Rio Rundown For Carnaval!

Me at The Sambadrome

The famous Rio Carnival, a bucket list celebration everyone is invited to. I have been wanting to experience the magic of Rio Carnival for years and it did not disappoint. I'm going to share everything you need to know to navigate the world's biggest party event!

Prep

• I'm talking physically and mentally. Your first experience of carnival can be extremely overwhelming with millions of people flooding the streets, loud music in the air and the hot sun beating down on you. The street parties (blocos) start early in the morning with the first bloco said to start at 7am and the others going late into the night then trading off with Rio's nightclubs, so you're going to need some stamina. Celebrations kick off well before the official 'Rio Carnival' period with pre carnival parties weeks before and post carnival parties after.

• Carnival is an expensive time to be in Rio so the earlier you know you're going, the cheaper it will be for you when booking flights and accommodation. Hotel, Air bnbs and hostel prices skyrocket with the hostel I stayed at quadrupling their prices during this time, even for the dorms! Get it booked as early as possible before the carnival price rise begins.

• When planning your travel dates, keep in mind that the energy is usually higher during the first weekend of the carnival period as towards the end, the tiredness sets in and locals have to go back to work the following week so the events tend to tail off around this time.

• If you want to see the carnival parade at the Sambadrome (which I highly recommend), you can buy your tickets at riocarnaval.org. I bought my tickets from here and you can choose which day you want to buy for with the best samba schools competing on the last day. The cheap tickets for this day usually sell out first however if you know nothing about samba like me, the 'access groups' dancers were amazing and the tickets for these were the cheapest option of them all. You have to physically pick up your tickets once you are in Rio at least 24 hours before the show. It is a must see, the parade floats, dancers and their outfits were incredible and it was such a fun night.

• Outfits! Pick out your carnival outfits and almost anything goes, just don't wear anything you don't want to profusely sweat through or get stained! A lot of people opt for bikinis or shorts and there's a very body positive atmosphere. There are also people on the street selling accessories such as headbands and tutus if you need to zhuzh up your outfit a little.

• I was advised to take a money belt with me to keep my valuables in whilst at the blocos, however I used my running belt instead which I tucked under the waistband of my shorts and I only carried around the essentials; some cash and my phone.

Ipanema Beach

At Carnival

• Where are the blocos I hear you ask? The Bloco do Rio app has all the information you need. It shows you all the blocos happening in Rio over the entire carnival period with multiple on at the same time in different locations. The app shows you the route the street party goers will follow (the blocos move along the streets following the music) and you can follow this in real time throughout the day as it highlights their current location with the rest of the route underneath for whenever you want to join. The app also shows you the estimated turnout for each event with some being smaller and more localised in comparison to the 1 million attendees estimated at Flamingo Beach on a Saturday.

• Only carry the essentials on you such as your phone and some money, I left my hostel room key with reception so that was one less item to worry about.

• You will need the cash to buy drinks, you can BYOB but in the event you run out, you will most likely pass shops but there are people selling drinks along the bloco route and I stuck to the canned drinks. Some sellers do take card but I didn't want to risk taking my card out with me.

• Brazilian Funk will become your new best friend as that's the music they mostly play.

• PDA is very common during carnival so don't be typically English when you see it cos there is A LOT of it.

• It's got to be talked about - the toilet situation. There are toilets along the bloco route however the queues are very long so unless you make your way through the crowd and get in line well in advance, you're going to end up using the natural option but please find a somewhat private place to do so...

• If you go to the Sambradrome, although there is an entry time on your ticket, you can show up and leave whenever. I left at 2am and the parade was still going on but make a note that the metro stops running by midnight so you'll have to get a taxi back to your accommodation. When you first exit the venue there will be lots of people looking for rides and lots of taxi drivers vying for business and the roads around here are blocked off to turn it into a one way system, so the best thing to do is walk a little further away from the action and call an Uber from there.

• If you're not sure where you're going, everyone was super helpful. I don't speak Portuguese and someone at the train station pointed me to the right train before a lady on the train let me know when to get off for my stop. My sense of direction is abysmal and after walking around aimlessly trying to find my Sambadrome entrance (theres like 13 different sector entrances depending on where your seats are) a group of people walked me all the way there (it was not a short walk) before heading to their entrance (which was on the complete opposite side).

Let's Get Real

Things can happen wherever you are in the world so nothing is without risk but what you can do is try to minimise the risk. Here's some tips for keeping safe in Rio;

• Try not to get your phone or GoPro out in big crowds as it's easy to get it nicked, secure your belongings in zip pockets, a money belt or pouch close to you.

• As PDA is quite common you most likely will be accosted at some point during a bloco, just be firm if you're not interested. In my experience the men would usually ask for consent and walk away after the first no, but there's always a few bad eggs who need a slightly firmer response and don't be scared, you're in the most crowded place possible.

• Keep your drinks close to you and be aware if it is in an open container.

• Uber is safe to use and always available so at night just use this to get home.

• At the nighttime blocos try to stay with the people you are with and if you ever feel 'off' or uncomfortable let the people you're with know and remove yourself from the situation.

Most of the things I've mentioned are things you would probably do back home when you're out and about, especially at night . I asked the hostel manager about safety in Rio and he told me to practise the same caution in Rio that I use in London and I would be fine. This definitely put me at ease and at no point did I feel threatened or scared. There are people everywhere and most people want to help you as oppose to hurt you. Just keep your wits about you do what makes you feel comfortable.

Last but not least EMBRACE the sprit of carnival, I had so much fun here and cannot wait to go back. The atmosphere is so vibrant and the people are so happy, just remember to leave your bad vibes at home!

Look how happy I was!

For more on Brazil, check out this page or read all about my 4 day Amazon Adventure!