Rio De Janeiro, one of the top tourist destination cities in the world

If you haven't been to Rio de Janeiro, go. Trust me, just go. If you need more persuasion I'll do my best to do justice to this amazing city.  I have, fallen head over heels for Rio de Janeiro, its people, its vibrance, the food, the beaches, the climate and the views, oh, the views.

View from Christo Redentor to Pao de Asucar

We had six days here and I'm not going to diarise day by day, we saw so much, did so much and still leave behind a list of things we didn't do as long as the one we did. I always try to arrive somewhere new with as few expectations as possible, places are never quite what you imagine but somewhere as well photographed and as famous as Rio challenges this. The big ticket items, Sugarloaf (Pao de Asucar), Christ the Redeemer (Christo Redentor) and Copocabana are so well documented you can close your eyes and picture them before you get here.

We stayed in the bohemian hillside barrio of Santa Teresa, away from the most popular beachside suburbs of Copocabana and Ipanema where most visitors stay. We chose Santa Teresa partly on price and partly as it's laid back, chilled out reputation suits us better. We couldn't have made a better choice, Villa Leonor was a home away from home for a week with stunning city views and a very laid back vibe.

Villa Leonor, Santa Teresa

The stairs back up the hill were hard work after a night out in the vibrant samba party barrio of Lapa.  It seems every night is party night in Lapa, dancing in the streets, great weekend night markets selling good cheep food and bargain drinks to revellers out on the streets.

Vibrant street art, Lapa

The Centro area has a reputation for being quiet and a bit rough at the weekend and it makes sense to stay away from anywhere that is quiet in a big city. During the week though it is a typical busy business district with a wonderful feel to it, busy but still with the laid back South American feel that nobody is in too much of a rush. There are plenty of museums and art galleries, including currently a Salvador Dali exhibition at the Banco de Brazil cultural centre, so Sao Paulo doesn't have claim to all Brazil's culture. There are plenty of street side restaurants selling good value Executivo lunches to keep you fuelled.

So what of the big ticket items? Unlike most people we preferred Copocabana to Ipanema, it's wide boulevards and long curved beach are simply stunning, it offers a better range of beachside cafes and seems to revel in it's own take me as I am brashness where Ipanema tries to be the cool fashionable area, scenicaly possibly nicer but architecturally, not as attractive for us.

lively, brash, stunning Copacabana

Having lived away from Europe for so long it was amusing to see hawkers selling food, drink and souvenirs and vendors with their patch hiring deckchairs and sun shades. Great fun to see but I can't imagine these commercial activities on New Zealand beaches!

Observing the football kick abouts it was hard to know if this was a normal level of activity or World Cup related.

Kick about on Ipanema beach, count the balls

Visiting Christ the Redeemer or Christo Redentor using the tourist train provides amazing views and is a fun ride, the train is well serviced by local buses so there is no need to use a tour to get there.  We'd kept an eye on the weather forecast to get the clearest skies possible, for us a priority that trumped the recommendation not to go at the weekend to avoid the crowds.  Christ himself is the largest art deco statue in the world and is stunning, a marvelous piece of architecture overlooking a stunning city scape on one of the most spectacular harbours imaginable.

Christo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer

The views towards Pao de Asucar are breathtaking, and you can see why these views are some of the world's most famous.

Pao de Asucar or Sugarloaf

Bearing in mind we are here for the World Cup, the view over Estadio Maracana, one of the worlds top iconic sports stadia is quite spectacular.

Estadio Maracana

Views from Pao de Asucar are equally spectacular, as is the cable car ride up there, and the perspective on the city is so different I highly recommend doing both viewpoints.

There were plenty of football fans impressed by the England training camp and strained views of the team training far below. Being with so many fans of different countries it was clear the city was really getting into party mode.

Not a bad spot for some pre tournament training

Transport around Rio is easy. Apart from our taxi from the bus station that on arrival let's give him the benefit of the doubt and accept his reasoning for the long circuitous route as 'avoiding traffic' it couldn't be smoother.  Buses are easy to come by, operate a fixed fare per ride and go to all areas of the city. The metro, though a bit of a walk from our hostel is even better, clean, frequent, cheap and completely safe.  It is a city with everything, art, culture, bars and restaurants as well as spectacular beaches, chill out, explore or party the night away.  If there is a city that offers more to tourists than Rio de Janiero I haven't been there yet.

Estadio Maracana World Cup final venue 1950 and 2014, Flagged for Enzo