1. Get a yellow fever vaccination.

Well, you won’t be allowed to board without producing your yellow fever card.

2. You can’t buy a sim card as a tourist

I struggled from the airport looking for a shop where I can buy a sim card. They kept on sending me to different shops until ultimately I gave up. I then asked my taxi driver to take me to a shop and when we got there I was told that I can’t buy one since I’m a tourist. So I had to rely on the hostel and restaurants for WiFi. Well fortunately, they have WiFi parks which came in very handy.

3. Learn Brazilian Portuguese

You will hardly meet people who can speak English so learning their language will come in very handy. But they are still very helpful, I was able to get help from locals even though I spoke in English.

4. Brazilians party till morning

If you are into night life, well Sao Paulo caters for all. There are a number of places to go to, but the most popular is Paulista Avenue.

5. Be physically fit.

The landscape is full of steep hills so make sure you hit the gym first before you go. A 15 minutes walk was very exhausting for me.