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reality_groove
Dec 27, 2007

Long shot, but anyone have any hotel recommendations for Playa del Carmen/Tulum? Going there as part of my honeymoon in August, not particularly interested in the big resorts or the eco hotels that don't have electricity. That said, I'm still paralysed with choice.

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SuicidalSmurf
Feb 12, 2002


SuicidalSmurf posted:

Thanks for everyone's advice so far. If I did want to stick with Costa Rica, would I have better luck in Puerto Viejo in August, and would the prospects be significantly better if I pushed to October? It looks like December - April is the "peak season" but I don't know if I can get time off around there. It looks like Puerto Viejo has some more touristy hub stuff, but also some more natural beaches south and national parks in close proximity?

Think my new plan at this point is Puerto Viejo 2nd week of October, spend a few nights, and cross border to Bocas Del Toro. Assuming I had about 10 days to spend, would I better served focusing my time in Puerto Viejo and surrounding areas or Bocas? Anyone have experience with the border crossing? I've read a few things that make it sound pretty manageable as long as you're prepared for a wait.

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
Border is slow but shouldn’t take more than like an hour? Maybe way less. My experience is only one crossing and in the opposite direction but it didn’t seem like an exceptional day.

Bocas is nice although Bocas Town is kind of a pit. It’s cool for a little bit because it feels like an authentic tourist-ified pirate shanty town like if you went to Barbados in 1650 and Blackbeard had been replaced overnight with a bunch of wealthy backpackers. The islands outside Bocas are the real draw so if you can I’d go for staying on Wizard Beach or similar. Some are only super high end expensive hotels and holiday homes, but red frog also has camping. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s anything in the range of like 40-100/night; it’s all either dirt cheap or very expensive except in Bocas Town. I thought the snorkeling off Bastimento was great, although there was a LOT more current than I expected so I had to focus more on swimming than on keeping my eye on all the barracuda in the water.

If you’re in that area then Boquete is nearby and it’s likr a 3 hour direct transfer from Bocas and you can hike up the volcano. Which would only be worth doing in dry season.

Dillon2
Apr 3, 2018
What places are safe if you want to backpack with 2 obviously Caucasian westerners (with no foreign language skills) and 3-4 Hispanics/mixed in your group? I've been to Costa Rica and Argentina and am interested in places where I can get as immersed into daily life as possible. We're a pretty tightly knit group and we will have two fluent Spanish speakers with us for sure. I can speak okay Spanish but am working on it daily and the prospective trip isn't occurring until December, so I have time to work on it.

We aren't going on an Ayuahuasca tour or anything, but the news about the Canadian who was obviously framed for the Shaman's murder getting dragged to death makes me nervous about potential room for exploitation of local prejudice

e: I should probably clarify "immersed into daily life" means "I'm okay with living like a dog between excursions to save money".

Dillon2 fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Apr 29, 2018

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
Basically anywhere in South America except Venezuela and certain parts of Brazil? And most of central America is reasonably safe as long as you plan things properly and completely avoid El Salvador. Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia are definite backpacker favorites, besides Argentina. Also ayahuasca tours are, in any case, fully legal and not related to crime in any way, at least in Peru and Bolivia so not sure why that would be something that would flag your fears.

Presumably you would be going to places that get tourists, and not like bushwhacking through the Amazon, and South America as a continent is a pretty popular destination for backpackers, minus Venezuela and the Guyanas.

If budget is an issue, then Peru and Bolivia would be obvious choices, with honorable mention for Colombia. Chile is expensive and with that many people you also might want to rent a car.


poo poo can happen anywhere. Yeah there are bad parts of many big cities, but if you go to Los Angeles you're not going to walk around Compton at night (or at all) are you? It just requires some basic research into cities to know where to go and not to go, although most of the time it's pretty drat obvious when you're in a bad part of town. San José was a huge exception IME, where the entire city looks like a bad part of town, even though it's relatively safe.

