March 4-9, 2011
6 days from $2999*
Optional add-on available to Paraty, Brazil
ZOOM VACTATIONS CARNAVAL IN RIO ITINERARY
Friday, March 4, 2011 Late Evening: Welcome Dinner, Cocktails, Carnaval Brazilian Jewels on the Beach Fashion Show,on the roof of the Ipanema Plaza Hotel. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner buffet as well as an open bar of caipirinhas, wine, Brazilian beer, water, soft drinks, and juices throughout the entire event! Dinner is at the beginning, so come at 7P and mix and mingle with fellow Zoom travelers in a truly beautiful setting. Don’t forget to bring your cameras.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: WELCOME DINNER
Saturday, March 5, 2011 7A to 11A: Included Buffet Breakfast is served in the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Opium Restaurant
Afternoon: High Flying Sunset Cocktail Helicopter Party.
Sip cocktails and nibble on light Brazilian canapés on Sugarloaf Mountain as the majesty of one of Rio’s sunsets unveils before you to the seductive rhythm of Samba. We have even arranged for helicopters to show you Rio from the sky during the event!
Today's optional excursions include a tour of colonial Rio, tickets to the sensational Copa Ball, and tickets to Rio's best gay dance parties.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: BREAKFAST
Sunday, March 6, 2011 7A to 11A: Included Buffet Breakfast is served in the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Opium Restaurant
6A to 6P:Handcrafts & Art Fair of Ipanema
The official name is Feira de Artezanato de Ipanema (Handcrafts & Art Fair of Ipanema), but everybody still uses the original name, Hippy Market, reminiscence of the 70´s. Typical foods, handmade art, Brazilian leather goods, paintings, jewelry, and many more attractions are found at this weekly event. It is the perfect place to find a souvenir with local colors. Or just walk around leisurely, and enjoy the moment. This is a short walk from the hotel, and once there, you may choose to wander on your own within the market plaza, and return to the hotel (or beach) whenever you choose. This market only takes place on Sundays.
Today's optional excursions include a favella tour and tickets to Rio's Sambadromo parade.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: BREAKFAST and LUNCH
Monday, March 7, 2011 7A to 10A: Included Buffet Breakfast is served in the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Opium Restaurant
Afternoon: Zoom Oasis Beach Party.
It has been called an oasis in the sand. The Zoom Oasis Beach Party is an exclusive event created just by Zoom Vacations for you! Beautiful Brazilian boys, breathtaking blue water views, open bar, yummy food, hot weather, hot men, complimentary transportation, and sexy music all on the beach next to a hang gliding/para-gliding landing area on one of Rio’s most beautiful beaches. And if you can’t stand the “heat”, take a dip in the ocean just steps away. So, bring your bathing suit!
Today's optional excursions include hang gliding, dinner at one of Rio's best-kept secrets, and tickets to an incredible dance party.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: BREAKFAST
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 7A to 10A: Included Buffet Breakfast is served in the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Opium Restaurant
4P (approximately):Banda de Ipanema. There's much more to Carnaval than the Samba Parade. Street Carnivals are loads of fun, free, and happen all over the city. You are more than welcome to watch and participate. Today the Banda de Ipanema takes Ipanema by storm, starting at around 4 PM at the Hippy Market (Praça General Osório). The Banda of Ipanema is Rio’s most popular “neighborhood” parade, and the paraders are mostly drag-queens and others in flamboyant costumes. They come from all parts of the country and from abroad, to make it big in Ipanema. It was founded in 1964, and today it is listed as part of the city cultural heritage, attracting as many as fifteen thousand people! The end result is a whacky, wild, moving street celebration. There are many police too, ensuring that the chaos is safe and well, orderly. The easiest thing to do is to walk to the corner of Rua Farme Amoedo and Avenida Vieira Souto (the street in front of the beach). You can’t miss it.
Today's optional excursions include tickets to our favorite dance party of the week.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: BREAKFAST
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 7A to 10A: Included Buffet Breakfast is served in the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Opium Restaurant
9:30A-10A: Paraty Travelers Only. Check out of the Ipanema Plaza Hotel early, meet at the Ipanema Plaza Hotel Lobby, and load luggage onto bus for departure to Paraty. 10A (sharp): Paraty Departure for the group attending the Paraty add-on.
