Holiday in Brazil: Beating Heart Of South America

Experience the country’s most famous cultural event, Carnival, on your luxury Brazil tours – a perfect example of the blending of African pagan festivals with Roman Catholic holidays.

Brazilians often define themselves by region. The fierce rivalry between those from Sao Paulo paulistas, and those from Rio de Janeiro cariocas, is a case in point! Paulistas are considered fast-paced, cosmopolitan, work-obsessed, affluent, big city dwellers, whereas cariocas are more laid-back, beach loving, passionate, happy-go-lucky optimists.

Take one of our luxury Brazil tours to learn more about these rival cities.

The culture of Brazil is also rich in music and dance. Most notable is the samba which is upbeat, rhythmic, and forms the pulsating backdrop of Carnival.

Originating from African drumming, samba encompasses not only a form of music and dance but also a whole tradition and history behind it.

See African influence through the capoeira on your luxury Brazil tours – it is a dance-like martial art created by slaves during colonial times and currently recognized as UNESCO cultural heritage.

There are unique cultures in various regions of Brazil, and you will have the opportunity to see this during your Iguazu Falls tour or Amazon River tour.

Top Brazil Travel Tips – Culture:

Brazilians are known more for their relaxed and happy-go-lucky demeanor rather than punctuality, and especially in semi-urban areas, you can expect to find life moving at its own pace!

The cornerstone at almost every Brazilian table is rice and beans, which are of course present in the national dish feijoada. Another traditional dish is moqueca, a stew served in a hot clay pot and accompanied with either rice or a manioc flour paste called farofa. This dish is most common in the Bahia region in the Northeast.

Visit juice bars and cafes on one of our luxury Brazil tours – they serve up Brazil’s famous coffee and also a plethora of exotic juices and smoothies. After a day strolling the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, nothing is more refreshing than a fresh smoothie!

Gobble up some authentic food in Brazilian:

• Feijoada: a hearty stew of black beans, sausage and various cuts of pork
• Moqueca: stew made with fresh fish, onions, coriander and tomatoes
• Pão de queijo: baked cheese bread made from tapioca flour and cow’s milk cheese
• Açaí sorbet: a berry-like fruit from the Amazon, blended like a frozen sorbet and served with fresh bananas, honey and granola
• Brigadeiros: chocolate truffle, made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, and chocolate sprinkles

Top Brazil Travel Tip – Cuisine:

Our luxury Brazil tours would be incomplete without trying the national cocktail, caipirinha. Made with fresh limes and cachaça, Brazil’s native liquor which is distilled from sugar cane, it is deliciously tangy!

In the 17th century, African slaves were brought over by the thousands to work in Brazil’s sugarcane plantations and, even before the end of slavery, they had become an integral part of society. In the early 18th century, gold was discovered in the highlands, much to Portugal’s delight. The capital was moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1763. The country also became an important coffee producer.

In 1808, Napoleon invaded Portugal forcing the court and king to flee to Rio de Janeiro, from where the Portuguese empire was ruled remotely for the next decade. The king left his eldest son Pedro, as the regent of Brazil when he returned to Portugal, who in turn created an independent monarchy, naming himself Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, just a year later. In 1870, Brazil, along with Argentina and Uruguay, won the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay – the bloodiest war in South American history.

After 1889, when Brazil became a constitutional democracy, many governments rose and fell, and the country saw much unrest. The capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia in the 1950s, where it remains today. After 1964, Brazil witnessed military dictatorship for two decades until democracy was restored, although hyperinflation and currency devaluation plagued the country. In recent years, Brazil has experienced an economic boom despite some political scandals.

Your luxury Brazil tour is a great way to explore this powerhouse of Latin America!