Brazil is THE place to be at the moment. Not content with being one of the most stunning holiday destinations on earth, it’s the host of the 2014 World Cup and is gearing up to welcome the planet back again in 2016 for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. If you fancy somewhere different for your triathlon cycling training then why not make the leap to Brazil – and come 2016 you can watch the Olympians on television and say “been there, done that”!

The first thing to consider when planning a trip to Brazil is that it is a big country and in some parts very different culturally from the UK. It is therefore probably a good recommendation to seek out an organised tour so that you are in the company of local experts who know not only the terrain, but the way of life. Various companies specialise in cycling trips to Brazil and in fact you could join a charity expedition and raise funds for a good cause at the same time as discovering this beautiful country.

If you fancy taking the charitable route, Discover Adventure organise fundraising expeditions to destinations all over the world and have a number of Brazilian trips lined up. Their Cycle the Coast to Rio challenge sees you first of all fly into São Paolo, from where you are transported to the coastal resort of Guarajá. Guarajá is where you begin five days of cycling that will also take in Juquehy, Ilha Bela, Lagoinha, Picinguaba and Paraty, before driving to Rio de Janeiro where you get to spend a free day and enjoy sights such as Copacabana Beach and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Rio de Janeiro itself is an interesting city in which to cycle. It has an impressive network of cycle paths that takes you through an eclectic variety of surroundings – from tunnels and busy highways to beachfront promenades, where you will be in the company of other cyclists, joggers and inline skaters.

The rest of the country offers variety too, not least in terms of the landscapes. In the state of Rio Grande do Sul for example, the landscape from Chuy to Capão da Porteira is pretty much flat the whole way – which lends itself to the farmland that will make up much of the scenery that you see. Rio Grande do Sul is also home to the Taim ecological reserve, and if you are a nature enthusiast this is the place to have your camera ready – crocodiles, marshland birds and the unique capybara rodents are among the sights to see.

The state of Paraná is a little more hilly than Rio Grande do Sul. Here – on the 644km stretch between Foz do Iguaçu and the state capital Curitiba – you can expect an altitude gain of over 8,500 metres.

With so much colour, so much variety and so many weird and wonderful sights, after a cycling experience in Brazil you will never view triathlon training in London in the same light again.

Soaring high above the clouds of the Amazonian jungle, a world apart from humanity, enshrouded in mystery, magic and mythical curses, lies one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible corners of the earth – Mount Roraima, otherwise known as Devil’s Mountain.

Be it dark superstition or scientific fact, it is a long-held belief that to spend a night on this forbidding summit would be nothing short of impossible, which made it the perfect choice of location when ibis decided to show the world the absolute comfort guaranteed by their Sweet Bed by ibis™.

Engaging the services of adventurer, photographer and filmmaker Aaron Chervenak, ibis set the remarkable challenge of getting a bed to the top of the mountain, and Aaron sleeping the night in it.

With a small, dedicated team comprising Aaron, fellow adventurer Gareth Jones, Doctor Joe Wiesenburger, producer Hayley Edmonds, and her assistant Sylla Saint-Guily, the quest began in the depths of South America. With equipment supplied by expedition partner Columbia, the select group made their way to the highest point of the mountain, at over 2,800 metres. Atop the hostile summit, Aaron determines to put the Sweet Bed by ibis™ through its paces, and test the bold claims of its ultimate comfort. Monitored closely, though remotely, by Doctor Joe, Aaron’s vitals are a direct indication of the effectiveness of the bed in this most threatening environment.

Follow the team’s adventures by watching the breathtaking video here, and exploring the immersive website by following this link.

There are now 1000 ibis Hotels in 58 countries throughout the world, and they have invested heavily in the Sweet Bed by ibis™. This gruelling challenge provides unassailable evidence that their promise that “now, the best place to sleep is everywhere!” is made out of real commitment, and founded on genuine experience of the bed’s absolute comfort.

World Travel Blog has itself put the Sweet Bed by ibis™ to the test on numerous occasions, at various hotels across the globe and, although we cannot claim the prestige of such an undertaking as this, we can report that its performance is uniformly exceptional, and always propitious to a perfect night’s rest. The ibis Network’s determination to prove this beyond exception exhibits their supreme confidence in a sensational piece of soporific engineering.

Post sponsored by ibis.