a first timer in need of advice..
Hi all,
I just quit my job and have decided go and travel the world...
I've just booked myself a RTW trip which includes a 2 month stint in south america. So far i've booked myself onto a GAP adventure 44day tour from Rio to Lima and then am planning to spend at least two weeks making my own way from Lima to Santiago (hopefully having found some friends along the way who are in the same boat)
I've never done anything like this before, and have absolutely no idea where to even begin. My tour leaves rio on 26th July and sohave just over a month to sort it all out
Does anyone have any general advice please - literally anything would be useful!
a couple of more specific questions...
1) how do i carry all my luggage? I am assuming i should take one back pack (65l enough?) but on a tour such as this will i be carrying this every day or will it be kept on a coach and i just take a small rucksack for the day2day treks??
2) how easy is it to get from Lima to Santiago and am i likely to meet some people in a similiar position to mine??
Please all, any help would be much appreciated
thanks
Milan
Reply to this Hi Milan,
Not sure what kind of advice you are looking for so I will just answer your questions.
1) I 65L is plenty. I actually carry a 60L. It is crammed full but I find...the more room you have...the more you will bring. So be careful of that. And if you can, leave some extra space for things you may want to buy...trust me...you will want to. 😉 There is sooo much nice stuff down here and for so cheap.
You should also bring a day backpack. This is just a small one for daily use. When you are moving from place to place, just place the small one in side the big one...or, carry it on your front with teh big pack on your back.
2) I have not gone directly from Lima to Santiago but I would imagine it is fairly easy for sure. Getting anywhere down here is quite easy by bus so don´t worry about it. And you can usually buy your bus tickets the same day you want to leave so don´t stress about that either. You will definitely meet others on a similar journey. There are TONS of gringos down here...you will meet people at hostels pretty much daily as well as on buses. I am traveling by myself but honestly...I am rarely truly by myself. You always find people doing the same thing and can tag along with each other.
As for general advice for preparation....make sure you have your Yellow Fever vaccination and any others you may need. Go by a travel clinic in your area and they will fill you in. They will also try to get you to buy a massive amount of malaria pills...this is up to you. I have a bottle full and have taken a total of 2 pills in 6 months. And yes...I have been to the jungle in Ecuador, and Bolivia. I just find them to be harsh drugs and I can´t see it being a good thing to be on them all of the time. I would maybe just get enough to cover your ¨jungle¨ days if you have any. Talk to the doc about it. Some meds need to be given at least a month before your departure so definitely get on that now if you have not already.
I think you asked about booking a hostel in advance too....this is probably a good idea since it is now high season. But with all honesty, I have been traveling since January and I have yet to ever book a hostel in advance. 😉 I have only been turned away once...maybe twice due to them having no room. If you are not that picky...there is usually room. But to save yourself hassle, you can definitely book a day or 2 in advance. Booking online is really easy.
Hope that helps! Your trip sounds great.....have fun!! Best of luck!
Cheers,
K
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