Hi
I'm considering buying a one-way flight into in South America in late March, with the intention of leaving by late June whenever and wherever I am. I have a few questions ...
1. Where would be a good country to fly into? My favorite aspect of travelling is experiencing new cultures that are very different from home (England). I also presume it would make sense to start in a country which geographically nicely leads on to further countries down the line.
2. What's the backpacking culture like? I'm 31, and I'm rather past the constant wild party culture of Australia or Thailand. Are there plenty of fellow backpackers who are more into discovering the country rather than solely partying on a beach? Is there backpacker accommodation more suited for this (individual rooms rather than dorms)?
3. Price-wise, how does it compare to, say, South-east Asia?
thanks!
Andy
Reply to this Hi Andy,
My husband (33) and I (32) just came back from a trip to South America. We travelled through Peru, Bolivia, Northern Chile and Argentina. While I can't answer all of your questions, I can offer some advice based on my experiences. We had ten weeks and made our way from Lima/Cuzco to Buenos Aires. We travelled at a 'leisurely' pace but felt quite pressed for time towards the end of the trip.
Of the places that we went, I preferred Bolivia and then Peru. Chile and Argentina are slightly more expensive (as is Brazil from what I am told), and felt to me 'more western' than Peru and Bolivia. I found that Bolivia offered much in the way of landscape and people and was really very cheap. (If you go to Bolivia, the trip to Rurrenabaque is worth the flight) Peru, was slightly more expensive than Bolivia but still very cheap to travel around. I thought Bolivia was just as cheap as places like Cambodia and Laos. Peru was probably similar to Thailand and Vietnam (but be mindful that I travelled to asia in 2009).
The backpacking culture is alive and well - everywhere we went - you wont have any problems meeting people that are of your age and are into discovery rather than partying and accommodation is cheap and private rooms are plentiful. We were paying between US$20-35 for a double room with a private bathroom. You can definitely find cheaper than that if you are willing to sacrifice comfort a little.
If we had our time again, I probably would have headed north to Ecuador and Columbia but when we planned we decided we would do that on separate trip when we had more money (to fund the Galapagos). Agh... next time eh!
Enjoy your trip. Where ever you decide to go you won't be disappointed.
Reply to this Oh, that price of $25-35 was in Bolivia. We were lucky to find anything under US$50 for a double in Chile and Argentina. But maybe we were not looking hard enough.....!
Reply to this Hi There, Peru and Bolivia are the cheapest. If you want a laid back backpacking culture try airbnb's instead of hostels. I think you would start best NOrth and head South or vice versa. However June is a cold month here in Peru so maybe starting South and heading North may be warmer for you depending how North you go. <snip>
Nic
[Edited: 2014 Mar 20 22:58 - Jo Trouble:16935 - Advertising url removed.]
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