[QUOTE=Gaucho9; 1308741]On the other hand: You'll live a unique experience when all the city goes wild. Really wild. Well, not all of them, a lot of cariocas escape directly to Buzios and Angras.
If there's something that sticks in my mind through all the years is the wild Carnival I experienced in Rio ten years ago. Help was still open. Naked girls dancing on your table. Experiencing Sambodromo until early at dawn. Great parties. Wild. Kissing total strangers on the street. Erotism everywhere. And the music. You got to hear those drums. They are better than a rock concert.
A hint: You don't need to spend a fortune. Plan in advance. Find somewhere to crash. And think that most of the time you'll be on the streets, partying or at the Sambodromo. So you don't need a suite at the Copacabana Palace. Just somewhere to sleep and change. And survive.
I don't do it every year. But I recommend the Rio Carnival at least once in a lifetime.[/QUOTE]Revellion (NYE) is also an amazing time in Rio. Seeing a million people all packed on the beach dressed in white, and even all the cooky characters in Copacabana in the hours beforehand make it an awesome experience.