South America & Central America Megathread: Share or take the wealth.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > South America & Central America Megathread: Share or take the wealth.

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

I'm thinking about taking a two week trip next year to Rio de Janiero, Buenos Aires and perhaps another city in between. I'd like to go during Carnival but I'm wondering if its really worth it. Looks like prices are jacked up insanely even for hostels during that time period. I'm also wondering if its realistic to go to the Sambadrome during this time.

This would be my first time to South America and I'm looking for any recommendations for things to do in two weeks time in these countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay).

# ¿ Sep 25, 2008 22:17

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 07:16

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

Rio stuff

This is some good information. Do you have a hostel that you would recommend? I'm looking more for a party hostel and staying up late isn't a big deal. I figure if I drink enough I can pass out.

I've found El Misti which has a 7 day package for around $500. I realize that this time of year they are jacking up the prices because of Carnaval.

Also would you recommend staying in Salvador or Rio during Carnaval?

# ¿ Sep 28, 2008 03:28

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

The top 2 party hostels in Rio, pretty much agreed upon by everyone, are "Mellow Yellow" and "Stone Of A Beach". It's not really just my opinion, its pretty much a known fact.

http://www.mellowyellow.com.br/
http://www.stoneofabeach.com.br/

I stayed in Stone of a Beach for about 2 weeks. There is a rooftop bar with a hot tub which is usually pretty active. However, most people would form little cliques that would form at different tables with mostly groups of people already traveling together, the staff are not helpful, and overall I would recommend staying elsewhere.

I also drank at the Mellow Yellow bar one night and it seems like a pretty good hostel. The bar is huge and all of the tables are lined up together, sort of cafeteria style. The place was extremely lively and it seemed much easier to meet other travelers. However, the place is absolutely humongous, expensive, and they hostel has a bunch of really strict rules you need to follow.

Believe it or not, I also stayed at El Misti in Copacabana for a week and absolutely loved it. They have a bar out on the porch with 3 sofas sitting around a table. People staying here were more approachable and a lot more diverse (I met travelers from Brazil, Argentina, Peru, all over Europe, US, Australia, etc.) of all different ages. The staff was really friendly and I had a really great time and met a bunch of people. The only thing is that its a smaller hostel and so I couldn't not find people wanting to go out every night. But if you are there during Carnival I doubt that will be an issue.

I would personally choose to attend Carnival in this order.
1. Recife
2. Salvador
3. Rio

Rio is more of an elaborate show whereas the other 2 places you really get to participate much more. But thats just from what I have heard and read. You are better off asking someone who already went.

If you do choose the El Misti package, I would recommend calling the hostel now and trying to negotiate a lower price.

Another tip is to not book any of those tours (except the favela tour). You can easily do each yourself rather than paying double the price. For instance, it costs something like $65 reals for the favela funk party tour, which includes transportation and entrance.

You can do it independently if you gather a group of 4 to share the taxi and will only pay 30 reals at the most for transportation and entrance, per person. Or a soccer game at maracana will cost like 70 reals whereas you could take the subway and buy a ticket yourself, which will only cost about 20 reals in total. Those tours are big ripoffs.

Thanks for the information. I was planning on El Misti because it had higher ratings than the others and viewing the ratings on Hostelworld showed that it was fairly social. I like social hostels more so than party hostels, but I don't like it when they try to stop people from having a good time either.

I have a friend from Recife and I'd love to go there but he currently lives in Germany. If he's in town during that town I would definitely go there and maybe convince him to go to Rio as well or something.

As for El Misti, it seems like they offer Sambodromo tickets for $27 in sector 13. From looking elsewhere online, that looks like a decent deal. Am I mistaken?

http://www.elmistihostels.com/copacabana-hostels-prices.html

Anyhow I'm seeing if any friends want to go first before I execute. I've traveled a lot but I'm just not sure if I feel comfortable going there by myself.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2008 21:58

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

El Misti is a good choice, especially if you are traveling alone. But I really would not let the fact that you may be traveling alone or with a friend dictate your travel plans. Brazil does have a reputation for being a bit dangerous...but it is certainly not a war zone and if you have any common sense than you will be fine. It's not like you will accidentally wander into a favela or anything. You may feel a bit uncomfortable traveling alone the first day in Brazil, but after that I swear you will feel just as safe as if you were home.

The Sambodromo tickets El Misti quoted you sounds like a decent price. Just make sure you avoid Sector 9, which is the tourist sector which charges higher prices than the other sectors. If you get a ticket in sector 9, you might feel quite isolated from the Brazilians and the "party". The best locations are around half-way and just a bit towards the end of the Avenue, sectors 5, 7, 9 and 11.

Yea I realize that it's only as unsafe as you make it. I've been to Romania several times before and while they don't have the violence there they do have theft and muggers. I've done a little reading and unfortunately it seems like nothing is safe in the city at night. Is that the case or is what I'm reading just overly paranoid?