I have met three different people independently who were drugged at bars/clubs, so be careful with your drinks if you go out at night. But, you're a group of 6 people so that problem should be pretty close to zero. (All 3 were men, and were taken back to their hotel room and robbed but otherwise unharmed.)


E: Now that I think about it, with 6 people I can't imagine you all getting robbed / attacked except in like the absolute worst parts of Mexico or El Salvador. Your highest risk is probably bus crashes, which happen all the goddamn time especially in Bolivia and Peru.

Saladman fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Apr 29, 2018

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

Dillon2 posted:

What places are safe if you want to backpack with 2 obviously Caucasian westerners (with no foreign language skills) and 3-4 Hispanics/mixed in your group? I've been to Costa Rica and Argentina and am interested in places where I can get as immersed into daily life as possible. We're a pretty tightly knit group and we will have two fluent Spanish speakers with us for sure. I can speak okay Spanish but am working on it daily and the prospective trip isn't occurring until December, so I have time to work on it.

We aren't going on an Ayuahuasca tour or anything, but the news about the Canadian who was obviously framed for the Shaman's murder getting dragged to death makes me nervous about potential room for exploitation of local prejudice

e: I should probably clarify "immersed into daily life" means "I'm okay with living like a dog between excursions to save money".

I'd say all of Central America. With a group of 6 and with native Spanish speakers, you can pretty much backpack anywhere the gently caress you want with zero difficulty. Just focus on the places you wanna go I guess.

Dillon2
Apr 3, 2018
Thank you, we're looking into Peru and Chile now. We'll probably just rent a car too, I didn't consider that at all. Lima seems interesting enough on its own sans pickpockets

Gatts
Jan 2, 2001

Goodnight Moon

Nap Ghost
I was first going to Japan then canceled that for a good Alaskan Cruise. I have one more vacation to take Sept 8th to the 17th

I was hoping to do an excursion into the Amazon through Peru and bushwhack my way through a bit via guides. Any good recommendations someone might have experience with this? I know National Geographic has some by was wondering about other options.

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
I didn’t do it but had talked to some people who had done it in Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, Rurren (Bolivia) and Leticia. No one had done multiple of those locations so tough to compare, but the guy who did Rurren is a good friend who’s travelled a lot and he liked it so much he went back again later and I think it has a very different atmosphere from the rest (ie small town geared towards tourism while the others are larger and largely commercial enterpris le driven). You’d definitely be able to get guides and tours any of those places so I’d just see which appeals the most to you and go for it.

For Rurren I’d definitely recommend flying as the road to La Paz is slow and a death trap for buses. Iquitos and Leticia are of course fly in only unless you have a ton of vacation time in which case they are possible to reach by boat. You’d need to speak Spanish if trying that way. I met one guy who had done it to Iquitos by boat which was like 3 days from the closest road.

Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004


I did a five day trip in thr Bolivian Amazon via Rurrenabaque and was highly satisfied.

http://www.sanmigueldelbala.com/

Definitely fly from la paz. Its a 40 min flight vs like 24 hours on a hell bus

Oakland Martini
Feb 14, 2008

D&D: HASBARA SQUAD
THE APARTHEID ACADEMIC


It's important that institutions never take a stance like "genocide is bad". Now get out there and crack some of my students' skulls.
I did an Amazon eco-lodge thing in Ecuador (Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve) and it was incredible. Relatively easy to get to (1 hr flight from Quito + 2 hr bus ride + 1 hr boat ride) and pretty cheap.

http://cuyabenolodge.com.ec/

khysanth
Jun 10, 2009

Still love you, Homar

There are a lot of lodges out of Puerto Maldonado in Peru to get your Amazon Experience.

Gatts
Jan 2, 2001

Goodnight Moon

Nap Ghost
Thank you all, appreciate it

Ixian
Oct 9, 2001

Many machines on Ix....new machines
Pillbug
Any advice for Sao Paulo? I've been to and around Rio before but never SP. I have to go there for 4 days on business in June. I get in early Sunday so I'll have a day to fart around, at least, plus evenings.

