Why linger in the UK during the winter months when there is so much colour and exuberance clamouring for attention in Rio de Janeiro? In this relaxed city anything goes and time-keeping is a long-forgotten concept.
It is easy to book a low-cost, last-minute flight to Rio de Janeiro - just enter your required dates on the right. Then you can leave the rain behind in favour of warm weather and even warmer people.
Get involved in Rio's exuberant side and book tickets ahead for the carnival season. During February the city is ablaze with colour and sound. This is the birthplace of samba and its primal rhythms, where 4,000-strong samba schools showcase their skills. Dream-like floats, costumed and jewelled performers fill the streets from dusk throughout the night until sunrise in a joyful celebration.
Consider spending New Year in Rio, where the celebrations are breathtaking. Around 2.5 million people congregate on the vast stretch of beach, dressed unanimously in white as a sign of peace. By midnight the sea is covered with bright flowers.
This is also a great time of year to visit the city as Brazilian New Year falls during their summertime.
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