The jungle became our home when we got to Trindade. We stayed at the Sea and Forest Yoga hostel, which although named a hostel felt more like a retreat. Our double bed cabin 'Hummingbird'  was within Serra da Bocaina National Park. Here the Atlantic rainforest is said to have more biodiversity per square foot than the Amazon. I was on snake altert watching the floor and got some hefty mosquito bites but the upside was the wildlife you saw without leaving your ro...

After 6 days in Rio and partying for carnival it was time to relax and head to Paraty, a beautiful colonial town roughly 4 hours south. With valentines day in mind and my meticulous planning we arrived at the bus station to find there were no buses for at least 3 hours. Cue waiting around in an overcrowded hot bus station, who says romance is dead. When we finally arrived in Paraty I did make up for it and we went for a tasty Thai meal at the originally named Th...

Never have we been so hot in our life! The brits love to complain about the weather but when the Aussies join in you know your on to something. Sweat every day, all day, all night. After a night at an amazing Churrascaria (ie all you can eat meat) for Rorys birthday the next day was alcohol/meat/hot sweats hopefully not to be experienced again. However, aside from the sweatathon Rio lived up to everything we hoped it would be. Especially Carnival! We learnt that...

After 3 nights in Buzios we went to Arriaial do Cabo. Only an hour from Buzios but immediately a different vibe. It felt like the most local place we have been to. Arriving at the Hostel Books Rehab, we thought it was going to be terrible. The WiFi wasn't working (first world problems), our toilet was broken, the room wasn't ready and the guy running it wasn't so switched on. Turns out they'd had a heavy night and unlike most hostels the two guys that run it Al...

After a 25 hour coach journey we arrived in Buzios, an hour from Rio de Janeiro. Haven taken a good dose of sleeping tablets (the benefits of travelling with a pharmacist) we felt pretty refreshed the next day Buzios has been described as the St Tropez of Brazil (a place loved by the iconic Bridget Bardot - it's mutual as there is a street named after her). However, rather than glitz and glamour it has more charm like Ile de Ray; Cobbled stones, harbours, boutiq...