Staying in the Jardines area, which I'm told is one of the better areas of the (enormous) city. Anything specific to look out for/check out? No time to explore the broader area obviously.

Going up to Rio after that but I'm pretty familiar with it, at least.

Bikini Quilt
Jul 28, 2013
For anyone who has spent time in Colombia - especially Medellin - would I be alright bringing a DSLR camera along? It's not super expensive or anything (like $150) and I'd insure it anyway, but I'd still rather not make myself a huge target based on how many of the robberies there seem to involve guns and knives. If I keep it in a backpack and only take it out when I'm snapping a picture, and use common sense / basic situational awareness, am I likely to be fine? I know the risk is never zero no matter how cautious you are, but I've been getting a ton of mixed signals on how safe Medellin is, ranging from "you can stroll around at night drunk with your phone out" to "you are going to get robbed at gunpoint the second you leave the airport, and then your taxi driver is going to kidnap you and make you max out your credit cards". Colombia looks beautiful and it would be a shame not to take photos, but it sorta sounds like I'm better off keeping the camera stowed unless I'm out in the smaller towns / nature areas or obvious tourist spots like Cartagena.

Bikini Quilt fucked around with this message at 07:41 on May 21, 2018

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
As anywhere in Latin America, it depends on where you go in the city. El Poblado is super safe and you could walk around with a camera drunk at 3am no problem. Downtown probably not, and some of the barrios definitely not.

During the daytime you can walk around basically anywhere in Medellin that a tourist is likely to go with your camera out with no problem, at least near the central bar & restaurant district (it is absolutely crawling with police). Some of the barrios are perfectly safe during the day, like the barrio that's on the Line K metro (La Isla? Santo Domingo? Can't remember and can't figure it out from Google Maps). Downtown is also perfectly fine during the day. Your risk at being robbed during the day—for anything besides a bag snatch or pickpocket—is basically zero unless you go to some truly bizarre and isolated places. No idea what the risk of bag snatch and pickpocket is, but it's probably not any worse than like, Madrid.

People who snatch or rob or whatever aren't going to know the difference between a cheap Chinese knockoff with plastic lenses held together by sillyputty, compared to a Leica. Also I don't even think you can buy a DSLR for $150? I don't think I've ever even seen a lens for $150 or less, let alone a lens+camera back.

E: I originally suggested taking Uber instead of taxis, but actually it looks like Uber drivers have been mostly scared away from the Rionegro airport (the main international one). I looked through my Uber history and it looks like we also must have taken a regular taxi there. Just make sure to check on Wikitravel and make sure to agree to the price in advance (Uber's fare estimator is US$50 which sounds higher than I remember paying, but it is super far so maybe that's right). If they insist just on saying "whatever the meter says" then you might still want to confirm. No idea if Colombian taxi drivers use jumping fake meters, but I've encountered those a couple times elsewhere. It looks like we only took 1 uber the 5-6 days we were there; the metro system within Medellin is clean, frequent, and extensive, and we were also visiting a friend who lives there who drove us around when he was off work.

Saladman fucked around with this message at 10:27 on May 21, 2018

Bikini Quilt
Jul 28, 2013

Saladman posted:

As anywhere in Latin America, it depends on where you go in the city. El Poblado is super safe and you could walk around with a camera drunk at 3am no problem. Downtown probably not, and some of the barrios definitely not.

During the daytime you can walk around basically anywhere in Medellin that a tourist is likely to go with your camera out with no problem, at least near the central bar & restaurant district (it is absolutely crawling with police). Some of the barrios are perfectly safe during the day, like the barrio that's on the Line K metro (La Isla? Santo Domingo? Can't remember and can't figure it out from Google Maps). Downtown is also perfectly fine during the day. Your risk at being robbed during the day—for anything besides a bag snatch or pickpocket—is basically zero unless you go to some truly bizarre and isolated places. No idea what the risk of bag snatch and pickpocket is, but it's probably not any worse than like, Madrid.

