Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

There were so many highlights. Dancing to the early hours of the morning in Centro was definitely the most fun - we met a lot of crazy people from all over the world, danced with men dressed as nuns, and drank some interesting substances that tasted like mud from a rubber tube and a lot of Skol (?!). The Red and Black Ball at the Scala was another nighttime highlight, although the bruises from being groped so much lasted a good few days. Everyone was dressed in red and black, although lots of men turned up dressed just in their Speedos (!), and the stage was busy with amazing samba dancers and drummers. Cachaca fuelled craziness at its best!

Sunset and passion-fruit caipirinhas on Ipanema Beach definitely became a bit of a ritual while we were out there. This really is such a beautiful beach, and there's usually something fun going on here at about this time: drummers, dancing, drag queens…

Football in Maracana Stadium beats footie back here hands down - not only is it the world's largest stadium, but the match is accompanied by samba drums, men flipping cartwheels, and more Skol - what more could you want!

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

The underground system is really quite handy, although it has a very limited number of stops and only one line. But it's cheap and clean.

Didn't get a chance to try the buses out, but there seemed to be stops all over the place. We're quite lazy and were wearing pretty uncomfortable shoes in the evenings, so we opted for taxis mostly - they were easy to hail and inexpensive (although not exactly dirt cheap either), and the drivers were usually a good laugh.

The accommodation was a welcome surprise. For the three of us, we were given a small apartment with a double bedroom with ensuite shower and toilet, a dining room with fridge which also had a bunkbed, and a small kitchenette with a cooker and a sink. It all looked very new and was exceptionally clean.

The hostel also had a number of dormitories, and there was quite a sociable feel to the place, with a communal courtyard where people can gather to have a drink or two before they head out for the evening.

The staff are helpful to a point, although I think we may have tested their patience a little. There are a number of organised excursions.

The location is good, although some may find it a little far away from all the action. It's a nice, quiet residential area, with a few other hostels nearby. You can walk to Copacabana beach in about 10-15 minutes, Ipanema is a 15-minute taxi drive away, but the underground station is a mere 5-minute walk and will take you into Centro, which is where most of the carnival action takes place.

Baronetti had been recommended to us by a number of people as the best nightclub in Rio, so we were keen to check it out. The first time we went down there, however, the entry charge was so high that we decided to go somewhere else (fortunately, it's located near a number of other bars and nightclubs). The second time we went, we were lucky. The doorman took a shine to my incredibly beautiful friend, and not only ushered us to the front of the queue but gave us VIP passes (lucky, because the queue is a joke).

Inside the decor is pretty similar to a club that you might find in London - shiny bar tops, comfy sofas. We snacked on sushi and then danced the night away to funky house tunes with a selection of flamboyant, glamorous, and international people.

Again, drinks aren't cheap, and you have to carry a card around with you ticking off any drinks that may order.

A bit of a shortage of male eye candy in there (although they do get points for effort), but the women are all pretty beautiful.

If you're looking for Samba and Brazilian beats, this isn't the best place to head for. But if you fancy a fun night out, this isn't a bad choice.

This is a small but pretty coved beach set on the main road. Lots of small boats are moored here a little way from the shore. And there's a spectacular view of the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain.

We had just eaten an amazing lunch at a restaurant called Pax in the shopping mall over the road (it has amazing views and the food is really good), and the plan was to go to Ipanema Beach, but we were so full that we ended up stumbling across the road and vegging out here instead.

It's very quiet. There were no tourists, just a group of boys playing football and a couple of Brazilian families paddling in the water. We did venture in the water, too, but soon backed out, as the water here is pretty filthy which is a shame because it is very calm. It is not recommended for anything other than paddling.

The sand is not as fine as that at Copacabana or Ipanema, and is actually quite rough, but it's worth one visit, if just for the view and a little peace and quiet in the midst of the carnival madness.

Copacabana Beach is a 5km strip of white sand set against a dramatic backdrop of mountains that is truly pretty impressive. Back in the day, this was the place to be seen, before Ipanema stole its crown. This is the first strip of Rio beach to be commercially developed back in the 1920s, with the opening of the Copacabana Palace Hotel in 1923.

While the rest of the neighbourhood hasn't been able to maintain the same glamour and reputation as this landmark hotel, during the day, the beach is still definitely worth a visit, especially if you're staying nearby, as we were. Head for the stretch in front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel - this is the best-maintained area (other parts can be quite littered) and the part where you're least likely to be hassled by any undesirables. The water is clean, the sand is soft, and there are plenty of places to buy caipirinhas, green coconuts, and food. There are a few good places to eat here, too, although most of them are away from the seafront and Avenida Atlantica.

