Beach It in Brazil

The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare, eight nights' accommodations, sightseeing tours, some meals, and local transportation from $1,906 per person.

When: Depart Mondays through Thursdays until April 30, 2007.

Gateways: Miami; add $31 for New York; $126 for Los Angeles; additional cities available.

The Fine Print: Airport/hotel transfers, hotel taxes, two dinners, breakfast daily, entrance fees, guided tours, and fuel surcharges are included. Additional airport taxes total about $160 per person, which must be paid in advance, plus departure fees of $10-$15 per person for the two intercity flights within Brazil, which must be paid in cash at the airports. Each U.S. citizen must obtain a Visa in advance of arrival for a $100 fee. Contact your nearest Brazilian consulate. Based on double occupancy; the single supplement is $285. For general guidelines on evaluating deals, click here.

Book By: March 31, 2007.

Contact: Top Destination Tours & Travel, 800/480-0707, latinamerica4less.com.

Why It's a Deal: In comparison, the lowest round-trip fares we've found to Rio de Janeiro in mid-March are $715 per person from Miami (TAM Airlines) and $804 per person from New York (Continental). For $149-154 a day more, Top Destination Tours & Travel covers eight nights' lodgings, transportation, guided tours, and flights within Brazil, and provides the convenience of handling the trip logistics.

Trip Details: The package includes round-trip airfare on a major carrier, such as American, and an eight-night stay. Arrive in Rio de Janeiro and unload your bags at the Hotel Debret, which is located on Copacabana Beach. Attempt to find an unattractive person on the beach. When that proves impossible, return to your hotel, which has 107 rooms with air-conditioning and functional décor.

On your first full day in Brazil, ascend the tapering silhouette of Corcovado Mountain by train. (Cost is included in the package). Observe the city's panorama from the base of the 120-foot high Christ Redeemer statue.

Back on the city's beaches, stake out a place in the sun. In the evening, wander the city streets on your own, and perhaps step into a club to learn how to dance the samba.

The next day, return to the beach or take an optional bus tour of Petropolis, a town roughly 25 miles away that houses the former summer palace of Brazil's onetime emperors. The tour costs an additional $35 per person. Alternatively, take a tour to the peak of Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), which is a granite monolith shadowing the city. That tour costs an additional $45 per person.

On your third day, hop a five-and-a-half-hour flight to Manaus (flying on TAM Airlines or GOL Airlines). Slip onboard the Jungle Othon Palace, a hotel that sits on a steel raft on the Rio Negro River. The hotel has 24 air-conditioned rooms. (During your two nights at this hotel, dinners are included.)