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FAQ / Frequently
Asked Questions and answers
1) How do I get from the airport
to my apartment? 2) Does the apartment have everything
necesarry for kitchen,bathroom and bedroom? 3) When do I pay the rent? 4) Is it possible to use the Internet
in the apartment/villa? 5) Is there a phone in the apartment/villa? 6) Are there towels for shower/ to
the beach and towels for the toilet in the apartment/villa? 7) Are there sheets and pillow etc.
in the apartment/villa? 8) When do I get the key to my apartment/villa? 9) Who cleans the apartment/villa? 10) What happens if I break anything
under my time in the apartment? 11) What happens if I lose the key? 12) Is there a Safe-box in the apartment? 13) Is there any food or drinks in
the apartment when I arrive or do I have to buy this by
myself? 14) Is smoking allowed in the apartment? 15) Can I order a wakeup-call? 16a) Can I invite people to my apartment
in Fortaleza? 16a) Can I invite people to my apartment/villa in Cumbuco In principle yes, except at the Beira Mar apartment in Fortaleza. If you have a problem with this just give us a call. 17) Can I bring my pet to the apartment? 18) Are there maps and suggestions
on restaurants etc. in the apartment? 19) What happens if I get sick and
have to break the contract before the end of the period? 20) What happens if I get sick or
something before the trip? 21) If I’m not satisfied with
my apartment/villa are there any guarantees so I get my
money back or a new apartment? 22) Can I rent a driver, a cook or
a (English speaking) guide? 23) If there’s a break-in, who
pays the costs? 24) Is there any alarm system in
the apartment/villa? 25) If I stay for a longer time can
I have reduced price? 32) How long before the trip do I
have to book the apartment/villa? Contact us for more information at info@villacumbuco.com
Transport: Transport and Car rental Between Fortaleza and the center of Cumbuco are frequent busses. There are many Car Rental Agencies in Fortaleza. The standard cars here are a Volkswagen Gol and the Fiat Palio, which cost about 75 Reais (= € 25) per day. Those that would like to explore the dunes and the beach can rent a buggy which is perfect for this type of terrain. The daily rental is about 100 Reais per day (= € 30). There is also a newer sportier type Buggy available that is less likely to brak down, the price is 150 Reais per day. It is strongly recommended to bring an International Driver's license that is valid in Brazil. You also need a credit card when renting a car.
Security: Cumbuco is a very safe holiday destination. Normal precautions are sufficient here and theft is not common. Compared to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo crime is low in Fortaleza, but still it is better to be safe than sorry, so be cautious like you would be in any big city in the world.
Flights: There are direct flights from Europe to Fortaleza (including charters) from Holland (Martinair), and Portugal (TAP). see website www.cumbuco.nl/devlucht.htm for prices from Holland. Just book the flight and the accomodation with us.
Weather: Cumbucos fantastic weather conditions, 28-30 degrees C every day of the year, and colling down to a very pleasanrt 22-24 degrees C at night, make for a "tropical relaxed" style dress mode. Sandals shorts/skirts and T shirt/polo type tops are ideal and all that are needed to venture out at night. If you want to have more information on the current weather or the statistics of the weather history of Fortaleza then check the following page www.weather.com and type in Fortaleza.
