Rio de Janeiro - Travel Deals

When you hear the word “carnival,” if you’re like many people the first thing you think of is the over-the-top celebrations in Brazil. You may not have realized that Carnival in Brazil (which is spelled Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrating the same holiday as Mardi Gras in New Orleans – but it’s true. So if you’ve already been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras or you’re in the mood for something a little further from home, then we’re here to help you experience Carnival in Brazil – and without breaking the bank.

Carnival is celebrated differently in different parts of Brazil, so you’ll need to decide first which festivities you want to see. The most famous party – and the most popular in terms of outside visitors – is the one in Rio de Janeiro. But in this article we’ll take a look at a few of the places you might consider going for Carnival in Brazil, as well as the best ways for finding cheap airfare to Brazil, and some Carnival travel tips.

>> In 2012, Brazil’s Carnival runs from February 18 – 21. 

Cheap Flights to Rio de Janeiro

Mention Rio to anyone and immediately the name evokes images of sultry street parades, the Sugarloaf Mountain, Corcovado Christ statue, and the ’itsy-bitsy teeny weeny’ bikinis on the beach at Ipanema. The exuberant cultural capital of Brazil is tucked between the mountains and the sea and is endowed with a natural beauty that ranges from the beaches to the mountain peaks. It also contains the biggest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca Forest, that was completely replanted during the second half of the 19th century.

The city throbs to the infectious beat of Brazilian music, the choro, the samba and the bossa nova, and is the main source of Brazil’s national culture. Its annual carnival, known simply as Carnaval, draws together the population of the city (known as the ’Cariocas’) ranging from rich to very poor who take to the streets for the world’s largest samba parade on the Sambodromo.

Cheap Flights to Rio de Janeiro