My Back Against The World

Follow me on my journey around the world

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Chania: Pretty in Pink

Chania: Pretty in Pink

Imagine you are walking along the warm sands of Elafonisi. The sounds of the sea instils a sense of peace and comfort yet you yearn for something more. Just as the golden rays warm your heart your feet meet the cooling waves of the sea. You sit and admire the array of pink sands before you and you say to youself… This is paradise   Getting there: Once again Norwegian airways were doing a great…

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Bahia: The life and heart of Brazil

Bahia: The life and heart of Brazil

Bahia Bahia Bahia! Bahia for me personally is the best state to visit in Brazil… yes I said it! It’s even better that Rio de Janeiro (don’t believe the hype!). The endless untouched golden beaches, lively atmosphere, and sweet calming waters. There is something special about this place. I can’t quite put it into words but when you are there you feel the warmth of the people, their deep rooted…

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Today, I woke up to the sounds of the Bateria which was the perfect alarm to get me up in the morning. As carnival draws closer this will be a very familiar sound as samba schools take to the streets to practice their routines.

It’s such an exciting time especially with the holidays coming up and I can’t help but reminisce about my Carnival experience earlier this year. It’s widely known that travelling to Rio at this time can be very expensive however as per usual I managed to bring my prices down to a more affordable price :)

  Flights

We paid £690 for indirect flights to Rio de Janeiro with TAP airlines. However I was gutted to find that a couple months later, British airways offered a direct flight for £650 in the Summer sale.

  Accomodation

Finding the right accomodation can save you tons of money. Hotels and hosts charge a ridiculous amount of money at this time of year- up 3 times as much the normal rate. People generally spend around £2000 – £2500 to visit Rio de Janeiro for Carnival and I decided to arrive a week before the event to keep costs down to a minimum. We did move around a bit so I’m going to break it down day by day.

Image above: Cantera Lodge

  5th-7th February 2015: 2 nights in an apartment in Copocabana. We paid £90 for 2 nights via Booking.com but since then the apartment is no longer available on this site.

Image above: Copocabana beach

  7th-10th February: We then headed off to Foz do Iguacu to see the waterfalls and stayed on the Argentinean side of this natural wonder. We intiallly booked the “My Hotel Eco Lodge” for £148 for 3 nights, however when we arrived we got upgraded to the bigger sister hotel Cantera Lodge which we fell in love with!

  10th-16th February: Naturally I took it to Airbnb and booked an apartment 1 block away from Copocabana beach. We paid £552 for 6 nights in Yoana’s small but cosy apartment during carnival week. The location was perfect and we were often woken up by the sounds of the bateria and crowds along the beach.

16-18 February: We decided to head down to Angra dos Reis to visit some of the many islands off the coast of Rio including Ilha Grande. We stayed in Pousada Atlantica for two nights and paid £80.

18-19 February: We cut our trip short in Angra dos Reis because we missed our new friends in Rio and wanted to get turnt up for our last night. So we headed back to Rio and stayed in Hotel Astoria for £47 for 1 night. There is a part of me that didn’t want to post the link because we felt the service from the hotel staff  was appalling, especially from the receptionists!!!!

  Grand total each inc flights (based on two people sharing): £1148 – total saving of £852!!!!! Oh I forgot to mention our internal flight to Iguacu which cost us around £100 return.

  Things to see

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

I really don’t think I need to sell this! One of the craziest yet best experiences of my life! It is just unreal how these guys party from dancing on the beach with a million people to jumping up and down on a metro chanting in Portuguese. Do go to as many Blocos as you possibly can and check the locations of the ones that are expected to have the most people. Also Brazilians dress up in fancy dress when they attend the street parties it’s not a must but it’s fun to join in too! If you get a chance buy a ticket to see the Carnival in the Sambadrome and be amazed by the costumes, floats and endless samba. If in doubt of which day to go, Sunday is the best day to witness this spectacular!

  Rio de Janeiro (the city itself)

To be honest you don’t need me to tell you what to do, there are tour guides for that! But besides the obvious tourists spots take a bike ride around the Lagoa, check out the Botanical gardens or even hike up Gavea mountain just before sunrise for a breathtaking view of Rio.

  Foz do Iguaçu

Simply breathtaking… borders Brazil and Argentina and is known as the Devil’s Throat. There are also countless mini waterfalls at this national park and an opportunuity to take a boat ride right up close to falls. We paticularly loved walking to the top and seeing the falls at work but be prepared to get wet! I’m sure you will welcome the fresh sprays of water when temperatures reach as high as 35 degrees (Celsius).

Angra dos Reis

This town is really small with only one restaurant in site but I can’t fault the fact that the people welcomed us with open arms. Our pousada had a dock which was perfect because we could take the local ferry literally from our doorsetp. We visted many many islands off the coast of this town which were beautiful, I just wished that sun could’ve shown us more love. We also became aware of the fact that it’s not just the young people who know how to party in Brazil! The older crew really showed us how to get down and they even showed me where I could rest my head when I got too tired… Ha!

  Till next time,

Kelly x

  Brazil always drumming my heart Today, I woke up to the sounds of the Bateria which was the perfect alarm to get me up in the morning.

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Voyage Prive gave me that Costa del Soul

Voyage Prive gave me that Costa del Soul

Seeing as it’s Friday let’s flashback to my time in Costa del Sol. Most people flock to Costa del Sol to soak up the sun in Marbella and or pop champagne in one of the many beach clubs. If you want that party lifestyle then by all means head over to Marbella but there is so much more to this sunny region.   Fuengirola I have been very fortunate to have a sister who loves travelling as much as me…

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Chasing Waterfalls - Bonito

Chasing Waterfalls – Bonito

I can’t believe it’s only been a month since I’ve been in Brazil! It feels like a lifetime and there is so much more I want to see. Brazil is home to so many natural wonders of the world and last week I had the opportunity to visit one of them. (more…)

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Get ready for your closeup: Côte d'Azur

Get ready for your closeup: Côte d’Azur

I’m about to tell you about my cheapest holiday to date! Back in 2013 my friends and I went to the south of France for a weed in the sun in St Tropez, car watched in Monaco and we even got papped by paparazzi during Cannes film festival! I still can’t believe we spent £150 each for flight, accomodation and even car rental! (more…)

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#WildlifeSelfie: South Africa

I know it’s been a while since my last post but I’ve been crazy busy sorting out my next trip. Stay tuned ;) In a previous post I asked my readers where they would like to go on their next trip. One adventurer (Masaki Suzuki) said that he would like to visit South Africa. From incredible wildlife encounters, breathtaking scenery, golden beaches and vibrant cities it is no wonder that South Africa…

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Jet Life

Now this isn’t a Curren$y lyric but I hope this post will enlighten you and show you how you can find great prices on flights. (more…)

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Fuerteventura: The place that warmed my heart

Fuerteventura: The place that warmed my heart

Arranging birthdays are always are pain but they are 100 times worse if you are fortunate enough to be born in January. Money is always tight after Christmas which means that many of my friends are unable to attend my birthday. Even when I arrange house parties mother nature always gets in the way. Anyone who lives in London knows that snow and transport do not mix! After another “disaster”…

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Better Late Than Never

Better Late Than Never

25,418 miles, 27 beaches, 16 countries and one passport. This might seem like a distant dream to some or even impossible but the truth is anyone can do it! I hope this blog will provide you with some tips on how to travel to beautiful destinations without breaking the bank. Where do you want to go next? Submit your answers in the comments below and I will feature your destination in my blog next…

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