Favela Tour - see the other side of Rio
To some people, the idea of taking an organised tour of Rio's vast favelas (slums) is distasteful. However, as long as you take a tour with a reputable company, the experience is illuminating and educational rather than voyeuristic. For the most insightful experience, make the trip with Favela Tour - expert guide Marcelo Armstrong pioneered the idea of favela tourism and has established an excellent rapport with locals.
Rio is home to some 750 favelas, including Rocinha - the largest favela in South America. With Favela Tour you'll visit Rocinha and Vila Canoas, a much smaller community. As it is not advisable to wander into favelas alone, taking this type of tour offers a unique opportunity to see how the neighbourhoods operate - far from being mere hotbeds of crime, favelas are also the home of Rio's famous samba schools (the dancers in the legendary Carnival almost all hail from favelas) and have complex social infrastructures - Rocinha even has its own branch of McDonalds!
A portion of the proceeds from Favela Tour is invested in social projects within the favelas, and as a result the tours are welcomed with open arms - you should feel free to take pictures of the neighbourhood, but if you want to take pictures of residents make sure you ask first! (It goes without saying that you should never take photographs of anybody carrying a weapon...)
The favelas are a far cry from the plush beachside apartments of Ipanema and Leblon, but are as integral a part of life in Rio as the beaches and the nightlife. If you want to understand how Rio's working classes live, taking Marcelo's Favela Tour is a must.
To find out more, or to book a place on Favela Tour, visit the company's site at http://www.favelatour.com.br/rio_de_janeiro_tours.htm