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Rio Carnival 2008 - £100 OFF if you book
To encourage you to get out and party in Rio we will give you a cool £100 off our Rio Carnival 2008 packag. (OK, I know all you non Brits are wondering what £100s means, so for you lets say 25% OFF.
Check out our Rio Carnival Package
To take advantage of this offer book the Rio package in conjunction with any of the following trips that join our Rio de Janeiro carnival tours.
Patagonia, Penguins & Pantanal - 23 nights Ushuaia to Rio Carnival 2008, visiting Argentina, Brazil
The Gaucho Adventure - 4 wks Salvador to Rio Carnival 2008, visiting Chile, Argentina, Brazil
The Vaquero - 6.5 wks Salvador to Rio de Janeiro Carnival, crossing Chile, Argentina, Brazil via Ushuaia
Patagonia & Brazilian Encounters - 7 wks Santiago to Rio Carnival 2008, travelling through Chile, Argentina, Brazil
Gaucho & Altiplano Encounters - 32 nights La Paz to the Carnival of Rio, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil
Altiplano & Pantanal - 5.5 wks Cusco to Rio de Janeiro, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil
Amazon & the heart of Brazil - 28 nights Rio de Janeiro to Manaus, Brazil
Ultimate Overlands - Longer trips from 8 to 27 weeks linking with Brazil Carnivals.
The Rio Carnival 2008 looks like it will be even more popular and as ever if you book late flights, they will be much more expensive. Last year's many people wanting to join our Rio Carnival tour were disappointed as they could not afford the flights. Book Rio Carnival 2008 early and take advantage of all these savings.
Tall and tanned and young and lovely…..
Written by Freelance Jounalist Diana Macadam in 2007
Lightbulbs flashed, TV cameras whirred and the crowd lining the streets roared its approval as the stunning figure sashayed along the red carpet, about 7ft in her heels, long golden hair shining, voluptuous lips pouting, sequinned dress clinging to every curve - including the prominent bulge beneath her sparkling G-string. With a final flash of her cleavage the ravishing shemale strutted inside to join the other revellers at the Gay Ball. It was Shrove Tuesday and this was the final and most outrageous event of the Rio Carnival, the biggest, most spectacular party on earth.
It had all started the Friday before, when the mayor of Rio handed the keys of the city to Rei Momo, or the Lord of Misrule, signifying the start of an event that is a byword for colour, extravagance and unabashed hedonism. That afternoon, as the six South American Dragoman Overland trucks drove into Rio de Janeiro beneath clear blue skies and blazing sunshine, the streets already seemed to be alive with the spirit of Carnaval (as it is known locally).
We gathered at Drago HQ in the beachside district of Flamengo. Discreet, charming and slightly old fashioned, the Hotel Paysandu is an art deco tower with perfectly starched yet unshockable staff who, having seen it all before, looked on with resignation as the lobby filled with overstuffed rucksacks and over-excited overlanders. We were greeted by Hannah, Head of Operations, who, faced with chaos, stayed determinedly calm for the entire Rio Carnival Package - then breathed a huge sigh of relief when the five problem-free days were over.
For those with the energy - and there were many - Friday was the night of the Red and Black Ball. Setting the tone for the next few days, revellers were advised to wear as little as possible. We were learning that when you come to Rio you leave your inhibitions at home. Those who preferred to remain fully clothed investigated the bars, the cafes and the street parties that were already happening across the city.
There were a few green faces next morning as we boarded the cable cars that climb up to Rio’s most famous landmarks, Corcovado (the 38m figure of Christ the Redeemer) and Pao de Azucar (Sugarloaf Mountain).
Whatever you think you know about Rio de Janeiro and however many times you have watched Roger Moore hang from that cable car in Moonraker, little can prepare you for the reality. Brazilians proudly claim that God made the world in six days, the seventh he devoted to Rio, and they may be right. Its spectacular mountainous setting and island-studded turquoise seas make it a city of diverse and breathtaking beauty. Undoubtedly, the glorious pale sweep of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, the lush vegetation of the Botanical Gardens, the dense canopy of Tijuca rainforest, the gleaming glass towers and the teeming favelas (Rio’s infamous shantytowns) that cling to every peak are best appreciated from above.
