The Christmas frivolities have been and gone and winter has tightened its grip. The days are short and sharp and getting up in the morning when its still dark outside is no mean task. Don't you wish you could just bring up the covers over your head and not come out until the spring? Come on people, what we need is some cheering up here. Can’t we just use our imagination and conjure up something special?

How about some sun for starters, mmm, that’s nice, throw in some catchy local sounds, a good beat, yes that's better, perhaps a pristine beach with waves gently lapping on the shore, a few freshly mixed cocktails and of course beautiful people dancing, as the song goes, all night long.

What would you say, my friends, if this image belongs to the real world and is closer than you think?

Time to escape our dreaded winter, so dig out your passport, we’re headed south, way south, beyond the equator in fact, to a place of unquantifiable beauty and experiences.

Welcome to the largest country in the hemisphere, Brazil or as my Brazilian friend spells it, 'Brasil', because according to him there are no zzz's to be had here.

Evocative, exotic and exciting, this is a 24 hour party nation where even the chemists are considerate enough stay open round the clock.

And, let me tell you, there's no bigger occasion to party than when the Carnival comes to town. The whole breadth and length of the country becomes possessed by a multi-coloured, music blaring, smile inducing demon. The actual celebrations begin on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and continue at a frenzied pace round the clock until Shrove Tuesday (or sooner if you fall down before then). It is said that businesses, schools and even some relationships are put on hold during the festivities.

The origins of Carnival are deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition though some believe this goes as far back as the Egyptian era. The name originates from the Italian Carne (for meat) and Levar (to remove), essentially to remove the meat, symbolising the fasting period of Lent. The history of Carnival in Brazil can be traced back to the 1830's when European ex-pats introduced elegant masked balls in the more cosmopolitan cities of the country, mirroring those going on in Paris and Venice at the time. These balls still occur today, including the Copacabana Palace Ball where aspiring actors, politicians and models can all hang about with the real thing.

To the Westerner there’s only one city that quintessentially captures this spirit of Carnival, and that of course is Rio de Janeiro. A sure fire contender for a top ten place to see before you die, Rio is nestled in a stunning harbour laced with evocative beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema, surrounded by virgin forest hills, all located under the watchful gaze and outstretched arms of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the Corcovado mountain.

The Carioca's (inhabitants of Rio) love a carry on at the best of times yet it is at Carnival that their joie de vivre explodes, and it epitomises their exuberance and passion for life which charms visitors from across the world. Nowadays the Carnival belongs to the people and often the best celebrations are the spontaneous street parades sparked by the Trio Elétrico's (trucks equipped with a high power sound system and a music group standing on top), these can occur anywhere, from the beach, downtown to the favela's. It is in fact many of Rio's poorer neighbourhoods who have contributed most to the celebrations.

There is a bloco (marching group) singing and danceing to their special theme tune almost anywhere in the city. Ipenama being a favourite destination. Many come dressed in fancy outfits, others in bloco-logoed T-shirts, some even in drag (is that the guy or girl from Ipanema?), but all come to test their samba skills.

Many of these recruits have honed their art at Samba Schools such as Beija-Flor and Mangueira. This culminates in the procession at the Niemeyer designed Sambódromo. This large concrete linear edifice, some 600 metres in length holds over 43,000 people. It is from here that the famous Samba parade is broadcast. Thousands of participants, including musicians, gymnasts and dancers sport their glam outfits and gyrate to the thumping sounds. They often encircle large floats and this vast explosion of colour and noise complete with their jaw-dropping routines ensures that this really is one of the greatest shows on earth.

Yes, even the street cleaners get involved, as they sweep up after the parades, shuffling their brooms (and hips) to the music as they're egged on by the crowd

Foreigners can take part in the parade for a fee and you can mix in with the locals by joining a Samba School, preferably a few weeks before the Carnival begins to get in some practise. They take it very seriously here, and believe me when you've seen some of them dance you'll be glad for those extra hours rehearsal you put in.