The Copacabana Street carnival starts off on the beach during Carnaval, but other than that, there didn't seem to be all that much activity here. If you're after drums and dancing on the beach, head for Ipanema, which is, overall, a nicer, cleaner, and far more glamorous beach.

The weather wasn't too nice on our first few days in Rio before Carnival started, so instead of lounging about on the beach, we thought we'd have a wander through Rio, find our feet, and visit the famous steps where hip-hop stars Snoop and Pharell filmed the video for "Beautiful."

This stairway links the Rua Joaquim Silva in Lapa to the Rua Pinto Martins in Santa Teresa. It took us a while to find it, but when we finally did, it was worth it.

Two-hundred and fifteen steps are covered with ceramic mosaics in green, yellow, and blue (the colours of the Brazilian flag) with mirrors and tiles. This decorative and incredibly beautiful stairway was originally created as a tribute to the Brazilian people by the Chilean-born artist Selaron.

If you're feeling energetic, climb all the way to the top - we definitely didn't make it past the first plateau, preferring to strut, pose, and make like hip-hop stars for a few minutes.

I don’t pretend to know much about football. I am a supporter of a London football team, although that is more an inherited responsibility as it’s a family tradition. I couldn’t tell you who plays for them, or explain the offside rule. But football is such a Brazilian institution and Maracana is, after all, the largest stadium in the world--how could we not go?

The tickets were quite cheap (around US$5) and available easily, but the stadium is so vast that this Flamengo v Fluminense match (two top Rio teams) couldn’t possibly fill it--a quarter of the stadium was filled, tops. But that didn’t in any way diminish the experience.

The crowd was seriously passionate--flipping cartwheels, crying, and singing songs. Huge flags and banners are waved over the barriers. Samba drums play in the background, and vendors carry chilled cans of Skol over to you in your seats along with any other refreshments you may fancy.

You can pretty much sit wherever you want. We were sitting in the Flamengo stands; their colours are red and black and they are the hosts of the annual red and black ball that has become such a carnival institution.

The sunshine helps, of course-- no shivering in a packamac here. Even when the sky does break into a shower, you welcome the refreshing drops, and you can’t help but be relieved for the footballers, running all over the pitch in the hot sun.

The result was a draw, to the great disappointment of the rest of the Flamengo fans that were sitting near us. We felt their pain, but for us the day had been a great success. Football Brazilian-style could even turn me into a serious fan.

Unless your budget can stretch to going for a few cocktails at the famous poolside bar of the Copacabana Palace Hotel, I would give this area a miss after the sun goes down - there are nicer places to be, such as Ipanema or Leblon, where there is certainly more interest going on.

The main evening attraction here is Help! discotheque, which is where many tourists head for a night out. My advice is to give it a miss - this is a tacky trouble hot spot (muggings are commonplace along this strip at night), where petty criminals go to make some easy money out of tourists, the music policy is uninteresting, and it's full of prostitutes.

Prostitutes are not only restricted to this discotheque, however, as Copacabana is now one of Rio's most notorious red-light districts. As you sit at one of the many restaurants along the Avenida Atlantica ,which runs along the seafront, the prostitutes gather around the hedge that borders the outdoor seating area. If you get up to go to the toilet, you'll bump into some of them in there, combing water through their hair or reapplying their lipstick.

The people that run the restaurant don't seem to mind their presence. In fact, it soon becomes pretty clear, as the waiters bring glasses of water out to the girls, that the restaurant is in some way involved in the whole business and probably receives a percentage of profits made.

It's also worth pointing out that most of the people sitting here, and we are pretty much the only female diners at this particular establishment, are entirely up for this kind of attention. The ladies behind the hedge aren't doing anything offensive after all - they just stand clustered around, beaming big smiles down at the diners, chatting with one another, and laughing at jokes. They are a varied bunch - some old, some young, some good-looking, some not, some well-dressed, some not.

The same can be said of the clientele, who occasionally invite one of the girls to come over and share a drink with them, or just slip off subtly, sometimes leaving a friend sitting there all alone.

We can't help but feel a little out of place and wonder if people think that the three of us girls are offering our wares, too. Looking around, the thought makes us feel a little nauseous, or is that the food? Grateful for the interesting experience but keen to get back to our hostel, we finish up and leave.

The Red and Black Ball is an annual event held during Carnival that is renowned for being one of its most exciting and crazy events. The Red & Black theme is in honour of the colours of the football team Flamengo, which is a top Rio team.

It's held at the Scala, which is a huge venue located in Leblon. Tickets are available from the venue up to a few hours before the events kick off. It’s admittedly not cheap, but well worth it.

Dress code: well, obviously you have to wear red and black. They have been known to turn away people who are not dressed appropriately, and people here do go all out, so it's worth making an effort.