There was an optional afternoon trip to the legendary Maracana soccer stadium to watch a friendly match between local teams Fluminense and Vasco.
Although the crowd, which was mostly made up of tourists in town for Carnaval, only numbered a few thousand (the vast stadium can seat 95,000) the noise and enthusiasm of the teams’ hardcore fans more than filled the massive space and created a fantastically good-humoured atmosphere that was kept sweet by the four-all result.
That night all Rio seemed to gather in the bohemian district of Lapa, site of the Arcos da Carioca, another city landmark. Originally built as an aqueduct, today the vast white arches support the scenic tramline that links downtown Rio to the winding cobbled streets and fading grandeur of the picturesque district of Santa Teresa. Street parties and festivals are common in Lapa and the laid-back bars and live music make it THE place to eat, drink and dance the night away. That Saturday the chords of jazz, samba and everything inbetween mixed and mingled in the warm evening air, which was already thick with a thousand languages. Foreigners and locals of all ages filled the streets and basked in the free and easy atmosphere of Carnaval, where nationalities cease to matter, social barriers are swept aside and from dusk till dawn anything goes……
Sunday morning and nobody stirred in the Hotel Paysandu. For many this was a day of rest, not for particularly religious reasons, but because it was the night of the Sambadrome, the highlight of our carnival package. The Sambadrome - a vast tiered theatre, 600m long with seating for 43,000 - is unique to Rio and was specially designed by legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (also responsible for Brasilia) for the street parade that is the beating heart of Carnaval. Each year, the city’s samba schools, many of which are from the poorest favelas, compete to perform at the Sambadrome.
Only 14 are selected, seven of which perform on each of the two competition nights. Tickets to watch these marathon 10-hour events go for thousands of dollars, but we had one as part of our Rio Carnival package.
At 6pm, decked out in sparkly wigs and body paint, Brazilian flags and glitter we set out for the Sambadrome. Few can claim to have experienced anything like the noise, the colour and the sheer spectacle of this parade of thousands, all of whom had been planning their costumes and perfecting their routines since last year’s competition. From the explosion of fireworks that heralded the arrival of the first float to the closing notes of the last samba, we danced until our feet ached, clapped until our hands hurt and cheered until we were hoarse. It was a night of over-the-top, technicoloured exuberance, as dancers dressed as Hollywood icons and fields of footballers, monsters and mermaids, board games and storm troopers (Dangerous Dave nearly wet himself with excitement when the Star Wars float appeared) stomped and twirled before our eyes, each display seemingly bigger, brighter and more extravagant than the last.
Needless to say, the Drago crew threw themselves into the spirit of the occasion: Dan and Jim put on their best party make-up, Veggie Mike got everyone up and dancing, and Ben and Hugo practised their samba steps while Rachel strapped on a pair of discarded angel wings and bopped to the music.
As Hannah (who outlasted us all) had promised, it really was a never-to-be-forgotten, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
And Dragoman's Rio Carnival Package was not over yet. We still had the tour of the favelas and a sunset yacht cruise - complete with cocktails - to come, not to mention the tranny-tastic Gay Ball. Monday’s favela tour, about which I had been sceptical, actually provided a fascinating insight into the lives of the poorest citizens of South America’s most glamorous city. Surrounded by the unreality of carnival it is easy to forget that in Rio, as in many of the world’s great cities, the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening.
But then this is also part of the event’s great appeal: this same froth and frivolity allows people to forget their cares, put aside their differences and party as equals. For five fast and furious days the city grinds to a halt as young and old, rich and poor celebrate being alive in a joyous festival that is as inspiring as it is exhilarating. Yes Rio has problems, as has every major city, but its good points far outweigh its bad. Everyone should experience carnival at least once: you won’t be disappointed. In fact, like me, you won’t want to leave.
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