My husband and I bought tickets to Brazil but then didn't have the slightest idea how to organize our trip.  We were, fortunately, steered in the direction of Sabrina (by Julia Skylar, who was wonderful to work with, for those who need help securing a visa from the Brazilian consulate in Los Angeles; 818-765-3173).  Sabrina put together a five-legged itinerary for us, cobbling together plane flights, hotels, personal drivers, and tours, making it possible for us to see as much of Brazil as is possible in a 12 day period.  Because Brazil is her native country and she knows it so well, she could make informed suggestions for where we should go.  While this kind of trip does require a lot of travel, it achieved a balance between "down time" in restful resort settings and more active time in cities.  Coincidentally, shared a tour with some lovely people from Chicago who had also used Sabrina to help them!