Let’s forget about ice and snow for a moment to immerse ourselves in the warmth of Rio de Janeiro. This Brazilian city was formerly the nation’s capital and its blend of natural exuberance, modern infrastructures and varied entertainment options makes it an excellent spot for an unforgettable vacation.

Starting with the obvious: the beaches. Rio de Janeiro’s Atlantic coastline is a long belt of beautiful sandy beaches. The most renowned are Ipanema and Copacabana, but you may find you own hidden paradise among the others. These are not the only natural beauties Rio has to offer, going up Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) you get a 360° view of Rio, or climbing the stairs of Corcovado you will reach the statue of Christ the Redeemer, named one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Nightlife may be the second most important feature that stands out, with the Rio de Janeiro Carnival being its maximum expression. The Brazilian Carnival is probably the single most colourful event in the world, and in Rio de Janeiro it involves a week full of dancing, singing, parties, and of course, a lot of fun! Samba schools spend the whole year preparing for the parade and the “Sambodromo” dresses up for the event.

Plan your trip, get ready for samba, and find your home exchange opportunity in Rio de Janeiro.

While the hard winter keeps hitting Europe, it is summer in the South, and today we decided to present you some destinations you may want to consider if you need to flee from the cold:

Argentina: Buenos Aires is the capital of Tango, but there are so many other choices in Maradona’s homeland. From Mar del Plata, where sun, beach, nightlife and entertainment find their summer crib, to the Northern areas where right now the 2010 Dakar rally is covering over 9000 kilometres through desert, dunes, mountain, sand and hard soils… Check out the scenery you are watching on TV directly with home exchange. There’s much to discover!

Australia: The Australian Open is about to start and Melbourne will become tennis capital of the world for a couple of weeks, but there are plenty of beautiful things to explore after tennis is gone: the Blue Mountains, the Aboriginal cultural expressions, the kangaroos, untouched beaches, reefs, and more… Check out what our Australian users have to share at HomeForHome.

Brazil: there are 18 Brazilian houses in HomeForHome. Famous for its sunny beaches and splendorous carnival (to come this February), Brazil has a lot to offer to swappers looking for fun in addition to the weather change. Rio de Janeiro is probably the most famous destination in Brazil, so we will dedicate it an entry of its own later this week (stay tuned!)

New Zealand:  If you want hot, then dig and dive in Hot Water Beach, or feel the summer breeze jumping off Sky Tower (Auckland), or check out one of the busiest outdoor activities calendar in the world to find an activity that suits your adrenaline quota. From art festivals to international sport activities covering surf, canoeing, cricket, golf and more, there is plenty for every taste in New Zealand. Search for your exchange…

We’ll bring you more warm thoughts soon!

HomeForHome is the right place to find the perfect way to start the New Year. We have home exchange offers from all around the world waiting for you, get on board!

Registration is free and involves two steps:

1. Sign up.

2. Add your home.

To sign up you’ll need an e-mail account, and after selecting your location, your screen name and password you’ll be ready to move to step 2. During registration, we offer you a quick home adding procedure to get you through the basics, but after you complete your registration you’ll be able to expand the information provided. To do this, login to your account using your e-mail and the password you selected and you’ll be presented with your “My account” page.

Once logged in, you can select “Edit profile” to add your photo, select your exchange preferences, the languages you speak, the countries you would like to go to, or write a short presentation. You can also add a new home (you may add as many homes as you want using the “Insert new home” link) or expand the information provided about your home during registration. To do this, select the “Edit” option under “My homes” for the property you want to modify and proceed to mark the appropriate checkboxes and fill the appropriate fields to specify facilities, services, activities and points of interest near your home. You may also add photos, videos, or change your home’s availability.

After you add the finishing touches to your account, start searching for exchange opportunities, explore, and contact users directly using the “Request exchange” or “Contact” buttons.

HomeForHome wishes you a very happy 2010! May all your wishes come true and may your perfect vacation be only a few clicks away!