|
My wife and I have just confirmed we'll be going travelling in Central / South America from about mid June to late December (back in time for Christmas). Because we've not been sure it'll be possible until just now we haven't planned at all as we didn't want to get our hopes up too much. We're English but my wife speaks Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese (I've been secretly learning the former on duolingo as a surprise and can generally understand but not really speak). We're going to travel cheap, we're not fussed much about swanky accommodation but we love food and will try to eat and drink like locals. We like cities and culture, walking as much as possible and as we're in our thirties probably won't be setting out to party much. I've travelled before but in South East Asia which I assume is a bit easier to get around and safer (crime-wise at least). The only specifics we have in mind already are Peru for machu picchu, Chile for a trek in patagonia, Argentina wine country, galapogos (if we can do it in a cheap but ecologically friendly way) and Rio, as my wife lived there briefly on a student placement. Does anyone have any general tips, or in particular suggestions about where to go to first, as presumably we can plan as we go somewhat once there.
|
#
¿
Apr 30, 2023 11:33
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 03:17 |
|
|
Thanks for all the responses and advice. As it looks like you need to have onward travel planned on entry to most countries I'm going to come up with a very rough itinerary over the next couple of days and take everyone's suggestions into account.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2023 15:24
|
|
|
Thanks, that's helpful to know. I might just book the final December flights home to the UK from our final destination (probably Brazil) in advance, so that if asked we have something to show we'll be moving on eventually.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2023 23:56
|
|
|
I posted a couple of pages ago asking for advice, so just thought I'd give an update. We set off on our trip a lot later than planned due to a death in the family, and ended up going to Mexico first of all, from mid August. We were there quite a while and had a really good time. We went to Guadalajara, Sayulita (as we know someone who lives there), Oaxaca (which was probably the highlight, Monte Alban is really cool), Mérida and Valladolid. Mexican people were super friendly and seemed really happy that we were there, and the food was fantastic (if a bit repetitive, hope you like tacos). After Mexico we went to Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena in Colombia. We enjoyed it but much preferred Mexico. Highlights included drunken tejo in Bogota and the district 13 tour in Medellin. We're in Peru now, and heading to Chile on the 25th. We absolutely love Peru. We ate loads of good food in Lima, Huacachina and Paracas were fun day trips, we flew over the Nazca lines which was really cool. We spent a bit of time in Arequipa which we really enjoyed. We made lots of temporary Peruvian friends there getting hammered at a craft beer festival, and did a trek in Colca Canyon which was cool - the climb out was really tough but we managed, and it was well worth it. We're in Cusco now, and finished the 4 day Inca Trail trek yesterday. We were really lucky with the weather, and the trek was brilliant. Machu Picchu was cool but as someone said, some of the other ruins were well worth seeing too. The 'optional' one by the last campsite in particular was really cool. We got to Machu Picchu really early so got to enjoy it for a bit without massive crowds, and did Wayna Pichu as well. The rest of our group who didn't said that while we were doing that Machu Picchu itself filled up with people so much that they couldn't even find places to stop so the guide could talk, so it seems like Wayna Pichu is definitely the way to go. The only real issue we've had with the altitude is getting the runs... great fun when you only have squat toilets for most of the Inca Trail. We're heading to Puno tomorrow night and have a homestay planned there on the lake. Other than that the only things we have definitely planned are our flight to Chile on the 25th, the W trek in patagonia - we're doing it self guided towards the end of November but have all the accommodation etc. arranged - and the perito moreno glacier trek. We do intend to visit Mendoza, iguazu falls and fly home from Rio just before Christmas but haven't firmed any of that up yet. There was lots of discussion about proof of onward travel - we had to show something before being allowed to board our flights from Mexico to Colombia and from Colombia to Peru... Immigration at the destination countries didn't give a poo poo though. We'll use the dummy tickets site someone linked (thank you!) before we fly to Chile just in case, as we'll probably be dipping in and out of Argentina by bus as we make our way south. Overall so far we've had a great time!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2023 23:02
|
|
|
I don't think I'm in much of a position to give advice as I'm only a short way into my trip, but don't be put off Colombia just because we liked Mexico more. If anything I wish we had had more time there so as to be able to explore a bit and not just visit the 3 cities (aside from a couple of day trips). But because we had the Inca Trail booked in advance we had a bit of a time limit. To go into a bit more detail about Colombia, we found that in general Colombians seemed a bit less keen on us being there than Mexicans and Peruvians, but when Colombians were fun and welcoming they were REALLY fun and welcoming. My wife and I are both very food motivated and Colombian food didn't really float our boats. It was all really good quality but quite plain. We're spice fiends so that was a big reason we preferred Mexico. In Mexico to get around we took a couple of flights, a couple of coaches and locally just used buses and colectivos. They were cheap and often quite fun. I wasn't tempted to rent a car. The public transport was good enough that it didn't seem necessary and though I'm sure it's fine in touristy areas I would have been a bit nervous about getting shaken down by cops for doing something wrong (I had just read a travel book called On the plain of snakes by Paul Theroux and that happened to him a couple of times). I think my wife booked the short perito moreno trek, so I'm glad to hear it's sufficient length!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2023 01:58
