It was our first trip to Brazil, I was a little bit concern about safety after reading about petty crime in Rio. However, after booking the apartment, John contacted us immediately to advise us how to apply for visa, how to get from the airport to the apartment, send us the rio guide, suggest the itinerary for our time in Rio and arrange transportation for us. It's like having a friend in Rio who we going to visit and it made me feel much better about our trip . Everything went smoothly, the apartment was amazing, people are nice, friendly, everything was perfect. We spent most of our time enjoying the amazing view from the living room and the beach just cross the street. Laying on the beach on the chairs under the umbrella provided, we felt like locals, not tourist. Thanks John and Charlotte, we will be back :)