São Paulo, the largest city of Brazil is an urban jungle, with a city population of about 11 million and almost 20 million in its metropolitan region. It is one of the richest cities in the southern hemisphere, though there is grave inequality between the classes with large ‘favelas’ or slums alongside exclusive shopping malls.
It is one of the most diverse populations in the world and a busy ‘Japan town’ is testament to that fact. São Paulo, or Sampa as it is also often called, is a great city to explore, with iconic architecture, world-class restaurants and street art or graffiti. Some of the world’s leading fashion designers hail from Brazil and flip-flops from Havaianas are much cheaper in the country, it being the birthplace of the popular brand. Just south of the city, lies the Parque Estadual Serra do Mar (part of the Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, a Unesco World Heritage Site), a mountain range covered by rainforest that faces the coast and provides various ecotourism options.The city itself has huge patches of luscious green parks, one of them being the Ibirapuera Park, which features some of the most stunning examples of modern architecture. A few minutes away from the park is Hotel Unique, reason enough to visit the metropolis of São Paolo, as many have said. Designed by world-renowned architect Ruy Ohtake, the visually stunning Hotel Unique is a beacon of originality. It is a sight to behold when entering the exclusive Jardims neighbourhood of the city. Shaped like an inverted arch with circular windows, it is often referred to as ‘the watermelon’ or ‘the boat’ of Sampa, depending on one’s interpretation. The Skye Bar on the highest floor of this luxury property provides a killer view of the city. The prices, both at the bar and at the hotel, are on the steep side but then São Paolo is quite an expensive city regardless.