Hi,
We are flying to Salvador from the UK on 30th March for two weeks.
We are thinking of heading north to Praia de Forte for 4 or 5 days and
then south to Morro de Sao Paulo for another week with a night or two in Salvador.
Does anyone have any good places to stay and any advice on travel. We
are a couple with a teenage daughter. We would like mid range place to
stay. Maybe a bungalow. We like to surf and are looking for quiet places
with a garden.
Thanks and Obrigado

Here's the best Salvador site, which includes pages on lodging options and lots of information:
www.bahia-online.net

You might want to spend a bit more time in the city of Salvador itself, since both Praia do Forte and Morro are relatively isolated and quiet (other than second beach in Morro), and the music/culture scene in the city might interest all of you. To me, Salvador itself , with its history, culture, music and charming, hospitable people, is the greatest reason to visit this region; it is my favorite place in Brazil.

For a quiet place and surfing, maybe Encanto Do Itapoan, a pousada which is on the northern edge of the city (40 min in traffic to the historic center and at night, taxi). They have a lovely place --- and a surf shop. At the nearby lake in Abaete, you will find a cluster of restaurants, each with a different style of local live music, a nice night out.
Other lodging options would be in Porto da Barra, which is closer to the city center (more urban) and has a lively little beach (waves too gentle for surfing though). There are a number of mid-range places to stay on the list mentioned above and shopping center, pharmacy, supermarket, restaurants, convenient transportation to all parts of the city are all close. Hotel Marazul is one of the better places in Barra. Hotel Barra Turismo is basic and clean, comfortable beds and a breakfast room with a view of the beach. There are other nice pousadas as well.
Between the two are a few coastal neighborhoods whose beaches have surf. Here's one map showing them:
http://www.brazil-travel-guide.com/Map-Of-Brazil.html#Bahia

The bus to Praia do Forte leaves from the main rodoviaria (bus station) across the pedestrian overpass from Shopping Iguatemi (lots of local buses go there and all taxis know it)---busline Empresa Santa Maria Catuense costs R$7 and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to Praia do Forte. (Otherwise it's an extravagant taxi ride or a transfer service from the airport.)
Here's a good site:
http://www.praiadoforte.org.br/onde_ficar/index.html
The village has a little pedestrian main street with a number of relatively expensive restaurants and shops and a couple of small clubs. At one end, past a bunch of souvenir stalls and a little chapel, is the TAMAR turtle rescue project, which takes an hour or so to tour. The side streets are quiet, often dirt/sand, and lined with pousadas, sometimes with little 'mico' monkeys in the wires and trees overhead.
Nearby is a ruined colonial era mansion in the Sapiranga tropical forest /Mata Atlantica reserve. The beach at Praia do Forte is a narrow strip of sand fronted by reefs with tidal pools and backed by a strip of palms.
I prefer the nearby beaches, such as the lovely wide Guarajuba beach with gently rolling waves, in the direction of Salvador, or Jacuipe, a bit farther in that direction, where the river enters the sea.
Going further up the coast on the new-ish highway brings you to many more beautiful, less-known beaches all the way up to Mangue Seco on the border with the next state. There is bus transport up the coast, but a car is easier.

This site:
http://www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br/main.shtml
gives good idea of Morro do Sao Paulo and a list of accomodations by "beach" and by price.
Morro can be reached "easily OR cheaply"--most easy/quick is expensive small plane, mid-price/time (2 hrs)is catamaran, least expensive/slowest (4 hrs)is combo of ferry to Itaparica island, bus and another ferry to Valenca.

If this book-like post still leaves you with questions, drop me a p.m.

Try holidaylettings.co.uk, I know that often owners will negotiate on short trips or lower occupancy. :o)