South American Travel Advice

[Feruk]

Anyone been down to South America? I'm heading down with a few friends in Feb/March and was looking for input. So far we know that we're gonna finish with Carnival in Rio and likely start with Machu Pichu (?) in Peru. That gives us another two or so weeks of free time.

What we're looking for (1) places off the beating path but still with a fair number of young women who speak English, (2) hostelling, (3) looking for "hidden gems" of SA, not just a list of big cities, (4) surfing.

Any recommendations? Anything we NEED to know? I read about a place called Florianopolis; anyone been?

Let's keep the conversations off Rio and Carnival as all the other posts on this topic resulted in people who have never been giving warnings about how bad the slums are.

[BMDUBS]

I have been to Florianopolis... Fantastic place to visit but dont count on English speaking women!! Language barrier is brutal!! I went down with my ex GF who was from there and spoke the language (Portugese). As much as I would LOVE to visit there again, I would be reluctant due to the language barrier. Seriously, I dont think these people realise there are other countries outside of Brazil that exist!?

Some of the best beaches are there on the land connected Island of Florianopolis. There is everything from nude beaches to surfing beaches. Great party scene there as well if you are into elctronic music. Quite reasonable price wise too for food and lodging... Dont dorget to try Churrascaria's and local Pizza...

Rio is Awesome! if you stay on the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches you will not have any of the aformentioned issues with crime etc. I walked the beaches and streets at night and never felt threatened? Take your tours during the day to the Sugar loaf and the Cristo Redentor and you will be fine. I think you will be SOL getting accomodations there this close to Carnival which I would check into. Usually you need to made reservations 6 months + in advance.

Buzios is another place in Brazil I have heard good things about but have never been? I hear it is a nice resort spot north of Rio. Another suggestion is Punta Del Este in Uruguay... Google them....

Last but not least, dont forget to reasearch Visa's to the countries you will be visiting. I know Brazil requires Canadian Nationals to have a Visa...


Good luck!

[Feruk]

Thanks man, I shall look into all those. Got my EU passport though, so no visa needed for me.

[3drian]

I hate to say this but do not go to Venezuela. I was born and raised there and even though it is a beautifull place, it is not safe. So unless you are planning on going to "los roques" (awesome island) id say avoid it, youd be dissapointed.
I go down there every year and its scary, even for locals

[lsc2g]

my wife and i are doing a similiar trip in april/may for 4 weeks starting in peru and doing a loop down up and ending in brazil..

[Feruk]

THanks for the advice so far guys. Added a destination and scrapped one.

One more question: Anyone done an amazon trip from Belem or Manaus?

[nancy121]

South America is a great place to explore. One can travel around to see variety of locations like beaches, forests, mountains and colorful cities. Don't miss to visit Patagonia. It has stunning beauty with amazing views of islands, icebergs and mountains.

[no_joke]

Originally posted by Feruk

What we're looking for (1) places off the beating path but still with a fair number of young women who speak English, (2) hostelling, (3) looking for "hidden gems" of SA, not just a list of big cities, (4) surfing.

Hi, I´ve been in SA for almost a month (in Peru atm) but am not too familar with Brasil itself. Based on what I´ve seen so far the first condition is a bit of a contradiction don´t you think? I suppose that means I´m right on the beaten path but unless you spend your time in small towns that lack your typical tourist attractions or in the jungle that´ll be hard. Maybe if you don´t already, learn some Spanish or Portuguese before you get here. Apparently it´s quite easy to pick up if you´re a gringo and there aren´t a lack of good looking women... Have fun and realize that South America is a huge place without the quality of infrastructure that you might be used to. Two places might look close on a map but may take forever to travel between!!!

[thrasher22]

Originally posted by Feruk
THanks for the advice so far guys. Added a destination and scrapped one.

One more question: Anyone done an amazon trip from Belem or Manaus?

Did one last week out of Manaus haha. I just got back from Brazil on Monday.
I went with a company called Amazon riders (www.amazonriders.com) and had a great time. They were far cheaper than most companies I looked at and took care of you from the moment you landed in Manaus.
Book flights to Manaus ahead of time, there aren't a ton of flights there, so last minute tickets can get obscene.

Belem is on the coast, while Manaus is in the middle of the jungle.

If you go in March you'll be there in the middle of the rainy season, which is the best time to see animals, but you get "assaulted by waves of mosquitoes" according to my guide. The whole area floods, so you can kayak through the amazon.

If you're going from Peru to Rio, I HIGHLY recommend stopping at Iguassu Falls, and Ilha Grande on your way.
Iguassu is a must see for anyone, and Ilha Grande was a straight up paradise. Easy to get to, had great party hostels that are literally on the beach, full of english speaking ladies (unlike a lot of places I hit) with live reggae or DJ's every night, had easy hikes and no paved streets. I'll try and post some pictures of both in a couple days.

The buses are far nicer than any you can take in North America, but it takes a huge amount of time to get anywhere, and generally not much cheaper than flying. For example I met some French backpackers in Salvador who paid close to 100 EU to take the bus from Rio to Salvador and it took 27 hours, while I paid $150 CAD to fly, and it took 3 hours...

Don't listen to what people might say about Brazil (or Rio in particular) being dangerous. Before I left all I heard was how I would be mugged on every corner, shot at, kidnapped, etc, but I felt much safer there than most countries I've been to, didn't have a cent stolen, and rarely got hassled by vendors or beggars. Brazilians are some of the genuinely nicest, most helpful people I've ever met.

Also, make sure you go Hang gliding in Rio