Destination: Brazil
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Bizarre Brazil
FOUR WEEKS TO ONE YEAR
For Carnaval, head to Paraty, where you can dance through the streets covered in mud. Afterwards, soak away in the mineral spa town of Caxambu or consult the mystics in Sao Tome das Letras.
Catch a ride on an old locomotive in Sao Joao del Rei, or swim in a subterranean lake near Ouro Preto. Next it's on to Brasilia, where you can join a New Age cult before visiting Goias' Aeroporto de UFO, a landing strip built for space ships - and mystic rituals.
The Northeast has its own unusual attractions, from the lively cattle market of Feira de Santana to Sao Luis' folkloric festival, Bumba Meu Boi, which features music, dancing and a magical bull. Deep in the Amazon, Parintins has its own bull festival held in the Bumbodromo (modeled after Rio's Sambodromo).
The Amazon is also the place to see tidal bore surfing. Catch the action around the full moon near the March Equinox in Sao Domingos do Capim.
Finish up your oddities journey in Sao Paulo, with a visit to the Instituto Butanta snake farm, a herpetologist's paradise.
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