I recently visited Brazil, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a trip, as it’s been number one on my list for as long as I can remember.

We flew with Tam airlines from London Heathrow, the entertainment and seat pitch was great however the food was a little lacking. We did speak to a rep for TAM who said the majority of the planes are having a refurbishment and they are also introducing new routes from Europe to South America, which I think will be great for the airline.
Our first stop was Salvador which is in North-Eastern Brazil. Salvador and the surrounding area has so much to offer.
On arrival we drove straight up to Praia do Forte which is around an hour away from Salvador City and historical centre Pelourinho. Praia do forte has some wonderful hotels and beaches, we visited the Tivoli Eco Resort which I was really impressed with, the rooms are beautifully decorated and each terrace/balcony comes with a hammock which I thought was a nice touch. The property caters for all ages, there are sections which are ‘adults only’ and then there are the more family orientated pools and there’s a massive kids club. The hotel is on a lovely stretch of beach just 5 minutes’ walk away from Praia do forte village.
After visiting the eco resort we drove back Salvador and checked in at the Bahia Othon Palace where we stayed for two nights. This property is located in the newer area of ‘Ondina’. It is more of a city hotel however it is on the coastline so there are some great views. It is a great base for exploring as it’s very close to the area of Barra (pronounced Baha), which is where the famous carnival is held every year. It’s also really close to Salvador old town. The staff were very welcoming and were on hand to offer advice if needed.
We spent a couple of hours relaxing at the hotel after our long flight. Then we went to a traditional Bahia show in the old town called Balé Folclórico da Bahia. I would highly recommend this show, it’s set in a very small theatre down a cobbled side street in Pelourinho. The show focuses on two main areas, Candomble and Capoeira, which were created by African descendants but is native to Brazil. Candomble focuses on worshipping African Gods but incorporating Catholicism. Capoeira is a form of martial arts, very fast paced to music.

The next day we had an early start as we had two back-to-back half day tours, the first was a more historical tour starting in Barra at the Fort Santo Antonio da Barra which was built in the 1500s. It is one of many forts which overlook the bay.
We then visited the Bonfim Church, built by a sailor who was almost killed in a storm when he arrived into Brazil, he built the church as a token of appreciation for surviving. It is believed by many that the church has healing powers, so many come here if they have medical issues, there is a healing room when people have been cured of their ailments they send gifts in, mainly wax limbs which is very strange but also really interesting to see.
We then went for lunch at a lovely Brazilian restaurant and had a traditional dish of Bahia called ‘Moqueca’, which is a fish stew, it was beautiful, by far the best meal I had whilst in Brazil and as a massive steak lover that’s saying something!
After lunch we did a walking tour of Old town Salvador (Pelourinho), we walked through the 5 main squares admiring the character and colour, we visited three churches from different eras all with different influences, we also had a fantastic panoramic view of the bay, and It was great to drive through different districts of Salvador, it is so diverse.
In the evening we had dinner at the Villa Bahia which is in the centre of the old town. It has just 17 bedrooms and had the feel of colonial mansion. It’s a beautiful property, the food was amazing and the location was also great for sightseeing around Pelourinho. A great way to top off two wonderful days in the Vibrant Salvador.
If I was to visit this area again I would try and stay in Praia do forte and then arrange city tours and trips to Salvador, as then you have the best of both worlds, a wonderful 4/5-star beach front property which you can mix up then with tours to the city and Barra.
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best ever booking experience, came straight back with prices and details. If the holiday is as good we'll be back,
We have been booking our holidays through Nick at Eshores for quite a few years now and our trips have always been very well organised, Nicks attention to detail is spot on, he knows what types of locations we love, and we trust his opinions and suggestions. That’s the reason we’ve just booked two more…
Many thanks again to Kadie for sorting our holiday. This is the second time and very happy to return for help again after the totally amazing trip she arranged to Vietnam. One small blip on accommodation at one resort last time but eShores staff responded quickly and everything was easily sorted. Highly recommend eShores to…
This is the second time using e-Shores and we can't recommend them highly enough. Emily, who we've worked with on both occasions, is extremely professional, knowledgeable, diligent and has made great suggestions. The process of getting quotes, booking and making payments has been painless and I'd say we will be regular cuatomers going forward.
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We travelled with eShores to Andalucia last year, and Emily did an amazing job of compiling an itinerary with good but affordable hotels - we would heartily recommend each one that she chose for us, and all the arrangements between cities worked beautifully. This year we have gone back to her for another holiday and…
This is my second holiday with eshore. The service I received was excellent. Kelly was very professional, understood all my requirements and booked a fantastic holiday for us. It was a very pleasant experience dealing with Kelly and definitely recommend friends to book holidays with her. A real 5 star service.
As always, our go-to girl came through with a fab itinerary for our very last minute booking to USA. Kadie arranged another 3 city break and made sure everything fitted in with our requirements. Always use eShores for our bespoke long distance travels and they never fail to provide excellent service.
eShores is a fantastic company for crafting tailor made itineraries. I have just booked my fourth trip with them, this time to Colombia. Gavin was exceptionally helpful and nothing was too much trouble in meeting my wishes even though it requred a lot of back and forth adjustments. If this is anything like my previous…
Matt Got us everything we wanted for our USA trip
I have yet to take the holiday so I can't comment on the hotels and transport provided etc but Nick was very helpful with the booking. Despite me asking numerous questions he sorted out exactly what I asked for within my budget. Thank you
So far our experience with eShores has been great. Of course the real test will be when we are on holiday so hopefully this will continue :)
Nick did exactly what I asked for, was prompt and helpful. Couldn't have asked for anything more.
We had been recommended eshores by a friend who had holidayed in Croatia. We phoned and then used email to communicate with Chris Eaves who made the whole process very easy. He adjusted the holiday to exactly how we wanted it and was very speedy in his replies. We are hoping the holiday goes as…
The trip has been planned with our requirements fulfilled and also given options to change where we wanted. Looking forward to the trip and hope that all goes as smoothly as the booking side
So this is my second time using eshores and I won’t be going anywhere else to book my future holidays. I gave Claire a horrible job in finding what I needed and kept changing the brief but she persevered and found me the best holiday. I’m going in September and can’t wait. I’ll be back…
Excellent prompt service from Michelle. Hotels she suggested all look amazing and the itinerary for the four areas of Italy looked perfectly planned .
Nick was very understanding in as much as we did flex the itinerary quite a bit before booking and we have a holiday package which more than meets our needs.
Great and friendly customer service from Andy, as before. Andy always goes out of his way to find a holiday that matches our requirements.
Excellent service again from Dave. Having booked with e shores on a number of occasions they now understand our parameters. Price, days types of hotels etc.