Do you go down to the beach via ladder, or just sit on the cliff and get lulled into a trance with with rhythm of the waves? Or just come back again tomorrow? Ahhh choices.....

The Santa Teresa district is a tangle of cobblestone streets and crumbling landmarks perched above the city. It’s undergoing a renaissance thanks to anchors such as the restored Hotel Santa Teresa and the working-class eatery Bar do Mineiro. The latter lures diners with its feijoada (bean and mixed meat stew).

Rio has never been busier. The city is building up and out for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Part of a massive port facelift, the Museum of Art of Rio opens later this year. But in colonial bairros, such as Santa Teresa, fresh paint hasn’t changed the carioca spirit. This appeared in the September, 2012 issue.

Beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema are justifiably famous, but city insiders head southwest to Prainha for some of the area’s best surf and views. Join locals at Restaurante Bira for fish stewed in coconut milk or for an after-surf caipirinha while watching the waves. 55/(0) 21-2410-8304. This appeared in the September, 2012 issue.

While hiking along a waterfall in the national nature reserve, we came across a naturally formed infinity pool where the waterfall gathered itself for a long plunge into a green canyon below.

The charming colonial town of Paraty is a must-see destination in Brazil... Why? Luxurious boutique hotel, Pousada Da Ouro, (http://pousadaouro.com.br/eng/home.html) is the perfect transition from rough and tumble Rio to languid luxury in Paraty. The grounds and staff effortlessly take care of anything and everything you could possibly desire. Boutiques... Stolling along the cobblestones, you'll find the most amazing boutiques with tasteful (i.e. not cheap and tacky) handicrafts, cozy cafes, and candlelit seafood restaurants. Without a doubt, the best MOQUECA DE CAMARAO around is at ARPOADOR restaurant. If you don't know what this is, then you are in for a treat. Just order it. You'll thank me. And lastly, Cachaca. If you've had a Caipirinha, then you're already familiar with this sweet, seductive substance, whether you know it or not. And in Paraty, you have to stop at the Cachaçaria Cana Caiana for what is arguably the world's biggest and best collection of cachaca. After sampling the goods, just remember to ask for a late checkout:)

While in Rio you must go to Sugarloaf Mountain. It has beautiful views of the entire city. I went on a day that was misty and cloudy and was a little disappointed that I couldn't see the Christ the Redeemer statue from the mountain, but soon the wind started to blow and the clouds started to move and the statue stood among the clouds. It was beautiful and I ended up being happy it wasn't a crystal clear day.

Leaving Rio de Janeiro without knowing the Arpoador beach is almost a sin. Between Copacabana and Ipanema, this beach is mostly known for being one of the best surfing spots in Rio de Janeiro. It was also here that I saw how elders look so young. Short, tall, think, fat, white, black, they all have that healthy and good life look. Is it a Cristo Redentor age miracle? The rocks at Arpoador have trails that are great for walking and to see sunrise and the best sunset in the city. People used to clap during sunset. It’s wonderful. Go to Rio de Janeiro and lived this powerful nature show.

An hour outside of Brasilia, we found ourselves surrounded in tough, scrubby land. A friend at a nearby nature reserve took us on a long hike down the path of a waterfall, which pooled in various places and formed a sort of natural waterslide.

A new addition to the hopping Leblon neighborhood, Brigite’s is perfect for a low-key bite. Parquet floors and an open kitchen complement dishes that range from namorado whitefish with flaxseed farofa (a mix of flour and yuca) to steak tartare with plantain fritters. 55/(0) 21-2274-5590. This appeared in the September, 2012 issue.

Ipanema’s iconic Fasano hotel, conceived by renowned designer Philippe Starck, features wooden armchairs by local architect Sergio Rodrigues and rooftop views of the city’s mountains. Expect three Fasano outposts to open elsewhere in Brazil before the World Cup. From $770. 55/(0) 21-3202-4000. This appeared in the September, 2012 issue.

Experience the largest waterfalls in the world by doing the catwalks that hang over the falls on both the Brazil side and Argentina side. You are guaranteed to get soaked! For more action, take the 15 minute boat ride that takes you under two falls twice for a total soaking. I stayed at the Iguassu Guest House where Carlos, the manager, arranged a easy way to cross the border to enjoy these falls from the Argentina side with four other travelers. It was a terrific cost and time savings over going by public transportation, especially by having a border "fixer" handle our immigrations. After returning to the hostel, we celebrated by heading to the nearby "Gaucho Churrascaria Restaurant" meat orgy. I did my first blog on this trip and you check it out on this link. It describes in video, pictures and words this adventure.

Absolutely every type of person in Rio comes here, where city meets ocean. On Sundays, a section of road is closed to traffic and you see people walking, jogging, and rollerblading along the promenade, and playing volleyball on the beach. Most travelers frequent the Copacabana side, where you will find the beautiful black-and-gray mosaic promenade designed by Roberto Burle Marx. I like to run along the other side of the peninsula, between the Leblon and Arpoador neighborhoods. —Zahira Asmal Photo by Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy. This appeared in the March/April 2013 issue. Read more about Designing South Africa and Designing Brazil founder Zahira Asmal.