As Cumbuco is about 3.5 degrees south of the equator, the sun is very hot with the ever present cool sea breeze it is quite easy to get sun burnt, especially between 10 AM and 3 PM, so is advisable to use lots of cream espacially in the first few days. Bargaining for prices, in Cumbuco, is acceptable in most shops/places selling souvenirs, and certainly on the beach with people selling CD's, hammocks, etc. This is where the "international hand and feet" language is most used, and of course most fun. Large domination banknotes: In Cumbuco, and to some extent Fortaleza, it is sometimes difficult - and can cause delays trying to change larger bank notes of 10, 20 and 50 Reais, especially if making smaller purchases. So it is always handy to have smaller notes 1,2 and 5 Reais with you when shopping. When changing money at Banks/Changing Houses, always ask them to break some of the bigger notes for some small denominations. Money changing: This can only be done in Caucaia and Fortaleza, and the best rate of exchange is by taking money from credit card machines, normally the difference between exchanging cash/travelers cheques is about 10 oercent lower than taking money from the wall, just check with your bank about the fees charged for deductions made. The three most popular and accessible banks in Fortaleza are: Banco do Brasil on the Beira Mar boulevard, near the McDonalds corner, another Banco do Brasil branch and the HSBC bank, both are monsenhor Tabosa, the famous "shopping street". The air-conditioned bus from Cumbuco to fortaleza passes in in front, just ask the driver to stop for you. The best rate of exchange for Euros or Dollars cash or Dollars cash or travelers cheques is at the American Express office, located on the Beira Mar near Ceasars Park Hotel, Fortaleza. Much closer to Cumbuco is a Banco do Brasil branch 24 hour tellermachine on Avenida Colonel Correios in Caucaia, on a little square across the street from the Bradesco Bank. This is the street where the post office (correios) is located. The limit per card per day is $BR 1000. Accepted at these banks are Cirrus, Maestro, Visa ans sometimes Mastercard. Daily exchange rate: finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert Credit Cards: The most widely accepted are Visa and Mastercard, American Express to a lesser degree. Getting Money on arrival at the airport of Fortaleza. After departing the main terminal cross the street, take the escalator where they have automatic tellers/bankmachines (Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus and Maestro). For security reasons passengers who have very late arrivals, may find that only BR$ 100.00 can be taken from the machines. The law in Brazil states that identity cards must be carried at all times, this means for foreign visitors they must carry their passport or a certified, registered copy of their passport at all times, (so it is a good idea to get a complete copy of your passport made - including all pages used or blank, and get it stamped by the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate) Driving license: The international driving license is now accepted in Brazil, so when renting a car, this must be carried along with a passport. At some stage while driving you will be stopped and asked for documents, and this can caus some unnecessary problems not needed on holidays, along with a fine of BR$400.00 for not having necessary license or ID. Shopping: The most popular area for shopping is in, or near, the centro (the old center) of Fortaleza. The main areas are the Mercado Central (central market building), Emcetur (old maximum security prison of Fortaleza converted into a small shopping complex, selling locally handmade goods, each off the existing cells is a seperate shop and worth a visit to see if in the area), and Morsenhor Tabose " shopping street". Here they sell leather goods, like sandals, shoes, bags, etc .Jeans, T-shirts, shorts ans linen goods are generally much cheaper in these areas, especially when paying in cash. Paying by credit cards makes bargaining more difficult. For the ladies there is a bikini shop on Morsenhor Tabosa (the name of the shop is All day) which specializes in making bikini's very quikly If you find the Brazilian bikini a little to small, bring your own model and then select the colour and material you want, agree on the price and they will make one for you in about ten minutes. The best time to go shopping is late afternoon, when a lot of the heat is gone out of the sun. So take advantage of Cumbuco and the beach in the day, and take the bus in the afternoon. Shopping for "Designer label" goods best two large department stones are iguatemi and North Shopping, the latter is much closer to Cumbuco, but Iguatemi has many more shops with a wider range of goods. A good shop for beach/surf/street wear is hot lines, with two shops in Iguatemi (first and second levels) and one in North Shopping, on the first level. Everybody loves children, and Cumbuco has lots of them, it is lots of fun mixing, playing and "talking" with them, but rather than educating them to always expect money from visitors, it is better to give them gifts. Items for school - pens, coloured pencils, pencil cases, etc,etc.. Clothing shorts, "T" shirts, etc,etc, (if you are bringing clothing with you, remember the children here are smaller than the own age equivalent in USA or Europe (i.e. a boy are girl here of 7 or 8 years will be approximately the height of a 4 or 5 year old in other countries). Of course footballs, sporting equipment and toys are a great favourite. Links
Information about hotels in Brazil: http://www.brazils-hotels.com Holiday Rentals: Alquiler para vacaciones. Alquiler en Huelva y Cadiz |
