Salvador, Brazil City Travel Information
Salvador is world famous for its wild Carnaval celebration.
City Description:
Salvador is a beachside city located in the Bahia state of Brazil. Salvador is famous for its annual Carnaval celebration that is renowned for being the wildest one in Brazil. Salvador is also one of the best places to see Brazilian "afro" culture, thanks to the strong African influence there.
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City Highlights:
If Salvador is known for one thing, it is Carnaval. Having experienced it there firsthand, I learned if you really want to party your ass off, Salvador is the place to be. Be prepared to spend some serious cash though.
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City Lowlights:
The food in Salvador started to gross me out after a couple days. The only cheap eats I was able to find were crappy hamburger shops and pay by the kilo places that sold food that didn't sit too well in the stomach. I was with some other people, and they all felt the same way about the food after a couple of days. Trust me, I am not a picky eater. It seemed like the only way you could get a nice, healthy meal was to cook it yourself (I didn't have a kitchen in my hostel) or pay for an expensive restaurant. Salvador did have some great meat kabobs and fresh fruit juices however.
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Restaurants:
If cheap hamburgers and sandwiches are your thing, then you will be in heaven in Salvador. There seems to be a cheap hamburger shop in every corner. Bear in mind though, these hamburgers won't be anything like the ones in the USA with really thin patties. Besides that, there are plenty pay by the kilo shops where you get a plate, load it up with food and weigh it at the end to see how much it costs. They come in varying qualities. If you want to find a healthy meal though you will have to cook it yourself or pay a ton of money at an expensive place.I am sure there are some cheap healthy eats out there, but I couldn't find them. By the time I left Salvador, I felt like someone who had eaten only fast food for a week, which means I felt like shit. Some super tasty food though is the meat kabobs you can find being sold on the streets as well as the fresh juices you can get in most eateries.
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Nightlife:
Salvador has a great nightlife scene. In the historic "Pelourino" area you can find many cheap sidewalk bars that you can enjoy a beer at while people watching or enjoying live music. In the "Barra" area which is right on the beach, you can find many more upscale bars and clubs to visit. The best thing about partying in Salvador is that most of the bars and clubs don't charge very much for drinks. Plus, people are super friendly in Salvador so you shouldn't have any problem making friends. Be wary of pickpockets however.
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Public Transport:
Getting around Salvador is very easy thanks to a well connected bus system. However, if you want to get somewhere in a hurry, you can always hire an inexpensive taxi and the nice thing is that here in Salvador they use the meter so you don't have to negotiate a price beforehand.
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The People:
Upon arriving in Salvador you'll notice a much stronger influence of African culture and amount of people than you would in the southern cities of Brazil like in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Here in Salvador, you get a great chance to see some "Afro" culture with the lively music and people. Like all of Brazil, the locals in Salvador are beyond hospitable and friendly.
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Sights:
Most of the historic sites of Salvador are concentrated in the Pelourino area of the city. There you can find many old churches, monuments and a couple historic sites that Brazilians would only recognize. Salvador also has a great beach worth checking out the Barra area of the city.
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My Thoughts on this City:
I thought Salvador was an awesome city that threw one crazy ass Carnaval party. On a normal day though, you have plenty of historic sites to visit, a nice beach to lounge about at and some really nice locals to meet. The one downer about Salvador in my opinion would be the food. The only cheap eats I could find were crappy hamburgers which seem to be all over the place (although they do have some great meat kabobs).
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