As we enter the venue, it is absolutely packed, sweat is dripping off the ceiling, and you can't move without rubbing up on someone by accident. But nobody seems to mind - in fact, that seems to be the idea!

We are immediately groped by a huge group of guys who all seem to want to have a go. This isn't the half-hearted bum-pinching that you're used to in London nightclubs - this is full-on. You can try shouting and pushing back, but it won't do any good. And the bruises will last for a good few days. Fortunately, they all seem to calm down when the clock hits 1am - not too sure why that is, but it comes as a relief!

The music is samba, which is brilliant fun to dance to, even if you don't know the moves. Besides, leave all of that professional stuff to the girls on the stage in their amazing and incredibly skimpy costumes, complete with feather headdresses. They put on an amazing show.

The crowd is going wild. There are women dancing up on their boyfriend’s shoulders, some throwing their tops into the crowd and going topless, and men are dancing away next to us on the dance floor wearing nothing put tiny Speedos and flip-flops. Everyone is completely up for it and friendly. And drunk!

Drinks in here are on the token system, which means you have to buy your tokens in one place before taking them to the bar to get your drinks. The queues at each stop are pretty huge, so make sure that you get all of your tokens for the night in one go, and then make sure you get doubles at the bar!

The night goes till morning. I think it goes till 6am, but the evening gets quite hazy after a point. I remember that we were among the last few on the dance floor, but I don't think that we quite made it to the bitter end. We did pretty well, though - an amazing night. Highly recommend!

In Rio de Janeiro, the beach isn’t just a bonus or a tourist attraction – it’s a way of life. The Cariocas that inhabit this city are just as keen to get down to the beach as the gringos – the suntan is the all-important accessory in this part of town. It is not uncommon to see girls and guys on the beach applying suntan lotion with a paint brush, delicately coating each centimetre of their skin in this substance that will ensure they leave the beach with a golden glow.

But while us gringos may be sitting there on the beach sweating in our bikinis or baggy Bermuda shorts, peeling and slowly turning an unattractive shade of lobster red, they somehow manage to do it in style, always looking gorgeous and stylish. Our bikinis that looked so sexy when we tried them on in the London changing room somehow still manage to look frumpy and prudish when compared to their miniscule Brazilian counterparts.

For Brazilians, swimming costumes are an internationally renowned institution. For the ladies, there are the ultra-tiny dental-floss bikinis (the fio dental), and for the gents, the ultra tight and fairly small Speedo swim shorts (sungas). Going topless is not allowed in Rio as it is in Europe – as a result, these tiny swimsuits emerged as a way of allowing maximum exposure of the skin to the bronzing rays of the sun, minimising white patches, and also to show off the body to its full extent. These sexy swimsuits are not just restricted to the large proportion of Cariocas with gorgeous bodies however. Larger ladies and gents are frequently seen wearing them too, without the slightest trace of discomfort or self-consciousness. I can’t help but envy these ladies.

The body is something to be admired on the beach in Rio – in fact, these sandy shores are practically a shrine to the human form, and this is probably part of the reason that Rio is such a hot destination at the moment, particularly with male tourists, be they straight or gay. Women wear the tiny swimsuits because they want to be looked at, and the same is true of men. They also like to look and appreciate the small swimwear for this purpose too – it is considered polite that if you offer your body to be looked at, then the favour should be returned.

A young Brazilian guy who we met at a nightclub met us down at the beach the next day. The sun was going down, the air was crisp and cool, and the sea looked rough. We were all fully clothed and had absolutely no intention of getting into our swimsuits and going in the sea. Bizarrely enough, however, he had different ideas. Standing in front of our group, he gradually peels his clothing off to reveal a turquoise pair of Speedos beneath. We note this from the corner of our eyes, but he doesn’t move. The sea is right there, but he doesn’t seem to be heading towards it. He seems to be stretching his muscles, flexing them, standing about in different poses. We notice him looking over at us, as if waiting for something. Then we realise… It’s a reaction he’s waiting for. He wants us to show our appreciation of his body on full display in these tiny Lycra shorts by looking him up and down. I don’t think I can cope – the poor guy is only young, and let’s face it, his body is nothing to write home about. We chuck him a quick glance and smile at him quizzically. It seems to do the trick, as he runs down to the water Baywatch style and dives into the waves. The water is freezing, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Ipanema is one of the most glamorous and pretty parts of Rio. It has a magnificent beach and tree-lined streets that are packed with restaurants, bars, and shops. As one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods, the people who live here are not only wealthy, but also glamorous and beautiful.

