TravelStories Episode 17: Annual Guys Trip to Rio

Annual Guys Trip to Rio

Episode 17: Show Notes.

We’ve recently returned from our second annual guys trip, and we’re feeling “Braziliant!” Last year, we headed to Manila, and this time we spent the weekend in Rio de Janeiro. This trip had a few “firsts” for us, including Tom’s first time flying United Polaris and both of our first times flying Air Canada. When traveling, there’s usually a trade-off between time and money, and for this vacation, we were willing to fork out a little bit of extra cash to enhance our experiences, and it was well worth it! From the pros and cons of our outward and homeward bound trips, to the night we closed all the bars in our vicinity, to the jam-packed day of sightseeing that was made all the more memorable thanks to our private tour guide, tune in today to hear why Rio is definitely a place that we will be visiting again (and again!). 

Key Points From This Episode:

  • [00:55] How our recent guys trip to Rio de Janeiro came about. 
  • [02:04] Our experience of the Polaris Lounge.
  • [04:48] The plane that flew us to Rio.  
  • [06:28] Why we refer to this trip as “A Tale of Two Flight Attendants.”
  • [09:02] Pros and cons of São Paulo International Airport. 
  • [14:04] Money-saving hacks to use when traveling in Brazil.
  • [16:07] Advantages of staying at the JW Marriott Copacabana Hotel in Rio. 
  • [19:36] The night where we closed down all the bars in our vicinity.
  • [20:37] Benefits of taking a Viator tour when you are visiting a new city and the sites that our guide took us to. 
  • [26:47] Brazil’s national cocktail. 
  • [28:32] Why we opted for the premium tickets for our Sugarloaf excursion. 
  • [31:13] The atmosphere at the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro and how it compared to our time at the JW Marriott.
  • [33:54] An overview of our homeward-bound trip on Air Canada.
  • [39:12] Why Rio is a perfect weekend destination. 

Quotes:

“I called this flight, ‘The Tale of Two Flight Attendants.’” — @TktweetsKim [6:28]

“We closed down the lounge, then we closed down the rooftop bar, then we closed down the lobby bar, and then we went across the street to a beach bar and closed that down.” — @TktweetsKim [19:46]

“You can either trade time or money. This was definitely a trip where we really did trade money to get a better experience and to better be able to leverage our limited time in Rio.” — @tmount [21:40]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

United Polaris

JW Marriott Copacabana Hotel

Viator

Christ the Redeemer

Sugarloaf

Escadaria Selarón

Moonraker

Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro

Air Canada

Thomas Kim on X

Trevor Mountcastle on X

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