Im travelling to South America on my own, is it easy to meet people? is the language barrier a problem? is salvador a must see?
hi,
Im travelling to south america (argentina, chile, peru, bolivia, brazil) for 7 weeks from Jan to mid feb 2008, im travelling on my own for the first time and wondered if its easy to meet people while im there, whats the best way to do this? Im learning basic spanish at the moment, should that be sufficient to get me by? and finally, is salvador worth going to? i was think maybe just rio and sao paulo...? id be really interested to hear back from anyone with some must sees for any of the countries im going to, general advice or even anyone travelling around the same time!!
Reply to this I'm traveling South America 12/21 - 2/6. What is your itinerary? My email address is
Reply to this Hi, I'm planning a trip to Argentina in Feb next year too. Am planning to head down to Patagonia and do the whole stretch there over a very tight couple of weeks.
if you're interested in that area, the highlights are the perito moreno (think i got it rite) glacier, the lake district, and loads of general hiking and wildlife...
Lemme know if your itinerary is anything like that! email:
Reply to this I'm too planning a travel to Brazil if possible.
I'm busy, lot of work, and I'll seeking informations on Brazil.
Reply to this As far as meeting people I would not be to concerned. Traveling alone is a great way to meet people, often much easier than when traveling with a partner. I have traveled quiet a bit on my own and have made some great friends. A key to meeting people is choosing the correct hostel with the kind of people you are looking to meet. Look for one that has a large common area, this is key in meeting people. So as long as you are interested in being friendly and outgoing you will find some traveling buddies rather quickly.
The language thing can be a problem on occasion, but usually the worst that happens is you miss a bus or take a wrong turn. Make sure you study the basics to make sure you don't get ripped off. Usually you will meet some travelers who speak some of the language and can help you along.
I was traveling near salvador last week, but did not actually get there yet. I did however meet a few people who had just come from there. One couple, despite having their stuff stolen twice, loved Salvador and recommended it as a must see. Another group spent and entire week there and planned on going back for even more. So from what people tell me it is a must see.
Hope this helps and let me know if you have further questions.
Reply to this I will be in Brazil for 6 weeks from Dec 25 until Feb 10th (yes, including Carnival 😊... Feel free to contact me if there's a chance we could be in the same place at the same time... 😊
And although I haven't been to Salvador yet, I would definitely recommend it...it is definitely on my 'to see' list...
Hope to hear from you...
Yvanka
Reply to this Hi sara12345, I spent 2 weeks in Peru (single female) and while I did watch my possessions more carefully than perhaps I normally would have, never felt as though my safety was compromised. I have basic Spanish which I could have managed without, but found extremely useful. Had a great time with an awesome bunch of people on the Inca Trail. Meeting people and making friends is easy if you are a reasonably outgoing person.
Reply to this Hi,
I'm going to South America in January too, first time travelling alone. I'm also feeling a little apprehensive, but mainly excited and wishing the time would hurry up! I'm just about to enrol on a basic Spanish course, just want to know enough to get by and will hopefully pick up more when I'm there.
I'm really glad to read there are so many solo female travellers - gives me confidence that its obviously do-able... just need to get on and do it!
Hope you all have a fantastic adventure 😊
Reply to this Hi I see that you are looking for the next travel.. Do you know that in venezuela now there is Exchange control?
1$= 2150 Bs ( local money) Official exchange
1$= between 3500 or 3600 Bs Black exchange
So you can really enjoy a nice journey but it depends what are you looking for : beaches? Mountains?
I have a friend from Canada who came on 21 July and left on August 4th..she really enjoyed it!!! The ticket from canada to venezuela cost 900$ but I send her a ticket from here so she just paid 550$ .
she really liked it and the same case with two friends who came from France. I helped them to exchange and more things:-)
Well let's see in case of spanish language.Do you speak french?
I will help you to learn spanish with Live Msn if you would like:-) just add me
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