Trying to find a destination to celebrate my 40th birthday in style, somewhere close enough for a short break, but far enough away to avail of good weather and settle my desire for the exotic, I decided on Rio De Janeiro for end of March 2024.

Having booked Air France premium economy, we were delighted when we got an opportunity to upgrade the tickets to business class at the airport for an additional charge. The 11 flight over to Rio was very enjoyable with Air France business being exceptional, I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.

Located on Coco Cabana Beach, I selected our hotel, Pestana Copacabana, for central location, fantastic roof top pool area and a range of rooms to suit those with certain requirements, for example wanting their own room at a reasonable rate or a balcony suite (not an easy task in Rio). This was the perfect hotel for us; I really couldn’t have asked for a better location and suited us perfectly for our five-night stay in Rio. There are panoramic views of Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain as well as easy access out on to the beach, and the roof top bar was a great place to start the evening.

Copacabana Beach has an abundance of local Chiringuito, bars and restaurants to choose from. You will not be disappointed with the people, the food and the hospitality here, whether you want to take in a lazy beach day or party at night with the locals there is always something going on.

A real highlight of the trip was travelling up Sugar Loaf Mountain, we had perfectly clear day and enjoyed a beautiful lunch overlooking the beaches below, with the Christ Redeemer statue in the distance. The Marmoset monkeys joined us for lunch, and it was just absolutely picture perfect. This is also a great place to take a helicopter tour if this is on your bucket list whilst in Rio, or you can enjoy the bars and shopping at the top of the mountain. Our trip out to Christ the Redeemer the following day, we weren’t so lucky with the weather and could barely see in front of us due to fog (see our photo!) The upside of this - we were the only people there, so it was a memorable occasion none the less. It’s a good trip to take out as a combination with the Botanical Gardens. We also rented a catamaran for the day with our own skipper to take us where we wanted to go, when you are ready for lunch a local restaurant will send out waiters on a boat with a menu, ready to take your order and then bring out the food when its ready. A great way to explore the surrounding areas outside of the city. Ipanema is walkable from central Copacabana, also a beautiful beach with a laid-back vibe and great sunsets.

We celebrated our last morning before our evening flight home at the famous Copacabana Palace for brunch. I would highly recommend booking in for this experience, especially for a special occasion… a fabulous end to a whirlwind trip to Rio! Have you a special trip you are planning, or would like some inspiration for? Everything is possible with me as your personal Travel Counsellor – please get in touch for assistance with your travel wish list!