Paraguay

Paraguayan-style Carnaval might not be on the same scale or as famous as Rio's, but if you are young and looking for a wild party, then you may find it a lot more fun. More bare flesh, louder music and obligatory crowd involvement all make for a mad night out. Don't forget your lanzanieves (spray snow) and a pair of sunglasses (you don't want that stuff in your eyes!), pick your place in the stands and get ready to party hard with the locals – it's surprisingly infectious!

Carnaval dates vary from year to year, but usually includes at least every weekend in February. The Carnaval parade ground, Sambadromo, is along Av Costanera, which is Encarnación's main strip for nightlife. Tickets (from 60,000G) can be bought in advance around the city, at the offices in front of the Sambodromo or from touts on the night at a slightly higher price. Gates open around 9pm, but the action really starts around 11pm. It's all over by 2am, when everybody piles into the local discos.

The Chaco remains a great place to see wildlife. This vast plain – roughly divided into the flooded palm savannas of the Humid Chaco (the first 350km west of Asunción) and the spiny forests of the Dry Chaco (the rest) – encompasses the entire western half of Paraguay and stretches into Argentina and Bolivia.

Bisected by the Ruta Trans-Chaco, it’s an animal-lover’s paradise, with flocks of waterbirds and birds of prey abounding, easily spotted along the roadside. Although the Chaco accounts for more than 60% of Paraguayan territory, less than 3% of the population actually lives here. Historically it was a refuge for indigenous hunter-gatherer communities; today the most obvious settlements are the Mennonite communities of the Central Chaco.

Award-winning ecological, conservation and social volunteer roles.

Southern Paraguay's last great tract of Atlantic Forest, gorgeous San Rafael is a lush wilderness and a bird-watcher's paradise with more than 430 species recorded. Endangered species abound in this lush but easily accessible wilderness. At least 20% of the park is made up of endangered native grasslands known as Mesopotamian grasslands or Pastizales del Sur. Rapidly disappearing, a major conservation push is being made in the region to protect them.

San Rafael is a wonderful place to get a taste of nature, with plenty of walking trails and comfortable accommodations available. You will see a lot more wildlife with a guide.

Declared as Unesco World Heritage Sites in 1993, the best of the Jesuit-era architecture is showcased in the imposing stone churches of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangüe.

Set atop a lush green hill 28km northeast of Encarnación, Trinidad is Paraguay's best-preserved Jesuit reducción (settlement). Built with red stone from the nearby quarry at Ita Cajón, it is by far the most visited reducción. Jesús de Tavarangüe, 12km further north, is the near-complete structure of the Jesuit mission that was interrupted by the Jesuits' expulsion in 1767.

Stay around until dark at either site for the atmospheric light show, projecting a history in images onto the walls of the churches and accompanied by haunting religious music. Spanish-speaking guides hang around near the gates at both sites. Tip generously.

Paraguay's publicity machine is awash with facts and figures about the Itaipú hydroelectric project – the world's second-largest dam (only China's Three Gorges Dam is bigger). Itaipú's generators supply nearly 80% of Paraguay's electricity and 25% of Brazil's entire demand. While project propaganda gushes about this human accomplishment, it omits the US$25-billion price tag and avoids the mention of environmental consequences. The 1350-sq-km, 220m-deep reservoir drowned Sete Quedas, a set of waterfalls that was larger than Iguazú.

The Pantanal Paraguayo (Paraguayan Pantanal) is remote and rarely visited, but if you are willing to make the effort and spend more than you would in Brazil, then it is a fantastic, adventurous, off-the-beaten track destination for those with an interest in wildlife. There is little in the way of tourist infrastructure, though, so this is very much a DIY experience. There are no local wildlife guides to show you around.

The main access town is Bahía Negra, and while there isn't much there except a military base, a visit is a necessary evil to organize your boat trips along the Río Negro. Wildlife abounds in this area, with raptors and waterbirds flushing from the riverside, marsh deer grazing in reed beds and caiman and capybara sunning themselves on exposed banks. Of course, if you're really lucky there is always the chance of coming face to face with a jaguar.

This 18th-century Franciscan church is a landmark of colonial architecture that is not to be missed. The simple design of the exterior, with its separate wooden bell tower, belies the extraordinary beauty of the painted and carved interior, a masterpiece of religious art and one of the most ornate churches in South America.