There are festivals… and then there’s Rio Carnival — a full‑body, multi-sensory experience where the whole city feels like it’s vibrating. Crowds dance on sun‑drenched boulevards, drums rattle your ribcage, samba schools parade with skyscraper‑tall floats, and it somehow feels both chaotic and beautifully organized at the same time. And in 2026, it’s shaping up…
Category: Brazil
Carnival, caipirinhas and curious hostels: the ultimate guide to backpacking Brazil
Everything about Brazil is big. Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is big. São Paulo’s skyline is big. The swimwear might be microscopic, but the golden beaches are big. The towering Iguaçu Falls, the iconic Maracanã football stadium, the epic wetlands of the Pantanal, the flavours in a steaming bowl of feijoada, the sand dunes sweeping Lençóis…
The 10 best things to do in São Paulo on a backpacker’s budget
São Paulo (or Sampa as the locals call it) is a city that’s often underestimated by travellers who think it’s a strictly commercial city; the sensible older sibling to glitzy, glamorous Rio. But South America’s largest city is no square, and this idea is quickly forgotten seconds after they step off the metro for the…
11 secret places to get your chill on in Rio
It’s easy to see why Rio is high on most people’s bucket list. This intense and beautiful city is home to some of the most iconic sights in the world, from Christ the Redeemer to Carnival to the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. But there’s also a more tranquil, offbeat side to the city where…
A guide to the districts of the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics
As a ‘carioca’ (kah-ree-o-kah, a person naturally born in the city of Rio de Janeiro) I’m deeply proud to have my home city hosting the Olympic Games this year. To make it easy, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee has separated the city into four zones where the competitions will take place: Barra, Copacabana, Maracanã and…
Brazil Travel Guide
Visiting Brazil Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. With an area of eight and a half million square kilometres it is equal in size to the entire continent of Europe. The first Portuguese expedition, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, arrived in Brazil in 1500. Prior to…
10 places not to miss in Brazil
There aren’t many countries in the world that can boast what Brazil does. It’s home to some of the world’s most exciting cities, there are tranquil islands where you can bask in sunshine, the Amazon is on your doorstep for treks that you’ll never forget and you really haven’t lived until you’ve been to a…
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