Party Brazil: Samba in Rio, Axé in Salvador and Carnival All Year Round

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Brazil pays no heed to schedules when it comes to partying, and this 8-day itinerary captures the two poles of South America's most electrifying nightlife: Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Bahia. In Rio, the night begins in Lapa, the bohemian neighborhood beneath the Arcos da Lapa, where samba houses pulse with traditional rodas de samba: live music, ice-cold cerveja and the dance born on the hills of Rio. Pedra do Sal, in the Saúde neighborhood, is the historic cradle of samba, and every Monday it becomes a legendary street party with an open-air roda de samba. The bars of Ipanema and Copacabana offer the beachside version: caipirinhas with ocean views and bossa nova at sunset. The second half of the trip moves to Salvador, where axé music — the explosive rhythm of Bahian carnival — is danced every night, especially in Pelourinho and at the rehearsals of carnival blocos such as Olodum and Filhos de Gandhy. The Trio Elétrico parade, the carnival truck that travels the Barra-Ondina circuit, is an experience close to carnival even out of season.