People who snatch or rob or whatever aren't going to know the difference between a cheap Chinese knockoff with plastic lenses held together by sillyputty, compared to a Leica. Also I don't even think you can buy a DSLR for $150? I don't think I've ever even seen a lens for $150 or less, let alone a lens+camera back.

E: I originally suggested taking Uber instead of taxis, but actually it looks like Uber drivers have been mostly scared away from the Rionegro airport (the main international one). I looked through my Uber history and it looks like we also must have taken a regular taxi there. Just make sure to check on Wikitravel and make sure to agree to the price in advance (Uber's fare estimator is US$50 which sounds higher than I remember paying, but it is super far so maybe that's right). If they insist just on saying "whatever the meter says" then you might still want to confirm. No idea if Colombian taxi drivers use jumping fake meters, but I've encountered those a couple times elsewhere. It looks like we only took 1 uber the 5-6 days we were there; the metro system within Medellin is clean, frequent, and extensive, and we were also visiting a friend who lives there who drove us around when he was off work.

Thanks for this, that's great info! I have a Colombian friend who moved from Cartagena to Medellin recently, so I'm sure that will help take some of the pressure off. She said most people will use a taxi app (I forget what its called now) that gives you a number you can confirm when your driver shows up to make sure they're legit and registered on the site. I was a little worried since my flight is going to land there at midnight and it's a pretty long ride from the airport, and a few travel sites I'd looked at had people acting like a taxi at night was a death sentence or something. I figured it was probably people being hyperbolic, and as always you're more likely to see warnings from people who had a bad experience, so that's a bit relieving.

As for the camera, it's a used Nikon D70 body + kit lens, looking at ebay you could actually get that for like $110 now. It's not an amazing camera by any stretch, but miles better than an iphone / cheap compact, and aside from losing pictures I wouldn't be super bummed if it got stolen / destroyed, so I usually bring it as a backup or a main camera if I'm doing something that involves a lot of banging around or water, etc.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

A lot of people take SLR to Colombia, what was said up above I agree with.

I'm not going to lecture you on it you've heard it all before but would like to register my vote that bringing an SLR to a country does make you a target, I would skip the SLR and bring a less conspicuous camera.

dpkg chopra
Jun 9, 2007

Fast Food Fight

Grimey Drawer

Hadlock posted:

A lot of people take SLR to Colombia, what was said up above I agree with.

I'm not going to lecture you on it you've heard it all before but would like to register my vote that bringing an SLR to a country does make you a target, I would skip the SLR and bring a less conspicuous camera.

I mean, the risk here is that it makes him more of a target for what are usually burglaries. If you're a white american tourist, you're already a target, and the SLR adds a non-quantifiable amount to that risk.

If good photography is something that adds to your travels, I would take the camera, just be ready to lose it and also practice good travel advice as not carrying too much cash or valuables on you so that if it you do get hit, it's just a bad day and not a trip-ruining moment.

Bikini Quilt
Jul 28, 2013
Thanks guys! Yeah I think I'm just gonna take it and be extra cautious / carry multiple SD cards and back them up whenever I can. Getting robbed would suck, but at the end of the day I think I'd be kicking myself pretty much forever if I went to such a beautiful place and walked out with lovely cell phone pics. I'll probably keep it locked up / stowed when I'm in the city and just bring it out for the smaller towns and natural parks, etc., but if my luck runs out I'm not gonna try to fight a mugger over $150 or anything.

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

Medellin is super safe my friend. Treat it like any big city that has a lot of tourists and you'll be fine. I'd guess your iPhone or other device is probably more valuable than a big camera. As far as cabs go, I'd highly recommend you use Uber if possible. I know it was mentioned earlier but I was just there for quite a while and used Uber for almost everything EXCEPT getting to the city from the airport. I think it was around $30-50 but I cannot remember. You don't need to deal with exchanging cash, it's far, far cheaper and you don't need to explain where you're going if you don't speak Spanish. Plus there's a record of who picked you up in case you end up missing. If you have to take a cab just ask for the fare before you get in if you want, but they are honest and the meters are fine.

