I booked a cheap flight for myself and six others with Iberia Airlines to South America on www.travelnet.ie by Barter Travel. We flew from Dublin to Madrid and stayed in Madrid for one night, you collect your vouchers for the Transfers and Hotel at the airport and it is totally hassle free.

We booked a cheap hotel in Madrid – Diana Hotel which was about 15 minutes drive from Madrid Airport, the hotel was fine and there was lots of small outlets within the hotel,( ie. Pubs, restaurants) we found one little pub in the hotel grounds that stayed open for us until 4am.

The flight from Madrid to Brazil went by fairly quickly, before landing the Captain warned us that there would be a delay with luggage because everything had to be x rayed, by the time we all got out of the Airport, nearly two hours had elapsed. I booked the cheap transfers with Barter Travel and they were great, the poor guy was waiting for over two hours for us and he didn’t moan once.

We stayed in The Porta Bay Rio Intercontinental Hotel on Copacabana Beach and the hotel was just fabulous, all rooms had a sea view, side or facing. We were giving wine on arrival as a welcome drink and the staff couldn’t be more helpful, all spoke English.

The Breakfast room was the best I have ever seen, all glass windows facing the Beach and the food was really good, loads of choice.

The hotel had a swimming pool on the roof, again facing the beach and at the side of us the Statue of Christ the Redeemer.

We didn’t arrive at the hotel until 1am but the staff kept the bar open so another late night.

The following morning we all decided to visit the statue of Christ. We got a taxi from the hotel to Corcovado Mountain (very cheap) from there we took the Tram up to the statue, the Tram goes through the only Urban rainforest in the world with breathtaking views. There are quite a few steps up to the statue, but lifts and escalators are available.

We took a few snaps and had our lunch up there. So cheap.

That evening we went to a local restaurant on the beach front, loads of the locals come around singing and selling different things, we had starters, main meal and loads of wine, the bill was only 25.00 euros each.

Before going to Rio, we talked about going to the Favelas (shanty Towns). The guide books tell you to keep away but we wanted to see the other side of Brazil. We booked the trip through our hotel and it cost around 30.00 euros per person, tourist trips are quite expensive, an open top jeep picked us up from the hotel with a driver and guide who spoke English. We were brought straight up to the Favelas, we had a few butterflies in the belly as we approached because as soon as we entered two guys on walkie talkies started radioing down to let whoever it was on the other end know that we were there and when the guide said we were getting out and walking we nearly lost the plot, but everything was fine, we got a dance lesson from a market trader selling CDs and we were able to buy local  crafts. We got taken into one of the houses and even though they look horrendous from the outside they were spotless inside and the views all around them were spectacular. We got back into the jeep and drove all around and people were just shouting out hello as we passed.

After the Favelas we were taken to the national park which was called Tijuca and it was absolutely fantastic, waterfalls and wildlife all around. We spent a good few hours here before heading back to the hotel. That night we decided to visit Shenanigans Irish pub in Ipanema they had a live band and it was full of tourists from America, Ireland and England, a lot of  bars that serve food give you a piece of paper with the entire menu of food and drinks, you keep this with you all night and every time you order something they mark it off, and at the end of the night you just pay at the till before leaving, its all waitress service so it would be hard  to lose the menu list. The food is mainly burgers, ribs and pasta but really cheap and tasty. The bar has a balcony at the front where you can go out and have a cigarette because the smoking ban is in over there. On a Sunday there is a market on all day right in front of the pub. For our meal and cocktails all night the bill came to 35.00 euros each.

The next day we decided to lounge about on Copacabana Beach, temperature was early 30s. The hotel provided sun loungers on the beach and the guys giving them out also kept watch over you. Locals come around singing and selling stuff all day but they are not one bit pushy, if you say no they just tell you to have a good day. In the afternoon we shopped in the local market for presents, the market was only a minute walk form our hotel and it is on from Friday to Monday all day and night.

That night, which was a Monday, we went into a Brazilian Restaurant in Rio and the place was jam packed, they had a live band and the place was hopping, Brazilians really know how to have a good time. Again we had a meal and Cocktails all night, and still the bill was only 25.00 euros each.

Tuesday was our last day in Copacabana, some of the Guys went off on a Helicopter ride around The Statue of Christ and Rio, for an eight minute spin it was around 50.00 euros, the rest of us lazed by the pool for the day. That evening we went for an Italian meal and again dirt cheap, we didn’t want to have a late night because we were catching a flight from Rio to Argentina the next day.

Brazilian money is a closed currency so we had to spend the surplus in the Airport, if you buy something from the duty free they give you change in American Dollars, but other shops in the Airport give you Brazilian Real back.

Our transfer was waiting for us in Buenos Aires and the first thing we noticed was how cold it was, again the transfer was with Barter Travel and no problem what so ever.

We stayed in the Ameriano in Buenos Aires, four star hotel on BB basis, great spot central to everything. We had an Irish bar across the road and the food was really good and really cheap, no Irish owner though.

The first night we just went over to the Irish bar for something to eat, the food and drink was even cheaper in Buenos Aires, there was a live band playing and no hurry to get you out.

The next day we went on a walking tour to take in the city sites and did the most important thing, looked for the shopping area. Leather is cheap in Argentina and there are plenty of shops trying to pull you in.

In the evening we went to a really nice Steak Restaurant, I thought I was going to come home with mad cows disease I ate so much steak, it is absolutely lovely, really tender, they don’t give you one piece, you get two, for a two course meal with Champagne and wine it was only 25.00 euros per person.

The following day we walked down to the Falklands Memorial, this was only a ten minute walk from our hotel, the memorial has a 24 hour guard manned by two soldiers, an eternal flame burns over an image of the Islands , the memorial is facing the Torre Monumental, previously known as The British Clock Tower, a gift from British Citizens who worked on the railway.

Ten minutes further up the same road we arrived at the City of The Dead where Eva Peron is buried. We didn’t stay long here, outside there is a big Market selling anything from clothes to crafts and in the surrounding area there are loads of really nice Restaurants where you can sit outside and have a coffee, like Brazil the smoking ban is there too.

That night we went to a Tango show which was held in the oldest Tea House in Buenos Aires, it was 10.00 euros per person to see the show, you could also have a meal here. The show was held in the basement part of the building, it was like some old speakeasy from the 1930s in America, upstairs there  was a huge restaurant, smaller shows went on here, it was real old Argentina and we had a great night.

The following day we took another tour in, visiting The Balcony of La Casa Rosada the Presidential Palace where Eva Peron gave her final farewell speech before she died, the palace is bright pink so it would be hard to miss.

We also visited The La Boca area, you are told not to visit this area after dark, this is where Maradona comes from, the National Football stadium is here and it is also the Birthplace of Tango.

Brazil and Argentina is a great combination, beach and city. It’s expensive to get to but your money goes a long way once you are there.

The language in Brazil is Portuguese but a lot of people speak English, in Argentina the local language is Spanish and hardly anyone speaks English. When you leave Buenos Aires airport you have to pay departure airport tax, this is about 6 euros per person. When you purchase anything in Argentina the shop owners ask you for your passport number, this is because when you are at the airport you can claim the tax back but be prepared to wait because the queues are very long.

All in all I would totally recommend the two destinations.