Hi members, planning my second trip to Brazil in a couple months.

Quite hesitate on whether to visit Salvador for a couple days or not.

Safety wise, how is it compared to Rio?

Boy-wise, how is Sauna 11 compared to 117 and 202 in Rio, will it worth my time there? 

Sightseeing, I am pretty sure I will like Salvador, but not sure about first 2 aspects.

Any suggestions welcome

I was there two years ago. It is a more provincial city, compared to Rio. You have to keep the same precautions you would keep in any big city around the world, but it is safer than Rio. I leave the sauna comparison to those with more experience in Brazil, but I do not think the local saunas can compete against their Carioca counterparts.

The city is amazing not only for the natural landscapes and the architecture, but also for the Afrobrazilian culture present everywhere. I would give to the city more than just two days.

Don’t go if only for a couple of days. I just spent over 2 weeks there and didn’t come close to seeing everything. You build great relationships in Salvador unlike Rio or SP. From my limited experience it’s a big part of Salvador’s magic. You need a little time to cultivate those relationships.

I would describe the guys as sexy boy next door type. They are younger than the other cities, some guys looked far to young for me. Like when you see them you say awwwwwww your so cute but you don’t want to have sex lol. One light skinned boy had a huge dick but he looked so young I couldn’t take him seriously. A few muscle type but nothing extreme.  All are black, maybe a few I would consider mixed race. All were extremely friendly. 

Take some serious time out to enjoy Salvador you will love it.

Edited October 21, 20205 yr by Kevie770

2 hours ago, Kevie770 said:

Don’t go if only for a couple of days. I just spent over 2 weeks there and didn’t come close to seeing everything. You build great relationships in Salvador unlike Rio or SP. From my limited experience it’s a big part of Salvador’s magic. You need a little time to cultivate those relationships.

I would describe the guys as sexy boy next door type. They are younger than the other cities, some guys looked far to young for me. Like when you see them you say awwwwwww your so cute but you don’t want to have sex lol. One light skinned boy had a huge dick but he looked so young I couldn’t take him seriously. A few muscle type but nothing extreme.  All are black, maybe a few I would consider mixed race. All were extremely friendly. 

Take some serious time out to enjoy Salvador you will love it.

Thanks for the recommendation.  What area in the city would you recommend staying?  Did you stay at a hotel or Airbnb?  Any issues with guests?

@sfcastroi stayed in Air B&b’s my entire trip. Onee very nice apartment beside the lighthouse in Barra(120/night). Normally they would have no issues with guest. But per the gay owner “two gay doctors from São Paulo came and had a huge drug fueled party with 20 people during Covid” which caused the building to add regulations. I had to let the owner know 24(12 really) hours in advance the guest name and I’d number. Due to Covid many apartments are noting no visitors in the house rules. 
 

It became a bit of an inconvenience so I rented another apartment beside Salvador Shopping. $30/night and very nice.  The apartment would have been $70-$80/night in São Paulo. 

I still plan on staying in the first apartment during my next stay, despite the rules. It was absolutely stunning and a bargain at $120/night. But I’ll prob rent a second apartment for sexual activities until I find a guy I want to spend more time with. 
 

Barra was my favorite part of the city, lively but quiet at night. Many restaurants in walking distance and they were open past 10. And I felt 100% safe walking around alone well after mid night. Which a friend who lives there told me was not safe. The apartment beside Salvador Shopping was also beside a decent sized favela but it seemed very safe. It was on the 23rd floor and the guys LOVED the view.

If you don’t care about staying in really nice place with a private pool and huge balcony, set your budget at no more than $40/night and you will find many great places. 
 
Others might be able to shed more light on how Salvador normally is.My experience is a bit different than others due to Covid. I hope Salvador will be back to regular form when I go in December. 

 

Edited October 21, 20205 yr by Kevie770

I’ve been regularly going to Salvador and the Bahia state for over a decade and it’s absolutely one of my favorite places in the world. I love the people, the history, the food, the culture, the music, the dialect, and yes, the men — and I’m a bit protective of it all. I’ve seen good and bad visitors come and go. I’ve seen people have wondrous experiences and I’ve watched tourists “get got”.

From my perspective, I will address your concerns:

Safety:

No, it’s NOT “safe”, and also, yes it IS “safe”, depending on where you go, who you are, and who you’re with. The touristy area of Barra around the beaches (Porto da Barra and Farol da Barra) and the streets which face it are the safest in the day and relatively safe at night along the beach boardwalk. If you like to put your life on the line, you can try cruising at night around the lighthouse or the small Christ statue, where rough trade and malandros are just waiting with knives for horny gringo turistas.