The beach has beautiful, soft white sand and is framed at either end by mountains and hills - Ponta do Arpoador at the eastern end and the Morro Dois Irmãos, which makes the setting even more picturesque. The clean blue water is quite rough, and its large waves crash onto the shore – it’s a little turbulent to swim in unless you’re a strong swimmer but good fun for messing around in, or you can surf a bit farther down on Arpoador Beach.

The area has been immortalised in the famous Bossa Nova song, "Girl from Ipanema." Sitting here on the beach now, sipping agua de coco from a green coconut (this really is the best hangover cure!) whilst people-watching, it’s easy to see what the singer was on about. But it’s not just the women in their dental-floss bikinis that catch the eye. Plenty of men stroll along the beach sporting their ultra-tight Speedos and ensuring that everyone can have a good look at what they’ve got to offer. They stroll past, they skate past, they run past – acting as eye candy for girls and boys (Ipanema is also a gay hotspot).

The beach is well catered for, too – not just by the cafés and bars that line its edge, but also by the toilet facilities and showers that are provided at regular intervals along the beach. Be prepared to queue, though – there is only one toilet and people use it for getting changed, so don’t leave it until you’re bursting.

Drums usually start in the afternoon, and there are often small parties along the beach with samba sound systems and dancers and capoeira dancers. As the sun starts to set, the beach setting becomes even more beautiful with the vivid cocktail of reds and oranges peeking from behind the lush hills lighting up the water. Buy a passion-fruit caipirinha from one of the men that sells them along the beach and walk up to the Ponto do Arpoador. The view from this point is absolutely beautiful – the caipirinhas are pretty good too, and pack quite a punch! This is the best way to start off an evening of partying. Either head home to shower and then hit one of the numerous nightspots, or else just hang out here.

In the evening, the beach takes on a new life as the alcohol starts flowing and the beats continue into the night. Around Carnival, you’ll be sure to see some young men dressed up in school-girl outfits and fully made up, creating havoc along the beach – flirting comically with boys who are chilling out with their girlfriends, dancing provocatively, and performing rude gestures with the aid of props they find lying around on the beach, umbrellas, beer bottles, etc. You’d be forgiven for thinking that these boys were gay, but when they see a group of girls, they bound up to them, stroke their hair, call them beautiful, ask to be spanked, and beg for a kiss. How confusing. I can say that being chatted up by a man dressed as a woman is something that has never happened to me apart from in Rio.

The Sambodrome is quintessential Carnival - it's what the rest of the world sees on their televisions and so has become the international representation of the Rio carnival. It's here that you see the amazing floats, the fantastic costumes, and the amazing samba dance moves and hear the Carnival anthems. Consequently, everyone wants to be here, so tickets can be quite pricey, going up to thousands of dollars. It’s open every night of Carnival, running from 10pm until about 6 in the morning.

Food is available here, too, but I wouldn’t get too excited – the food is provided by Bob’s Burgers only (Brazil’s answer to Mcdonald’s, and if you didn’t think it was possible, it tastes even worse!) – but it fills your stomach. More importantly, you can buy beer here and it’s not horrifically priced.

Obviously, different areas of seating are of different quality - we managed to get some tickets to one of the least prestigious sections (sector 13) for about £5 each. We were right at the end of the parade strip, so we didn't get to see too much of the dance routines, although these are projected on huge TV screen anyhow, but we did get to see the floats, the costumes, and the delirium as each float reached the finish. So it was money well spent! Of course, we couldn’t get a seat, but who wants to sit down when the music’s blaring and everyone in the parades are dancing their little butts off?

There are 14 samba schools in Rio – each from a different district. They spend all year preparing for Carnival, which has become an industry in itself, so be prepared for a pretty impressive show. Each samba has its own son,g too – the words to the songs are included in the programmes sold at Carnival so that people can join in and sing along.

The floats are seriously incredible – they look like they belong in Disney World, and each one has a different theme. One is assembled to look like an eagle, another has been made to look like a rocket, and another resembles a giant set of lips. The samba schools have been dressed appropriately, and the most amusing costumes was the school that all dressed as syringes – some of the floats have a message, too!

Each school has a beautiful lady to be their queen, They wear the skimpiest outfits of all, and some seem to be wearing nothing at all beyond a bit of paint and some sequins – very daring. These ladies are the ones that are photographed and adorn the covers of the magazines. Naomi Campbell was filling this role on one of the floats dressed in a magnificent costume. Although, as she stepped off, she was, of course, whipped off by her huge entourage of security, not posing for photos as the others were.

It’s a shame that the audience is so separated from the floats – it would have been nice to go down and have a jump about with them. I can’t help but feel that we got far more of a feel for the Carnival vibe and spirit from jumping about in the streets of Centro during the Carnival period. Maybe next time it would be worth paying to join one of the samba schools and actually become a part of this amazing display.