A WEEKEND BREAK WITH A DIFFERENCE

British Airways have recently commenced non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro and recently I was invited to sample this new service. The flights operate three times a week on a Boeing 777.

It is stating the obvious, but the great selling point is the shorter journey time to Rio, now just 11 hours, which is a saving of around 2 to 2 ½ hours on flights that previously touched down in Sao Paulo. Also, the late morning departure time from Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, means that travellers from all over the UK can reach the airport in time without the requirement of an overnight stay close to the airport. The return flight from Rio, just before midnight, means that you can enjoy a reasonably good nights sleep flying back to Heathrow.

In spite of the distance, Rio, for the time being is just 2 hours behind UK time, so there is not a great issue with jet-lag.

This was my 6th visit to Rio, and this was particularly exciting as I stayed at the beautiful Copacabana Palace Hotel, which is part of the Orient-Express Hotels group. Dating from the 1930’s the Copacabana Palace possesses history, style and elegance that no other hotels in Rio can offer. It is to Rio what the Peninsula Hotel is to Hong Kong with its high ceilings, wide corridors, sense of space and supremely turned out staff, some of whom I swear could be supermodels.

The new British Airways flight makes Rio a new destination to enjoy a weekend break with a difference; a surprise for a loved one perhaps, and at this wintry time of year, a break to somewhere warm, where you can enjoy world famous sights, party and relax at the same time. On my 5-night visit, I had plenty of time to re-visit Rio’s famous attractions, such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill (one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), and take the cable-car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain. The cable car ride is perhaps not for everyone and appeared in the James Bond film, ‘Moonraker’. Legend has it that when the cable-car crashed into the station, the cable-car operators insisted that the cable car not be destroyed, even if the station was, so as not to frighten nervous tourists! The views from both Corcovado and Sugar Loaf are superb, and really highlight the natural attractions surrounding Rio; the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon; also Botafogo and Flamenco; the lagoon close to Ipanema; offshore islands; Guanabara Bay; the city of Niteroi and the mountain ranges where the emperors used to retreat to in the summer to avoid the heat of Rio.

In the evening, I enjoyed a night at Rio Scenarium, in the heart of Lapa. Initially, I felt this 3-storey building was perhaps a little touristy, but as the night wore on, the place filled up with locals, eager to dance the night away to the sound of excellent local musicians. If the locals go there, you know it must be good. A very late Saturday night there allowed me a lazy Sunday, doing what I enjoy so much about Rio – a Sunday stroll along the beaches of Copacabana all the way to Leblon. Sundays is when the ‘carioacas’ take to the beaches. The carriageway closest to the beach is closed, and people of all ages, shapes and backgrounds take this opportunity to stroll, jog, ride their bikes, skateboard, rollerblade, powerwalk – you name it! You’re never quite sure who will pass you next. It is very relaxing and being so flat, an easy walk.

So if you want a break from not only our gloomy English weather, but also the gloom surrounding the economic situation in the UK every day, then for a refreshing time, fly down to Rio!