|
|
|
No particular recommendation, but we did really enjoy doing Nazca lines. In part I think that's because neither of us had been in a tiny plane like that before, but we thought it was worth the money and effort. We did it with AeroNasca and the pilot seemed good, he made sure both sides of the plane got a good view of all of the main lines and the copilot explained where everything would be etc. However we did fly from Nasca itself rather than what you are suggesting. We took the overnight bus to Nasca from Lima, took the flight, lazed around for the rest of the day and then another overnight bus to Arequipa. Nasca didn't seem worth hanging around in. You can do day trips from Lima with Peruhop, there's one which picks you up super early, visits Paracas in the morning and Huacachina in the afternoon, and takes you back to Lima late that night. Paracas involved a boat trip to see loads of seals and penguins, and a pictograph on a hillside older than the Nasca lines. Huacachina is an oasis amidst massive sand dunes and you take dune buggy rides and sandboard down the dunes. It was pretty good but a very very long day among a lot of other tourists. If you are taking buses from Lima to Cusco then I think rather than doing that as a day trip you can incorporate it into your journey through Peruhop... With hindsight we probably should have done that.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 2, 2023 00:50
|
|
|
Have a great time. We loved Peru. We're currently in Valparaiso, Chile, and heading to Mendoza in Argentina tomorrow. Chile is very cool so far, in some ways it has a much more European feel than the other counties we have been but is still different enough to be exciting.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 2, 2023 22:01
|
|
|
Yep, you guys are right, Mendoza definitely feels super European. At least aside from the weird financial situation. We had trouble getting hold of any cash, we western union'd money to ourselves but it took us a few days to actually get it because the western unions either had no money to give us, enormous lines or had just plain closed earlier than they were supposed to (perhaps linked to the first point). Here in Mendoza for a few more days and then planning to bus south to Bariloche, cross the border to Puerto Varas and then fly to Puerto Natales for our W trek. So far in Mendoza we did a great wine tour - we looked at the ones recommended (thanks for that), but in the end we had a company arrange it for us (Trout and Wine) as logistically we could visit more in one day that way. It was fantastic. Loads of wine at vineyard sof different sizes and feels, a great guide and some excellent food. We also have a tango show and white water rafting planned while we're here. Has anyone else been to Valparaiso in Chile? It was great, really pretty and interesting with loads of cool street art. But of all the places we have been on this trip it felt like the one where we most had to stay on our toes. Did anyone else feel that way or was it just a bit unlucky? We definitely had a couple try and rob us while sat outside a bar (they were too drunk/off their face to get very far but the bar staff showed us their wanted photos on the local police Instagram afterwards) and overheard / spoke to a few other people who had either been in cagey situations or been robbed. Including our tours for tips guide who said not to go to an area after dark as he'd been stabbed there twice!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2023 20:37
|
|
|
Oakland Martini posted:If you are hikers etc. Probably just too late unfortunately, but thanks for the suggestion. We're still in Bariloche but tomorrow is our last full day here. We had to stay a little longer than planned as the buses across the border were booked up in advance and we hadn't been sensible enough to do so ourselves. Bariloche is lovely, the day we arrived it started snowing which was quite a change from the 30C heat we had had in Mendoza the day before. We've not had any issues with the western unions since I last posted about it, I think we must just have been a bit unlucky that day.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2023 01:30
|
|
|
W Trek was great. Lovely weather, even when it was super blustery we were fine just in t shirts. Perito Moreno was also very cool. We're going to Buenos Aires in a couple of days and from there to Iguazu falls. We are flying home from Rio on the 15th, and should be ready to leave the falls on about the 7th. Can anyone recommend somewhere between Rio and Foz de Iguazu worth spending a couple of nights? Or should we just spend more time in Rio? Edit: Other than Sao Paulo - we have a layover there and weren't planning to go for longer than that (my wife lived there for a bit and would rather go elsewhere if possible). The Aguamoose fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Nov 28, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Nov 28, 2023 03:22
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 03:17 |
|
|
I don't know how much of it you've booked in advance but if possible avoid booking food at refugio central. It's expensive everywhere but at central the quality was very poor, and it looked like you could get passable cheap food at the welcome centre next door. If you want some WiFi then you can pay for access but it's super expensive. Next to Refugio Central is a hotel and their WiFi password is Lastorres. Refugio Paine Grande has free bag storage so if you are doing the round trip to grey glacier before getting the boat you can leave your bag there to make it a lot easier.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 5, 2023 17:18
|
|