NEW YORK (CNNfn) - You can blame it on the bossa nova or you can blame it on Rio. Or better yet, come on down and party and don't blame anybody.
Rio de Janeiro has been enjoying a renaissance in recent years. Once a playground for the very rich, Brazil's Cidade Maravilhosa -- "Marvelous City" -- went into a kind of slump for several years following a rise in crime.  However, the home of the samba, Carnaval, Carmen Miranda and, of course, the girl from Ipanema, is making a comeback with the tourist crowd. While crime hasn't vanished, increased police presence at popular areas has apparently helped.
"I was down there a year ago and it felt so much better," said Laura Kidder, a senior editor at Fodor's Travel Publications, who lived in Rio for about a year in the Eighties.
Brazilian culture is a glorious mixture of Portuguese, African and native influences, all of which are reflected in both the cuisine and the music. If you're looking to relax during the day, head to the beaches to see what the women are not wearing. Then go out to some of the city's quente nightclubs.
Take a look
Tourist season in Rio runs from November to April, but there are festivals and other kinds of events throughout the year. Bargain hunters can enjoy some price breaks during Brazil's off-season that runs from May to October. Rio can be hot and humid during the Southern Hemisphere's summer, December to February.
One American dollar converts to about 1.86 Brazilian real, so a $70 hotel room will go for $131 real.
When you get to Rio, take the high ground to Corcovado, where the statue of "Christ the Redeemer" stands 100 feet atop a 20-foot pedestal. You'll pass through the lush Floresta da Tijuca on the way up on the train -- which you can also drive or even hike through the woods, if you've got the urge. But don't go alone. 
Sugar Loaf is another spot for awesome views as cable cars climb 4,264 feet above Rio and the Baia de Guanabara.
"There's a little bit of a rivalry about which sight has the best view," Kidder said. "So see them both and make up your own mind."
The cable cars on Sugar Loaf sway as you get on and off them, so if you're funky about heights, this trip may not be for you.
The beach is an integral part of Rio, and the locals head there whenever they can. Rio has 23 beaches to chose from, although the waters at Flamengo, Botafogo, Urca, and Vermelha are often polluted.
Copacabana is said to be home of the city's beach culture and the area sports a sidewalk devised by landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx, whose estate, with more than 3,500 species of plants, is now a tourist attraction. From there you can head over to Ipanema, made famous by the 1962 song "The Girl from Ipanema." The bar where Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais wrote the tune has been renamed, appropriately enough, Bar Garota de Ipanema.
"If you're really nice to the waiter," Kidder said, "he'll tell you where they sat when they wrote the song."
Kidder suggested heading south of the city to see such beaches as Prainha and Grumari, which are beautiful and clean.
"It's a haul for tourists, but it's worth it," she said.
Travel Bug runs every Wednesday on CNNfn's Life Page. Previous columns highlighted yoga retreats, Easter Island, Thailand, Venice and Egypt.
Flying down to Rio
Rio is a popular destination, so if you're looking for a tour package, slide on over to the nearest computer for some serious Web surfing. The Rio de Janeiro Tourism Board site is a good jumping off point.
Bear in mind that Carnaval throws down four days before Ash Wednesday, usually in February. It is the event of the year and if you want to go, you'll have to make reservations 12 months in advance.
And remember, as people get crazy, so do the prices, such as taxi fares and accommodations. New Year's Eve is another biggie and the hotels around Copacabana beach are especially popular. Give yourself six months advanced booking on this one.
A sample of some of the packages out there in cyberspace include:
- Brazil Nuts Tours in Naples, Fla., offers several package tours of Rio, including the "Sun, Fun and Sophistication" tour. The seven-day package includes three nights in Rio and three nights in Buzios, often called "the Hamptons of Rio." Prices vary depending upon the season departure point and hotel quality, running from about $975 to $1,665.
- GeoPassage.com in Austin, Texas, lists a seven-day "Unforgettable Rio" tour on its Passage to Brazil page that includes a half-day tour of Sugarloaf Mountain, a trip to Corcovado, and a Rio by Night tour with a samba demonstration. Prices start at $1,364 per person based on double occupancy and include round-trip airfare from New York.
- BR Online Travel Corp. in Miami has a seven-day Rio de Janeiro Supersaver that covers some of the major sites and costs between $798 and $1,184, including airfare from New York. The company also had a weeklong New Year's package in Rio for $1,688 to $2,710 double occupancy, including airfare from New York and a seven-day Carnival 2001 in Rio for $2,050 to $2,419.
Cuidado
U.S. citizens, including infants, must have a passport and a tourist visa to enter Brazil. Canadians nationals, Australians and New Zealanders also need visas.
While Rio is indeed a party town, things can sometimes get rowdy. Crime has been a problem, but in most cases common sense will be your best defense. The city created a tourist police force to maintain the peace and help tourists with their questions. 
The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs said crime against tourists tends to occur in areas surrounding hotels, nightclubs, bars and other places catering to visitors.
Tourists in Rio are particularly vulnerable to street theft and robberies in the areas adjacent to all the main beaches. Don't walk alone at night on the beach or in front of Rio's hillside shantytowns, or favelas, which are sometimes close to hotels and tourist attractions.
Travelers should dress down when moving about Rio and avoid speaking English loudly in public places, which marks you as a tourist.
"They seem to be making some progress battling crime," Kidder said. "Just be aware. Don't draw attention to yourself and try not to look too American." 
-- Click here to send e-mail to Rob Lenihan
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