mixer17

For me it's pretty simple,  if you're a tourist then be a tourist. Do the touristy things on your first trip. Feel things out. 2nd trip: more touristy things but maybe farther out. and So on and so forth. There's plenty to do and very little time.  The saunas will take up a lot of your time. If you feel like you have to go adventuring beyond the touristy areas on your first few trips, you probably haven't read up enough.
I don't quite understand why/how anyone would just happen to "wander" into a favela. Favelas look completely different than the rest of the city.  If you cannot distinguish between a favela and their rest of Copacabana or Ipanema, you have no business going to Brazil.  If you don't know what a favela looks like Google photos of favelas....
I really don't understand, how anyone would make this mistake. A dangerous place should feel and look completely different if you're observant. Sé doesn't have as many people walking around because it's a place you shouldn't be walking around. It's pretty obvious if you have went beyond boundaries because the streets will have significantly less people.  Paulista, Augusta, Oscar Freire, Freire  Caneca, Villa Madalena etc etc. has young and old, locals and tourists walking around, in a relaxed manner because there's little reason to be so guarded (stay a little bit guarded though)
Follow the rules. Keep to your Ubers; don't walk if you don't feel 100% safe about a place. Listen to the safety reports here (with a grain of salt, they tend to be overblown). Moreso, Listen to locals, they know what's unsafe and what's not.  For Example, I would never have known that Copacabana beach is not super safe during sunset, because this is when tourists are on the move back to their hotels and robbers take advantage. Learned this from an Uber driver.  I like to stay in moderately priced hotels and draw in Brazilians more than tourists because robbers are probably going to target the expensive, tourist heavy hotels. Copacabana Palace is a huge no-no unless you just plan to stay in the hotel and take Ubers.
Keep the over-confidence in check. 

This is kind of ridiculous.  The event is called a NUDE PARTY.   There has to be some kind of quality control and the guys who doesn't want to be nude simply shouldn't be at the party.   The hosts are making money and not fulfilling their part here. 
Party name should change to: SOME ARE NUDE PARTY or NUDE/THONG OPTIONAL PARTY lol. 

Talking to some of the nicer/honest strippers in Montreal, they had told me that songs in the lap dance area are always longer than the stage songs.  So when a guy sets a timer with three minutes per song, they are actually shorting you by a minute or two per song.  The guys who set a timer (unfortunately, the hotter ones) only get one song from me.  I find it better to have a guy tell me every time a new song begins. 

No. It’s not.  The guys from Montreal do that.  We all know the rules.  So, why would they care ? unless they wanted to scam you.  It’s happened to me before. But, it won’t happen again. 

This is kind of ridiculous.  The event is called a NUDE PARTY.   There has to be some kind of quality control and the guys who doesn't want to be nude simply shouldn't be at the party.   The hosts are making money and not fulfilling their part here. 
Party name should change to: SOME ARE NUDE PARTY or NUDE/THONG OPTIONAL PARTY lol. 

I have to agree with this statement. Customers are charged a $100 to see the dancers nude.  If they don’t want to be nude, then they don’t come to the party.  If the host can’t get the A-listers to comply, then move on to other dancers. When it comes to dancers, sometimes good is good enough. When I attended the party, Jonny Bronco was there.  He was incredibly hot (and nude).  But I still would have had just as much fun if he wasn’t there since there were plenty of dancers who were super attractive. There’s something hot about seeing a dancer completely nude that isn’t the same when they have a thong or g-string on. 
 
the second issue is getting nude for the first dance. I know it’s been discussed before, but I really hate it when a dancer waits until the second song to do that.   I remember the first time that happened and I was like “what?”  It’s $20 for a nude dance.  Not $40 and $20 per song after that. 
 
I hope Tim reads these threads. I know it may be difficult to find dancers, but you have to stick your ground on some things. Otherwise this will continue with other demands from dancers.  
If you give a mouse a cookie…

This is kind of ridiculous.  The event is called a NUDE PARTY.   There has to be some kind of quality control and the guys who doesn't want to be nude simply shouldn't be at the party.   The hosts are making money and not fulfilling their part here. 
Party name should change to: SOME ARE NUDE PARTY or NUDE/THONG OPTIONAL PARTY lol. 

