Mobissimo

If you haven't been to Rio for Carnaval, then you really haven't lived. Dancing with thousands of others, watching impossibly built floats, and then ... having your pocket picked. All in a good day. Fat Tuesday is tomorrow, so revellers will be out in force.

"It's madness. There's so much colour, dancing and music," said Des Ryan, a 48-year-old stonemason from Ireland who was experiencing Rio's world-famous Carnival for the first time.

Madness, that pretty much sums it up. Carnaval is not limited to Rio, every Brasilian city has a celebration, each trying to out do the other. Very notable is the Carnaval in Salvador, Bahia. Some say that every day is Carnaval in Bahia, and they might be right - the month preceding and following are filled with related events. Of course you can use Mobissimo to book your ticket, last chance I checked, tickets were only $753 to Rio. Hotel availability, on the other hand, is slim, but no big deal, you'll be dancing all night and sleeping on the beach during the day anyway.