Also, the world-famous UNESCO  site the Pelourinho district is nice to visit, but not adviseable to do at night alone if you’re new and stick out like a sore thumb (in recent years, it was being heavily patrolled by police to make it safer for tourists but lately, due to the economy, that’s backed off and the crime and drugs seemed to have taken over once more). So again, use caution — even someone who “fits in” shouldn’t be dumb enough to walk around those dark alleys at night.

Areas like Rio Vermelho and Pituba are considered more upscale but may be out of the way for other areas of interest.

Remember, there are lots of pockets of favelas all over Salvador, including on the outskirts of Barra, Ondina, Rio Vermelho and Pituba, and while most people are good and honest and frankly, unconcerned about you, there are plenty of poor, desperate people (especially young men) looking to prey on an out-of-place, non-Portuguese-speaking gringo tourist — especially one who is alone and without the benefit of locals. Crime and violence is higher in the Northeast of Brazil, where Salvador is. You can keep your chances of being a statistic down by staying in well-lit, well-traveled tourist areas in the daytime (where you’re a lot more likely to find English speakers), having a local guide for everything else, and sticking to Uber or cabs.

If you look Caucasian or Asian, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb in Salvador. Of course, if you open your mouth, it’ll remove all doubt. This won’t matter much in well-traveled touristy areas, but can be a cause for concern elsewhere, which is why traipsing around Salvador alone under these circumstances is not such a good idea. 

Saunas:

They’re not 117 in Rio or Lagoa in São Paulo. Perhaps they are more comparable to 202, but not on its busiest nights. Salvador is of a slower pace. The atmosphere is more laid-back, and the garotos de programa there are fewer and in most cases, more average to slimmer builds (with some exceptions). As mentioned many times before, 90% of the inhabitants of the city are black or mixed with black, so you’ll find a multitude of shades, but not much “white” (branco) there — if that’s what you seek, you should go to Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul.

The prices ARE already cheaper in Salvador and in the entire Northeast, so don’t be a dickcheese asshole and try to talk them down too much. The exchange rate would currently make 100 reais around only $17 USD. If you’re haggling over that at a sauna for a sexual encounter with a living, breathing human being, then you are seriously psychologically damaged and ethically compromised.

Be prepared to take cabs or Ubers to and from the saunas. 

28 minutes ago, SolaceSoul said:

I’ve been regularly going to Salvador and the Bahia state for over a decade and it’s absolutely one of my favorite places in the world. I love the people, the history, the food, the culture, the music, the dialect, and yes, the men — and I’m a bit protective of it all. I’ve seen good and bad visitors come and go. I’ve seen people have wondrous experiences and I’ve watched tourists “get got”.

From my perspective, I will address your concerns:

Safety:

No, it’s NOT “safe”, and also, yes it IS “safe”, depending on where you go, who you are, and who you’re with. The touristy area of Barra around the beaches (Porto da Barra and Farol da Barra) and the streets which face it are the safest in the day and relatively safe at night along the beach boardwalk. If you like to put your life on the line, you can try cruising at night around the lighthouse or the small Christ statue, where rough trade and malandros are just waiting with knives for horny gringo turistas.

Also, the world-famous UNESCO  site the Pelourinho district is nice to visit, but not adviseable to do at night alone if you’re new and stick out like a sore thumb (in recent years, it was being heavily patrolled by police to make it safer for tourists but lately, due to the economy, that’s backed off and the crime and drugs seemed to have taken over once more). So again, use caution — even someone who “fits in” shouldn’t be dumb enough to walk around those dark alleys at night.

Areas like Rio Vermelho and Pituba are considered more upscale but may be out of the way for other areas of interest.

Remember, there are lots of pockets of favelas all over Salvador, including on the outskirts of Barra, Ondina, Rio Vermelho and Pituba, and while most people are good and honest and frankly, unconcerned about you, there are plenty of poor, desperate people (especially young men) looking to prey on an out-of-place, non-Portuguese-speaking gringo tourist — especially one who is alone and without the benefit of locals. Crime and violence is higher in the Northeast of Brazil, where Salvador is. You can keep your chances of being a statistic down by staying in well-lit, well-traveled tourist areas in the daytime (where you’re a lot more likely to find English speakers), having a local guide for everything else, and sticking to Uber or cabs.

If you look Caucasian or Asian, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb in Salvador. Of course, if you open your mouth, it’ll remove all doubt. This won’t matter much in well-traveled touristy areas, but can be a cause for concern elsewhere, which is why traipsing around Salvador alone under these circumstances is not such a good idea. 