12 Noon: Hotel Check Out. If you are leaving Rio today and not joining Zoom on the Paraty extension, the Ipanema Plaza Hotel will gladly store your luggage while you explore the day in Rio prior to your flight. Please be sure to put your Zoom Luggage tags on your bags to help them identify your bags easily. As the hotel will be sold out on this night a late check out is unlikely unless you prepay the night of January 2. However, you are welcome to use the showers in the gym area if you wish to freshen up before your flight home.
ACCOMMODATIONS: THE IPANEMA PLAZA MEALS INCLUDED: BREAKFAST
Carnaval is Rio's main event. It happens at the peak of summer, when Cariocas are at their best. Festivities attract thousands of people from all corners of the world. Carnaval, as spelled in Portuguese, is a 4-day celebration. It starts on Saturday, and ends on FatTuesday, or Mardi-Gras. Dates change every year, and Carnaval Sunday is seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The origins of Carnaval are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan celebration in ancient Rome, or Greece. Carnaval balls were imported from Italy in the late nineteenth century, and had their golden era in the thirties, with legendary balls at the Copacabana Palace, and the Municipal Theater. The Samba Parade began in the 30's - first timidly at Praça XI, and later on Av. Presidente Vargas. It found a permanent home in 1984 at the Sambodrome, in the downtown area. Today the event is broadcast to dozens of countries, and all Brazilian states. Many people think of it as the greatest show on earth.
Luxury Accommodations:
• Ipanema Plaza Hotel. This 4 star property is the closest hotel to the gay beach, and is truly the hot spot for the week!
Hotel Amenities:
Bar/Lounge
Business Center
Concierge
24 Hour Front Desk
Hairdryers Available
Pool
Parking
Restaurant
Room Service
Safe Deposit Box
Fitness Center
Laundry/Valet Services
AM/FM Alarm Clock Modem Lines in Room
Free Newspaper
Television with Cable
Air: International and domestic airfare not included. Zoom Vacations has negotiated a 5% off your fare with American Airlines on this trip. Go to aa.com/rainbow, type in your departure city and arrival city and don’t forget to enter the Promotion Code: 8821BC. Click " Get Fare".
*Land onlyIntroductory rate, based on double occupancy. Prices are subject to change. Need a roommate? Zoom Vacations is happy to match you with someone, at no additional charge. Or, you may pay a single supplement and go as a single.
Please read Terms and Conditions prior to booking.
Watch our Zoom Vacations Rio Carnaval 2009 Video
Zoom Vacations' gay group tour to Rio for Carnaval in 2009 gave our travelers the most incredible experience in Rio de Janeiro. Events unique to Zoom Vacations, plus front row seats at the Sambadromo and tickets to the best party in town made this an amazing experience we will never forget. Our 2010 trips to Rio for New Years and Carnaval promise to be equally extraordinary.
Paraty is a small gay-friendly colonial town on the west coast between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. With beautiful beaches and undisturbed nature it also boasts over 400 years of history. It was one of most important ports of Brazil and it's name was synonymous with cachaça. Today, it is known as one of the most gay-friendly places in Brazil, largely because of its openly gay mayor!
Paraty was one of the most important towns in Brazil during the Gold Cycle. Today Paraty is a small historic town with elegant stores and many quaint hotels and inns that receive visitors from all over the world. From Paraty, one can easily get to over 65 islands, many with private beaches, swimming coves, and charming, rustic restaurants.
Paraty (para-chee) is a popular destination for European tourists but is unknown by most Americans. The old colonial homes are white-washed, embellished with intricate colored moldings. The roads are paved with river stone and cars are not allowed on the streets in the historic center. In the evenings, jazz music spills out from yellow-lit doorways, and impeccable cuisine abounds in authentic restaurants.
Package Highlights:
• Round trip transfer by luxury motorcoach (about 3.5 hours through stunning scenery) with tons of food, drinks, movies, etc.
• Fabulous Boutique Accommodations in the historic city center.
• Island hopping by boat among 65 scenic islands.
• A fabulous lunch on a private island.
