South America for 9 months..
hi everyone
i have seen some astoundingly detailed itineraries on this forum
as my trip draws closer i am turning my attention to the question... where shall i go exactly?
sure i want to travel free without over planning it, but good to know ones options and the limitations
so far my skinny itinerary is as follows:
starting:
ecuador:
quito
otavalo
banos
montanita
guayaquil
galapagos
peru:
mancora
chiclayo
lima
cuzco
macchu picchu
puno
Bolivia:
lago titicaca
uyuni
Chile:
santiago
torres del paine
punta arenas
Argentina:
buenos aires
By
bb99
so as you can see , its vague with some rather large jumps from one place to another...
i definitly would apreciate any suggestions that might help me to make a more detailed route plan...
or maybe just a mention of some place you went that i shouldnt miss
oh .. and i should add that i have no return flight yet
so i wouldnt rule out the possibility of extending it by travelling north and perhaps even squeezing somewhere sunny in there before my return to rainy ireland....i have 9 months after all... any thoughts?
matt
Reply to this Hey Matt,
Just saw your posting and was wondering whether you've already left for your south american escapades? I'll be going backpacking for 5 weeks solo before flying back to uni . . . If you're around Argentina/brazil between august-sep let me know!
Feel free to add me on msn or email me at: moonlight_96@hotmail.com
Sandra
Reply to this Hiya Matt,
I've not been to Ecuador, but in Peru the places I really liked which aren't on your list are Nasca (the Nasca lines and a cemetary where you can see the skeletons in the ground with amazing long dreadlocks) and Arequipa, which is the place to go from to see Canyon de Colca with all the condors. Um, Bolivia, I'm assuming you'll be going to Isla del Sol from Copacabana? If not, please do! It's great, and you can sleep on the island and walk to the ruins and then walk the length of the island, it's really beautiful. Also on the way to La Paz from Copacabana, try to stop off at Tihuana (can't spell it), or go for the day from La Paz- it's very impressive. I loved Sucre and Tarabuco also in Bolivia. Chile-ah can't really remember now, but Valdivia was great fun and por la Carretera Austral- it rains more than in Ireland there by the way, especially in a place called Puerto Cisnes. Chile is fab- and anyway if you're as far south as Punta Arenas, you MUST go to El Calefate (in Arg) and see Glacier Perito Moreno. I went to Ushuaia aswell which was great- crossing the Magellan straits was fun, reminded me of Junior Cert geography class..
Anyway have a great trip- if you're not already a member, try logging onto Couchsurfing.com for a more rounded trip- free accommodation, great advice and you meet local people who have the best advice- and way more fun!
All the best, am jealous cos am nearly finished my trip- only a month and a half left.
Helen
Reply to this In Ecuador I'd add Vilcabamba (highlight of Ecuador for us) and if you like hiking the area around Cotopaxi or Quillotoa.
Huaraz in Peru is a great spot (again if you like hiking) as is the Colca Canyon near Arequipa in the south.
In Chile I'd add San PEdro de Atacama and La Serena - especially if you are bussing down from the north. Valparaiso is an easy day trip from Santiago and worth seeing. Also, Easter Island is great you can fly from Santiago.
Argentina:
This was my favourite country in SA. I'd highly recommend you go to Iguazu Falls, Bariloche, EL Bolson, Salta & Quebrada de HUmahuaca, Glaciers National PArk, El Chalten and Ushuaia.
Reply to this hey sandra,
thanks for the reply, I havent left yet, one week to go!
unfortunatly according to my rough plans, i will not have reached argentina or brazil until maybe november/december, i hope you have a really great trip though.
hi helen,
thank you so much for this info, it has helped me to fill in a lot of gaps there.
one question.. can i do such a route in bolivia without going on those roads of death with all the buses at the bottom? i have a friend who travelled what i believe was the road between La Paz and Coroico, it certainly makes for good conversation in the pub but brushing with death on a bus is not really my preffered passtime. hehe
also i wasnt aware that couch surfing phenomenon was even a viable option in south america, definlitly something to consider.
thanks barry,
excellent ! the itinerary is looking like an itinerary now . i would not be able for the level of hiking you guys are doing but i do like a small day trip, not too much altitude .
really great tips guys, i will take a close look at each one, thanks
Reply to this Hi again,
In that itinerary you don't need to go on the Death Road (though it's great fun cycling down it). I continued from Coroico to Rurrenabaque by bus and yeah, it's pretty scary- you just have to close your eyes and think of little puppies! Or you can fly to Rurrenabaque from La Paz- it's certainly worth a visit, Rurre. You can do Amazon jungle trips from there (bring loads of insect repellent, pref with Deet-though it can damage your skin). I went north to Brazil from Rurrenabaque, to a place called Guayamerin and crossed a river to Brazil,but the bus took about 30 hours and everything got covered with dust.
CS is very big here, in Venezuela I went on a Couchsurfing trip to the coast for 3 days, it was great fun. And last night I met up with CS people (it's the start of the Feria de las Flores here in Medellin, and they've quite a lot organised for the next 10 days too). In Dublin they have quite a few meetings too...
Enjoy!
Helan
Reply to this Ecuador I would add Cuenca, Vilcabamba and maybe some of the northern beaches - I found them much nicer than Montañita and they tend to have more year-round sun. Peru I would definitely suggest you go to Trujillo on your way south to visit Chan-Chan and other temples in the area. For me Nazca was a highlight of Peru to do a flight over the lines and you could also stop over in Huacachina to do sandboarding.
Have fun!
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