Saunas:

They’re not 117 in Rio or Lagoa in São Paulo. Perhaps they are more comparable to 202, but not on its busiest nights. Salvador is of a slower pace. The atmosphere is more laid-back, and the garotos de programa there are fewer and in most cases, more average to slimmer builds (with some exceptions). As mentioned many times before, 90% of the inhabitants of the city are black or mixed with black, so you’ll find a multitude of shades, but not much “white” (branco) there — if that’s what you seek, you should go to Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul.

The prices ARE already cheaper in Salvador and in the entire Northeast, so don’t be a dickcheese asshole and try to talk them down too much. The exchange rate would currently make 100 reais around only $17 USD. If you’re haggling over that at a sauna for a sexual encounter with a living, breathing human being, then you are seriously psychologically damaged and ethically compromised.

Be prepared to take cabs or Ubers to and from the saunas. 

Thanks a lot for the information.

I have decided not to visit Salvador until I have a travel buddy. 

As a gringo and Asian, it seems hard for me to fit in given there are not many tourist in Salvador. 

51 minutes ago, babybear2 said:

Thanks a lot for the information.

I have decided not to visit Salvador until I have a travel buddy. 

As a gringo and Asian, it seems hard for me to fit in given there are not many tourist in Salvador. 

If you do decide to go, whether alone or with a travel companion, but especially alone under your circumstances, I would recommend a gay tour guide. Fernando Bingre is the best one in the Bahia. He’s all over social media under that name and Bahia Tour Guide or Gay Tour Guide. He has plenty of international tourist clients from all over the world.

I did hire Fernando when I visited Salvador, for my first two days there. I agree, he is great and I recommend him with no hesitation. 

Salvador was my first visit to Brazil after many years, and I am planning to return. Just in case you are interested, I am sharing my reports below. Please, forget my many mistakes (starting by miscalling the city many times), but they all are honest reports of my experience.

 

https://ilikepinga.com/2018/12/31/fanciest-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/05/newest-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2018/12/29/popular-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/05/best-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/12/more-than-a-garoto-de-programa/

 

8 hours ago, SolaceSoul said:

If you do decide to go, whether alone or with a travel companion, but especially alone under your circumstances, I would recommend a gay tour guide. Fernando Bingre is the best one in the Bahia. He’s all over social media under that name and Bahia Tour Guide or Gay Tour Guide. He has plenty of international tourist clients from all over the world.

 

6 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

I did hire Fernando when I visited Salvador, for my first two days there. I agree, he is great and I recommend him with no hesitation. 

Salvador was my first visit to Brazil after many years, and I am planning to return. Just in case you are interested, I am sharing my reports below. Please, forget my many mistakes (starting by miscalling the city many times), but they all are honest reports of my experience.

 

https://ilikepinga.com/2018/12/31/fanciest-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/05/newest-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2018/12/29/popular-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/05/best-gay-sauna-salvador/

https://ilikepinga.com/2019/01/12/more-than-a-garoto-de-programa/

 

I sent you a private message regarding Fernando.  His mentor was my guide on two occasions when I visited Bahia.  Four or so years ago, I recommended Fernando after having been in communication via emails.  My amigo appreciated his services, for they were apparently as stellar as his mentor had provided me.  Both men are Facebook friends of mine, and whenever I manage to return to the "most African of cities" in Brasil, I shall consult the expertise of Fernando.

How's the Covid situation in Salvador?

14 hours ago, DutchDork said:

How's the Covid situation in Salvador?

Google is all sorts of free today. It must be having a big sale!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/americas/brazil-coronavirus-cases.amp.html

On 10/20/2020 at 11:22 PM, babybear2 said:

Hi members, planning my second trip to Brazil in a couple months.

Quite hesitate on whether to visit Salvador for a couple days or not.

Safety wise, how is it compared to Rio?

Boy-wise, how is Sauna 11 compared to 117 and 202 in Rio, will it worth my time there? 

Sightseeing, I am pretty sure I will like Salvador, but not sure about first 2 aspects.

Any suggestions welcome

If you want to travel for culture, food, some sun and just to relax, go to Salvador Bahia...'

If your whole goal is to go for sex and you can care less about the city or beaches or culture....Go to Rio....

Salvador Bahia and Rio can't compare when it comes to boys or saunas in quantity or quality...

On 10/22/2020 at 3:56 PM, SolaceSoul said:

Google is all sorts of free today. It must be having a big sale!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/americas/brazil-coronavirus-cases.amp.html

Thanks! I hope that comment made you feel superior and better from whatever negative thing you are going through. Smile! Have a great and positive weekend!