Brazil

Brazil is a vast land stretching from the Equator to beyond the Tropic of Capricorn, known for the Carnival in Rio, the Samba music, dance and football par excellence.

Brazil offers much more than these clichés: thousands of miles of unspoilt tropical beach, the bulk of the Amazon rainforest, the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, table-topped mountains dripping with unique plants and waterfalls, colonial mining towns resplendent with baroque churches, the huge metropolis of Sâo Paulo and the seductive charm of Rio.

Most of all there are the Brazilians. The Portuguese left a lasting colonial heritage and the African legacy is strong and now is a melting pot with later waves of European and Japanese immigrants. All this is reflected in the rich cultural heritage of architecture, cuisine music and sport.

Brazil will host the Soccer World Cup of 2014 and Olympics of 2016, meaning that this wonderful country will be discovered by many more visitors in the not too distant future. So now is an excellent time to take a cultural, wildlife, bird-watching, adventure or relaxing beach holiday.