We have just spent six wonderful nights in Rio at Sonia's apartment in Catete. It is exactly as portrayed in the photos and in a non-tourist area, which is exactly what we wanted. We first heard English spoken on the street when we went to Ipanema yesterday! Sonia arranged for the keys to be waiting for us as we only arrived in at ten o'clock at night. She was very responsive to all our queries and we communicated via What'sApp. She gave us some good tips for shopping, restaurants and getting around. At one point we had a problem with the brand-new fridge and she came to sort it out. Apparently the cleaning lady had plugged it into the wrong plug. All the appliances are new - stove, fridge and washing machine, the bed is comfortable and the shower works well. If you want to cook much more than breakfasts, the pots and pans and cooking utensils are fairly basic. Having said that, we managed. All in all and excellent experience.