Brazil 2028

I'm spending the start of my sixth decade in Brazil, and for two weeks of it, February 22 through the first week of March, I would love to have some of my favourite humans there with me.

I'll be based in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, right through Carnival and my birthday on March 1, the final night of the biggest party on earth. Come for a few days or come for the whole two weeks, your call entirely.

Full transparency: I'm a partner in an agency, so I'll likely be doing a bit of work even during this stretch, that's just how it goes. And you know me, I'm an extroverted introvert, I love being surrounded by my people and then I need my own quiet corner to recharge. Zero obligation here.

I did a lot of work organizing my 50th, so this time I'm doing the total opposite. Six decades in, and I'm slowing it down a bit. But I would love your company for a short stretch or a long one, entirely your call. And if you can't make it to Brazil (did someone say samba?), you know I'll be celebrating all year long. You've met me before, right?

The main event

Carnival week

Ipanema in the run-up to Carnival does not simmer, it detonates. The blocos start days early and multiply by the hour, entire streets swallowed by drums, glitter, and strangers dancing like old friends. And let's be honest, Ipanema is full of some of the most beautiful people on the planet, sun-kissed, effortlessly stylish, always up for a good time. I want to kick off this decade surrounded by beauty, energy, and my favourite people. Then comes our night at the Sambadrome: floats three storeys tall, feathers and sequins catching the lights, ten thousand voices singing the same samba enredo at full volume. Get close enough and it stops being something you watch. It becomes something you're inside of, chest thumping in time with the bateria long after you leave.

Escadaria Selaron, the Rio de Janeiro tiles

Sambadrome tickets

Budget around $300 USD per person (roughly $410 to $450 CAD) for a good grandstand seat. Official tickets typically release six to nine months out, likely mid to late 2027 for this Carnival. Start saving now, watch riocarnaval.org for the release.

Watch for tickets

No agenda, none at all

The morning after

March 2 and 3 are going to be recovery days, coffee, the beach, absolutely nothing on the agenda, and I have a strong feeling most of you will want the exact same thing after a night like that. If you're the type who bounces back in four hours and wants to go exploring instead, honestly, go be that person, I respect it deeply and will see you when I resurface. I'll be the one horizontal on a beach chair, sunglasses doing all the talking.

Ipanema at golden hour with Two Brothers mountain

The getaway

Búzios

A couple hours east of Rio, the coast changes character entirely. Búzios is cobblestone streets and candlelit dinners, a peninsula edged with more than twenty beaches, each one a slightly different shade of impossible blue. We wander Rua das Pedras after dark, wine in hand, past galleries and boutiques spilling light onto the stones. We climb to the little colonial church above Praia dos Ossos and watch the sky do something spectacular over the water. A day trip to Arraial do Cabo shows you why people call this stretch of coast Brazil's Caribbean, water so clear it barely looks real. Three nights, and it feels like a different trip entirely.

A glass of wine at an infinity pool over the bay at sunset

A turquoise cove and boardwalk in Buzios

White sand and bright blue water at Arraial do Cabo

Signpost to Buzios, Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo

The useful stuff

Practical bits

Base

Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

My window with friends

February 22 to approximately March 7, two weeks

Birthday and Carnival finale

March 1

Getaway

Búzios, March 4 to 7, three nights, right after recovery. The 1001 bus from Rio takes about four hours, and you can fly home from Galeão on the 7th.

Accommodation

I'm going to book my Airbnb about a year out and pay monthly, it locks in pricing before Carnival surge hits. You'll want to do the same, even for a shorter stay, booking early beats booking close every time.

Search Ipanema Airbnbs · Search Ipanema hotels

For Búzios I'm booking a hotel for the three nights, not an Airbnb, since it's a short stay and a different pace. If you'd like to be nearby, grab a room in the same stretch.

Search Búzios hotels

Flights

I'm flying direct out of Toronto on Air Canada, no US stopovers for me. You're welcome to route however works best for your calendar and your wallet, including through the US if that's the easier option. Air Canada and Air Transat both fly direct from Toronto.

Air Canada · Air Transat · Galeão Airport (GIG)

Visa

Canadians need a Brazil e-Visa, about $80.90 USD, applied for online, usually approved in two to five business days. It's good for five years. Your passport needs at least six months left on it when you land.

Driving to the airport?

I've got room for two cars at my place, fifteen minutes from Pearson. Leave your car with me and skip the airport parking fees.

Sambadrome tickets

Approximately $300 USD, watch riocarnaval.org, release expected mid to late 2027.

Per person, in CAD

What it costs

Flights, YYZ to GIG return, economy	$1,500 to $2,200
Sambadrome ticket, one night	$410 to $450
Ipanema, February 22 to March 4, eleven nights, booked early	$1,700 to $2,800
Food and daily spending, mostly cooking in	$400 to $700
Búzios hotel, March 4 to 7, three nights	$360 to $660
Bus to Búzios and back to the airport	$50 to $100
Local transport (Uber, etc)	$100 to $150
Travel insurance	$100 to $180
Estimated total	$4,600 to $7,200

That food number assumes what an Airbnb kitchen is for, groceries and a few meals out, not restaurants every night. Birthday week dinners are on top of this and entirely optional, budget an extra $200 to $400 if you want a proper night out with me.