Best Places to Stay in Brazil: The World Cup

With the first World Cup match scheduled for later this evening, football fans around the world are gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting tournament in recent years. The question is, however, does England have any chance whatsoever? We’ll have to wait and see. This week we’ll be looking at some of the better hotels available to stay at if you’re planning a holiday to Brazil.

Ucari Lodge 

The Ucari Lodge is a totally unique hotel located in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Dedicate to Eco Tourism, this hotel’s management is shared between the Mamiraua Institute and the communities from the Mamiraua Reserve. Started in 1998, the aim of the enterprise is to generate income for the local people and to contribute positively to the preservation of the Amazon’s natural resources.

Eight communities from the reserve run the Lodge, from the staff on the front line, the contractors that work on the property and the back office that manage it. Consisting of just 5 bungalows with rooms each, this hotel is not only great value for money but also has some great resources you might expect from a bigger hotel, including a swimming pool, kitchen, restaurant, bar and library. Each room has a porch with a view of both the river and the forest to make your holiday to Brazil as relaxing as possible.

Sagu Mini Resort, Ilha Grande 

The Sagu Mini Resort is a mecca for those looking to explore the outstanding natural beauty of the surrounding area. Located on the rocky headland in the forest between the Comprida and Brava beaches, you couldn’t be in a better position to make use of the variety of hiking and walking opportunities the Sagu Mini Resort affords you. Furthermore, the main town on the island, Abraao, is just a 15 minutes’ walk away through the beautiful jungle.

With just 9 rooms in total, this hotel offers a sense of exclusivity and elegance along with top-quality service – the staff are renowned for their friendliness and attention to detail. The rooms themselves are tastefully furnished and most feature a balcony facing the ocean complete with hammocks to relax and take in the sights. The hotel also offers a variety of external activities, including kayaking, diving and relaxing massages.

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England’s World Cup Ambitions

With England’s final qualifier being played this evening against Poland, Roy Hodgson’s team will be hoping for a comfortable win to see them through to the World Cup. Although England have a history of World Cup misfires, they are currently sitting at the top of Group H alongside the Ukraine (both have won 5 of their 9 games). 

However, England need to win this game to gain automatic qualification – either a draw or a loss could leave England at risk of not qualifying at all, as they would be forced into the playoffs for the final qualification spot in Group H. With up-and-coming contenders such as Montenegro and Poland, England will certainly be looking to avoid any ambiguity and come out with a strong win.

In their last match, England drew 1-1 with rivals Poland, and since then have picked up a few injuries, leaving their team at less than full strength. Fans will be hoping that home support at the spectacular Wembley Stadium will be enough to spur England to a convincing victory.

If England don’t manage to qualify, they run the risk of facing France, arguably one of the stronger teams in the competition with players such as Didier Deschamps, Clement Grenier and Tottenham’s star goalkeeper Hugo Lloris between the posts.

Overall, England will have to focus on inventive attacking play and combat the urge to play conservatively (something Hodgson has previously been criticised for). With the fans behind them and memories of previous losses to Poland still stinging the mind of the players, hopefully the time is again right for England to take the World Cup by storm.

English victory will mean that their next match will be played in Brazil. Latin Routes are offering World Cup packages for those who already have tickets – Contact Us to have a chat about hotels, flights and things to do in Rio de Janeiro.

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See England in Belo Horizonte

With England set to qualify either first or second, they are almost certainly playing on the 17th June in Belo Horizonte at the fantastic Estadio Mineirao.

The stadium is the second largest in the world and was built to cope with the massive increase in demand for football in the city. Whilst the three most prominent teams had stadia, they were always over capacity and certainly couldn’t cope with the demands of the World Cup. This is perfect place, then, to host the upcoming England match in an important World Cup Group Stage game.

Latin Routes has put together an exciting new World Cup package for those who have already secured their tickets for this match. Flying out on the 14th June, you’ll travel to Belo Horizonte via Lisbon. In Lisbon, there will be an overnight stop-over in a lovely 4* hotel, and you’ll be flying on to Belo Horizonte at 9:30 the next morning. The fantastic 4* Belo Horizonte Plaza Hotel will be your home for the next three nights, from the 15th to the 18th June, during which time you’ll experience the excitement of the England match. Your return flight is on the afternoon of the 18th, with another overnight stop-over in Lisbon before arriving back in England on the 19th June.

The World Cup only comes around once every 4 years, so why not treat yourself and take the opportunity to see England play in a magnificent location and a beautiful country!

Please bear in mind that whilst England are certainly likely to qualify either first or second in Group H, this is not guaranteed. Qualifying third would mean that they would not be playing on these dates or this location, so please be aware. Please also be aware that Latin Routes cannot book tickets on your behalf – these must be purchased through official FIFA websites.

For more information about booking a World Cup package, please Contact Us or have a look at our World Cup Guide.

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England’s Route to the World Cup Final

With the World Cup again dawning on us, fans across the UK have already either pinned their hopes on World Cup victory or have wholeheartedly resigned themselves to more disappointment. The question ‘Why are England so bad at football?’ is actually one of the most searched-for questions on the internet and it remains a mystery. ‘Why are Scotland so bad at football?’ ranks slightly lower, for unknown reasons. There seems to be some deep-seated tension between the English and Scottish fans that only really materialises during the World Cup but, with the Scottish team sadly already out of the competition, will old rivalries pale into significance? Perhaps not. However, anything is possible and this could even be the year that we replicate our 1966 glory days. We’re staying optimistic – let’s have a look at England’s route to the final and see if the impossible could happen.