This is kind of ridiculous.  The event is called a NUDE PARTY.   There has to be some kind of quality control and the guys who doesn't want to be nude simply shouldn't be at the party.   The hosts are making money and not fulfilling their part here. 
Party name should change to: SOME ARE NUDE PARTY or NUDE/THONG OPTIONAL PARTY lol. 

This is kind of ridiculous.  The event is called a NUDE PARTY.   There has to be some kind of quality control and the guys who doesn't want to be nude simply shouldn't be at the party.   The hosts are making money and not fulfilling their part here. 
Party name should change to: SOME ARE NUDE PARTY or NUDE/THONG OPTIONAL PARTY lol. 

United States tops 400 mass shootings in 2023 | CNN Politics
WWW.CNN.COM The United States has surpassed 400 mass shootings in 2023, setting the stage for a record-breaking year... 400 mass shootings in 2023. You don't need a reason to be shot at in this country, You just need to be at the wrong place and the wrong time. 

This Rio vs. São Paulo battle is a bit tiresome, but it’s actually also a “thing” between the cities in Brazil. And it’s really just a matter of personal preference and picking your own poison. It’s like the perennial New York City vs. Los Angeles battle — two major metropolises with two markedly different personalities and lifestyles, and most people have a clear preference of either. Personally, having worked for long periods of time in São Paulo and having lived full-time in New York for a decade and a half, nothing more than a long, extended weekend in São Paulo (the NYC of South America, but really it’s twice as large, like NYC on steroids) is fine enough for me. On the contrary, I can spend months in fitness-centric, beach-oriented, sunny Rio before feeling like the walls are starting to close in on me. What’s truly great is that both of these wonderful Brazilian cities are within an overnight 1001 bus ride from each other — or if you’re a total travel snob or a fraidycat, just a 45-minute hop by flight from SDU to CGH.
I strongly advise anyone who is very concerned for safety and also looks like they have a target on their face or back (and if you have to think about whether you are a target, then you are, Blanche, you are!), to completely avoid any areas or cities where they are likely to be targeted. If it means that, for your own piece of mind, you need to avoid Rio de Janeiro, or Recife, or Salvador, or anywhere in Centro in São Paulo, including but not limited to República, then by all means, please do. It’s a big world out there. Go somewhere else. 

Back on topic,  Pro-tip that was recently taught to me as well. If introduce yourself to the hosts of the clubs, you will be surprised how well you are taken care of.  The couple who owns HotHouse are the nicest guys.  They will show you the ropes.  You will always have a stripper or two sitting next to you (who wants your money of course).  
The strippers can put you on guest lists if you befriend them (just be careful) and you won't pay for entry.
Same goes for Lagoa, there are certain people to befriend and your experience will be even better than it already is.  Pay for someones drink once and it will pay off. 
 

I just returned to Sao Paulo today.  
Ubering from GRU, I noticed less traffic because today is a holiday in  Brazil.
I agree, there is a lot of important new Brazil information in this thread.  It would be a shame to have it removed because of a few posters that keeping interjecting politics and unrelated issues in this BRAZIL thread.
The Uber driver was nice and said he did not have much business today because of the holiday.
I asked him if he wanted to make additional money by driving past areas that were not included in my initial request from GRU to my hotel.
The driver agreed.  My Portuguese is good enough to know what the driver was saying and for understanding the contrast of how Sao Paulo has changed over the past couple of years since the pandemic..
The driver noted the deterioration of Centro greater than it was because of the coronavirus.  He also commented on more homeless people on the streets and he drove me past areas that now have tents with homeless people that were not there prior to the pandemic.
We eventually reached my area were I am staying.  I will be less likely to be involved with a mugger, therefore, the extra cost I pay to stay where I stay is certainly worth it to me (these hotels are only about one hundred dollars higher than less safe hotels.
There are some great hotels not far from Lagoa, including where I am staying.  I am Talking about Rua Alameda Santos where you will find Intercontinental Hotel, Marriott and other good quality named hotels that are in a safe neighborhood where you are not likely to meet a mugger.  This street is one block from Avenida Paulista which is the fanciest and safest street in Sao Paulo.  Surprisingly, even though you will stay in a fancy neighborhood, you will avoid most danger and you will see the better parts of Sao Paulo.
Try it, you might like it. 
 

this is also a major difference between the two cities - São Paulo is a global city and the financial capital of Latin America.  Better restaurants, better hotels, basically better everything compared to Rio - unless the beach is something you can’t live without. And even then, prepare to be robbed.
Really depends on the type of tourist you are and your requirements.  If you like fine dining, beautiful hotels, a safe & sophisticated environment, then São Paulo is for you.  
If you don’t mind subpar sketchy beach hotels, mediocre food and constant danger, then Rio is your destination.

