Host of BBC series "Cash in the Attic" and "Escape to the Country", as well as the upcoming UKTV Style series, "Fantasy Homes by the Sea", Alistair Appleton is no stranger to travel… or fine living. Thus, guessing Appleton’s vacation destination of choice may at first seem an easy task – i.e. anywhere exotic, luxurious, and all the five-star amenities known to man. But, guess again.

For the past 3 years Appleton has kept a second home in the Brazilian jungle, just 45-minutes south of Salvador. A far cry from his home in London, Appleton has visited Brazil, and most specifically, Salvador, countless times. Considering the charming television personality, and teacher of mediation, often returns to Brazil for both vacation, and to teach seminars on the likes of Ayahuasca tea (an ancient psychotropic plant used by Amazonian shamans that is also the subject of Appleton’s documentary, The Man Who Drank the Universe), we pegged him for the perfect Salvadorian tour guide. Here, he divulges the best-kept secrets of the area (infused with song and dance thanks to its strong African roots), and what to categorically avoid:

How would you describe Salvador, and how does it compare to Rio or Sao Paulo?
In a nutshell Salvador is samba and Rio is bossa nova. Rio is looking towards the West and is quite sophisticated. Salvador is the most African, the blackest city in Brazil. It used to be the Portuguese capital. Also, Rio is a spectacular geographical place, with mountains, beach and the city. Salvador is much simpler – a city on the coast. But, it also has this history, which Rio doesn’t really have. It has been there since the 17th century.

What were your first impressions of Salvador?
It feels very much like Africa with lots of villages along the road. There are lots of churches and museums – an incredible historical parallel universe.

You mentioned the coast—what’s the best beach?
On the coast there are a few sand beaches. Barra (pronounced Ba-ha) is the area with the town beach, Porto do Barra It’s a small cove of sand it seeps off very steeply. It’s really nice to go swimming in. And there are lots of bars and restaurants at the back. You can also go further up the coast (which is the stretch where the Carnival runs) to Farol.

Where do you recommend staying in Salvador?
You have to decide whether you want to stay in the old town, the middle town, or whether you want to go up the beach. The old town is a walk from the beach but it’s the cultural center–all the music happens there, and it’s quiet in the evenings. At the beach by Barra it’s really busy, there are lots of places to go at night, but the hotels there aren’t so nice.

Where do you typically stay?
I’ve stayed in several hotels. But, the last time I went I stayed in an absolutely beautiful hotel– Aram Yami. A lot of the hotels are pretty standard, but they’re starting to have boutique hotels that are just gorgeous– especially in the old town, Pelourinho. And Convento Do Carmo, which is a converted convent in the old town, is spectacular. It’s a magical, lovely place.

Where do you go for a nice, post-beach day meal out?
In Farol there are a slew of nice bars and restaurants—from a nice sushi bar to very traditional Brazilian food. Barraviento, a traditional restaurant right on the beach, serves lots of seafood and classic Bahian food like rich stews, called Moquecas. Another really great thing to do is to go farther up the coast to Rio Vermelho and go to one of the Acaraje stalls. They serve spicy bean balls that are cut in half and filed with coconut cream that is savory and delicious. It’s traditional Bahian street food, sold by Bahian women in white dresses. They’re freshly made around 4pm and one of the big names [to go to] is Sira.

What about the best places to watch, and participate in, music and dancing…
There is music everywhere. Salvador is the birthplace of all of the big names – they all come from Bahia. All their musical roots come back to samba, which is from Salvador. Even in a pizzeria there will be someone singing bossa nova. Wherever you go in the Pelourinho, there are amazing samba bands and every kind of musician. In the 6-months before Carnival different groups will be practicing in the streets. On Tuesday evening, in particular, and on the weekend there are loads of samba schools practicing in the Pelourinho in the main square. Just follow your nose.

Is there much of a club scene?
Off Club, the gay club, is really great. There’s a whole little complex of bars in Bahia. There’s also a great little place in Gracia, Aconchego da ZuZu, that’s run by this 100-year-old woman, ZuZu, and every Saturday they have this Choro band – Portuguese village music played by 5 or so guitarists. It’s old-fashioned music. The scene is not really clubbing so much as bars with music.

What about shopping?
Shops on the street tend to be good. And they just opened Salvador Shopping, which is huge. It’s a beautiful mall with lots of Brazilian brands and fashion, and of course it’s cheap. You can always get Havaianas, which are a staple there, and summer-wear – it’s a nice place to stock up on lovely bright colors.

Is there one landmark or museum that is a must-see?
Definitely make an effort to see the Sao Francisco Church, which is situated in the Upper City. It’s the most extraordinary gold baroque church. If you’re going to see one thing that would be the thing I recommend seeing. It’s the spiritual center of candomblé—the syncretic mixture of Catholic saints and African deities. Although it’s not much to look at, candomblé is everywhere—in music, history, art, food.

What is Salvador’s best-kept secret?
Solar do Unhão —a lovely place to see the sun set. It’s an old fortress and it’s now the Modern Art Museum. And, in the Lower City there’s the fish restaurant at Pedra Furada, called Tia Maria. It’s a real wreck of a place with plastic chairs right by the waterside, but the food is amazing and Aunt Maria is mãe de candomblé (like a priestess) as well as a fabulous cook.

Anything you would recommend against?
The only thing I would not recommend going to, is the Mercado Modelo, which is really touristy. It’s a folksy sort of market and it’s really hideous. I would highly recommend not going.

Would you say Salvador is your escape to the country?
"Escape" may not be the right word. It’s more of an exciting thing than an escape. Salvador is definitely a place to party and [my house in Bahia] is much more to relax.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

Go There:
Off Club, Rua Dias d’Avilla 33, Barra, 071/3267-6215
Tia Maria at Pedra Furada, Rua Rio Negro, 213, Mont Serrat, 071/3316-4218