Discover Brazil travel guide

Brazil is a colourful and exotic South American destination.

It’s famous for its beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema as well as the exhilarating festival, Carnival. Brazil stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to the impressive and equally beautiful Iguacu Falls in the South. Brazil borders every South American country (10 in total) except Chile and Ecuador. Brazil recognises four time zones. The main time zone corresponds to the time of the national capital Brasilia, which is 3 hours behind Universal Coordinated Time (UTC-3).

Brazil is a mixture of races and ethnicities, resulting in a rich cultural diversity. Family is the foundation of the social structure, and even the extended family is quite close.  

• Don’t make the ‘OK’ hand gesture in Brazil as it has a very different and offensive meaning.
• Despite being ethnically diverse, there is a class system in Brazil and a visible divide between middle and lower classes.
• It’s customary to bring a gift to a friend’s house, but avoid the colours purple and black as they are
  associated with mourning.
• Kissing is customary, so don’t be shocked when you are kissed by a stranger.

• For good weather and the best deals, September to October is the best time to visit as it’s less crowded with holidaymakers from America. But for a good time, January to February is the best as this is when Carnival is hosted and the weather is hot.

• Due to its size, Brazil has three main weather regions, each with its own rainy season. The North is closer to the equator and can experience hotter temperatures than the more moderate South.
  Temperatures below are averages for Rio De Janeiro:

• The largest mural made of kisses — 13,316 people used lip balm to make a gigantic picture.
• The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, with the largest part found in Brazil’s borders.
• The largest samba band — 1,038 people took part in Sao Paulo.

• The national icons are the bright yellow flower lpê-amarelo and the Rufous-bellied Thrush.