Long story short: Medellin is one of the coolest cities in South America. Bring your common sense and you'll have zero issues.

Also take public transit. It's awesome. You can ride the train through the entire city and then transfer to a ski gondola thing and continue on. Cheap as poo poo and very clean. If you feel like branching out, the local buses are a great experience and the locals are super helpful in knowing where white people usually get off and will alert you and the driver of this. Good times.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Yeah I am a big fan of using Uber in foreign countries these days. Generally very cheap and getting to the right location without the language barrier is a godsend.

I was super impressed with how clean the train is in Medellin, and yeah the gondola is definitely worth the time

OOPRCT
Jun 19, 2004
Does anybody have any particular recommendations for intensive, full time Spanish language courses in Medellin? I'd prefer to have something like a classroom setting with flexible start dates for about a month or so. If it makes a difference, I have an elementary background in Spanish already.

Knitting Beetles
Feb 4, 2006

Fallen Rib
You said classroom setting but I did private classes with a guy and this had me speaking comfortably in two weeks (I spoke Portuguese before). This was daily lessons from 10 am to 2 pm which allowed for some drinking at night and afternoon trips. His classroom was a mall cafeteria so prices were quite reasonable. Not sure if he still does this but I can give you his contact info.

OOPRCT
Jun 19, 2004

Knitting Beetles posted:

You said classroom setting but I did private classes with a guy and this had me speaking comfortably in two weeks (I spoke Portuguese before). This was daily lessons from 10 am to 2 pm which allowed for some drinking at night and afternoon trips. His classroom was a mall cafeteria so prices were quite reasonable. Not sure if he still does this but I can give you his contact info.

Yes, private classes are OK too, this could be interesting. What level of Portuguese did you speak and what level of Spanish did you start and end at? Did you feel 4 hours a day for 2 weeks is sufficient to make good progress in Spanish?

Knitting Beetles
Feb 4, 2006

Fallen Rib
I had studied in Brazil about 10 years earlier, it was rusty but I was speaking at a fairly high level back then (taking courses in Portuguese). With Duolingo I had built up some Spanish vocabulary before I went so we could skip straight to conversation, if you can do that you could get a lot out of it. The difference in two weeks was immense, but 4 hours a day is pretty intense with a private tutor. I definitely wouldn't do more than that.

I'll send you a PM with his details.

cheese eats mouse
Jul 6, 2007

A real Portlander now
Other than the obvious must sees from different lists online, are there some recommendations for must vists in Oaxaca City? I'm all for art, mezcal, all the street food (moles). I'll be there for Guelaguetza July 18-24. My Spanish is advanced beginner to intermediate.

Gatts
Jan 2, 2001

Goodnight Moon

Nap Ghost
Hello. I'm having a travel agency put together an itinerary for me for Peru. I plan for Amazon and Machu Picchu for 10 days from Sept 8 to Sept 19. I plan to stay at the Tambopata Lodge for a few nights and then take a train to Machu Picchu. Hoping to see animals, help scientists find wildlife or classify, meet some native cultures, and learn. Possibly have an adventure like Indy Jones.

I don't think I have time to get a visa for Brazil and I've heard the Amazon is a bit more pristine or some such. I've also looked at National Geographic's expedition there and am wondering if anyone's taken that or recommends them?

I'm not exactly hard pressed for Machu Picchu so another itinerary I could think of is Amazon + Galapagos. Maybe I should do that.

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

Gatts posted:

Hello. I'm having a travel agency put together an itinerary for me for Peru. I plan for Amazon and Machu Picchu for 10 days from Sept 8 to Sept 19. I plan to stay at the Tambopata Lodge for a few nights and then take a train to Machu Picchu. Hoping to see animals, help scientists find wildlife or classify, meet some native cultures, and learn. Possibly have an adventure like Indy Jones.

I don't think I have time to get a visa for Brazil and I've heard the Amazon is a bit more pristine or some such. I've also looked at National Geographic's expedition there and am wondering if anyone's taken that or recommends them?

