Brazil, important visitor information

Weather

In the summer months of November to March, it can get extremely hot. Pack light clothes and shirts, but bring jackets if the air-conditioning gets too cold.

Dress Code

Most Brazilians are very stylish in what they wear, although for visitors a shirt and pressed jeans will do nicely.

Business Hours

Usual Brazilian business hours are from 9 am to 7 pm weekdays and 9 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. Shopping centers are open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm. On Sundays, the stores in the malls will only open from 2 pm to 8 pm. Banks are open Monday through Friday, either from 10 am to 4 pm or from 9 am to 3 pm. Many bank ATMs have 24-hour access.

Smoking

Most public buildings are now nonsmoking, as are all long-distance buses and planes. Most establishments such as malls, bars, hotels, and restaurants do not have nonsmoking areas, but always ask first.

Dining

In Brazil, there are four main regional cuisines, which are comida mineira from Minas Gerais, based on pork, vegetables, and tutu, a refried bean used as a thick sauce; comida baiana from Salvador, made up of shellfish, peppers, palm oil, coconut oil, and coriander; comida do sertão from the Northeast, which uses salted meat and beans and tubers of the region; and comida gaúcha from Rio Grande do Sul, where every kind of meat is grilled.

Feijoada can be considered Brazil's national dish, a stew of sausage and pork cooked with garlic and black beans. On weekends, restaurants serve it all day.

Currency

US $1 = R $1.75 (Brazilian Real)

Time Zone

Brazil is split into four time zones: For the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, GMT/UTC minus two hours; the east, northeast, south, and southeast, GMT/UTC minus three hours; in the west, GMT/UTC minus four hours; and the far west, GMT/UTC minus five hours.

Tipping

A 10 percent service charge is included on most restaurant and hotel bills. Taxi drivers do not get tipped, and hairdressers and beauticians are expected to get 10 percent. Bellboys get tipped R $1 (US 33¢) per bag.

Language

Brazilian Portuguese