I recently visited Brazil, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a trip, as it’s been number one on my list for as long as I can remember.
We flew with Tam airlines from London Heathrow, the entertainment and seat pitch was great however the food was a little lacking. We did speak to a rep for TAM who said the majority of the planes are having a refurbishment and they are also introducing new routes from Europe to South America, which I think will be great for the airline.
Our first stop was Salvador which is in North-Eastern Brazil. Salvador and the surrounding area has so much to offer.
On arrival we drove straight up to Praia do Forte which is around an hour away from Salvador City and historical centre Pelourinho. Praia do forte has some wonderful hotels and beaches, we visited the Tivoli Eco Resort which I was really impressed with, the rooms are beautifully decorated and each terrace/balcony comes with a hammock which I thought was a nice touch. The property caters for all ages, there are sections which are ‘adults only’ and then there are the more family orientated pools and there’s a massive kids club. The hotel is on a lovely stretch of beach just 5 minutes’ walk away from Praia do forte village.
After visiting the eco resort we drove back Salvador and checked in at the Bahia Othon Palace where we stayed for two nights. This property is located in the newer area of ‘Ondina’. It is more of a city hotel however it is on the coastline so there are some great views. It is a great base for exploring as it’s very close to the area of Barra (pronounced Baha), which is where the famous carnival is held every year. It’s also really close to Salvador old town. The staff were very welcoming and were on hand to offer advice if needed.
We spent a couple of hours relaxing at the hotel after our long flight. Then we went to a traditional Bahia show in the old town called Balé Folclórico da Bahia. I would highly recommend this show, its set in a very small theatre down a cobbled side street in Pelourinho. The show focuses on two main areas, Candomble and Capoeira, which were created by African descendants but is native to Brazil. Candomble focuses on worshipping African Gods but incorporating Catholicism. Capoeira is a form of martial arts, very fast paced to music.
The next day we had an early start as we had two back to back half day tours, the first was a more historical tour starting in Barra at the Fort Santo Antonio da Barra which was built in the 1500’s. It is one of many forts which overlook the bay.
We then visited the Bomfim Church, built by a sailor who was almost killed in a storm when he arrived into Brazil, he built the church as a token of appreciation for surviving. It is believed by many that the church has healing powers, so many come here if they have medical issues, there is a healing room when people have been cured of their ailments they send gifts in, mainly wax limbs which is very strange but also really interesting to see.
We then went for lunch at a lovely Brazilian restaurant and had a traditional dish of Bahia called ‘Moqueca’, which is a fish stew, it was beautiful, by far the best meal I had whilst in Brazil and as a massive steak lover that’s saying something!
After lunch we did a walking tour of Old town Salvador (Pelourinho), we walked through the 5 main squares admiring the character and colour, we visited three churches from different eras all with different influences, we also had a fantastic panoramic view of the bay, and It was great to drive through different districts of Salvador, it is so diverse.
In the evening we had dinner at the Villa Bahia which is in the centre of the old town. It has just 17 bedrooms and had the feel of colonial mansion. It’s a beautiful property, the food was amazing and the location was also great for sightseeing around Pelourinho. A great way to top off two wonderful days in the Vibrant Salvador.
If I was to visit this area again I would try and stay in Praia do forte and then arrange city tours and trips to Salvador, as then you have the best of both worlds, a wonderful 4/5 star beach front property which you can mix up then with tours to the city and Barra.
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Have used eshores for over 12 years for bespoke holidays and can honestly say every single holiday has been faultless.. we have had the pleasure of assistance from Emma since 2014 and will continue to use them for our holiday needs.. Emma has recently just booked us flights and a car to Florida as we…
Have used EShores on 6 major holiday trips since 2023 and wouldn’t dream of using anyone else. Our travel consultant (Emma) is amazing. Nothing is too much trouble to her and she is a pleasure to deal with.
I am so pleased I found this company. I was struggling to book a touring holiday myself. Rob has been very helpful and we have now planned and booked our holiday. Thoroughly recommend.
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Dealing with Michelle, she was patient polite and nothing too much trouble. All question and adapting our holiday she never appeared phased . Mixhelle is the reason I booked with Eshores she isca star and is customer aware . Brilliant Service
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Claire at eShores has been so helpful in researching for us to ba able to book a tailor made holiday to Thailand for Jan 2027. We were looking for a bit of everything from a few days in fast paced Bangkok,sightseeing for a few days in Chiang Mai followed by a week in Phuket for…
We have used Eshores for the past 15 months since we have started travelling again and booked several holidays with them. We feel that we have our own personal travel agent ie Chris who has got to know us snd our needs. I would highly recommend this company for their personal touch, advice and excellent…
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Kelly, our trip advisor was very good in changing anything we suggested to make our trip special, replied to any questions in a very short time after requesting them and always polite with any queries.
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This is the first time ive used eshores and Daves help was great. We gave him an idea of our itinerary and he pulled something together really quickly. The cost was considerably cheaper than a quote we received from another company so we were delighted. Roll on June 2027
We have recently booked our third trip with eShores having used them for the first time last year to organise a mini Greek Island hopping holiday - we had a wonderful time and things went very smoothly. The Travel Consultant we were fortunate enough to first contact is Kadie and she has assisted us with…
Over the last 3 years, Kadie has booked our Thailand and Australia trips and now our New Zealand trip for 2027. She has been absolutely amazing putting together our itinerary (for 4 people with different requirements) and booking all 3 trips. She has taken all the stress out of booking flights, accommodation, transfers, car hire…
We have dealt with dave felton on many occasions, he has always been extremey helpful, giving us several choices of hotels and destinations. He will always make sure you are happy with everthing. Would highly recomend him and his team.
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Many thanks to Emma at eshores ,her knowledge and very helpful manner were a big part of us using them as our holiday consultants.
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