Fantasizing about white sand beaches, fresh coconut water, and tasty caipirinhas? Maybe it’s the addictive percussive rhythms on a sultry afternoon?
Or maybe you just need to get away from it all in a place where just sitting and doing nothing, staring hypnotically at the waves, is not only accepted but expected.
If this sounds like exactly what you need, but could use some help making it happen, you are in the right place.
We’re not a travel agency and we aren’t tour guides. We don’t work on kickback or commission. Instead, what my husband and I do is help visitors to our lovely city of Salvador, Brazil get here, get settled, and get oriented so they have the trip of a lifetime.
We’re here for you, not with you:
Your hosts — Bira and Jen Santos
In short, it’s your Salvador vacation done your way. No one but you determining your itinerary for the day.
As your concierges, we see ourselves like a really good bartender or sommelier.
We know what’s behind the bar, and if you tell us what you like and don’t like we can mix up a unique concoction or open the perfect bottle for you. When you provide your trip information, interests, and preferences, we make a number of recommendations based upon our experience as residents of this incredible city and you can choose what’s right for you.
Or, maybe you know exactly what you want, and just need someone to serve it up. We’ll help you arrange tours and buy tickets — two things that are difficult for non-residents and non-Portuguese speakers to do on their own.
Jen is knowledgeable and passionate about Salvador, quick to respond to emails/communication, thorough, and organized. If I come back to Salvador I would 100% use her services to help plan. She is a great person to work with if you want a local experience. She and her husband can give you tons of information on events in Salvador as well as the area around Salvador — and they gave me info about my post-Salvador plans. With all the information Jen gave me, my primary regret is not spending more time in the region. My second regret is not being able to meet up in person. Jen is so personable I would have loved to meet up with her and learn more about her.
Once you complete the checkout process, you can immediately start perusing the menu. You’ll get in your inbox:
Discover Salvador, Brazil: A local’s guide to this enchanting city
We’ll work with you in the way it work best for you, but we find this process to be the most successful:
Questions? Check the FAQ at the bottom of the page.
Here are just some of the things we can help you with. Interested in something not on the list? Just ask!
Questions? Check the FAQ at the bottom of the page.
I, Jen, first visited Salvador, Brazil in 2013 and moved here in 2016. I have seen how a visit to Salvador can literally transform lives — and I want that for you. I have decades of experience as a program manager at some of the world’s largest tech companies, so I know how to organize and get stuff done.
Bira, my husband, is a Salvador native and professional musician of 20+ years. He works extensively with tourists, knows the questions they ask, and what they like and don’t like about his hometown. He has a tremendous amount of pride for his city, his Afro-Brazilian culture, and his country.
We both speak the language and know and love this incredible, magical city. When you work with us you’ll be working with a couple that are here, day in and day out, and understand the people and the culture. We are also in your time zone, available seven days a week, for those inevitable questions.
We’re committed to creating incredible, unforgettable experiences for all of our clients. That’s why we stand behind it with a 30-day money-back guarantee as long as you haven’t yet sent us your trip intake form so we can start your personalized planning.
If you’re not fully satisfied, email me and I will refund purchase, no questions asked.
No, we are not. We are a husband and wife team that love helping visitors have a great experience in Salvador.
Payment is done online via PayPal or credit card through our secure payment processor.
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee as long as you have not yet sent us the trip intake form we need for personalized trip planning.
No, we will not. We will refer you to local, knowledgable guides that we know and trust. It’s a win-win because you will be with a trained professional and we get the pleasure of supporting the local economy. While we could take you out, we’d much rather arrange for you to take an in-depth tour with someone who has learned the history and has the deep knowledge to provide a meaningful experience.
Money and third parties can get very complicated very quickly, so we shy away from that. Since many people here don’t have credit cards and/or don’t have a bank, there is usually another way to make a payment. No matter what, we’ll help you figure out your options.
Once you complete the checkout process, you’ll receive two emails. The first contains a link to the PDF guide. The second contains my WhatsApp number along with a link with your trip intake form. Your four weeks of support start when you get to Salvador.
The service is designed to help visitors who are already in Salvador, Bahia with questions that can be answered in a quick WhatsApp conversation. A few examples are: where to find dance or music classes, hours for the Olodum retail shop, is Cortejo Afro playing this week, where to rent surfboards in Barra, help translating a WhatsApp message.
We try to answer all questions within a few hours if sent between 10am and 10pm Salvador time.
Last-minute planner, huh? Absolutely, we can still help! One of the things we do best is help people when they are already in Salvador. As soon as you complete the checkout process you’ll get our guide and Jen’s WhatsApp info in an email. Make sure you’ve got WhatsApp on your phone, and we’ll figure it out from there!
Absolutely! Go ahead and send us an email and we’ll get back to you promptly.