The secret to Samba dancing is simple enough though. Just copy the person in front of you (hoping they're Brazilian of course), shake your bunda (behind) a lot, wave your arms frantically above you (think killer bees attacking your head) and keep that Hollywood smile fixed for the entire procession.

So, the best Carnival is in Rio, agreed? Well, not exactly, ask a Brazilian where the best Carnivals are and they’re bound to answer Salvador in Bahia or maybe Olinda near Recife. Some say São Paulo’s is pretty good too, just don't go to Rio, it's too commercialised they say, only for the tourists. So by that rationale, if Brazil is the party capital of the world, then Salvador must be the party capital of Brazil. It is no surprise then to learn that Bahia is what the rest of Brazil refers to as the Terra da Felicidade, the State of Happiness.

Not content with being merely a melting pot, Salvador is a veritable blast furnace of cultures, races and identities. Its music, cooking and architecture borrows from native Indians, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and African settlers. The parade here differs from Rio; the drums are louder, the skirts are shorter and cocktails, including the classic caipirinha are far stronger. Perhaps the most significant difference is that the procession takes place in the streets, in Salvador it is from the beach through the old colonial heart of the city, Pelourinho (a UNESCO heritage site) and not in a stadium.

The mystical Capoeira, part dance, part martial art has its origins here (remember the BBC filler with the two guys on the roof practising their moves?) There are conflicting views on how it developed, but it was the slaves from the Bantu tribes of West Africa who came over in the 1500’s who first practised it. It is said it was a fighting technique that was disguised as a dance in order to hide it from white slave owners.

Perhaps even more intriguing is Candomblé, a ritual that also has its beginnings in West Africa. It is perceived to be a spiritualist religion and in some places Westerners can be invited to witness some of their practises. It is often as revered as Catholicism with which it shares some traits. Indeed, so piognant a place does religion have in the hearts of the people here that Salvador is often referred to as the “Black Rome“.

In Bahia, partying aside, things take on a positively horizontal pace and if beaches are your thing, then you’ve hit the jackpot here. The beaches are considered to be amongst the best in the country.

Personally I prefer the beaches further up the North East which also boasts a tropical climate, and is becoming a great winter sun destination for European tourists. It is more rural than other parts of Brazil: sugar is a main industry here, (though tourism is catching up) and a little rougher around the edges. Still, you can eat freshly caught lobster on the beach in the dreamy Praia do Francês near Maceió for £3 and tourists are welcomed like old friends.

Continue further up past the equally pretty Porto de Galinhas to Recife where you'll find the small Dutch colonial enclave of Olinda perched high on a lush hilltop overlooking the city. For me, this is where you’ll find your most exciting and Bondesque Carnival experience. What awaits you is pounding music, drums that will wake the dead, the sweat-soaked flesh of over a million people snaking in rhythm through the pretty (yet waif-like) streets of what is essentially a sleepy hamlet the rest of the year. Oh, and I forgot to mention, this is all done in 40c of sun. Luckily there are numerous beer vendors who sell ice cold brew from what appears to be recycled (and thankfully rinsed) fish boxes. Not only do they cost a fraction of what they do back home, but the beers are also twice as cold.

Brazil has been blessed by Mother Nature not only for its beaches but for its natural wonders. Those of you who recall the finale to the recent Impossible Dream Honda advert where the driver floats out of a magnificent series of waterfalls in a hot air balloon would be forgiven to think it was all computer generated. These are in fact the Iguaçú falls on the border with Argentina and Paraguay, bigger, better and wetter than Niagara, Angel or Victoria.

Brazil also boasts the Pantanal, the greatest wetland and most dense concentration of flora and fauna on earth where creatures such as the Caipibara and Anaconda share the land with the Fazandeiro, the macho land owners of this outer frontier.

