Black November Afro Brazil Tour

Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Bahia

November 23 – 30, 2019

Highlights:

Samba School Tour
Afro-Rio Tour
Afro-Bloco Workshop
Baile Charme
Afro-Brazilian Cooking Class with Ajeum da Diaspora
Salvador Black Heritage Tour
Afro Dance Class
Christ The Redeemer Statue
Alluring beaches
Great food
4* Trip advisor beachfront hotel

Have you always been intrigued by Brazil’s Black culture and history?

Are you tired of the same old family Thanksgiving dinners?

Are you frustrated from family asking you about when you will have kids or start a family during those Thanksgiving meals?

Do you want to flee the impending winter weather for stunning beaches?

Ready for a different Thanksgiving?

Ready to explore little Africa within Brazil?

Ready for some exotic drinks and scrumptious food?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with little time for yourself and just need to have some fun time?

Well, look no more!

Now is the time to put YOU first without guilt.

During our trip, we will guide you throughout Rio and Salvador to reconnect to your roots, dance, learn Samba, eat rich foods, drink delicious cocktails, and delight your ears to Brazilian music.

Would you like to connect with nature, the elements and feel as if you belong and are connected to all? Salvador and Rio, Brazil are powerful cities where you can connect with the healing waters and leave here feeling renewed and refreshed.

Imagine yourself in little Africa, where the people look like you. Where the culture is rich in delightful foods, music and dancing.

Indulge in the Afro-Brazilian dance. Allow your body to come alive through the Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Permit orgasmic sensations throughout your entire body with the rich Bahian foods.

Are you in need of some laughs? Some fun time to destress from all that hard work you put in? On our trip you will enjoy the beautiful sights, connect with amazing sisters, build stronger bonds, dance, sing and most importantly have the time of your life!

This year, celebrate Thanksgiving and Brazil’s Black Consciousness month in the two blackest cities you can visit outside of Africa–Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia!

The “Queen” of Rio, Kiratiana and the “Mayor” of Salvador, Renee will personally guide you to places ordinary tour guides wouldn’t take you too.

A seven-day, two-city tour that will immerse you in Brazil’s black history and culture through its people, music, dance, food and nature.

Rio de Janeiro draws in visitors with its natural beauty and world-famous carnival, but few people are aware that the city’s Black Brazilians gave birth to samba music and its carnival parade.

Salvador is known as Brazil’s Black Rome—80 percent of the city’s population is Black. Next year, Salvador will host one of the world’s biggest celebrations of black culture—the AfroPunk festival.

I love what I see! Sign me up!

Historical Background Information

Every November, Afro-Brazilians celebrate Black Consciousness month—a month in which they celebrate their resistance and resilience against racism and oppression. The month originates with the story of Zumbi dos Palmares, one of Brazil’s most revered black leaders.

At the end of the 17th century he and his wife Dandara led an independent community of escaped slaves, protecting them against the approaching Europeans. The Palmares “Quilombo” was Brazil’s first maroon society. He died on November 20, and since the 1970s Afro-Brazilians have celebrated this day as Black Consciousness Day. Afro-Brazilians have taken it a step farther and celebrate the entire month of November.

Come celebrate with us!

Meet your guides!

Renée Adolphe

Renee Adolphe has always been a world traveler. She has traveled to over 17 countries and 3 continents.

In 2009, Renee closed her Private Practice and quit her part-time job for Montgomery County. She backpacked around the world and was invited to join a friend in Salvador Brazil in 2011 for Carnival.

After falling deeply in love with the city she decided to just stay in Salvador. Renee met several expats and joined them all together. She was known for connecting people in Salvador and quickly became termed the Mayor of Salvador.

Everyone would go to Renee for advice on what to do and where to go.

Renee began to teach English as a source of income and later after learning Portuguese she began to work in her field as a Psychotherapist. After years of study, she began working as an International Holistic Tantric Therapist and Energy Healer leading workshops and retreats in Brazil and around the world.

Prior to living in Brazil, Renee was always organizing and leading group trips for her friends such as camping trips and skiing trips. She also always organized house parties and get-togethers as Renee loved to connect people and show people a good time.

Ms. Adolphe has been featured in Black Rome on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, The Salvador Newspaper, A Tarde in April 2019, Africana Power 89.3 WRFG in Atl, Local Radio station in La Paz, Bolivia, as well as several podcasts.

She is definitely your go-to person for Salvador! Renee is uber excited to be launching an Afro-Brazil group trip with Kiratiana!

Kiratiana Freelon

After graduating from Harvard University in 2002, Kiratiana won a fellowship to travel all around the world for a year. After backpacking through West Africa, she chose to visit Brazil because she had heard that the country was more than 50 percent black.

Over the course of six months, she visited Brazil’s blackest cities–Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Luis, Recife. The memories of Rio’s beach, Salvador’s Afro-Bloco carnival and São Luis’ Quilombos stuck with her and she vowed to find a way to return and live in Brazil. After graduating from journalism school in 2014,

Kiratiana Freelon moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2015 to work as an international correspondent. Over the last four years, she has reported from Brazil for the Washington Post, The Root, Okay Africa, and Essence magazine and many others.

She began to organize a community of black expatriates and soon became known as the Queen of Rio de Janeiro–that person everyone reaches out to before they come to Brazil.

Last year she launched her first Rio de Janeiro New Year’s Eve group trip and this year she is excited to be launching an Afro-Brazil group trip with Renee.

Yes! I want you two ladies to guide me!

Our first night will start with dinner at a rooftop restaurant with amazing views overlooking Rio de Janeiro–unlimited Caipirinhas included. Next up, a samba school experience at one of Rio de Janeiro most loved samba schools (hint: it’s not actually a school).

