Niklas Schlappkohl, Business Lead for Non-English websites, and thelobby.com’s international expert, shares some insider knowledge on Brazil…

Anyone for the subway to the beach?

Few towns are able to offer an urban setting by the beach topped off with one of the most amazing views in the world. A cidade maravilhosa. That's what the Brazilians call this haven. In case you haven't guessed, it's Rio de Janeiro, my favorite city.

World-famous neighborhoods - who hasn't heard of the Copacabana or hummed along to A Garota de Ipanema, The Girl from Ipanema - and historical monuments such as the Christ statue perched above the vibrant, pulsating beat of a city of 6 million people. Though you certainly wouldn't know it as you lie on the beaches, opposite giant slabs of verdant potato-shaped mountains that look like they've been there for a million years and probably have.

Reality Check. Rio is still a dangerous city. There are occasional shoot-outs between the police and gangs, with serious consequences. There are favelas, make-shift shanty towns without running water and electricity (although some have actually installed both now) which outsiders should not venture into (at least not without a tour guide permitted by the local favela leaders). Forsake plastic and bring only the cash you really need, and a photocopy of your passport. Don't ever leave your belongings unattended at the beach - unattended refers
to anything not chained to you. My shorts were stolen while I was sitting right next to them (fortunately cash was tucked in my Speedos, de rigeur on the beach.) Post-beach if you're looking for a pool, remember the Sheraton Barra has got multiples.

And yet Rio is one of the few places I am actually able to slow down and relax. (Miami, similar in many ways, may be the only other.) Treat yourself to an a exotic fruit drink made from fruits most of us have never heard of and if it's Sunday, head to the Feria de Ipanema ("Hippie Market"), an outdoor market filled with handicrafts that hasn't lost its charm, despite being on the tourist route. Speaking of hippie, Rio enjoys a perpetual state of 70's funkiness, with bright colors abounding and Bossa Nova to put you in the mood. Then hang with the locals on the beach, with a permanent party atmosphere where social divides evaporate as soon as your feet hit the sand.

And don't forget to take some short trips, like to colonial coastal Parati or high-up and refreshing Teresopolis. Head up the coast to Buzios to see where the jetset from the 70's (think Brigitte Bardot) hung out and today still do. Little cobble stoned streets with plenty of restaurants and terraces that offer a view of the beach only a few steps away. The water's colder up there, but the beaches are beautiful and the water turquoise.

Ah, Brazil.