“Stunning views of iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a sun-drenched patio nestled in the hills of Atlantic rainforest and rooms costing a fraction of nearby hotels. The Favelinha hostel, like others in several of Rio's more than 1,000 shanty towns, offers more than just cheap housing for the more adventurous among the estimated 500,000 foreign tourists expected to arrive for the Olympics in August. The establishments also open the rich culture of the city's slums for travelers, giving them a glimpse into one-time “no-go” areas where about one-fifth of Rio's population lives. French tourist Sabrina Noblanc took selfies with a friend on the deck of the Favelinha hostel in the Pereira da Silva slum, or “favela”, located in central Rio on a steep hill, where the city's traffic din fades away to the squawks of jungle birds and squeals of kite-flying kids. Noblanc arrived in Rio with the notion that all the city's shanty towns were centers of heavily armed gangs and drug trade violence. “Now that I'm here, I am impressed”, she said. “It's better than my imagination. For me, it was to be so dangerous, with the guns and everything. Actually, that's not the case”.

Without question, the majority of Rio's slums suffer from intense violence. What critics call heavy-handed policing, coupled with drug factions fighting among themselves for territory, leads to daily shootings and deaths. Brazil, according to United Nations' statistics, has more gun deaths than any other country. Rio's state government implemented a program in 2008 to “pacify” slums by pushing the gangs out of areas mostly located near richer neighborhoods or Olympic venues. But the effort has had mixed results and is losing steam because the security budget was slashed this year amid Brazil's economic crisis. Solange dos Santos manages the Favelinha hostel, where the daily rate for a double bed room is about $30, compared with $250 at nearby three-star hotels. “It is difficult to establish a hostel inside a favela, with everything that we know goes on in favelas”, she said. “But that is changing because people are coming and interacting with the people, and saying, 'Wow, this isn't anything like what we've heard about!' There is peace and tranquility here”. – Thales Carneiro and Bradley Brooks via Reuters



A worker serves coffee to a guest at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel kitchen in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. Hostels in a few of Rio's more than 1,000 slums serve not only as a cheap housing alternative for the more adventurous among the estimated 500,000 foreign tourists expected to arrive for the Olympics in August. The establishments also open up the rich culture of the city's shantytowns for travellers, giving them a glimpse into once “no-go” areas where about one-fifth of Rio's population lives. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Ipanema beach is seen through a window at the Alto Vidigal hostel in Vidigal favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 23, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Christ the Redeemer statue is seen through a window of Scene hostel in Santa Marta favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 24, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Sugar Loaf mountain is seen through a window of Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 21, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





The Dois Irmaos (Two brothers) peaks are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses (R) are seen through a window as Copacabana beach is reflected on a glass at Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 16, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A guest walks along a terrace at Alto Vidigal hostel in Vidigal favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 23, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Dois Irmaos (Two brothers) peaks are seen from the Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A suite is seen at the Mirante do Arvrao hostel in Vidigal favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 5, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A room for rent is seen at a house in Pereira da Silva favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 2, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A room at Pousada Favela Cantagalo hostel is seen in Cantagalo favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Ligia, the owner of Pousada Favela Cantagalo hostel, poses for a photograph near her hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Cats sit on a chair at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





British musician Tom Ashe poses for a photograph near the building where he is renting a room, in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 2, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A drawing is seen on a wall at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Houses are seen through a window of Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Solange, a worker at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel, prepares a room in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 21, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Solange, a worker at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel, poses for a photograph at the hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Solange, a worker at Pousada Favelinha hostel, talks to guests outside the hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A man walks along a terrace at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 21, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Solange, a worker at Pousada Favelinha hostel, returns to the hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A man is reflected in a mirror in a room at Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 15, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A room at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel is seen in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A woman sits on a terrace at Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 16, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A room at Tiki hostel is seen in Cantagalo favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A guest relaxes with the The Sugar Loaf mountain in the background at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A tourist leaves her room at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





A room at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel is seen in Pereira da Silva favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Solange, a worker at Pousada Favelinha (Little favela) hostel, stands near an entrance, in Pereira da Silva favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 21, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)





Milene prepares a room at Tiki hostel in Cantagalo favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)