Advice
If you’re doing an international study, internship opportunity, or if just go abroad to see Brazil, many people back home will ask you if you’re afraid of the crime there. Even though there are parts of Brazil that are very dangerous, they can be easily be avoided if you are aware of them. Just research the location that you’re going to study abroad at, ask the locals where to go, and you will be perfectly fine.
When traveling around Brazil there are several modes of transportation, but the best for relatively short distance is by bus. This is because there is a major bus station in every city and tickets are relatively cheap for a comfortable bus from city to city. However, if you plan on traveling long distances, some bus passages can take longer than 24 hours, so if you are
Located just outside of Salvador, this is one of the many amazing beaches you can experience Brazil!
willing to pay the price, then an airplane ticket might be worth it. Also, Brazilian airlines have really good deals for foreigners such as multi-city passages for one affordable price. This is how many non-Brazilians travel from the north to the south of Brazil to see as many cities as possible.
As with every high density tourist destination in the world there is the danger of pickpocketing. The best and easiest thing is to not be flashy with your belongings. Doing things such as leaving your credit card at home, cash in your pocket, and only spare change in your purse can make a huge difference. Basically as long as you are careful about your surroundings and possessions you should be ok.
Also, wherever you go, you can haggle almost anything with the price. For example, before you get in a taxi ask how much it is to arrive at a certain location before actually sitting down and closing the door. Most of the time you can haggle the driver down quite a bit. Also, there are vendors in the streets that will bargain with you about almost anything. Remember, if there is no price on a board, you can argue with the vendor about how much you are going to pay, this strategy will end up saving you a lot of money.
Another important quality to Brazilians is politeness. If you are studying abroad in Brazil, there is a probability that you will stay with a host family. There are stories of students not following what their host family says and get into trouble because they don’t do simple things. Even though it might seem un-important to you, not adhering to what your host family asks you to do, such as making sure you chew with your mouth closed, putting toilet paper in the trashcan, and not littering may greatly offend them. Just respect your host family and they will respect and love you in return.
However the chief thing to keep in mind is to just have an open personality and a good experience. Brazilians are a super friendly people that are very warm to outsiders. As long as you are polite, respectful, and amiable, you will make friends forever and have a once in a lifetime experience.