Rio Sambadrome in full swing! Photo by Ben Tavener.

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is, in a word, overwhelming – for every one of the senses. Everything gets a good pounding: your ears, eyes, nostrils, and quite definitely your brain.

For some reason it’s taken me three years to get to Rio Carnival – but it was definitely worth it.

There are those who mistakenly think Carnival is all about the samba schools parading at the Sambódromo, which celebrated 30 years of colour and dance this year, but the real heart of Carnival is most certainly in the blocos – the many, many street parties (450+ this year) that adorn Rio’s street and bring large swathes of the city to a grinding halt in a mass of sweaty, alcohol-fuelled dancing and debauchery.

Here is a small taster – click to enlarge photos. For the full gallery, see my