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Once overrun with pirates and slave traders, the peninsula of Armação dos Búzios, or simply Búzios, began to receive a different kind of welcome attention during the 1960s, when Brigitte Bardot popularised its brilliant beaches. It has since been transformed into one of the best seaside resorts in Brazil, a trendy destination especially for Brazilians and Argentines.

The harbour of Búzios fills with fishing boats in the afternoon and offers lovely sunsets. There are several hotels with views overlooking this spectacle.

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Posted under Brazil, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

By Pedro Paulo Capelossi

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Every year, people travel to Fernando de Noronha, a group of islands off the coast of Brazil, to meet some of the archipelago’s most famous residents: spinner dolphins.

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Posted under Brazil, General, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, whl.travel newsletter

By Maureen Valentine

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The diamonds that were once harvested from the national park of the Chapada Diamantina (or Diamond Highlands) are only the tip of a precious natural resource iceberg in the northeast Brazilian state of Bahia. In fact, until recently, Chapada Diamantina was perhaps Brazil’s best-kept secret, trade from tourism having been on the rise only since it became an official national park in 1985.

Brazil's Chapada Diamantina landscape is known for the mesa-like features called 'tepuis'. In the Pati Valley (pictured here), hikers are rewarding to stunning vistas over the national park after a bit of serious legwork.

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Image/text by Elsie C. Orabona, whl.travel local connection
in Ubatuba, Brazil

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That’s a hawksbill turtle. With its namesake hawk-like bill, it is considered one of the most beautiful of the five marine turtle species encountered in Brazilian waters. It is a superb animal and can live more than 60 years. Unfortunately, already critically endangered, it will one day be extinct if people continue to kill them for food or for their shells (used to manufacture combs and eyeglasses).

The encounter shown above happened in Ubatuba, Brazil, during a dive. Our region is blessed with a lot of algae, fish, sponges and crustaceans that most marine turtles love to eat, so it’s very common for us to see them on our beaches and swimming around our snorkelling and dive sites. They are so sweet and move so gracefully underwater that they enchant almost every diver.

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Posted under Brazil, Photo of the Week, countries, responsible organisations

After the successful launch of Urban Adventures on October 1, 2009, the business has been moving from strength to strength. The month of November, in particular, was very productive in network growth and technological improvements. Now just 71 days after officially opening our days, there are 28 destinations and 94 adventures live, with new product being added each week. Destinations already operating include major centres like New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Delhi, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Sydney, Bangkok, Vancouver, Nairobi, Kathmandu, Lima and Auckland.

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Posted under Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, General, Greece, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, USA, United Kingdom, Zambia, responsible travel news, whl.travel news

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A visit to Ouro Preto, which means ‘Black Gold’ in Portuguese, is a journey back in time to the colonial period of Brazil that helped make it the country it is today. From the high slopes of the historic city, travellers look out over the magnificent features of its baroque architecture in the churches and mansions below. Visitors can also meander through massive mines and browse around the museums that function as complete archives of the region’s history.

This lovely view of the historic centre of Ouro Preto, Brazil, was taken from one of several places that offer stunning panoramic vistas of town and the surrounding country

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Posted under Brazil, General, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

Image/text by Pedro Paulo Godoy Capelossi,
whl.travel local connection in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

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These eagle spotted rays were seen at Laje Dois Irmãos, a dive site off Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, famous for reef sharks encounters. Coming across rays like those pictured here is also very common.

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Posted under Brazil, General, Photo of the Week, countries

By Ethan Gelber

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Some things make no sense at all, especially when it comes to politics and the environment. Far too often, years of careful consultative and democratic negotiation in favour of cultural and environmental conservation can be – and are too often – undone by the surreptitious and unilateral actions of a (perhaps) ill-informed and (sometimes) self-serving few.

Such appears to be the case today along the Emerald Coast of Brazil and adjacent islands (especially Ilha Grande), where a June 2009 decree signed by the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro has relaxed 23-year-old environmental protections and now threatens the ecological sustainability of the entire area.

Ilha Grande recently received the title of the 'Second Wonder of the State of Rio de Janeiro' and has routinely been recognized as one of the world's most beautiful tourist destinations. Its beaches are certainly amongst the best in Brazil.

Fortunately, the sly changes in policy have not gone unnoticed. “Here in Brazil, we have many people and organizations mobilized to repeal that decree,” said Nélio Ricardo Aguiar, the whl.travel local connection in Ilha Grande.

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While the vocal opposition is building, so is support for their cause via an online petition calling for immediate revocation of the decree.

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Posted under Brazil, General, countries, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel news

By Maureen Valentine

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Found off the coast of southeast Brazil, Ilha do Mel, which means Honey Island, is about as far from life’s chaos as serene nature can get. Hikers, surfers, bird watchers, stargazers and nature lovers alike are in awe of all that this little Atlantic island has to offer. In fact, many agree that Brazil’s most pristine beaches are located right here, where, until the 1970s, the local economy was dominated by fishermen and the lack of traffic spared the land as an ecotourism haven.

As Ilha do Mel is an island of fishermen, this colourful pier is always full of activity. Sampling the abundance of seafood available in the eateries from the daily catches is always a treat.

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Posted under Brazil, countries, local tips, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

On 1 October 2009, Urban Adventures opened a whole new world to travellers yearning to unlock the secrets of some of their favourite urban centres. A global range of city-based tours, Urban Adventures is a franchise-based network of local tour operators specialising in high-quality experiential tour and activity services.

Urban Adventures drop the barriers between visitors and hosts, bringing you in direct contact with the people who give a place its character. Kids in Cambodia are especially expert at making you feel right at home.

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Posted under Brazil, Brunei, General, Greece, Jamaica, Latvia, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Samoa, Turkey, Zambia, local tips, new local connections, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel news, whl.travel newsletter