And if that’s not enough, there is always Rio’s famed Baile Charme.

Your visit to Rio de Janeiro will start with Christ the Redeemer, the statue that overlooks the city from the Tijuca Forest in which you will have picturesque views.

Then we will head to the City of Samba—a warehouse district where Rio’s samba schools prepare for carnival. We will learn how Rio’s revered Black spiritual mothers threw spiritual festivals that birthed samba music.

Renee and Kiratiana will take you to Arpoador beach to see one of the best sunsets in the world. But the day doesn’t have to end!

You can choose to follow Kiratiana to Madureira where Brazil’s black community parties it up throughout the weekend.

Let’s get turnt up!

First we will head to the famous Lapa stairs for that coveted Instagram photo.

Then we will visit the Providencia favela community to tour with community resident Cosme Felipssen. Brazil’s favela communities have a distinct connection to Afro-Brazilian heritage. After emancipation in 1888, Blacks in Rio de Janeiro fled to the hills to construct their homes.

The Brazilian cultural traditions that you know today—samba music, capoeira to name a few—emerged from these communities.

Then we will head to “Pequena Africa,”—Little Africa. Rio de Janeiro’s port was the most active port in the transatlantic slave trade—more than 2 million captured Africans passed through the city. Our Afro-Rio tour will tell this history and more.

We will end the tour with a samba party at Rio de Janeiro’s Pedra do Sal.

We started our trip with the seductive sea and breathtaking views of the mountains that Rio has to offer.

Next, we head to Salvador da Bahia, for the infamous Tuesdays in Pelourinho. We will walk through the historic district, shop for souvenirs and visit where Michael Jackson performed They Don’t Really Care About Us.

Pelourinho is a great area for partying at night or just going to a neighborhood bar.

This is an opportunity to explore the culture and history of Salvador, Brazil’s own little Africa.

First, you saw Little Africa of Rio and now you explore it in Bahia.

Our exploration of Salvador, the Blackest city in Brazil, will include visiting Afro- Brazilian religious centers, seeing the internationally-recognized Dance Troupe: Bale Folclorico, participating in Afro-Brazilian dance classes at the world-renowned Funceb dance school.

I am ready to work up a sweat!

Now it is time for our sensational Thanksgiving Day meal. Here we not only delight in the rich savor of Afro Brazilian cuisine, the most talked about moqueca, but we will actually take a cooking course with the infamous chef of the internationally known Ajeum Da Diaspora.

This is where Angelica, the head chef and founder, will personally teach you how to make Moqueca, Brazilian appetizers, and a Brazilian dessert, but wait there’s more.

You will also learn how to make traditional caipirinhas as well as caipirinhas with some of Brazil’s most exotic fruits. All your senses will be delighted making this the most memorable Thanksgiving for years to come.

You will get to delight in African inspired tastes such as Moqueca and Acaraje during the trip.

Imagine yourself drinking tea or freshly squeezed orange juice on your balcony or by the pool overlooking the ocean as you await the other guests to go on the afro tours.

Picture yourself at the end of the day relaxing poolside and drinking your favorite cocktail and sharing with your new friends about how much fun you had discovering Brazil and looking at all the amazing pictures you took.

You don’t have to imagine all of this, you can be right here enjoying yourself and meeting new friends. What are you waiting for? Register now.

If all this isn’t enough, you will get to relax on the alluring beaches that Rio and Salvador has to offer!

Agenda

Day 1- Saturday, Nov 23: Arrival from the airport, Beach time and 8 PM Welcome Dinner – Aprazivel (unlimited drinks). Optional (Samba School)

Day 2 – Sunday, Nov 24: Christ Statue – Cidade de Samba tour, lunch, Arpoador Beach and sunset. Madureira (optional)

Day 3 – Monday, Nov 25: Lapa steps, Favela tour in the morning, lunch, Afro Rio tour, party at Pedra da Sal

Day 4 – Tuesday, Nov 26: Free time, head for Salvador, dinner in Pelourinho and party

Day 5 – Wednesday – Nov 27: Liberdade tour- workshop with Ile aye, lunch then Lower City/Historic District Tour, dance at Funceb

Day 6- Thursday – Nov 28: Beach day, Rio Vermelho, cooking and caipirinha lesson. The best Thanksgiving Day experience!

Day 7- Friday – Nov 29: Day 8 – Escuna boat ride, Free time

Nov 30: Saturday – Nov 30 Leave Brazil

*subject scheduled to change

What’s Included:

Two amazing local hosts!
4* Trip Advisor beachfront hotels
Samba School Tour
Afro-Rio Tour
Afro-Bloco Workshop
Baile Charme
Cooking and Caipirinha Class
Salvador Black Heritage Tour
Afro Brazilian Dance Class
Afro Brazilian Museum
Not to mention the beaches!
Three meals per day
Airport transfers
Thanksgiving dinner!
Concierge, private whatsapp and Facebook groups!

What’s not included:

Flights to and from Brazil. Please note you will need to buy multicity tickets to Rio de Janeiro, to Salvador on Nov 26 then back home.
Travel/trip cancellation insurance (strongly advisable)
Extra spending cash for souvenir shopping, extra meals
Optionals
Free time expenses
Early check-in; late check out of rooms
Tips and gratuities

Pricing

$2,800 Per person (Double Occupancy)

$3,400 Per person (Single Occupancy/No Roommate)

Fee schedule

$500 minimum nonrefundable deposit to secure your spot.

The remaining balance must be paid in equal monthly payments, due on the 4th of each month.

Final payment is due no later than October 31, 2019.
All payments are non-refundable.

I must have in!