Recommend June 2011 - (Page 48)

Lights! Action! BRAZIL treatments, whose pool has grand city views, and whose Tereze restaurant is award-winning. Note: In Rio, all hotels double or triple their rates during Carnaval: in 2012, Feb. 17-21. DINE: Rio is churrascaria (restaurants specializing in grilled meats) country, and Porcao is a top choice rodizio-style grill, where waiters circulate with a never-ending selection of choice barbecued meat on skewers (all you can eat at prix- xe). There are four Porcao restaurants in Rio. After dinner, the samba beat is at its liveliest in the nightclubs of the Lapa district. A favorite is Rio Scenarium, lling three antique- lled oors of a restored colonial building with live samba band music. WORLD CUP VENUE: Maracana Stadium (capacity: 76,525). Maracana, Brazil’s Valhalla of soccer, is closed, currently receiving an upgrade and redesign in preparation for its major role in the coming events: the 2014 World Cup, when the nal match will be played here, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, when the stadium will host the opening and closing events. Sao Paulo FLY: Nonstop from the U.S. (on American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, TAM and United Airlines) to the international airport, Sao Paulo/Guarulhos, 19 miles (45 minutes) from the city-center. Most domestic ights have traditionally left from Congonhas Airport, 10 miles from the city-center, however, increasingly domestic ights are departing from Guarulhos. City Airport Codes: Guarulhos (GRU); Congonhas (CGH) SEE: City Sights: Despite its reputation as a concrete metropolis, visitors are surprised by Sao Paulo’s lovely natural areas. The Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens) is small and delightful, with 340 species of Brazilian ora and green houses with orchids and rainforest species. Latin America’s largest urban park, the 400-acre Ibirapuera Park is an oasis of green where in addition to gardens and lakes, there are museums, a planetarium and the Japanese Pavilion. And beyond the greenery, many of Sao Paulo’s main attractions are reminiscent of Europe. The iconic churches are the Monastery of Sao Bento, whose basilica dates back to 1598, and the 20th century Metropolitan Cathedral, a building with Gothic and Byzantine elements that accommodates 8,000 worshippers. Meanwhile, the Municipal Theater was inspired by the Paris Opera, and Sala Sao Paulo has been turned into a strikingly contemporary symphonic hall. Sao Paulo is Brazil’s nest destination for art lovers who may nd that museum buildings are often as noteworthy as the exhibitions. Top of the line is the Art Museum of Sao Paulo (a.k.a. MASP), where top Brazilian artists keep company with painters from Rembrandt to Picasso, and another standout is Pinacoteca do Estado with more than 3,000 works of art in a collection featuring Brazilian painting from the 18th and 19th centuries, and adds sculptures by Rodin and Niki de Saint-Phalle. Sao Paulo is also a world-class city when it comes to shopping, from bargain hunting in Sunday’s Liberdade ea market to high-end boutiques featuring Brazilian designers along ritzy Rua Oscar Freire, often compared to Rodeo Drive. And the city’s grandest public market is the Mercadao, covering 135,000 sq. ft. with fresh sh, ripe cheese and strange fruits. Side Trips: The Litoral Norte (or North Shore) begins less than an hour out of the city at Santos, and a scenic hour’s drive farther the beaches begin—at Sao Sebastiao, Toque Toque Grande and Maresias. From Sao Sebastiao, hop the ferry to Ilhabela with 360 waterfalls, 40 beaches and endless restaurants; Ilhabela State Park covers 83 percent of the island. STAY: Sao Paulo’s major business is business, as re ected in a city full of international chain properties such as the classy Sao Paulo So tel, as well as a handful of stylish, very high-end boutique hotels in the leafy Jardins neighborhood: the Fasano, supremely re ned and elegant; Emiliano, fashionably set on Oscar Freire Street; and the arkshaped, architectural landmark Unique with panoramic views from its rooftop Skye Bar. DINE: In this immigrant-settled city, it’s no surprise that the culinary scene is international: German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian (Famiglia Mancini is a Sao Paulo institution), and Portuguese restaurants. Paulistas themselves take pride in their churrascarias and thanks to Italian settlers, Sao Paulo serves up the best pizza in the country and Braz makes the best in the city. The perfect Paulista Sunday features a futebol (soccer) match with a late pizza supper, while feijoada, the traditional meal of black beans and pork, is a Saturday lunch ritual. Figueira Rubaiyat, a Jardins area steak house, is legendary for its feijoada bu et. WORLD CUP VENUE: New Corinthians (capacity: 65,000) will be one of six stadiums that will be newly built for the World Cup. Catch a pre2014 World Cup match at the Pacaembu Stadium, and drop in at its Museu do Futebol where the shirt worn by Pele during the 1970 World Cup Final in Mexico is a prized exhibit. ❊ CARLA HUNT Sao Paulo offers a bevy of architectural landmarks and important monuments. B12 june 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend June 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Club Med Weddings by Imagine
A Perfect Honeymoon
Super-Sexy Voyages by Sea
Home-Based Happily Ever Afters
Kiss & Tell
Saying "I Do" on an Island
The Best Beach Honeymoons
Brazil Travel Planner
Say "I Do" to Central America
Steamy Love in South America
Finding Honeymoon Gems in Europe
Mesmerizing Retreats
Exotic Africa—The Perfect Honeymoon Haven
Five Fiery Honeymoons in Mexico
Mexico Says "I Do" to Destination Weddings

Recommend June 2011