Carnival :: Salvador, Brazil

In 2011, Brazil’s historic Salvador will erupt with the unbridled energy of carnival.  It is the world’s biggest and greatest street party, featuring two million revelers and six days of music and dance all set within the paradise of Salvador’s colonial architecture and white-sand beaches.

Salvador’s carnival is a descendent of entrudo, or ‘entry’, a pre-spring festival brought to Brazil by the Portuguese.  During entrudo, Salvador’s poor residents would take control of the streets, throwing eggs and water at one another in unabashed revelry, whilst the rich looked on with disdain from their mansions.  Seeking to replace entrudo, the rich imported to Salvador the carnival traditions of France, such as masquerade balls and street parades.  These traditions continue to influence modern carnival in Salvador, but the anarchist spirit of entrudo has never died.  Unlike Rio de Janeiro’s equally stunning Carnival which features opulent floats parading through giant stadiums, carnival in Salvador is an entirely street-orientated event, a spectacle in which every participant is the star. Read more

Carnival :: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

There is no bad time to visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil´s most beautiful city, but the best time is undoubtedly during carnival. As the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue gazes down from his perch on top of Corcovado Mountain, the city explodes with four days of pageantry, music, and dance. The people of Rio de Janeiro have made this traditional festival uniquely theirs, importing the masquerade balls and parades of Europe and infusing them with the African beat of samba. Luckily for travelers, the city and its people are more than willing to share the experience with outsiders, and the diverse range of events caters for all budgets. Read more

Christ the Redeemer :: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is home to the world’s largest Art Deco statue that overlooks the city from the peak of the Corcovado Mountain and is one of Rio’s most famous sights, Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor). With the idea for a statue at the top of the mountain first suggested in the mid-1850s, it wasn’t until a second proposal made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio that construction of this amazing monument was approved. Completed and opened in 1931, for decades the statue has graced the skyline and been the focal point of a great many postcards and photos of Rio de Janeiro. Read more

Iguazú (Iguaçu) National Park :: Argentina & Brazil

Dedicated in 1934, Iguazú National Park is home to one of the most impressive natural wonders of South America, Iguazu Falls. The park actually is part of both Argentina as well as Brazil, where it is known as Iguaçu National Park. Both Iguazú National Park and Iguaçu National Park were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1987 respectively. One of the parks more interesting aspects, aside from the waterfall, is that the park contains five kinds of forests and bio systems all in the same setting. Read more

Txai Resort :: Bahia, Brazil

Picture the endless beaches of Bahia. Frame them within 100 hectares of coconut groves and rare preserved Atlantic rain forest. Then add a little luxury and artistic flair and you get Txai.  Txai is one of the most stylish resorts in Brazil. Located on the undeveloped coast, 400 km south of Salvador and an hour’s drive from Ilheus, it has 40 rooms and individual thatched bungalows. Its lavish deep-blue pool is steps from the beach and the hill top spa is a journey into relaxation. Read more

Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel :: Manaus, Brazil

Within Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest Tree-tops lies a hotel unlike any other.  The Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel is the largest resort built at tree-top level literally atop the grand Amazon River giving you a truly memorable experience.  Read more