Thanks Thiago and all at casa Rufino!

We loved our experience at Casa Rufino. Im a 43 yr old man and was travelling with my 20 yr old son from the UK to experience the world cup in Brazil.

A little tricky to find first attempt so on Thiago's instruction took a taxi to a hostel close by where we were met by his mother who walked us the short distance back to the hostel. Rooms were clean and adequate and full of other guests which made time spent in the lounge area and roof terrace for breakfast an fun experience.

Best of all, the terrace overlooks a humble footie pitch that is used by the local kids, seemingly 24/7 who are more than happy to test their skills against any pele wannabees.

One afternoon, Thiago and his family put on a BBQ & Caipirinhas on the terrace whilst we watched the Brazil game, the view is quite something with Cocacobana, the surrounding mountains and Christo in view and we looked forward to returning every day we were there.

Area felt safe, and we did not feel threatened at any time or experience any negative reactions to us being there throughout our stay.

A truly authentic Rio experience, highly recommended for a for any backpackers or tourists on a budget who don't mind stepping outside of their comfort zone.