United States tops 400 mass shootings in 2023 | CNN Politics
WWW.CNN.COM The United States has surpassed 400 mass shootings in 2023, setting the stage for a record-breaking year... 400 mass shootings in 2023. You don't need a reason to be shot at in this country, You just need to be at the wrong place and the wrong time. 

Sao Paolo for the win. The hotels are great.  A lot of the condo's that are airbnb'd are modern and extremely convenient.  My favorite airbnb, has facial recognition or a programmable entry lock (your choice), 24 hour security, a big ass tub, a Brazilian toilet that is better than my toto, shared laundry that you can reserve by app and a pool for $45 night.   The 98 Michelin Starred restaurants they have won't leave you broke. The GPs are happy to go eat out with you (choose wisely or just go by yourself) You don't need to tip (please tip) to get amazing service. Best of all, The city is sex-positive and won't judge you for being a sex tourist. You don't need to duck into Lagoa or the clubs all-incognito because sexuality is not shamed.   
Rio would be entirely optional for me if I didn't crave the beach so much when I am vacationing.  Rio can be very limiting.  Thankfully, all I really need in Rio is the beach and the sauna.  There's a lot of Ubering involved. I am not comfortable enough to go so Sao Jose, the beach city south of Sao Paolo, or I would skip Rio entirely.  I don't need to go to the Sauna everyday.  

The big question here is WHO was being murdered?  All from inference, so I may be wrong:  They locked up the narcos who couldn't murder each other anymore.  Lower criminal-on-criminal murder that in turn lowered national homicide rates.  So what's the lesson:  don't join a gang?  I never intended to.    
I don't think the majority of your statistic affects tourists or innocent bystanders. I don't do drugs and  have no intention of going anywhere near drug crimes are known to be.   I think drug related gun crime has ZERO% to do with this particular thread.

If you make a claim like that, back it up with some evidence.  Otherwise, it's just your personal opinion.

you must not live in the US, or have lived here long.
Public Mass Shootings: Database Amasses Details of a Half Century of U.S. Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories | National Institute of Justice
NIJ.OJP.GOV Persons who committed public mass shootings in the U.S. over the last half century were commonly... A Troubling Upward Trend
The research examined an era of marked increase in the number and deadly effect of mass shootings in the United States. To summarize that trend:
The project spanned mass shootings over more than 50 years, yet 20% of the 167 mass shootings in that period occurred in the last five years of the study period. More than half occurred after 2000, of which 33% occurred after 2010. The years with the highest number of mass shootings were 2018, with nine, and 1999 and 2017, each with seven. Sixteen of the 20 deadliest mass shootings in modern history (i.e., from 1966 through 2019), occurred between 1999 and 2019, and eight of those sixteen occurred between 2014 and 2019. The death toll has risen sharply, particularly in the last decade. In the 1970s, mass shootings claimed an average of eight lives per year. From 2010 to 2019, the end of the study period, the average was up to 51 deaths per year.

no - actually you jumped into this thread to respond to @mixer17
this is how trolls do it: manipulate the conversation to start the political controversy that you really want…..& is now banned here.  
have you ever been to São Paulo or Rio ?  Let’s hear about that & how it compares re: personal safety to other places.  Or, extra precautions that may need to taken, or places to avoid when in Brazil. 

I hope our GP thread doesn't get canceled. It's filled with valuable information for planning a sexvacation in Brazil. We're all mature adults here, so we each will take care of ourselves. We don't require additional statistics or updates on recent crimes. Whether or not we have that information, we'll be adequately prepared and aware. If I want news, I'll visit a news or statistics forum.
peace and viva 9/10 inch’s uc well built handsome face garotos
 

this is a thread about São Paulo, Rio and attendant safety concerns.  But thanks for hijacking it to make your political talking points.  Well done 