Name: Batman Zavareze Age: 39 Neighborhood: Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Occupation: Marcelo Felipe Zavareze Marques, known as Batman for his childhood penchant for wearing superhero T-shirts, is the curator-director of Multiplicidade Imagem Som Inusitados. The monthly multimedia art festival takes place at the Oi Futuro Flamengo cultural center and other venues in Rio de Janeiro from June through December. Lots of creative people—designers, actors, filmmakers, musicians—live and work in Jardim Botânico, perhaps because there is so much beauty and a tradition of art here. As the name suggests, this is a very green place. Rio itself is a mix of mountains, waterfalls, beaches, and city, and my neighborhood claims two of Brazil’s biggest urban parks, Parque Lage and Jardim Botânico. They give the neighborhood a very calm vibe. I usually walk or bike from my house to my office, passing residents jogging and cycling along the path around the lagoon, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. I go through Parque Lage, which houses the 18th-century Escola de Artes Visuais building. The school is a great place to take a class on painting or philosophy and to get inspiration—though I don’t need to go far for inspiration. In 15 minutes, I can bike from my house or office to the beach or the mountains or the inner city. The idea behind Multiplicidade—which means multiplicity—was to introduce people to new and innovative performances that unite visual art and experimental music on the same stage. (See video from Batman’s Multiplicidade festival.) Now the festival attracts painters, photographers, designers, and other visual artists as well as musicians, filmmakers, DJs, and emerging technology artists from all over the world. Each creates works for the shows. For our most recent festival, renowned Spanish filmmaker Carlos Casas presented the documentary trilogy “End,” filmed in Uzbekistan, Patagonia, and the Aral Sea in Siberia; we projected the film onto three walls inside of a warehouse. We have a rule at Multiplicidade that nothing can be shown on a white screen, so for another project, a musician played while we projected a film into a pool that we had built and then filled with packaging peanuts. It was gorgeous. And every idea begins in our little studio—our “laboratory”—in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood. For Multiplicidade we have worked with more than 160 internationally recognized performers and artists—Carlinhos Brown, Vik Muniz—who have encouraged others to get into multimedia performance. Now fans follow the scene here. They’ve helped to make Jardim Botânico an artistic hub. You’re always running into creative people. Walk down Rua Maria Angélica and you will meet someone interesting. Grab a coffee and you’ll make a new friend. In Jardim Botânico, chance can still happen. As told to Heidi Mitchell. Photo by Gabriel Rinaldi. This appeared in the March/April 2012 issue.  See all of Batman Zavarese’s favorite places in Jardim Botanico:Jojo Cafe BistroFarmers’ Market at Rua Frei LeandroBrazEscola de Artes VisuaisParque LageLivraria Ponte de Tabuas Adega do PortoFernando Jaeger FurniturePolo de Pensamento Contemporaneo (POP)

The Bonfim church in Salvador, Brazil has become famous for their colorful wish ribbons. Thousands of ribbons are tied to the fence surrounding the church. It's an amazing sight and ritual! Visitors to the church can tie a ribbon to their wrist and make three wishes (one for each knot tied to secure the ribbon). Legend has it that their wishes will be granted when the ribbon naturally disintergrates and falls off. It cannot be cut off or removed. My ribbon took over a year to fall off. It's quite the commitment.

If you ever find yourself in Lencois, Brazil, make your way about 40 miles west for one spectacular view. Located in Chapada Diamantina National Park, Pai Inacio Hill is just off BR-242 and can easily be seen from the road. The striking white stone and the majestic appearance of this natural rock formation is compelling enough to make anyone want to stop and explore. It is a relatively easy 20 minute hike to the summit, and once you arrive you will see that it is worth every step. Standing atop Pai Inacio, with the sun and wind greeting your face, you will bear witness to the valley that unfolds below you. It appears to go on forever, and that is about how long you will want to stay and take in the awe-inspiring view.

Corcovado. Check. Sugarloaf. Been there. Ipanema. Yeah, I saw that girl on the beach too. Botanical Garden. Now that’s a new one. Located at the base of Corcovado Mountain, and under the right arm of Christ the Redeemer, you will discover the 140-hectare gem that is the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro. I stumbled upon this not-so-hidden treasure while tooling around the city on a bike that seemed like it was from 1822, the same year the garden was opened to the public. Once inside the perimeter, you will step into a world that is populated with over 6500 species of foreign and domestic plants, and an assortment of tropical birds, fish and mammals that will kindly greet you (or scurry away) along your journey. If I saw a dinosaur here I would surely think that I had discovered the Lost World. The photo above is of Barbosa Rodrigues’ Alley, one of the most well-known avenues within the park. It runs for about 700 meters, and has about 137 royal palms, all of which are descended from a single tree that was destroyed by lightning in 1972. The sheer magnitude of the garden, along with all the thriving life that resides within it, surely gave me pause to ponder for a bit: If God rested on the seventh day, perhaps it was because the other six were spent creating something as wonderful as this. www.jbrj.gov.br

Climbing up the steps to the iconic statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) on Corcovado mountain, you can view all of Rio de Janeiro and you get a sense of how marvelous this city really is.