I'm not exactly hard pressed for Machu Picchu so another itinerary I could think of is Amazon + Galapagos. Maybe I should do that.

On January 15th-ish, Brazil changed visa requirements for US citizens. It’s now $40 and you can apply for the e-visa online.

I know this because I went through the full visa process and got to Brazil like 5 days after that changed. However, my visa only took about a week and a half to process so even under the old system you’d have time. Highly recommend Brazil if you can swing it.

You should 1000% go see Machu Pucchu if you’re in Peru, and I guess if budget isn’t a concern then check out the Nat Geo thing but you could easily do everything you want to do on your own for way, way less money. The Amazon is most excellent. I did a 5 day, 4 night trip from Manaus, Brazil and that was plenty of time.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

Any idea what the turnaround time is on the evisa? Is it one of those things where I can apply online at the airport and it's waiting for me when I land on the other end, or is it a couple of days?

I really loved Brazil and have always wanted to go back but the visa situation just makes it impossible to plan travel there less than 2 months in advance.

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

I'm pretty sure you apply online and you get a document back within 5 days. Seems very easy. http://www.vfsglobal.com/

Are you a US citizen? How has it taken 2 months previously? We had to use the previous visa process and although it was kind of a pain in the rear end filling out all of the documents, we had our passports back within a week and a half after sending them in.

Hadlock
Nov 9, 2004

I applied through a visa agency in Dallas and they sent it to the consulate in Houston, this was also the same year as when they announced the 2014 world cup (November 2009?) would be in brazil, so there was a backup due to a lot of business visas being applied for, I guess

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

That makes more sense. I’d heard stories about long processing times but didn’t have an issue. Glad they made the process a bit more sane.

Blinkman987
Jul 10, 2008

Gender roles guilt me into being fat.
I'm trying to book a ticket for hiking the W in Torres del Paine from Dec 23 - Dec 27. I would prefer to go by myself with no guide and sleep in my tent on my own, so I don't want to book with a tour company. I registered on https://www.entradas.parquesnacionales.cl/ and checked availability on the Torres del Paine part of the website. I saw [995] for each date in green, which I assume is good and means there are passes available.

I then clicked to buy the tickets and I received this message: "Área protegida no tiene habilitada la temporada" on the site. Is registration not available yet for the 2018-2019 season?

Also, if people have done it, I'm looking at doing this itinerary because it seems like the one I could most reliably book in terms of getting campsites! http://www.fantasticosur.com/en/summer-1718/1-w-standard/

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Juanito
Jan 20, 2004

I wasn't paying attention
to what you just said.

Can you repeat yourself
in a more interesting way?
Hell Gem

Blinkman987 posted:

I'm trying to book a ticket for hiking the W in Torres del Paine from Dec 23 - Dec 27. I would prefer to go by myself with no guide and sleep in my tent on my own, so I don't want to book with a tour company. I registered on https://www.entradas.parquesnacionales.cl/ and checked availability on the Torres del Paine part of the website. I saw [995] for each date in green, which I assume is good and means there are passes available.

I then clicked to buy the tickets and I received this message: "Área protegida no tiene habilitada la temporada" on the site. Is registration not available yet for the 2018-2019 season?

http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/sistema-de-reserva-de-campamentos-1

quote:

El Nuevo Sistema De Reservas Para El Período 2018-2019 No Se Encuentra Disponible. La Fecha De Inicio Se Dará A Conocer Oportunamente A Través De Este Sitio Web Y Demás Redes Sociales.
Yeah, this page says the reservation system isn't available yet. I'd check that page, or follow them on social media.

Although maybe this isn't the same thing as what you want? Something not working online in Chile is pretty common though.

Blinkman987
Jul 10, 2008

Gender roles guilt me into being fat.
Thanks. It took me a long time to work around Vertice and Fantastico locations being all sold out for my chosen dates, but I was able to put together:

Dec 25 Enter Park to Grey
Dec 26 Paine Grande (allows a half-day on the glacier)
Dec 27 + 28: Frances
Dec 29: Las Torres
Dec 30: Back to Puerto Natales

If I can get a spot on the 27th at Italiano when registration opens up, I'll probably replace my first night at Frances. I'll also see if the Torres Ranger Station is open this year, but man, Frances to Torres Ranger Station seems like such an rear end-kicker of a day.

