Authentic Brazil: Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventure Travel with Gift of Go

Zero To Travel Podcast

Jason Moore

Society & Culture, Business, Entrepreneurship, Places & Travel

4.6 • 866 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if the part of Brazil most worth exploring is the one almost nobody talks about? Eddie Lott is a Dallas-born expedition leader who has spent nearly two decades studying Brazilian history, geography, and culture. He rediscovered the Serra do Espinhaco in 2018 and has been documenting its trails and communities ever since. Elisa Oliveira is a Brazilian architect turned expedition coordinator who left behind her career and her previous life after a single weekend in the Espinhaco in 2019. Together, they co-founded Gift of Go, a company that builds and leads founder-guided expeditions through one of Brazil's most layered and least-visited mountain ranges, and they are also husband and wife. In this episode, co-host Paige McClanahan talks with Eddie and Elisa about how Gift of Go came to be, what their expeditions actually look like, and what travelers need to know before heading to this part of Brazil. This is a rewarding listen for anyone drawn to real adventure travel in Brazil off the beaten path. Eddie and Elisa spent three-plus years walking the terrain, building relationships with local communities, and living in the region before guiding their first traveler. You'll hear why going deep into one place beats skimming across a whole country, how arriving somewhere by foot after 17 days on the trail completely changes how you experience it, and what it means to share a destination that still has almost zero international tourism presence. Have you ever experienced a place that felt completely untouched by tourism? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Co-host Paige McClanahan is a writer, editor, and former journalist based in Paris, France. As the author of The New Tourist: Waking up to the Power and Perils of Travel, Paige is passionate about making sure our travels have a positive impact on the world. Learn more about her work here. Tune In To Learn: What makes the Espinhaco a microcosm of Brazil's most important ecological, cultural, and historical themes How Elisa left an engagement and a five-year architecture career after one weekend in a remote mountain village Why Gift of Go spent three years in the field before guiding their first traveler What the Veranico is, and why January might be the most spectacular and unpredictable time to visit How the expedition formats work, from 12-day group treks to fully bespoke solo journeys Why Brazil receives fewer international visitors per year than the city of Miami, and what that means for the right kind of traveler Practical tips for Minas Gerais: think in regions, know your biomes, expect limited English, and prepare for the warmth of the people What to eat and drink, from cachaça and UNESCO-recognized cheese to fig compotes with dulce de leche And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Gift of Go Website Instagram Want More? 7 Chile Hidden Gems: Off-the-Beaten Path in Patagonia, Mapuche Culture, and More with Steph Dyson How To Be a “New Tourist,” the Powers and Perils of Tourism, Embracing Tourist Traps, and the Impact of Travel With Paige McClanahan How To Get Off The Beaten Track with Gunnar Garfors Thanks To Our Sponsors Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel Get 20% of at Cozy Earth with code ‘TRAVEL’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Inspired by jet engine silences.
0:03.0	The Dyson Hushjet Purify powerfully purifies the entire room, quietly.
0:10.0	Capturing pollen, allergens and pet dander, removing odours and harmful gases such as NO2, day and night.
0:28.6	Usjet, powerful compact purification, that's quiet.
0:33.6	We didn't start by going, let's make a track. The best way to experience this region is via these old trails. I think a good way to put
0:40.0	it is when you arrive in a town of 20 by car, you kind of arrive with one mentality, you're like,
0:45.4	who lives here? Like, I can't believe people live this far. Like, why are this? This is the time of 20.
0:49.4	If you arrive by foot and you've been walking for like 17 days or whatever and you get to a town,
0:54.0	you're like, oh my gosh, it's beautiful. There's light in the street. Yeah. And there's warm food
1:00.5	and cold beer. It just heightens the experience so much to be able to appreciate it,
1:07.4	getting there the way people used to get there and to get there in these ways that kind of
1:11.9	try you along the way, right, the journey. That is one of today's guests, Eddie Lott, talking
1:17.2	about what it's like to go on a trek through a beautiful and under explored part of Brazil
1:22.1	where he and Elisa Oliva, who I also got to talk to for today's show, founded their very own adventure
1:28.8	travel company. And when I say adventure travel, I'm talking about real, like, old school
1:34.9	adventure travel. These guys go so far off the beaten track. Well, you're going to hear the story of
1:40.8	how Eddie and Elisa followed a dream and started their very own travel company,
1:45.3	which is called Gift of Go. You're going to learn about a fascinating corner of Brazil with its
1:50.3	own super unique ecosystems and foods and cultural traditions. You're going to get some super
1:55.8	helpful practical tips to prep you for a trip to Brazil. And special bonus, unexpected, you know, plus of this
2:02.7	episode, you're going to get to hear the story of how Eddie and Alisa met and fell in love
2:07.4	while traveling, no less. That's right, you're getting a little love story today. Because in
	...

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