South America might not be the first choice for most honeymooners. But my husband and I love doing things that are out of the norm and crazy. Initially we decided on going island hopping in Thailand, but quickly changed our minds. So we decided to visit Buenos, Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read on to see what we got up to while on honeymoon.
To be honest we were more excited to visit Rio de Janeiro and did not plan on doing much in Buenos Aires. I am happy to say that we underestimated the beauty of Buenos Aires, and thoroughly enjoyed what this cosmopolitan city had to offer. If you do decide to visit Rio be prepared to have your breath taken away by this vibrant city.
THINGS WE DID IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
We stayed at the Own Recoleta Hotel – the rooms were nice and spacious. The location was perfect and the service was good. Breakfast was included daily and most things were in walking distance. We had our first Starbucks experience in Buenos Aires YAY! Yes we are still waiting for a branch to open in Cape Town.
Visited The Casa Rosada – (Pink House) the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina.
Visited the street market in San Telmo – We loved the market in San Telmo and this is where you get to use your good bargaining skills. Many stalls sold the same item and you can definitely negotiate the price.
Visited Caiminito – We hopped onto a public bus and visited the stadium home to the Club Atlético Boca Juniors. Fun Fact – Diego Maradona finished his professional career with Boca Juniors in 1997. We walked the streets and took in the amazing sights and sounds of this beautiful community.
Where we Ate – The best food we had while in Argentina was from Delhi Mahal an Indian Restaurant which was walking distance from our hotel. The food was absolutely amazing. We also had to visit Pizzeria Guerrin for the best pizza in town.
THINGS WE DID IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
We stayed at the Windsor Copa hotel – the rooms were very small but had an Air-con which is an absolute must in Brazil. The location was perfect and the service was good. Breakfast was included daily and most things were in walking distance.
Visited the iconic Copacabana beach which was less than five minutes from our hotel. We even to the beach at night and enjoyed a lovely night swim. We decided to visit Ipanema beach as well and we were not disappointed at all.
Visited Christ the Redeemer – This was such an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend a visit to the statue.
Visited Sugarloaf Mountain – All I can say is Wow! This was one of the highlights of our trip. Nothing can prepare you for the beautiful views.
Visited Saara District and bought way to many pairs of Havaianas.
Where we Ate – Ok, so here is the disappointing part! The food was not nice at all and we ended up living on McDonalds.
SMART TRAVEL TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Buenos Aires:
Here are some of our smart travel tips and recommendations when you are visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Stay Connected – Get a sim card instead of paying hectic roaming costs. Below are a few of the cellular networks available in Buenos Aires. We bought a Personal chip but loading airtime or data proved to be close to impossible. Make sure to have a good translation app or brush up on your Spanish. We had loads of funny and frustrating moments trying to ask for help.
Public Transportation – Do yourself a favour and get a Sube card which will give you access to the local bus and train service. We made use of the local bus service and blended in with the locals.
Rio de Janeiro:
We used the yellow cabs and it was not that expensive.
Get a sim card aka chip at one of the malls aka Sul at Rio Sul. Once again buying airtime or data will be quite a task if you don’t have a translation app.
Once again the language barrier was a challenge and here people mostly speak Portuguese. People were very friendly and helpful so we got around just fine. Don’t forget to use a good sunscreen and keep a bottle of water with you at all times while out and about.
I fell in love with South America and will definitely visit Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro again one day. We are currently planning our Thailand island hopping holiday with a few days in Bangkok for shopping.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read all about our amazing honeymoon. I hope my blog post gives you some helpful tips for when you decide to visit South America one day. If you have any other questions please send me a comment, and I will be more than happy to answer.
Lots of love
Radia x
