BRAZIL

“God is Brazilian,” say the Brazilians, and they’re only half joking. South America’s largest and liveliest country is blessed with a kaleidoscope of world-beating natural and cultural wonders, from the mighty Amazon rainforest in the north, to the Iguazú Falls on its southern border, the Pantanal’s mosaic of wetlands to the pulsating city of Rio de Janeiro and its carnival.

If it’s wildlife you’re looking for, Brazil is the world’s most biodiverse country; perhaps as much as one in five of the planet’s animal species live here – including pink river dolphins, capybaras, a rainbow of bird life, even a jaguar if you’re lucky. If it’s beaches, Brazil has over 7,000km (4,350 miles) of coastline, running through sleepy fishing villages and lush archipelagos, turquoise lagoons and palm-fringed crescents.

Don’t overlook the cultural highlights further inland: the striking modernist design of Brasília, Minas Gerais’ perfectly preserved gold-rush towns, the capoeira circles and hypnotic drums of Afro-Brazilian Bahia and the prehistoric rock art of the remote northeast. And though the style of food varies by region, cooking everywhere draws from Brazil’s abundant natural produce. Brazilians like their coffee strong, their juices fresh and their beer icy cold.