Overall, trip is me going solo and the following dates:

Dec 19 Arrive in Santiago
Dec 20 Santiago
Dec 21 Santiago
Dec 22 Santiago to Punta Arenas
Dec 23 King Penguin Tour
Dec 24 Puntas Arenas to Puerto Natales
Dec 25 - Dec 30 [Backpacking]
Dec 31 Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas to Santiago
Jan 1 Back to LA

I plan to stay at La Chimba in Santiago as that seems to be the best option for a party hostel (goddamn do I wish I could incorporate BA and Millhouse instead of Santiago) while still not having recent complaints about bed bugs. If anybody has recommendations on where to stay in Santiago, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales, I'd love to hear them. I'd also appreciate any recommendations on things to do in Santiago or experiences people have had in hiking the W as well.

Thanks again!

Good Parmesan
Nov 30, 2007

I TAKE PHOTOS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN IN PLANET FITNESS
Hey, just booked flight to Buenos Aires for the end of January 24-Feb 3, and plan on taking the ferry to Montevideo, and renting a car to drive to Punta del Este. Does this itinerary seem feasible? Any suggestions for sights/neighborhoods to see or restaurants, bars, or hostels?

Arrive Friday Jan 25 11 AM
Explore BA
Night in BA

Sat Jan 26
Explore BA
Night in BA: Feria de Mataderos

Sun Jan 27
Morning Buquebus to Montevideo
Explore Montevideo
Night in Montevideo

Mon Jan 28
Explore Montevideo
Night in Montevideo

Tues Jan 29
Drive to Pirapolis
Spend night

Weds Jan 30
Drive to Punta del Este
Night in Punta del Este

Thurs Jan 31
Punta del Este
Night in Punta del Este

Fri Feb 1
Drive Punta to Colonia del Sacramento, maybe stop by Atlantida, Arroyo El Bagre, El Águila on way.
Explore Colonia
Night in Colonia

Sat Feb 2
Walk around Colonia
Ferry to BA
Night in BA

Sun Feb 3
Explore BA
San Telmo Market
Plaza Dorrego Market
Flight: 9 PM Buenos Aires > EWR

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
You're spending too little time in BA, IMO, unless you've been there before. Colonia is a super boring tiny town that can be walked through and seen in about half an hour, so two half-days seems like way too much. We spent 8 hours there and ended up spending like 5 of it sitting in a park reading. It has a few cute old cars and a couple cobblestone streets, but I reaaaally don't get the UNESCO appeal. A daytrip to Tigre would be vastly more interesting, plus then you'd get to stay in BA more.

I mean it's fine, but it's like if someone had 3 days in Los Angeles and decided to spend an overnight trip to Palm Springs. Palm Springs is kind of OK, but also pretty generic and dull. [Insert analogy that fits better to your personal experience.]

If you've spent a lot of time in BA before then maybe. I would really recommend Tigre for the estuary tour, it's pretty uniquely bizarre as it's essentially a modern-looking city except the suburbs' streets are all water instead of asphalt.

hello i am phone
Nov 24, 2005
¿donde estoy?
Any reason why spending a night in Piriapolis? it's like 30 minutes away from PDE and half a day is more than enough.

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Good Parmesan
Nov 30, 2007

I TAKE PHOTOS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN IN PLANET FITNESS
Appreciate the comments. I was mainly worried that BA may be too hot or more or less empty around time of year. I won't spend more than a few hours in Colonia del Sacremento, then, and just catch a ferry back to BA after seeing it.

No particular reason to stay in Piriapolis other than it being another beach along the way to stop, and different scene than PDE, although spending a night is probably excessive. Thanks. I'll consolidate to add another night in BA for Tigre.

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