south america adventure holliday

Glaucus said:
Wondering if anyone has done any group adventure holidays in south America, and wondering how you found it, would you recommend the company, any highlights not to be missed. Or any other useful info. as well as how much you spent whilst out there.

Currently this has caught my eye, especially has it as optional mountain biking down death road.
http://www.tucantravel.com/tour/overview/southern-cross/bxpa1
Click to expand...
Just spent 6 months in South America.

I would suggest doing it yourself than a tour group. You will still meet loads of people, you'll learn more spanish and it will be cheaper.

Death road is fun but in my opinion wasn't that scary :p.

What kind of things do you enjoy? I can give you some ideas of things I have and done and would recommend.
 
Everything really. Other than sitting round a pool for a week.

Old stuff like Inca trail and nazca probably loads of little knowener places that would be cool
Seeing proper local culture and food
High end food
Hiking, snorkelling, should have scuba by then and pretty much anything else outdoors. Would love to try white water rafting.
Random getting ****ed with locals is always a good one.
 
To be honest £2k for that seems pretty decent value. Just have to hope you're with a decent bunch of people since you can't really just wander off and find someone else.
 
Marvt74 said:
To be honest £2k for that seems pretty decent value. Just have to hope you're with a decent bunch of people since you can't really just wander off and find someone else.
Click to expand...

The optional extras jumps the price up a lot as do adding the flights on.

Did a similar thing in Australia and it was great. These things tend to attract similar sort of people.
 
When are you planning to go? Some amazing hiking in Peru and in Patagonia but it depends what time of year you visit as there the opposite for best times to go really.

Rafting in Ecuador is really good. Some of my favourite hiking was in Peru, we did a 10 day hike solo carrying all of our gear. It's the Huayhuash trek, one of the worlds best, and truly was amazing. We also did Salkantay trail instead of the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. You also have the Nazca lines as you say, sand boarding in Ica.

Some fantastic steak and wine in Argentina, Buneos Aires was a fantastic city, which I wouldn't normally say as I prefer smaller places, but it was great.

Bus is the best form of transport, I travelled from Porto Alegre in Brasil down through Uruguay->Argentina all the way up to Ecuador/Colombia. You get meals, movies and comfy seats.

How is your spanish? I could go on and on there is so much to do, but just go with the flow and enjoy yourself.
 
You'll pick it up, just make sure to learn some basic things and put the effort in and it'll make it a whole lot more enjoyable. But saying that you'll get by fine with only being able to order a beer if you are one those lazy ones :p
 
I spent 8 weeks back packing round Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia a decade ago aged 18, one of the best adventures of my life.

Bolivia death road is fun.

Highlights for me were:

Trecking the Colca Canyon (better (and deeper) than the grand canyon by miles)
Spending a week boat trecking in bolivia's pantanal (most amazing wildlife you will ever see)
Spending 5 days camping in the amazon rainforest. (The most intense experience you will ever have)
Flying over the Nazca lines in a mosquito
Conquering all 5800 odd meters of mt cotapaxi, including lots of ice climbing.
Partying with travelers and the locals.

I didn't do the organised thing, just booked flights there and back and the first 2 nights in a Lima guest house, the rest was planned in advance but nothing booked, so that we could enjoy whatever took our fancy. I didn't go alone though.

Regretfully MP was all trecked out and I didnt go to cuzco but I have that to do next time :)
 
Last edited:
That trip looks pretty good value and you get to see quite a lot of the things worth seeing. It's a shame you don't get to see much of the altiplano in Bolivia as the scenery is incredible.

The steaks in Argentina are delicious and in Brazil make sure you go to a Churrasco (Brazillian BBQ).

I loved South America, the scenery is so diverse, the food is great and the people are friendly. Spent 3 weeks touring up in the Andes and it was one of the best experiences I've had in my life. Will go back to do Patagonia sometime for sure.
 
Gadventures.com and dragoman are two other big tour operators that are worth a look. More expensive probably but they usually have more included excursions IME.

Oulton, out of interest how did you organise hit boat trip into the pantonal and the camping? Was it independent or an organised week? Cheap? Expensive? I'm hoping to do something like that for 2-3 weeks in a year or two and doing our own trip would usually be cheaper (and more flexible).
 
Did 8 months in South and Central America. I think that's great value for all in contains, i've been to most of the stuff on that itinerary.

No time to chill but it all depends on your time and budget. I guess if you don't do an excursion it gives you time to rest.
 
Amp34 said:
Oulton, out of interest how did you organise hit boat trip into the pantonal and the camping? Was it independent or an organised week? Cheap? Expensive? I'm hoping to do something like that for 2-3 weeks in a year or two and doing our own trip would usually be cheaper (and more flexible).
Click to expand...


We just walked into a tour agency in La Paz recommended to us by some back packers we met and booked it through them. I can't remember the name of the agency, I think it was in the region of 300 dollars each including flights from La Paz into and out of the pantanal (landing on a grass air strip was fun :))

There were two guides and about 15 of us in two long motor canoes going down the pantanal, stopping to see all the wildlife (from the monkeys to the macaws, caymans, turtles, freshwater dolfins the capybara). We also went anaconda hunting which was awesome and we also fished and ate red belly pirrana which was equally awesome :)

There was the option to swim with fresh water dolphins in the water. I did it, but would never recommend it to anyone as I got an amoeba and lost about 25kg. When I got home I had to be tested for malaria :D
 
It was 10 years ago but a friend did something similar a couple of years back, I wouldnt expect the price to have gone up to more than ~500 dollars.

Amp34 said:
Excellent, reasonably priced unlike the options you see on the net! :)
Click to expand...

Yes, you will save loads if you can be a bit more flexible with your schedule and get trips booked through local operators. :D
 
I can't comment on packaged tours but I heard that Machu Picchu will be closed for restoration/conservation work in 2015. I don't know how true that is though.

I'm planning on going to South America in autumn (northern hemishpere). I'll be on a motorcycle though and plan to arrive in Uruguay, then travel through Argentina to Patagonia (I don't see any reason to go to TDF), then up through Chillie and into Bolivia.

Main things I want to see and do are:

Perito Moreno glaciers
Aucanquilcha - I fancy trying to ride up that pass (formerly the worlds highest - though partially blocked now)
Salar de Uyuni - salt flats have gotta be fun a motorcycle or even a tour
Yungas Road - mostly full of cyclists now that a by-pass has been built
 
Macca said:
Just spent 6 months in South America.

I would suggest doing it yourself than a tour group. You will still meet loads of people, you'll learn more spanish and it will be cheaper.
.
Click to expand...

Definitely this. I spent three and a half months over there in 2009. Was amazing :D
 
Is there a big back packing culture over there then?
Do you easily join up with others for parts of it.

Edit- perhaps I should be looking at going to Russia first with the rubble in free fall.
 
Last edited:
I see Brazil has Olympic in 2016, anyone have any idea how much tickets for Olympics usually arw and how it would affect flights? Although it would only be the flight out.

And don't suppose any of you who have been, have any blogs/picture gallerys?
 
Last edited:
Glaucus said:
Is there a big back packing culture over there then?
Do you easily join up with others for parts of it.

Edit- perhaps I should be looking at going to Russia first with the rubble in free fall.
Click to expand...

Massive backpack/adventure culture, but remember SA is huge so it's not as concentrated as Europe.

Everyone I know who's backpacked it or rode it, or 4x4 it, seemed to have has an absoulte whale of a time.

Russia is different altogether, not much of a backpack culture, but the people outside of the cities are very friendly and helpful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom