Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

There are carnivals, and then there’s Rio’s Carnival. No city on earth stages a street festival quite like the capital of Brazil, where it’s ten days of non-stop samba dancing, float-watching, street reveling, and all-around craziness. There are three parts: paid-for parades (in the Sambodromo stadium), paid-for balls and free parties. The first is a must, but only bother with the Sunday or Monday “Special Group” parades (the best performances), and book grandstand tickets in Sector 9 for the best views and seats. As for the balls, the celeb-packed Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace is the hot ticket, but costs are hefty. Instead try the nightly galas at the Scala club, or dance for free at blocos (local street parties). The liveliest is the beachside Banda de Ipanema, but the cool crowd heads for Carmelitas; just watch your valuables.