Rio de Janeiro with a baby....

Rio de Janeiro was the first big city I ever heard about, the first time I heard the name was from my mothers good friend, she lived there with her husband in the early 1980s and every time I saw her I listened to stories about the great exotic far away city that had the biggest carnival in the world. She told me how there were hungry children begging for your left overs outside the restaurant, the big favellas where the police could not set there foot and the biggest brightest carnival in the world. I could not wait to go there myself... 

First time I sat foot in Rio was last year (without a baby on my arm). I got to experience the night life in Lapa, fantastic live samba music until early hours of the morning. Saw Christ Redeemer standing on his mountain watching over the mighty city, surfed on Copacabana, and chilled out on Ipanema.

This time around was different. A baby does not understand that its in one of the greatest cities in the world, my littlebabyexplorer only want to practise walking, standing and playing in the shade. And of course we always put her needs first. So needles to say, most of the tourist attractions would have to wait for another time.

We stayed in Santa Teresa area up in the hills for 4 days before we moved down to the beach. I wanted to see what this arty area of Rio was like, some even call it the "real" Rio. It was awesome! And we picked a perfect time of year to go. (I would NOT recommend going to Rio in high season with a baby, the heat and the crowds would certainly make my baby uneasy!). Loved the little cafes and traditional restaurants, and not to mention the breathtaking view of the city. I thoroughly recommend Hotel Santa Teresa, its a small boutique hotel, with outstanding service and brilliant location. Maybe not the most child friendly hotel I have ever been to, but a definite winner for going on a romantic getaway :)