Featured Country: Brazil Samba, carnaval, and football - these are the mental postcard images, albeit cliches, for people dreaming of traveling to South America's largest and most influential country, Brazil. Brazil is an enormous country steeped with colossal extremes - the extremely rich and the painfully poor, densely packed cities and sparse remote villages, hedonism and desperation, unexplored tropical forests and clearcuts as far as the eye can see. With these extremes, Brazil offers a bit of everything for the patient traveler. According to many travelers, Brazil's allure is perhaps its tenacious energy, witnessed by many at perhaps its most famous festival, Carnaval, where millions of tourists (and millions of the nation's inhabitants) come to party like it's 1999. Other travelers claim Brazil's beaches are some of the best on the earth, where not only tourists but locals flock as part of the daily ritual. Conversely, some of the more intrepid travelers attempt to explore the dark heart of the Amazon River, an amazing tangle of waterways and forests that covers two and one-half million square miles across nine South American countries. Whatever gets you excited about Brazil, it's true that travelers (and Brazilians themselves) tend to have a mad love affair with this dramatic country. What's in this issue? Top Attractions Airfare Deals Featured Content Hotels & Hostels Insider Information From the Bookshelf TOP ATTRACTIONS Brazil is another one of those countries were picking a few "top" attractions is a enormous task, almost insulting all of the other places which are grand in themselves. Below we have given a very high-level overview of some of the biggest attractions. In each one of these attractions are layers, upon layers, of interesting attractions too. Good Luck! Rio De Janeiro Get ready to party! And then get ready to party some more! Nicknamed the Cidade Maravilhosa - "Marvelous City" - Rio de Janeiro is a hedonist's dream, a city that loves sand, sun, and sex more so than perhaps anywhere on the planet. Rightfully so, Rio exudes an image of a party Mecca where anything goes, but also as a place to keep your wits about you. Unless you have been living on the moon, the highlight of Rio and perhaps the most famous party in the world is Carnaval. For four days before the beginning of Lent, the debauchery unfolds with endless amounts of people throwing parties, parades, people wearing costumes, and dancing in the streets. If you want attend the biggest party in the world, this is the place to be. The Amazon The second longest river in the world, the Amazon is a breathtaking example of Mother Nature's sheer power. With the addition of one of the biggest tropical rain forests, the Amazon Basin is perhaps like no other place on earth - a modern day Jurassic Park. Home to some of the last rare species and plant life left in the world - Black-faced Lion Tamarin, Three-banded Armadillo, Maned Three-toed Sloth - the Amazon is where explorers, biologists, and capitalists come to discover and exploit her mysteries. With new highways, hydroelectric projects and a growing population, the Amazons secrets are quickly becoming extinct. Read the story of BootsnAll member Meghan Lambert who went to the heart of the Amazon. Iguaçú Falls Located on the border of Argentina and Paraguay, Iguaçu Falls is a waterfall masterpiece similiar to that of Niagara Falls - only better! If you want to see a good picture of the falls and a guide to the highlights, check out Nancy Wang's Guide. Interested in a small group trip to Iguaçu or to South America? Check out BootsnAll's World Adventures and our small group trips around the globe. Back to top AIRFARE DEALS TO Brazil If you are looking for single destination tickets, head to the International Airfare Center. You can search via destination or departure city. Here are some examples we found: $650 Los Angeles - Rio de Janeiro $670 Orlando - Rio de Janeiro $600 New York - Rio de Janeiro When searching for multi-destination air tickets, the BootsnAll TripPlanner is tops. After using the TripPlanner to get an idea of the itinerary you want, be sure to submit it to us and talk to our counselors about fine-tuning your trip. Back to top FEATURED CONTENT Bacchanalia There is no such thing as inhibition at Carnival in Bahias. In every direction, there are couples embracing, so that the smell of human and animal craving hangs in the air like a sweet gas. But it doesn't really matter. There is no reason to speak, nothing really to say. Rio de Janeiro After a year in Brazil and constant advice from his colleagues in the North East not to go to Rio, Philip Blazdell decided it was time. Call of the Amazon Meghan Lambert finds herself in the untainted heart of the Amazon