Our stay at Rafael's apartment was outstanding. Originally we booked the apartement for one week, but we kept extending & extending. We didn't want to leave anymore! At the end, we stayed there for almost 2 weeks. Rafael and his apartment made our stay more than memorable. He was very fast in responding to all our questions & we appreciated his warm welcome (snacks, drinks, top infos about the city) a lot. The location of the apartment couldn't be better. We spent almost every evening @the Arpoador, enjoying the sunset. Also, the apartment is fantastic for families with kids. We were there with two boys (age 10 & 11). They LOVED the hammock & watching the little monkeys in the trees. It's incredible how you can live so close to Ipanema & Copacabana beach - in the middle of such a big city - and you still got the jungle-feeling! It was very quiet too and we always felt 100% secure. The boys even went to Ipanema-beach by themselves. We will soon be back, that's for sure! Thanks a million Rafael!