Yea I definitely want to hang with the locals if I can. I met so many cool Brazilians on my previous travels its part of the reason that I want to go there. The favela tour is pretty much on the top of my list but I'd much rather prefer to actually spend some time in one and not feel like I'm on a cattle run, albeit it while not being killed. I'm hoping that one of my friends in Recife gets back to me cause I imagine he can be a pretty good guide for the city. I doubt though that he comes from life in a favela though.

I'm thinking I might do Recife before Carnaval and go to Rio for Carnaval. The only problem is that I haven't seen anything for hostels in Recife. Do you know of any?

# ¿ Sep 29, 2008 03:42

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

DustingDuvet posted:

I have noticed that we all view these things differently. I never experienced any violence in Brazil. The only time I ever felt truly fearful was trying to take a bus in Rio at midnight with all of my bags. I realized it was not worth putting myself in that situation so I took a taxi. The point I am trying to make is that you can control your safety to the point where you will feel comfortable. Nobody will force you to walk around Rio at night if you do not feel comfortable doing that. I did feel comfortable walking around places like Copacabana at night and so I did it pretty often. I also did things like organizing and leading a trip for 14 others to a favela party and often wandered the city alone. Keep in mind I did meet a few people that were robbed but it was often them putting themselves in bad situations (taking a bus late at night with all of their belongings, hanging out on Copacabana beach at night in a isolated spot). But if you have any common sense and do a little bit of research before your trip about the do's and dont's than I do not believe you will encounter any trouble. And my opinion is that of a short, skinny, 20 year old.

About the favelas, once you are inside one and have permission to be inside they are probably the safest place in Rio for a tourist. You are able to walk around with a camera around your next and fanny pack and nobody will even attempt to rob you. Gangs run the favelas with an iron fist, clamping down on petty crime to make sure that wealthy outsiders feel safe buying drugs inside. In our guide's words, the same man who will mug you on Copacabana beach will do nothing more than shake your hand in Rocinha. After hearing about the ADA's form of street justice, the notorious micro-ondas, microwave, (which involves putting a live person, soaked in petrol, into a ring of flaming car tires, thereby carbonizing the victim's body), I can see why. So for a favela tour, I would recommend asking around for an independent guide not because of safety issues, but because the favela is like a maze and its necessary to have someone who knows the streets so you do not get lost. I recommend someone independent so you can spend more than 3 hours there as most walking tours do.

As for Recife, I would really recommend you visit Rio first and then Recife for Carnvial. As far as I know, Recife is not really built up for backpackers but the Carnival there is the most fun.

I feel I would probably be the same way. My only reservations are what I have read elsewhere. I've read about the shady taxis of Prague and the pickpockets of Bucharest and I didn't witness anything like that. Although my friend did have $1000 stolen from his wallet on the train (long story). I know all about favelas and how they operate, my only concern is outside of them. I'm sure whatever I'm reading is just over reactions because some people walk around with everything during the night in sketchy neighborhoods.

So far every Brazilian I've met has been truly awesome, so I definitely want to experience the favela. Now you said you were able to go to a favela party. How did that happen? Just meet someone and they invited you? I love social hostels but nothing beats hanging out with the locals.

Anyhow, I really want to go to Salvador or Recife but that depends on if my friend gets back in touch with me. Salvador has a decent backpackers industry but Recife only has one hostel it looks like. Do you have a recommended hostel in Salvador?

# ¿ Sep 30, 2008 02:51

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

Well I just got back from Carnavales en Panama. If anyone has any questions about Panama please feel free to ask. I enjoyed Panama so much more than I did Costa Rica.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2011 19:07

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

So I'm heading down to Argentina/Uruguay after Christmas with around 15 days on the ground. Here is my itinerary so far. I'm welcome to hear suggestions but I already booked the ferry to BA along with the flight to Mendoza. I'm staying in the Pax Hostel in BA? Anyone have any impressions? The website for the hostel looked fine and it looked small enough. Although it was in the San Telmo district which I hear is a little sketchy. I'm also welcome to hearing suggestions for hostels to stay at in Mendoza/Cordoba/Rosario/Montevideo and possibly Punte del Este. Let me know what you think. I'd love to go to Bariloche or Iguazu but I'd rather not pay for the flight. If all goes well, I'll come on back down in the next year and see those places.