England are in Group H alongside Montenegro, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and San Marino. Having Played 6, Won 3, Drawn 3 and Lost 0, they are in a strong position and look likely to qualify. However, they are still second to Montenegro, who have played one more game than England. Not qualifying first in the group would mean they would not qualify automatically and risk facing Portugal or France. England fans everywhere are groaning in anticipation of this match-up, especially in light of England’s recent performance against Montenegro which was, at best, unconvincing.

Roy Hodgson’s team will now be questioning themselves, the seeds of doubt sown in their minds and the huge weight of expectation on their shoulders. However, hope is not lost – by all accounts the English side is, on paper, respectable. Outstanding players like Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshire and Joe Hart (arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world) are backed up by a side of fairly young, but established players. England have the talent, but perhaps not the experience, to challenge teams such as France and Portugal – it seems we have a curse lingering over our heads (probably cast by some Scottish fans, who knows).

We can only hope that England step up to the plate, but if they are given an early challenge and overcome it successfully, it could just provide the boost in morale needed to lift England higher in the competition. Optimistic it may be, but unreasonable it is not.

Stay tuned for more World Cup news and info; you can also check out our World Cup page on our Website

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Latin Routes Guide to FIFA World Cup Tickets

The World Cup is again upon us and this time it’s in the beautiful country of Brazil. However, getting a ticket may not be as easy as you might have hoped. If you’re still having flashbacks and recurring dreams about buying London 2012 Olympic tickets, then this may be the guide for you. We at Latin Routes have spent many an hour puzzling over the system so we can provide you with all the information you need to make sure you don’t miss out on the experience of a lifetime. So, let’s begin…

The first complication is that fixtures for the group stages will not be decided until the qualifiers have been played in September and October this year.

Ticket Options

Specific Match Tickets: You can choose to buy tickets for a specific match, for example the Final, Semi-Finals or Group Stage matches. However, you will not know which teams you will be seeing until October. Prices for a single match start from USD 90.00 per person, on the FIFA website.

Specific Venue Tickets: Alternatively, you can buy tickets to a particular venue – so, if you’re in Rio during the world cup period, for example, you can buy tickets to the Maracana Stadium and be sure of seeing matches there. However, you will not know which games and which teams you will be seeing until October. Prices for a Specific Venue start from USD360.00 per person for 4 matches, on the FIFA website.

Specific Team Tickets: If watching your team is your main priority then you can buy tickets to a see a particular team for a particular number of games, but you will have to follow them to whichever cities your tickets are allocated to. Prices for a Specific team Ticket start from USD 297.00 per person for 3 matches, on the FIFA website.

Please note Latin Routes cannot secure general admission tickets, all purchases must be through FIFA authorised websites.

Ticket Releases

Tickets will be released in a system similar to the one employed during the London 2012 Olympics. There will be three ‘phases’ of tickets being released, with each phase including a ‘Random Selection Period’ followed by a ‘General Release’ period.  The ‘Random Selection Period’ involves allocating tickets, at random, to whomever has entered the ballot. To enter the ballot, you must register your details on the FIFA website. So, if you enter the ballot for a Quarter Finals ticket, for example, you have the same chance of getting a ticket as every else who has entered the ballot.

This is followed by a ‘General Release’, where you will be able to purchase tickets on a ‘first come first served’ basis. If you missed out on being randomly allocated a ticket, now is your chance – any tickets not allocated in the ‘Random Selection Period’ will be available to buy as normal. The ‘Random Selection Period’ followed by the ‘General Release’ period is one ‘phase’ of tickets.

So, between the 20^th August and the 10^th October 2014, the first ‘phase’ will begin with the ‘Random Selection Period’. Fingers crossed, you’ll manage to secure some tickets but if not, the ‘General Release’ period will begin on the 5^th of November and ends on the 28^th November. By this time we will all know who is playing who and where so it is likely to be a frenzy of ticket buying.

The second ‘phase’ begins with another ‘Random Selection Period’ between the 8^th December and the 30^th January. The ‘General Release Period’ is between 26^th February and 1^st April.

The final ‘phase’ is a last-minute release of tickets that haven’t been sold. There will be no ‘Random Selection Period’, just a General Release period where you will be able to buy tickets as normal on a first-come-first-served basis.

Booking Your Trip

Once the fixtures for the group stages are released in October, we are expecting a huge influx of bookings for flights and hotels in the host cities, so we would advise contacting Latin Routes as soon as you know where you want to stay. Please be aware that most hotels in the host cities will require a minimum stay of at least 5 nights at a premium rate. It is also likely that many of the hotels will not confirm bookings until all the FIFA and sponsors have declared what they are doing. For the average fan this could mean you have to buy your football tickets, then your flights and leave your accommodation to nearer the time.

One way around this process is that Latin Routes have access to a limited number of VIP packages for the group games. VIP packages include the best seating in the stadium, catering, drinks and a lounge area inside or adjacent to the stadium to relax in before and after the game. As part of a VIP package there is exclusive allocation to certain hotels and this means you can book your complete package straight away with the peace of mind that everything is take care of. Please contact Latin Routes if this is of interest and we can begin putting it together for you. VIP match tickets start from around £899 per person per game. There is a possibility that you will not require the same minimum stay as detailed above.

Please note all information about the World Cup is provided without any obligation.

Check out our World Cup Guide on our website for more info – Click Here

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