I could not finish without mentioning the greatest natural wonder bestowed upon this country and perhaps the world. Some regard it as the lungs of the planet, the densest forest and greatest network of navigable waterways. This is the Amazon. In terms of volume, the river is by far the world’s largest (it contains the equivalent of the next eight largest rivers put together) and stretches from Peru to the Atlantic Ocean, the mouth of which can be clearly visible from space, draining for miles into the sea.

For most the first port of call is Manaus, and what a port it is, over 1600km from the sea. One of the most isolated metropolitan areas in the world, it has a population of nearly three million people. What’s even more fascinating is that for many here the only means of reaching the outside world is by air, boat or by one of two highways and that depends on the weather. Its golden age coincided with the rubber boom of the early 20th century when many grandiose manors and the impressive theatre, the Teatro Amazonas was built. At the time Manaus was the first city to have trams in South America and one of the first to obtain electricity. Today it relies mostly on its free trade status and tourism.

Manaus offers a Carnival experience with a difference, the emphasis being on the Amazonia region, its food and tropical rhythms. Almost all the major jungle tours begin in Manaus and some of the swankiest forest based eco hotels aimed at the top end of the market are based here. However, if you have the time, and want to spend your pot of gold on something more worthwhile, then a better all round experience is to see the river from a boat and take the 4-5 day ferry down to Belém on the Amazon delta.

Put your haggling skills to good use and negotiate a price with the captain. A word of warning though, it may be worth paying more for a higher class which will include better toilet facilities and air conditioning. You can spend the day fishing and see if you can catch some Piranha. Any guide will tell you that served with lightly fried yams, it makes for a fish and chips with a difference.

I must mention also, the magnificent beaches of Natal and Fortaleza (such as the sand dunes of Jericoacoara), which are now being discovered by Italian and Portuguese tourists. The crumbling, once great city of São Luis, the curious pop art architecture of Brasilia, the nightlife of São Paulo, the beach resort of Florianopolis, the historic gold rush town of Ouro Preto, I could go on.

Lets not forget about football, a national obsession. Futebol as the locals call it, is a religion in its own right that is practised by the faithful up and down the land, from the flood-lit beaches of Rio to the outer reaches of the tropical rainforests. Consider Macapá in the far Northern neck of the country which spills into the Northern Hemisphere. The centre spot is exactly on the equator, meaning that effectively each team defends one half of the globe.

Fancying myself as a bit handy on the football pitch, I joined in a game I was watching in the Pantanal near Cuiabá. Now I could blame the heat, the uneven ground, maybe even the damp sodden pitch, but the truth of the matter is, that with a trick here, a sprint passed me there and a cheeky shimmy or two through my legs I was taught a football lesson. I lasted 10 minutes in what friends travelling with me dubbed 'the game of shame.' Following this familiar ritual of Brazilians humiliating the opposition, I couldn't help but be lifted by the fact that as I left every player took the time to come over and shake my hand, even those on my side who should have disowned me!

This country is one of grand proportions and so vast that it would be impossible for me to do it justice here.

Hold on there, just a minute, I hear you say. There’s bound to be catch, right?

Firstly, it takes an age to get to Brazil, correct? Actually it only takes an hour or so more than it does to reach from the UK than Florida.

Ahh, but it’s dangerous too.

The reality is that Brazil is no more dangerous than most European countries, of course be careful, don't wear expensive jewellery if you can help it or carry large wads of money with you. The best tip I can give you, is dress like the locals do.

Nobody speaks English.

This last point may be true. It’s very difficult to get by without some basic Portuguese, but surely learning some of the local language is part of the experience, and you could do worse, it’s melodic and dances off the tongue.

Brazil is intoxicating and has an epic quality about it, it's a place where you'll get swept along in a river of 'Alegria', and become richer for it.

It’s the kind of place that is sure to leave you breathless and if you go adopt the no stress attitude of the locals, kick off your shoes, slip into some havaianas, you’ll be sure to have the time of your life.