hello fellow travellers,
I'm going to South america for approximately 10 months in jan 2010. I have many questions regarding this trip as i am trying to do some research but the amount of conflicting information is confusing me to make the right decision.
My main question is, what is the best time to do a 10 Month trip of south america? I do worry about the climate seasons as i want to enjoy good weather ( I don't do snow and not a big fan of being frozen to death ) As i understand it if i go in jan then that is near the end of summer thus going through Autumn then the dreaded winter.
I was thinking of delaying my trip to around april / july ( thus saving abit more extra cash ) and Then starting off in colombia as its a tropical country and the winter is not harsh as i come to beieve. Or i could start off in peru as i believe april time is the dry season and the best time to do the inca trail trek or i should start off in Rio ... aaaahhh!!! HELP!!! to many options!! What would you do if you have 10 months in South America? when would you go?
If i have a starting point and a time then i could work out somekind of itinerary and book Tickets... also i will have about £13000 ( british pound )for my budget and i have reserved an extra £2000 for flights, insurance etc. Is this Budget acceptable for what i am planning? im a low maintenance guy so i don't plan to hit expensive restaurants and also i'm travelling solo..
thanks for reading my post and i wait in anticipation in your replys thanks ... richard
Reply to this Richard, the trouble is you are not taking into account the size of South American countries and the varying weather in each at any time of year. Mid-December through January and February and into mid-March are the summer months, with Jan and Feb being high season; when most locals will holiday. But in the high regions of the Andes this means rain. You have 10 months, so just move your itinerary around until you get the places you want to visit at altitude (Cusco, Bolivia) into the dry season (Jun,Jul,Aug) and, for instance, Patagonia into the summer months.
Reply to this Dear Richard,
It will be a pleasure to help you in yout trip to Peru. This wonderful land has a lot to visit and appreciate. We have coast, highlands and the Amazon jungle. Yes its recommendable to come to Peru from April upto November, please take note that the Inca Trail is closed on February. I recommend you to visit Chiclayo, Trujillo, Arequipa and of course Cusco. Also if you want a rural experience, Peru has a lot of communties that are waiting for you and it's not expensive.
I hope this little info helps you.
Karina
Reply to this Just a quick note: I wouldn't worry about the climate that much. First of all, most countries you intend to visit are relatively close to the Equator, meaning the difference between summer and winter isn't that big. Also, take into consideration mountains. For instance Cusco is around 22 degrees all year long, with freezing nights (again, all year long), and a 'rain season' in dec-feb (Though, as a person from the Netherlands who typically sees nothing but rain for 6 months, I find it hard to even call it a rain season. When I was in Cusco between feburary and april last year I saw rain about 10 times, and only once did it last for more than 4 hours.)
And even when you consider travel further south, the temperatures don't become that untolerably cold (maybe I just got lucky, but when I was in Santiago and Buenos Aires last summer it was still around 20 degrees. Sure, it rained a bit more, but it wasn't that untolerably cold. And even if; all you need is a 20-hour bus ride to be back in the tropics!)
Regarding your budget. Just to give you a quick comparision. I spend 6000 euros last year on a 7.5 month, very low-budget trip solo across South-America (mainly Peru and Bolivia, but also Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil) including flights, insurance and everything.
Reply to this Hey there, Lonely Planet offers some great travel routes that are easy to follow if you're looking for ideas. I would suggest either starting in Rio de Janeiro of Buenos Aires. In my opinion these are the two cities you can spend the most time in easily. Then you can start a loop from both places. Its good to have a solid homebase.
Reply to this Hi felow travellers,
Thanks for the helpful suggestions and advice because it has helped me reach a decision of what i want to do next summer. I have drawn up a rough timescale plan of my trip to South America and i have extended it from 10 Months to 12 Months as i think my Budget after comparing other budgets ,it is a fair and reasonable one.
Colombia May - June
Ecuador July
Peru August
Boliva sept - oct
Chile Nov - dec
Argentina Jan - Feb
Brazil Mar - April
I thought i should start off in Colombia because as i travel southwards it should gradually become warmer with spring and summer. I am very keen to reach patagonia around Summer time ( Nov - feb ) since i have heard it has some beautiful sites and trekking tours.
My only worry is that Colombia is probably not the best place to start for a newbie solo traveller. I haven't really travelled much and certainly haven't travelled on my own, so it seems abit daunting to me. I really wanted a place where i could ease myself into a country. I am expecting culture shock and conflicting emotions ( fear, courage, excitement, nervousness, happiness and peace all rolled into one ) as it will be so much out of my comfort zone but that is what travelling is albout, Going with the flow as each day is never the same and experiencing the highs and lows. I have started learning spanish so by the time i go on my trip it should hopefully get me by but im also keen to start a intensive spanish course while im over there.
anyway thanks for your advice.. Richard
Reply to this Starting off in Colombia is a great decision... 'the gate of South America', and getting to the south in the summer is also good.
Bogota should be a good transitional place to start, since it is very a cosmopolitan capital, and you should be able to find a good spanish course to polish your skills.
In Colombia I would recommend a route starting north from Bogota, towards Villa de Leyva, Santander (Barichara, San Gil, etc...) then up to the coast, Parque Tayrona, Santa Marta, Ciudad Perdida? maybe Guajira?... then don't miss Cartagena. Then down to Medellin, the coffee region, Cali (salsa capita), Popayan, San Augustin & Tierradentro, and finally Pasto and you are down in the border with Ecuador.
You could also add to this a trip to Leticia (amazons) or to San Andres and Providencia (the latter a beautiful idillic unspoilt caribbean island).
If you are into diving you should try Gorgona Island in the Pacific... with economic trips from Cali.
All in all you could easily spend a whole month in Colombia and if you are going for the whole 12 months, I would recomment allowing some time.
With regards to the budget, you are probably ok... I have been travelling with my wife on a 50 pound a day budget (which is a bit tight sometimes) and we just about managed, so 40 pound a day for 1 person should be fine.
good luck!
Daniel
Reply to this I did 6mnths for around 5000pounds so 13000 will be plenty.I like a private rooms with my own bathroom n cable TV so if your staying at bakpakers you will have a ball with your $.I don't drink though which makes a big difference to the budget
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