A common question I was asked as a travel agent was what to see and do in South America with limited time. More and more Aussies are heading over to Latin America thanks to cheaper flights and the promise of a great and different experience. But what can you actually see and experience in a month? Is it worthwhile?
Many people are hitting South America as part of their Uni break over Christmas, or you might just be finally using up some well deserved annual leave.
For those just starting to plan your trip you will probably be keen to see the major attractions like the Inca trail in Peru, the Galapagos islands in Ecuador, Rio or Buenos Ares, the Amazon and more. So where to start?
The first thing to keep in mind is the size of the place and the often difficult and unreliable local transport (made harder to negotiate with the language barrier). While seeing heaps of places in a short time in Europe is easy, Brazil on its own is bigger than Australia. Getting around can be a hassle to say the least, but not impossible for a short trip.
While difficult to generalize there are basically two popular routes/regions of the continent that are fairly easily trodden in a short space of time. Both so called ‘Gringo trails’ can be fairly easily traversed on your own or with an organized tour. A month in South America might look like this:
Route 1
* Fly from Australia, via a short stop in New Zealand to Santiago Chile. If arriving in Santiago Qantas or Lan Chile will have the better flights/connections. For any travel around peak times like Christmas you have to book at least 6-8 months in advance to avoid paying close to $3000 return (you can snag tickets swell under $2000inc tax if you book early or go out of peak season).
* From Chile you can get a connection on the same day to Quito, Ecuador. After a few days seeing the sights around Quito you can hop a short flight to the Galapagos Islands for a cruise around the Islands.
* Back to Quito take a flight to Lima. Spend a day or two, then a short one hour (and scenic flight) through the Andes to Cusco, the jump off point for the hike to the Inca trail (try to avoid the 24 hour bus ride from Lima – Cuzco, its a terrible ride). Keep in mind permits for the Inca trail have to be booked through a tour group (in Australia or direct in South America) at least 6 months in advance to be assured a spot on the trail. Also remember that acclimatising to the altitude in Cuzco can take a few days and is recommended before any serious hiking. So no rush!
* After seeing the ruins around Cusco many people will head to Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon (another short flight). From there you can trek into the jungle from an ‘eco’ lodge.
* Back to Cuzco from the jungle and then into Bolivia to see the capital La Paz, and the Salar De Uni Salt flats.
* All of this is a fair bit of travel and the month will almost be done. Trying to tack Brazil and Argentina into the same trip is probably a bit much, and better done separately if you only have a few weeks.
Almost this exact route can be done through any major tour group in Australia (and will typically be one or two tours tacked together, lasting a month or so in total). It’s easy enough to book or travel on your own, just be aware that permits for the Inca trail and the Galapagos need to be arranged well in advance.
Route 2
* Start with a flight into Buenos Ares, Argentina. Aerolineas Argentina have the best connections if you plan to start here (and a horrendous reputation with flyers). Lan Chile will also get you here, check for specials.
* Taking your time in Argentina is easy, the transport is pretty good and there’s plenty to see and do. A language course maybe? Dancing lessons, a football game, and the best steak houses in the world, the list goes on.
* From Beunos Ares it’s easy to get to Brazil. The bus route, which takes in the famous Foz de Igazu waterfalls, is probably the best serviced on the continent. Overnight buses with isle service and fold down seats are available, and make the trip easy (of course you can fly, but internal flights can be super expensive).
* From the water falls you can then make your way up to Rio via some time in Sao Paulo. Any time in Brazil is a good time, though if you want to head over for carnival keep in mind prices for flights, transport and accommodation skyrocket. A trip in February needs to be well planned.
* Another festival you can check out in Brazil is Boi Bumba, held in the jungle its every bit as full on as Rio’s carnival.
* So for a typical uni break that might end up in Rio for carnival think about booking your tickets in March the previous year if you can (this could mean thousands of dollars saved).
If it’s your first time away doing a tour on the first route might be more comfortable option, while the second route is by far the easier choice when it comes to ease of travel (straight forward enough for everybody).
The flight over and back to South America is a killer, so rushing around from day one might make the whole trip an exercise in exhaustion rather than the experience you were after. It’s easier to stick to a few attractions/areas and take your time. Choosing one of these two routes might be the go rather than hitting every country mentioned in a few weeks.
From personal experience after 6 months in South America Peru and Bolivia were highlights on the sightseeing front, while for pure fun Brazil is the place to be.
Safe travels!
If you liked this article check out my travel site Aussie Travel Advice. It’s a free and independent site with over 140 pages of travel advice and links, as well as our travel blog. It’s written by a former travel agent, doctor and journalist and contains the best travel advice for Australians going overseas. Combined the authors have visited over 80 countries.
If you are interested in travel check out the site. It’s not just for Aussies. There’s a great travel health section and the travel blog should have something for everybody. Safe travels!
Author: Brook Mitchell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Low-volume PCB Assembly
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