The spoken language in Brazil is Portuguese, however Spanish and English are also widely used in the cities.
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The Brazilian monetary unit is the real (BRL), plural reais. There are 100 centavos to the real and notes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and BRL100. The U.S. dollar is also welcome in most tourist establishments. In the main cities foreign currencies and travelers checks can be exchanged at banks or cambios. There is an extensive network of ATMs in the country and most major international credit cards are accepted.
It's advisable to carry both reais and dollars on your Brazil flights. Some taxi drivers only take reais and tipping at hotels and restaurants is ideal in reais.
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The international access code for Brazil is +55. The outgoing code depends on what network is used (e.g. 0014 for Brasil Telecom), which is followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 00211 for the U.S.). The area code for Brasilia is 61, but the access code to make a call within the country from another area also depends on what network is used (e.g. (014)61 for Brasil Telecom). GSM 900and 1800 mobile phone networks cover the main cities, and phones are available to rent. Internet cafes are widely available. Every town has a central telephone office called a Posto Telefonico, from where long distance calls can be made, and public phone booths are everywhere, operated by phone cards. For cheaper calls, visitors can connect to an operator at home and place a credit card or collect call. Sending mail overseas is expensive, but the postal system is generally reliable and airmail usually takes up to a week.
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Nearly all hotels add a service charge to the bill, usually 10 percent. Most restaurants also add 10 percent or more to the total of the bill, but must make it clear that they have done so; waiters appreciate another five per cent if their service has been good. Brazilians don't normally tip taxi drivers, except if they handle bags, although they may round up the total. Hotel staff expect small tips and most services expect 10-15 percent.
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Brazil is politically stable with no natural enemies and no terrorist activities. In metropolitan areas, however, petty crime is a fact of life. Rio in particular is regarded as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world and, although violent crime is generally limited to the slum areas, foreign businessmen and tourists are advised to take precautions. Visitors should not attempt to visit slum areas unless on a guided tour. However, violent crime is on the increase due to the establishment of drug and criminal gangs around Rio and Sao Paulo. Muggings, often involving firearms, are high and visitors should avoid wearing jewelry and expensive watches, dress down and conceal cameras. Valuables should be deposited in hotel safes. The threat of personal attack is lower outside the main urban centers, but incidents do occur, and women should be aware that sexual assaults have been reported in coastal holiday destinations. Beware of unofficial taxis and those with blacked-out windows and be particularly careful on public transport in Rio, Recife and Salvador. Travellers to Sao Paulo should be cautious, as attacks by the PCC are being directed primarily against civilian targets, including banks, supermarkets and public transport.
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A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for those traveling to rural areas and parts of Sao Paulo and Parana. Those traveling from infected areas require a yellow fever certificate. Typhoid and Hepatitis A immunisation is also recommended. Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria are prevalent and insect protection is strongly advised. Malaria exists below 2,953ft in most rural areas, and outbreaks of Dengue fever occur frequently. Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, is widespread in rural areas of Brazil. Until recently infection was believed to be from insect bites only, but an outbreak in March 2005 that has caused three deaths in Santa Catarina was traced to the ingestion of sugar cane juice contaminated with the faeces of vector insects,and in the north east further cases were linked to the ingestion of juice from the acai fruit; visitors are advised to seek medical advice urgently if any of the symptoms occur (fever, nausea, muscle aches and pains and/or swelling at the site of the insect bite). Sao Paulo has also reported an increase in the contagious Rotavirus for July and August 2006, which causes fever, vomiting and severediarrhea for which medical help should be sought. Tap water is heavily treated resulting in a strong chemical taste; bottled water is, however, freely available for drinking purposes. Milk in rural areas is not pasteurised. Travellers are advised to take along medication for travelers' diarrhea. Hospitals in the major citiesare fairly good, but medical costs are high and medical insurance is strongly recommended.
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Brazil has a variety of electrical voltages, sometimes within the same city, the better hotels offer 220 volts. If not, transformers are available in electrical stores. Outlets often accept a variety of plug types but the two-pin type is standard.
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