Good news for spontaneous gringos around the world!
Every year, tourists from the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia learn the hard way, they just can’t hop on a plane with their passport and visit Brazil … until now! Continue reading Travel Visas to Brazil: Americans, Canadians, Japanese, Austrailians
Hook-up bar in the heart of downtown Rio. Continue reading Seven Cruising Bar
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Carnival events in Rio de Janeiro can be placed into one of three categories:
The Scala Rio Gay Ball is a baile (one of its many names is the Baile Gay do Rio Scala.) During Carnival, many balls are held at the Scala Rio nightclub, but they save the best (and most fabulous for last.)
In 2018, The Scala Rio Gay Ball will take place on Tuesday, February 13. Doors open at 11:00PM, but we recommend entering after midnight. There are many blocos nearby in the Cinelândia neighborhood. There are various levels of tickets: one is general admission that gives access to an open-bar and snacks (R$118 = US$35), the others are VIP levels that have full dinner and a separate area (prices vary.)
Some websites offer tickets, but we recommend ordering them through the front desk of your hotel. Any of the hotels on our list of gay-friendly hotels in Rio will be happy to assist!
The Scala Rio nightclub is easily accessible via Metro (the Cinelândia station connects with stops in Copacabana and Ipanema.) Consult our Google Map of gay Rio.
The Scala Rio Gay Ball began as a costume ball, but over the years the rules have loosened. Some attendees pull out all the stops with Vegas showgirl style drag, or full S&M leather gear. Superhero costumes are increasingly popular as well as spooky outfits you might expect for Halloween. Attendees are free to not wear costumes, so throw on a festive hat and you’ll be welcome to join the fun.
If you enter at midnight, the ball will appear a bit lame. The fabulous people are still out partying in the streets. However, if you are with a group, it is a good hour to relax a bit and enjoy the free drinks. You can also watch the red carpet full of travestis in full drag regalia. At the entrance of the Scala Rio nightclub, camera crews will be set up to broadcast the over-the-top drag queens.
The main hall has a DJ and the dance floor can get crowded. Once the live samba band takes the stage, the true feeling of Brazilian carnival takes over. The atmosphere is very friendly, full of Brazilians and tourists looking to have a good time.
The crowd is a mix of ages, but men over 40 will feel very comfortable. Gays who are looking for a circuit party where they can dance until dawn with their shirts off will be much happier at The Week.
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Chill out on the terrace with eclectic Brazilian cocktails and tapas. Continue reading Up Cozinha & Bar
Millions of foreign tourists visit Brazil every year. A large percentage come to celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Others take to the streets of Sao Paulo for the world’s largest gay pride parade.
As a tourist, staying connected to essential travel apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp messenger, and (let’s confess … Grindr) can be difficult, because unlike most countries, Brazil remains a difficult place for foreigners to acquire a SIM card with a mobile data plan. In preparation for World Cup 2014, Brazil’s mobile companies released special packages targeting international visitors. However, after the World Cup games, these are now almost impossible to find.
To help foreign visitors (gay and straight) find the best options, VamosGay researched all of the pre-paid options (also known as pre-pago) available in Brazil via the nation’s four biggest operators: Claro, Oi, TIM, and Vivo.
Factors for deciding the best option for foreigners included:
Details for each operator is listed below, but the clear winner and the provider that we recommend is Claro. Read more about all four below and please leave a comment if you have updated information.
Our first, and most important criterion was the ease of purchasing a SIM card without a CPF (the Brazilian national ID number.) To acquire a Claro SIM card and mobile data plan, just take your passport to any Claro store. You will find one at most airports and shopping centers. Unfortunately, it’s rare to find English-speaking attendants in any of Brazil’s mobile stores. However, Claro and TIM stores located in the tourist centers of the country’s biggest cities are the most likely to have helpful associates who fala inglês.
The Claro team is the friendliest and will most likely direct you to their “Internet Turbinada” plan which delivers 50MB per day for the low price of R$0.99. The deal gets event better with data used by WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter being thrown in for free.