• Unique dining experience with a famous Brazilian chief using local ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon. You are invited into the private home of Yara Castro Roberts, where using local ingredients, Yara demonstrates the preparation of a typical Brazilian meal. The experience is enhanced as guests participate and share in the preparation of this incredible culinary experience. The stories, the fun and the drink flow to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Dinner, drinks, and wine included!
• Optional horseback riding through the tropical rainforest, past beautiful waterfalls
Testimonials From Past Zoom Rio Vacations
All I can say about my experience with Zoom and Rio is that my friends and family are sick and tired of my stories of how wonderful everything was. You can hear it, read it or even see pictures/video, but it will never even come close to living it...thank you for an incredible memory!
Mark Armstrong, LA: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Man, did I have a blast! Thanks for hanging with me and making this trip so great. I want to go again next year. I have been telling all my friends about how great Zoom Vacations treated us and how they should take part.
Juan Rocha, Phoenix: Zoom Rio Vacation
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We had a blast. It was the best vacation I have ever taken. I thought being in a group might be stifling or a drag-- but having 70 instant friends was awesome. (I am very shy and find it hard to meet folks… LOL). You do GREAT work.
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Craig Crawford, Sacramento: Zoom Rio Vacation
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I sincerely want to thank you for what could possibly be the best trip of my life. I knew that I was going to like it but I never expected to be as GREAT as it was. You guys gave us the best New Years (and I'm talking also from many, many great comments that I heard from some of the other guys of our group). I'm very happy that I made the decision of going to Rio with ZOOM, and I also know that this is just the first of many vacations that I'm going to put in your hands.
Eddy Roblero, San Jose, Costa Rica: Zoom Rio Vacation
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I had a wonderful time! Truly the best vacation I ever had!
Mark Allen, Maryville, TN: Zoom Rio Vacation
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I had the good fortune of meeting Joel Cabrera here in New York during PRIDE 2004 and I said that if I ever went to Brazil, which I have been dying (my hair) to do for years, that I would give him a call. Fate stepped in and I had the best vacation ever.
Carson Kressley, New York City: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Dear Joel and Bryan,
I want to thank you for a marvelous trip. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have recommended Zoom Vacations to numerous people. I appreciate all the hard work you put into the adventure to make it one of the most pleasurable and memorable vacations I’ve ever had. I especially enjoyed all the new friends I met.
Michael, New York City: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Dear Bryan and Joel,
Please receive our thanks for arranging such a wonderful trip. In addition to making new friendships and enjoying Rio de Janeiro, you helped us make our seventh anniversary a happy occasion. We hope to see you in our travels in 2005.
Alex and Matt, New York City: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Dear Zoom Vacations,
We want to thank you for a much needed and wonderful vacation in Rio. We had an amazing time! You sure do know how to put together an incredible adventure we will remember for the rest of our lives. The itinerary of events, the friendships and the amazing men made for an experience we would recommend to everyone. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Meade, Miami: Zoom Rio Vacation
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At least I still have my Brazilian tan to show for the phenomenal time that you guys provided for all of us. I can't thank you guys enough for all of the amazing care and special touches you thought of to bring 2003 to a great end and to make the new year start off in the best possible way!
Will, LA: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Just wanted to say thanks for putting together such a fantastic itinerary and trip to Rio. It was truly one of the best vacations I have had in several years....the weather, the activities, and the people too...a really nice group of people came together for the trip. You guys really out did (is that a word?) yourselves on the activities. I'll definitely be giving you a glowing review to anyone who asks about my experience with your travel company.
Greg, New York City: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Just a quick note to let you know how much fun we had in Brazil. THANK YOU for doing such a fantastic job for us. Your planning and the choices you made were perfect, but it was the personal touches, your warmth, and the ease with which you handled each day that really made a lasting impression with us. There had to be a lot of behind-the-scenes stress that you never showed, and that is truly amazing considering the detail involved, and the high expectations of your clientele.
John and Jeff, Detroit: Zoom Rio Vacation
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Dear Zoom Vacations,
Thanks for organizing a great time in Rio. We both had a fun and relaxing time. We’re not the best tourists as we often like to do our own thing, at our own pace. But your organization allowed us to do just that, so thank you for making our Rio Adventure another great experience.
Steve and Greg, Wisconsin: Zoom Rio Vacation
Click here to read more testimonials on our testimonials page.