and receives a healing gift from the river. BootsnAll TravelBlogs BootsnAll members have been to Brazil recently. Check out their Brazil updates on their travelblogs: Viva South America The Global Trip Borderlines Going on your own trip? A BootsnAll TravelBlog is a great way to share your journey with friends & family (and BootsnAll!). Get one now » Back to top HOTELS & HOSTELS There are an incredible amount of accommodations options available in Brazil. Book extremely early if you are headed to Carnival. All of Brazil's Accommodations Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Salvador INSIDER INFORMATION BootsnAll Insiders are a great source of information, and they can tell you what the guidebooks can't. We asked some of our Insiders for their take on Brazil, and here's what they had to say: Philippe Lavoipierre, Arriving in Rio I would simply make sure you know where you are going, know how to get there (prepaid taxi or Real Onibus), and arrive speaking as much Portuguese as you can possibly learn before arriving. Bring plenty of patience and a head on your shoulders. Philip Blazdell, Everything about Brazil Learn the Lingo Portugese is a wonderful language and to get into the real Brazil it's essential to learn at least a few words - people will appreciate this and it will make your time there a lot more enjoyable. Long Distance Buses Travelling around Brasil is best done by long distance bus - they are clean, comfortable, reliable and inexpensive. The longest trip I ever did was 3½ days by bus and what an experience that was. The buses stop regularly for food and drink. It's a great way to travel and meet people. Malaria in Amazonas Travelling to Amazonas is often a dream vacation for many people. Do not forget that much of this area is a malaria zone and anti-malarial tablets are required. Old Wives tales of Vitamin B and Garlic will not protect you from malaria which is a serious disease. Maralone is the new buzz word in tablets and seems to have no side effects. Sao Luis and Alcantara Alcantara is just off the coast from Sao Luis in the NE of Brasil. It is one of the continent's most interesting colonial towns. It's well worth making the day trip from Sao Luis. The crossing, which takes about 90 mins, can be a bit rough, so those who suffer from sea sickness may like to take a tablet or two beforehand. Carnaval Avoid Rio as it's full of tourists. Instead head to Salvador or Olinda - it's much more authentic. Colleen LaSota, Arriving in Rio A note about Varig Airlines' internet specials out of Los Angeles. I bought a ticket from LAX to Buenos Aires, stopping in Mexico City and Sao Paulo. They had put me on a United flight from LAX to Mex. City, which arrived late. Found out that the ticket was illegal, with only 1 hour for transfer. Varig's response to me (and 4 others in same boat)- "You expect a guarantee when you buy a ticket that cheap?" I paid $400 for my oneway. But that's not the point anyway. Luckily a very kind United agent took responsibilty for us and got us on other outgoing flights - I arrived via Lan Chile. He told me that this same scenario happens at least weekly. Avoid this flight from LAX!!!! They don't let you review the itinerary before purchasing. Want more tips? Get in touch with more of our Brazil Insiders. Back to top FROM THE BOOKSHELF | Brazil If you want to read a little before your trip, here is a list of the most popular guidebooks and literature/non-traditional guidebooks. For your convenience, these books are available at the BootsnAll Travel Bookstore. Traditional Guidebooks: The Rough Guide to Brazil By David Cleary, Dilwyn Jenkins, Oliver Marshall Lonely Planet Brazil by Mason Florence, Virginia Jealous Lonely Planet Rio De Janeiro by Andrew Draffen, Heather Schlegel Frommer's Brazil by Shawn Blore, Alexandra de Vries Travel Literature/Non-Traditional Guidebooks: Travelers' Tales Brazil: True Stories by Annette Haddad, Scott Doggett Brazil (Culture Shock!) by Volker Poelzl Back to top WRITE AN ARTICLE If you have a story of your own that you would like to submit on Brazil, have a look at BootsnAll's Writer's Guidelines: http://writers.BootsnAll.com And then send it along. We're always looking for new content and new perspectives, and we hope to get yours soon. Back to top TELL A FRIEND If you feel that BootsnAll.com is a valuable resource, or that others might think so, please tell your friends about us. As many of you know, we respond personally to every email we receive in an ongoing effort to build a true traveller's community. Many have responded positively. If you have comments both positive and constructive, we would love to hear them. Tell us what we have done well and how we can improve. We would appreciate it greatly. Back to top