There is nothing in the world like the Rio Carnival. Madre Gras of New Orleans is fun but not even…read morea "carnival," more like drunken brawl. Beware of their drink, the "hurricane." It will blow you away. The same pretty much goes for the one in Sydney and the one in Munich too. And yes, I've been to them all. Rio Carnival has samba like no other place. Samba is its heart and its soul. The Schools of Samba work hard and long all year long perfecting their customs and their samba dance. The schools range from the up to date modern glittering of light 14 time winner, Beija-Flor (my favorite) to the deep African rooted traditionalists of Manguaria. IMPORTANT: don't wear fancy watches, jewelry or carry anything loose. There are thieves all over Rio and they are very good at what they do. And don't bother whining to the police.

The Rio Carnival is very very intense but worth the effort…read more My review below is based on my trip to Carnival 2020 and recommends how I traveled and changes I would make. Please note I didn't travel as part of a Tour group. Instead I went with Dancers for the International Samba Congress so this was not a trip for everyone- but its perfect if you want to be in a carnival parade. 1) learn some Portuguese. Only 5% of the people speak English and while I know some Spanish, it was not nearly enough. You really need to learn basic manners, numbers up to 20 and basic questions like "where is the bathroom, excuse me, sorry and may I have this one or that one..." 2) flying to Rio I recommend Copa Airline. Comfortable seats and very good meals with an entree like chicken and rice and a snack like an empanada. And personal entertainment consoles and nice staff. 3) Rent an apartment in Ipanema, Copacabana or Flamingo close to a Metro Station. They have doormen and usually there restaurants and markets within a block or two. 4) eat at little fast food cafes for breakfast and lunch for croquettes, empanadas, kibe or bread and egg sandwiches. Go to a buffet for dinner and you can keep your food cost to $15-$20 a day easily. 4) use Uber - or if you know Portuguese or Spanish take Metro and you will be safe. 5)Go to at least 1 Samba school rehearsal like Mangueira's, the week before Carnival. The rehearsals are going to be at the base of a favela so don't go by yourself, don't walk around- go right in - then at the end get a snack- call uber get in the ride after matching the license plate and go right home. The ticket will be about $8.00 in US dollars. The energy, music and show will be fantastic. Be prepared to be there for 2-3 hours. You will either stand or dance the whole time and you can be there until the sun rises. 6) get VIP tickets for Sunday or Monday night to see the Parades at the Sambadrome, if you are a party animal and want a wild night with all you can eat food and drink. Tickets are expensive like $500+ USA. Or 7) Get covered box tickets for Sunday or Monday if you want an experience more like a great box for 12 at the Hollywood Bowl- guaranteed seats with great views and lines for bathrooms and concessions. Tickets are expensive $400+. 8) order stadium reserved seat tickets ( Section 9) to be with the crowd but have a designated place to sit (remember this Parade goes tor 8 hours) 10) take in the tourist sites- they are all beautiful and well worth it! 11) I would not recommend going to a Favela. Yes I went to a conference in Canta Gallo which is a favela above Copacabana/Ipanema Communities. It was organized by fantastic talented people who grew up in Canta Gallo. My experience was wonderful- But- We accessed our conference location via elevator which closed down at night time. Because of this we had to walk out of the community which is a really steep long trek. And it was really uncomfortable! Do not go as a lark. Sure most people are perfectly fine but, we saw police with guns and residents with their guns. This is not a place after nightfall to play with. There are daytime Favela tours- maybe it's a way to support the local businesses and if so- go but keep your eyes open and be aware.

I went to see a couple shows there (Zaz & Jorge Ben Jor) and really liked the venue. Centrally…read morelocated, right next to Lapa's arcs, it is spacious and open on all sides, with a large dome to protect the venue against bad weather. There is no sitting space with a view of the stage, so it's mainly everybody up on their feet, which gives it a nicer vibe. Only downside is that once you leave your spot, you can't come back into the crowd. In the open area, I found people dancing, drinking and smoking, closer to a festival atmosphere. One thing I liked about this place is that they offer half price to everyone in exchange of 1kg of food, which is a great deal when you want to discover new artists. The venue is equipped with a bar and toilets inside. After the show, it is recommended to be careful in the immediate surroundings of the venue, since many assaults have been reported around the arcs late at night.

Amazing place with very high quality sound and great vibe. Went with my family of 4 to see Hamilton…read morede Holanda and the performance was astounding. International quality for 15 Reals ($5). Highly recommended for real Brazilian music. People were very nice and we felt safe.

Nice venue! Came here for Carnarildy, a 4-day music festival and it was awesome! I had so much fun…read more It was easy to go to and from each day via Uber. One main entrance from the road and two entrances for the event based on which ticket you held. The space was quite large once inside. There's a hotel that is nearby people usually book when there are conferences or events here.

This is a cool little museum that is kind of hidden in the trees, you can easily miss the driveway…read moreif you're not paying attention. It costs R$12 to get in and is basically home to a collection of Nordestino art, mostly a bunch of small, hand-painted dolls. The cool thing is that you can get a feel for the culture and how the people used to live through these little dolls. Mostly they're doing work or home activities, but some are representative of festivals or life events. Some of them move and have music, and there's an erotic art room, which I unfortunately didn't get to see (was in mixed company). Supposedly the museum is going to move to a new building this year or next and will be located in Barra.