Fri Dec 30, 2011
10:30am Flight to Montevideo
Where: Montevideo, Uruguay
Description: Flight arrivesin Montevideo
1pm Ferry to Buenos Aires
Where: Montevideo, Uruguay
Description: Perez Castellano, Montevideo, Uruguay
5pm Arrive at Pax Hostel
Where: Pax Hostel
Description:
Pax Hostel Buenos Aires Salta 990, C1074AAT Ciudad Aut�noma de Buenos
Aires,
Capital Federal, Argentina
Sat Dec 31, 2011
9pm New Years in Buenos Aires
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Description: New Years in Buenos Aires
Sun Jan 1, 2012
12am New Years in Buenos Aires
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Description: New Years in Buenos Aires
Tue Jan 3, 2012
10am Leave Pax Hostel
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
3:30pm Flight to Mendoza
Where: Aeroparque Jorge Newbury
Description: AEP to MDZ at 3:20PM
Thu Jan 5, 2012
10:45pm Travel to Cordoba
Where: Mendoza Bus Station
Description: Andesmar Mendoza to Cordora for 350ARS
Fri Jan 6, 2012
12am Travel to Cordoba
Where: Mendoza Bus Station
Description: Andesmar Mendoza to Cordora for 350ARS
Sun Jan 8, 2012
10:05pm Travel to Rosario
Where: Cordoba, Argentina
Description: El Turista - 22:05 for 143ARS
Mon Jan 9, 2012
12am Travel to Rosario
Where: Cordoba, Argentina
Description: El Turista - 22:05 for 143ARS
Tue Jan 10, 2012
8am Leave Rosario for Montevideo
Where: Rosario, Argentina
Sat Jan 14, 2012
10:30pm Leave Montevideo, Uruguay
Where: Montevideo, Uruguay
Description: Leave Uruguay

# ¿ Dec 16, 2011 07:16

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

kidhash posted:

In Mendoza, stay in Hostel Lao. Book it right now.
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostel-Lao/Mendoza/16017?source=googleadwordshostelsbyname&gclid=CPq66_fVia0CFWgEQAodklGomQ

Thanks for the suggestion. I booked just now!

# ¿ Dec 19, 2011 00:30

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

HolaMundo posted:

For Montevideo I'd recommend Pocitos Hostel (http://www.pocitoshostel.com/) and in Colonia, Sur Hostel (http://www.surhostel.com/).
They are owned by my brother in law and a friend. Both of them are in good/nice locations and have really cool people working in them.

I've stayed at Sur Hostel some months ago and everything was great.

I have to say that Pocitos Hostel was one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. The vibe was very good and while it was a chill hostel, it definitely wasn't dull. Thanks so much for the recommendation.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2012 05:15

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

I had 17 days in Argentina and I knew I didn't have enough time to do Patagonia and BA right. So I did BA, Mendoza, Cordoba and Rosario and I think I did them pretty good. When I go back, I'll do Patagonia and probably save at least two weeks. I'll probably go back a third time and do the North.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2012 03:00

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

a shameful boehner posted:

So, I'm probably going to Costa Rica as well in the next few months. Can anyone offer any general tips? It's a pretty loosely defined itinerary at this point, flying into San Juan, going to the Osa Peninsula, other than that, it's all in the air. I have a rudimentary grasp of Spanish and am somewhat used to international travel, so I think I can get by with my father and brother. Weather looks semi-decent at the end of March/early April.

Anything to definitely see? Anything to definitely avoid?

You'll have your pick of volcanoes to see, but my favorite was Irazu. Arenal is the general favorite because it is the most active, but Irazu allows you to actually explore the crater which is pretty sweet. As far as San Juan, there isn't much to the city but it does have a decent center. Also, if you are visiting the week between Easter (April 8th), be prepare for the country to be very dormant. Everyone goes to the beaches during that week, the center of the country will be dead but the beaches will be crowded beyond belief.

I only spent a week in CR but it was exactly around that time but I still had a great time. There are a great beaches on the Pacific side, the general favorite is Santa Teresa. I went to Jaco and I'd suggest staying away from it, if I were you. It's full of middle-age men looking for prostitutes. I was fortunate to find some good people in the hostel there, but otherwise, it would have been a horrible place to visit.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2012 20:45

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

TheLizard posted:

I rafted the Pacaure and stayed at the Pacaure Lodge in 2007. It is pretty incredible, although I find a tarantula on my bed. They have been talking about damming the river, so you should do it while you can. The Pacaure Lodge has guided hikes and a zipline tour as well, so it could be win-win-win for you.

I also did a hiking, horseback, zipline and boating tour on the Pacaure. It's probably your best bet right outside of San Juan. You can probably find better places to do these things further outside the central valley though.

Playa Santa Teresa is generally considered the best beach. However, any beach on the Pacific on the Nicoya peninsula is pretty good. Problem is that there are a lot of ex-pats in that region of the country.

The beaches on the Caribbean are nice but not as built up. If you want a really laid back atmosphere, the southern part of the Caribbean side is heavily Jamaican influenced. Puerto Viejo is a beautiful area but perhaps not the place to go with your dad, unless he's into the green smoke.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 03:47

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 07:16

pitchblende: Nov 17, 2003; I think I don't give a fuck about what u think. I think that without help anyone will suck in there. Also I think u need to beat it!

Water is fine in Costa Rica and Panama. Bottle water is keep, but bottle beer is cheaper!

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 21:34

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