Brazil's cuisine is as varied as its geography and culture. While there are some very unique dishes of regional origin, there are many dishes that were brought by overseas immigrants and have been adapted to local tastes through the generations.

Brazil's national dish is feijoada, a hearty stew made of black beans and pork cuts (ears, knuckles, chops, sausage and pieces of beef (usually dried). It's served with rice, garnished with collard greens and sliced oranges. It's usually not served in restaurants, but the ones that do typically offer it twice a week (usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays). A typical mistake made by tourists is to eat too much feijoada shortly after arriving. This is a heavy dish, and you need to get used to it before you eat it. Even Brazilians usually eat it parsimoniously. While you are at it, try the caipirinha, Brazil’s signature drink made of wedged limes, sugar and cachaca.

Tap water in Brazilian cities such as Rio and Sao Paulo is generally safe to drink, but it tastes awful. In remote areas, tap water may be suspect. Many hotels and guesthouses filter their water – be sure to inquire about the status where you’re staying.

The clothing style in Brazil is generally casual and comfortable; more formal in cities such as Sao Paulo. Brazilians are proud of their bodies, they like to wear fitted clothing and show a little skin. Sao Paulo is an urban and cosmopolitan city; people like to dress up a little more, if you’re having a touristy day and visiting museum and cultural places etc. dress with a casual feel, think jeans, shorts and t-shirts/tunics.

Rio is also very casual, but with a cool edge, a lot of the locals go from the beach to lunch or for drinks, so carry a light dress or shorts and a t-shirt to cover up, bikinis are for the beach only. If you’re seen walking around in one, even on the boardwalk, you’ll definitely be pegged as a tourist.

Brazil is a huge country with different climates. During the summer it’s pretty much hot and humid everywhere. A main travel essential for Brazil would definitely be sunscreen, sunglasses and a broad sun hat.

For shoes, stick to flat shoes such as sandals, flip flops or comfortable walking shoes as you’ll likely be walking a lot.

From city to city, voltage varies from 110-220v. It’s not uncommon to arrive in a city to find out that the voltage is 110v and then to travel 1 hour north just to learn that it’s 220v in that particular city. Despite the difference in voltage, the outlets look the same. Make sure to check the voltage used in each city that you visit.

Electricity in Brazil is extremely unstable in some parts and can send surges to your electronic equipment that destroys its charger or transformer.The solution to this is to protect your electrical equipment by running them through a voltage regulator. They are fairly cheaply and  and easily available in most parts of the country

Brazilian plugs and sockets typically come as two flat pins or two round pins, the latter is being standardised for new appliances but variations do occur. Most chargers for phones, laptops etc already have a built in power adaptor so don't worry too much about the different voltage in different cities. It's things like hairdryers where you might want an power converter/adaptor.

Brazil's currency unit is the real (plural = reais) and is made up of 100 centavos. The real is issued in denominations of 1 real (1 real notes have been discontinued but the coin is everywhere), 2 reais, 5 reais, 10 reais, 20 reais,50 reais and 100 reais. Prices are written in reais using the symbol R$. Centavos are issued in denominations of 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 25 centavos and 50 centavos. It's best to carry nothing larger than 10 or 20 reais bank notes. This will make it easier to make small purchases as well as easier for small vendors, stores and restaurants to provide you with change.

You will have no need for any reais until you have fully exited Brazilian immigration and customs so avoid exchanging money at your departure airport in North America or Europe. Money exchanges at departure airports outside Brazil usually provide a very poor exchange rate. Wait. The international airports in both São Paulo (Guarulhos International Airport) and Rio de Janeiro (Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport) have several bank operated, money exchange booths just outside the immigration and customs area. Both cities also have money exchange offices throughout the city and some hotels offer currency exchange.

While it is relatively easy to exchange any currency for reais in both São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, in smaller cities it can sometimes become a time consuming and costly endeavor.

Banking

Banking hours are from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  Some HSBC branches open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

ATM Machines of banks are generally open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm (although it is common for the locks on the doors to be not operational).  Note that not all ATM machines accept international credit cards.  The machines that do accept international credit cards will have the symbol(s) of the types of international cards it accepts. Banks that typically have ATM machines that accept international credit cards are HSBC, Citibank and Banco do Brasil.

Generally, ATM machines that accept international credit cards are readily found in large cities.  However, if travelling outside the city or to remote areas, it will be much more difficult to find an ATM machine.  So plan ahead.

Foreign currencies can be exchanged in shops with signs showing 'Cambio'. The exchange rates given for exchanging cash are generally better than those from withdrawing cash from a credit card from an ATM machine (especially with all of the little fees most card companies charge these days).

Be advised that you may encounter difficulties trying to get cash on a weekend. Several foreigners (from Canada and the USA) have encountered problems getting cash from ATM's after 'normal'banking hours on a Friday.