One of the most populated cities on earth
This city is huge - with an approximate guess of 12 million inhabitants, and 17 million in the state of Sao Paulo, it ranks as one of the most populated places on earth and is the 9th largest economy in the world.  Many of the occupants are of Italian, Japanese or Lebanese decent, it used to be a popular place to immigrate to.  There is a massive international population here.  It is busy all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week - it's big, smelly and noisy so if you're after a relaxing holiday, you might want to rethink your travel plans.  In summer it's stifling hot, with nothing to cool down with - no beach close by, no river, nothing though Florianopolis will provide relief.

Downtown
The downtown area is seedy and dirty with lots of small children begging in the streets, as well as many adults.  It is a dodgy place to stay, and there are many more other, safer and nicer places to stay, in any of the surrounding suburbs - take your pick.  There are some nice parks and monuments, and lots of interesting things to look at. The Portuguese, like the Spanish, have a love for all things monumental, and here is no exception - fountains, horses, saints, men - all carved in marble and plonked in a plaza.

Shopping
Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue) is the best place to go for shopping, with big malls and small arcades, with many boutique shops along the street.  Most transportation passes through here, so you can't really get too lost.  But, of course in a city this size, you can't really go wrong with shopping - any suburb has a small village, and Centro has streets full of great bargains.  The decentralised format of this city is disorientating - there is no real centre of Sao Paulo.  It is sprawling and easy to get lost in, but provides interesting and different international living, dining and nightlife.

Art and Culture
Sao Paulo is a good place for visiting museums and monuments and learning about the history of Brazil.  The Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo contains huge collections, from the Renaissance to Modern Contemporary.  Instead of being hung on walls, the paintings are hung from the ceiling and arranged in rows, the viewer walks through a aisle of works displayed on either side.  Definitely worth a visit, it is best to set aside two or three hours.

Ambience
Sao Paulo is famous for its night life, and not much else!  It stands to reason that the city at night is well developed, there aren't many options for recreation here.  Drinking, dancing, restaurants, shows, you name it, there are tons of it.  Take your pick and enjoy!  During the day there are many street stalls, some of which are 'parked illegally' and you will see some interesting scenes when the police are seen coming up the street - watch out!  They are good at running fast with their carts and will disappear from sight in a flurry of coconuts or jewellery, just when you were about to hand over your money.

Food and Drink
Food in Brazil is good, with the main staple being beans and rice - but since you're in the big smoke, you can find any kind of food you want, from McDonalds to Italian, it's all here.  If you get thirsty walking the streets, try an 'agua de coco', coconut water, straight out of the shell, hacked open with a machete, drunk through a straw.  When the coconuts are still green, the flesh is thin and the 'milk' is not milk, but refreshing and tasty water flavoured with coconut.  Delicious.  Lots of Brazilians actually don't like this taste, but to foreign lips, its almost better than a cold beer. Almost.  It would suffice for a while...  Advice:  Don't drink the water in Brazil!  It is dirty, especially in Sao Paulo.  If you do, and find yourself with stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhoea, go to a doctor ASAP.

History
Sao Paulo was founded by the Jesuits in 1554 as a mission center for early settlers and the Indians who inhabited the area. It is 70km from the coast, where incidentally, you can find some beautiful beaches.  It was a small town for a long time, until 1850 when the coffee plantations took off.  Later, the income gained from exporting coffee and the population increase provided the capital and labour for the foundation of an industrial base and became richer.

The financial Capital of Brazil
Today, Sao Paulo, in the state of Sao Paulo, is the financial and industrial capital of Brazil, and it generates some 30% of the GNP.

Safety
Watch out for thieves, they operate swiftly and with skill, and they are looking at you!  Keep any backpacks on your front where you can see it at all times, and any valuables preferably in a safe place, such as your hotel safe.  Don't carry large amounts of money, and as most places, whatever you take out with you, be prepared to lose.  It probably won't happen if you take precautions, but Sao Paulo is not renowned for its safe environment.  If you are backpacking, try to keep off the metro at night, and keep locks on all of your gear, combination locks are the best because ordinary padlocks are easy to pick if you know how.  The amount of desperate people in Sao Paulo is high - therefore the risk to your and your possessions is high too.

Sao Paulo Accommodation