Brazil's a big place - a continent in a country - which means sometimes less really is more. Much more. 
 
This isn't about ticking off destinations. It's about actually getting to know Salvador da Bahía and Rio de Janeiro - their rhythms, their contradictions, the bits that don't make the Instagram reels. And then there's Boipeba: an unassuming beach island where tropical life moves at exactly the pace it should. 
 
This is a holiday that does a few things properly instead of many things badly.

This itinerary lands somewhere in the middle between guided and independent time. For every illuminating guided tour, there is space for you to make your own discoveries or just flop back into a hammock with a good book and the sounds of the ocean lapping the shore. Being a tailored trip, we can of course adjust things, adding in an extra tour here, or an extra free day there.

Yes, of course. The most common thing is to add time in other parts of Brazil or South America. One thing that works brilliantly is to add in an overland journey through Rio de Janeiro state to give you a real deep dive into rural Brazil and its gorgeous landscapes. Or the wildlife of the Amazon perhaps. There is a great deal of choice, so the easiest thing is to just share your questions or comments and we'll share some options.

We recommend this trip between April and November. Generally, there is a wet season (typically from October - March) and dry season (typically from April to September), though with a changing climate, the wet season has tended to start later.

Brazil is a wonderfully welcoming country. At each stage of this journey, you will experience this warm and generous hospitality in a variety of settings, each with its own story to tell, but all beautifully small, quiet and comfortable.

On this trip, you can look forward to...

• A quiet six-room boutique hotel tucked away in the most characterful, welcoming and local part of Salvador, close to cafes, bars and restaurants
• A wooden cabin right beside the ocean on Boipeba Island, the hotel is run entirely by women and the hospitality is what makes it one of our favourites in Brazil
• A five-room guesthouse in bohemian Santa Teresa, set among street art, cafés and bars, with quiet gardens, a small pool and wonderfully warm hosting

This is one of our most easy-going holidays. It's very, very much designed for those who like to travel with active minds and bodies, but the majority of your walking will be done in the cities or along a flat coastal path. It's the rhythms of Samba and Olodum that get your pulse racing, not high-octane activities. If you want to swim, the sea is never far away. If you want to relax, a hammock is never far away.

Brazil's cuisine is wonderfully diverse, as befits the fifth-largest country in the world. The Amazon is a larder of exotic fruits. Minas Gerais is the powerhouse of Brazil's rural staples such as rice, beans, beef, cheese and bread. Bahian cuisine is a uniquely fabulous fusion - expect lots of coconut milk, fish, shrimp and lobster. That said, being in cities, you're never far away from anything you want, up to and including those golden arches...

English is not widely spoken in Brazil, even in Rio de Janeiro. Of course, your hosts and guides will always speak good English. But there are times where you simply have to get by when you are on your own. It's never a problem though. If you know Spanish, then that gets you halfway there. Otherwise, if pointing, smiling and miming don't do the trick, then you simply use Google Translate. You can speak into your phone in your native tongue, then it will give you a written and audio translation for the other person. So as long as you have a signal, it breaks down any language barriers.

Remember that being somewhere where English is not commonly spoken is a sign you are somewhere interesting!

Brazil is a warm and welcoming country, and Rio de Janeiro is no exception. The city is generally very safe and enjoyable to visit, with most trips passing without incident. Like any large city, however, your experience depends on the choices you make. One guide describes the contrast between Brazil with a “Z” – modern, polished, international – and Brasil with an “S” – lively, imperfect, complex but deeply authentic... This is the version most international visitors miss. We want you to enjoy the best of both.

Safety in Rio is mostly about awareness. Don’t wander into favelas, which are easy to spot and best avoided. Stick to well-lit areas, dress casually, keep valuables out of sight, and plan how you’ll get around, especially at night. Neighbourhoods like Santa Teresa’s centre, the historic district, Lapa, and the South Zone beaches of Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana are popular and largely safe, though petty theft can occur where crowds gather. Use taxis for late-night travel, avoid beaches after dark, and enjoy the city’s vibrant life with the comfort of sensible precautions.

As part of our holiday service to you, we provide a travel app which is packed with an extensive planning document to help you prepare and pack for Brazil, as well as our favourite places to eat. This helps take the stress out of planning your time, knowing that we've been there, done that and eaten the feijoadas.

You will have contact details for our local hosts who will provide support on the ground as needed. This is not intended as a concierge service, but rather a helping hand if you get stuck or have a burning question.

If you get into any major bother, then our team is always on hand to help. In the first instance, that is your hosts and guides, or your local contact in Brazil. But you have a 24/7 emergency contact for our team here should you ever need it.

The nature! Whilst this trip is designed to truly immerse you in Brazilian culture, food, music, history and lifestyles, it unfolds to a backdrop of rich tropical nature. Even in your little guesthouse in Rio, you will likely see parakeets, hummingbirds, song birds and perhaps even toucans and marmosets. Monkeys are common, even in Rio and especially on the edge of Tijuca forest.