Some people just don't know how to travel safely I guess.  I've been to Brazil 15x now and I still don't get the draw of Favela tours. First why go to asking for trouble and secondly,  as I mentioned before If you have time to go to a favela tour with the sauna and nightlife taking up a significant portion of your time, you're just doing it wrong.  Brazil has been the most amazing place that's brought me the most joy compared to all the places I have travelled. 
You can get mugged anywhere careful or not. Take precautions and plan ahead. The way I dress I dress in Brasil is 90% different than at home. I do not flaunt anything. I carry a decoy wallet, with small bills and expired credit cards. My passport stays in the hotel safe and I have a spare phone. I have a $1,000,000 travel insurance policy with repatriation, I pay yearly and can use all-over the world. It's already paid for itself when I got COVID in Brazil. Top notch hospital , concierge service for international patients, 450$ fully reimbursed. Choice of hospital should also be known prior to traveling.  
There are many many many places in the US now that it is more dangerous than Sao Paolo or Zona Sul in Rio.  I am in the medical field and just today I treated someone that got randomly shot, in their car, driving on the freeway in a safe suburb.  
I feel are a lot safer now in the good parts of Sao Paolo than a lot of places in California now.  Nowadays I can't even go to any kind of minority focused event (e.g. gay pride) without the thought of a random mass gun violence in the back of my head.  Do a simple google of "mass shootings" for different countries and you will be surprised how much safer Brazil is than a lot of places. 
Big cities are all the same when you think of it.  Hotels, drug stores, groceries stores, places of work, malls etc etc; the surroundings and people just look different. If you think the safety of big cities in US vs Brasil is different, you might want to do some research. Europe is the same if you turn the wrong corner.  Athens: you will see as much drugs as Skid row in LA or that bad part of Vancouver. Montreal has a little homeless problem now too but that doesn't mean I am not going. I never come home from Italy without my backpack having a few slash marks.  My Travel bag specifically for Europe is slash-proof.  If you haven't things like this in the majority of the places you travel to, then you are probably a "resort" person who stays in their hotel or the places you travel to are totally sterile. 
ANYWHERE THERE ARE TOURISTS, THERE IS DANGER. If you can't accept this, don't travel.  If you are afraid, stay home.
 

Some people just don't know how to travel safely I guess.  I've been to Brazil 15x now and I still don't get the draw of Favela tours. First why go to asking for trouble and secondly,  as I mentioned before If you have time to go to a favela tour with the sauna and nightlife taking up a significant portion of your time, you're just doing it wrong.  Brazil has been the most amazing place that's brought me the most joy compared to all the places I have travelled. 
You can get mugged anywhere careful or not. Take precautions and plan ahead. The way I dress I dress in Brasil is 90% different than at home. I do not flaunt anything. I carry a decoy wallet, with small bills and expired credit cards. My passport stays in the hotel safe and I have a spare phone. I have a $1,000,000 travel insurance policy with repatriation, I pay yearly and can use all-over the world. It's already paid for itself when I got COVID in Brazil. Top notch hospital , concierge service for international patients, 450$ fully reimbursed. Choice of hospital should also be known prior to traveling.  
There are many many many places in the US now that it is more dangerous than Sao Paolo or Zona Sul in Rio.  I am in the medical field and just today I treated someone that got randomly shot, in their car, driving on the freeway in a safe suburb.  
I feel are a lot safer now in the good parts of Sao Paolo than a lot of places in California now.  Nowadays I can't even go to any kind of minority focused event (e.g. gay pride) without the thought of a random mass gun violence in the back of my head.  Do a simple google of "mass shootings" for different countries and you will be surprised how much safer Brazil is than a lot of places. 
Big cities are all the same when you think of it.  Hotels, drug stores, groceries stores, places of work, malls etc etc; the surroundings and people just look different. If you think the safety of big cities in US vs Brasil is different, you might want to do some research. Europe is the same if you turn the wrong corner.  Athens: you will see as much drugs as Skid row in LA or that bad part of Vancouver. Montreal has a little homeless problem now too but that doesn't mean I am not going. I never come home from Italy without my backpack having a few slash marks.  My Travel bag specifically for Europe is slash-proof.  If you haven't things like this in the majority of the places you travel to, then you are probably a "resort" person who stays in their hotel or the places you travel to are totally sterile. 
ANYWHERE THERE ARE TOURISTS, THERE IS DANGER. If you can't accept this, don't travel.  If you are afraid, stay home.
 

In Rio, favelas are very close to almost everything - it's not an unusual thing. They surround all the popular beaches.  The favelas are full of gangs, drug dealers, weapons, desperate people & immense poverty.
so when they see the rich foreign tourists wandering about & some of them very stupid - of course they're going to rob them