Heavy data users can upgrade to daily packages of 65MB for R$1.29 or 85MB for R$1.99. The SIM card itself from Claro will cost you R$10, but its a powerful 4GMax chip that includes automatic connections to wi-fi hotspots throughout the city.
One downside for tourists: Claro like all Brazilian operators offers no English-language customer support. With that said … go get a Claro SIM card and get online! (And remember, newsstands and grocery stores can sell SIM cards and are convenient places to buy credits, but you should make your initial SIM card purchase at a Claro store since only they can activate your line with your passport.
Beware of the pre-paid plan which does not require a Brazilian national ID … but does require a Brazilian credit card. That’s a nasty surprise for tourists who sit down at an Oi store and start the paperwork with their passports in hand.
There is such a thing as the “Oi Visitor” package. For R$40, the user gets a SIM card and R$30 in free credits. It was a popular option when the World Cup games brought millions of foreigners to Brazil … but now, good luck finding an Oi location which carries it.
Currently, rates for Oi are nearly identical to Claro (R$0.99 per day) but without the perks. For this reason, Claro remains a better option for foreigners.
The only mobile company that didn’t bother targeting World Cup tourists plans to ignore their needs for the Summer Olympics too (as far as we know.) It’s a shame since Vivo offers great service, and used to be available for foreigners without a CPF number ten years ago. However, as of today, Vivo is not an option for international visitors.
Spotty service and shady billing are the hallmarks of one of Brazil’s most popular cellular service companies. TIM mobile gained a huge market share thanks to advertising and its early success offering unlimited calls and messages between TIM customers.
For foreigners, the company offers TIM Visitor, a special SIM card with 1.5GB of download data. The package lasts for 7 days and cost R$24. Like all of the operators listed, add-ons such as international calling and SMS can be added for additional fees. In the case of TIM, international calls are R$1.00 per minute and SMS is $0.50 per message. Despite being a partially European company, contacting Europe via TIM does not deliver any special discount.
Load up your phone with our best apps for gay travel in Latin America, get a cheap Claro SIM card, and have a fun (and safe) time in Brazil. And, don’t forget to make sure your apps are not draining your battery and mobile data. Here are a couple of articles with useful tips … Android and iPhone
Nightlife institution with world-famous theatrical performances. Continue reading Blue Space
World famous Brazilian sauna has it all!
Rua Borges Lagoa 287
São Paulo, Brazil Google map »
Hours: Sun – Thurs 2PM to midnight
Fri 2PM – 2AM and Sat 2PM – 1AM
Hot muscular Brazilian men are the main attraction at Thermas Lagoa, so don’t be timid if you feel like a kid in a candy story at one of the nation’s best gay saunas. Prostitution is legal in Brazil, but before you jump in … sit back and enjoy the show! In fact, many visitors go just to see the live entertainment. Friday nights are particularly a good option to catch the show from 10 to 11PM and still have time to hit a nightclub or two.
The shows are wilder (and gayer) then anything the Chippendales could ever deliver, and the seating is within a few feet of the small stage. Behind the stage, a glass-enclosed shower room gives patrons an eyeful of good clean fun.
After the show, clients and garotos de programa have the option of getting a room, or just relaxing in one Thermas Lagoa’s many areas (steam room, pool, and dry sauna.)
For those concerned with safety, the management knows they have a good thing going and do not tolerate on any sort of criminal activity. Visitors have a locker room separate from the working boys, and the streets outside of Termas Lagoa are quiet and conservative with no indication of what goes on behind closed doors.
Spend the entire day in one of South America’s largest city parks. Continue reading Ibirapuera Park
⛔ 8/28/2017 — After 10 years, one of our favorites has closed its doors. Barão da Itararé, like its phenomenal caipirinhas was good to the last drop.
Continue reading Barão da Itararé
⛔ CLOSED
Trendy, mostly-straight bar attracted the beautiful people and was fun while it lasted. Continue reading Bar 48
