Though I’m partial to budget travel, spending some money in the Amazon goes a long way. With a guide and a good boat, you can experience wildlife, local culture and stunning waterscapes that solo travelers could never reach. [Click headline to read full piece.]
Category Archives: Brazil
New York Times Travel: 36 Hours in Salvador, Brazil
Carnaval is right around the corner in this energetic city, where traditions — culinary, musical, literary and more — reflect a deep Afro-Brazilian heritage. Here’s my suggested weekend itinerary. [Click headline to read full piece.]
New York Times Arts: The Physical and Spiritual Art of Capoeira in Bahia
Together with the photographer Rose Marie Cromwell, I attended Permangolinha, a retreat run by capoeira master Cobra Mansa at his fascinating property in rural Bahia state, in northeast Brazil. There he raises cacau, coffee, cupuaçu, and some crops that don’t start with “c” following the guidelines of permaculture. Read more about it and see some incredible photos and videos not by me here.
The Frugal Five: Contributors to the NYT Travel Column
I wrote my first Travel piece for the Times in 2004 and soon ended up with a column called Weekend in New York; I was the travel writer who didn’t travel. I moved to Brazil in 2008, and it was two years into my stint as a freelance foreign correspondent that Stuart Emmrich, the Travel editor, called me up.
Todo Seu Interview with Seth Kugel from Amigo Gringo
Ronnie Von receives the “gringo friend”: the American journalist Seth Kugel. In Brazil, he became known for his videos of tips on English for Brazilians.
“Amigo Gringo” reveals how to identify Brazilians in the US
In an interview with the Morning Show on Seth Kugel speaks about the distinctions between Brazil and the United States.
36 Hours in São Paulo
Chaotically refined, verdantly concrete, intimately gargantuan: The most populous metropolis in South America was but a middling coffee city until the mid-20th century, when an influx of northeastern migrants set off a growth spurt that shows no sign of stopping.
Tips for Olympic Travelers: Rio and Beyond
I offer some advice from veteran Olympics fans on how best to take advantage of the games, and travel to Rio to see how to put their advice into action.
An Informed Traveler Is a Safe Traveler
Why travelers are generally so terrible about assessing risk when they travel. Or, why non-pregnant Olympics fans who fear zika more than dengue have already been infected – by the media.
Stretching Dollars and Yes, Feasting, in Lower-Priced Rio
Boy, it suddenly just got very cheap to go to Rio de Janeiro – formerly one of the most expensive destinations in the Western Hemisphere.