Things to do in South America
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FEATURED
Inca Trail & Amazon
12 days (Lima)
by Intrepid
Experience Cuzco's Inca culture, Be amazed by the Ollantaytambo ruins, Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Explore the mysterious rainforest of the Amazon,…Not LP reviewed
from USD$3,195 - All things to do
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Reserv Cusco Ltda
Offers cheap Sacred Valley mountain-biking trips and Inka Jungle Trail tours, which start with mountain biking downhill from the Abra de Malaga, then trekking to Aguas Calientes to reach Machu Picchu.
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Joel Souza Ecoverde Tours
Top-notch company with 25 years of service and experienced guides. Working with local pousadas towards an ecofriendly approach, Joel Souza and his son Lauro can guide you in English, German, French, Portuguese or Spanish. You can also contact him at Pousada Ecoverde.
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Amigos
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
A long-established non-profit school with an admirable public-service record.
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CEICA
It charges S400 for 20 hours of private lessons per week and can arrange family homestays including/excluding meals for S265/173 a week. Call in advance and they’ll pick you up from the airport or bus terminal.
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Amauta Spanish School
Big, professional and popular. Also offers Spanish programs in the Sacred Valley and the Amazon jungle.
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Los Toldos
A local favorite for abundant cheap eats, this rotisserie restaurant features a worthwhile salad bar (try the black olive sauce). Most people can’t go past the Peruvian classic cuarto de pollo (quarter of a chicken), done here to perfection.
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Crepes & Waffles
One of 35 Bogotá locations of this ever-busy chain – which employs women in need – we like this one best: a two-story brick home with sidewalk seats between Zona G and Zona Rosa. Like the others, it serves up veggie, meat and seafood crepes, plus irresistible ice cream–topped waffles (COP$5000).
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Pantanal Nature
A new agency run by Ailton Lara that has quickly built up a sterling reputation for its professional tours and expert guides. It also runs a Jaguar Camp near Porto Jofre with excellent success rates in seeing the animal in the dry season. The company has an office in Hotel Ramos.
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Eco Yoga Park
And for something completely different – Eco Yoga Park, located about 1½ hours west of Buenos Aires, near Lújan.
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Zazá Bistro Tropical
Inside an art-filled and whimsically decorated converted house, Zazá serves satisfying dishes with Eastern accents, and uses organic ingredients when possible. Two favorites: curry chicken with coconut milk and basmati rice; and semi-raw tuna with vegetables, grilled shrimp and passion fruit sauce. Upstairs, diners lounge on throw pillows, while candles glow along the walls. You can also sit at one of the tables on the front.
reviewed
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Samana Spa
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
For some pampering or a post-trekking splurge, a blossoming number of spas offer massage services, one of them being the luxurious Samana Spa. Beware of cheap massages touted in the street; there are reports of massages getting much more, er, intimate than expected.
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Spanish in Rosario
The Spanish in Rosario offers enjoyable language programs. It can arrange family stays and volunteer work placements.
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Cementerio de la Recoleta
Wander for hours in this amazing cemetery where ‘streets’ are lined with impressive statues and marble sarcophagi. Crypts hold the remains of the city’s elite: past presidents, military heroes, influential politicians and the rich and famous. Hunt down Evita’s grave, and bring your camera – there are some great photo ops here. Tours in English are available at 11am on Tuesday and Thursday (call to confirm). For a great map and information, order Robert Wright’s PDF map at www.recoletacemetery.com.
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7 Angelitos
This tiny hillside haunt is the city’s unofficial hipster lounge and late-night backup: when everything else has closed and the sun has come up, knock on the door. Happy hours are 7:30pm to 9:30pm and 11pm to 11:30pm.
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Magic Bean
Long the epicenter of the Mariscal, the Magic Bean serves a variety of well-prepared breakfasts, lunches, juices and snacks for the ever-present crowd of hungry travelers.
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Gulliver Tours
Well regarded operator offering trekking, climbing, mountain-biking and horseback-riding trips in the Andes. Excellent prices, daily departures. Does Cotopaxi, Ilinizas, Quilotoa and more. Most daytrips cost around US$30 to around US$45 per person. Five- to seven-day Cotopaxi trips with acclimatization programs are based out of its Hostería PapaGayo.
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Jack’s Café
- Cuzco, Peru
- Restaurants › Cafe
A line often snakes out the door at this Western-style, Australian-run eatery. With fresh juices blended with mint or ginger, strong coffee and eggs heaped with smoked salmon or roasted tomatoes, it’s easy to get out of bed. Also has nice cafe food, soups and good service.
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Museo Rafael Larco Herrera
An 18th-century viceroy mansion built on the site of a pre-Columbian pyramid houses the highly recommended privately-run Museo Rafael Larco Herrera , has one of the largest ceramics collections to be found anywhere.
It is said to include over 50,000 pots, many of which were collected in the 1920s by a former vice president of Peru. The first rooms resemble a storeroom, stacked right to the ceilings with an overwhelming jumble of ceramics. Further into the museum, the best pieces are displayed in the uncluttered manner they deserve. They include a selection of gold and silver pieces, feathered textiles and an astonishing Paracas weaving that contains 398 threads to the…
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The Inca Trail
The most famous hike in South America, the four-day Inca Trail is walked by many thousands of backpackers every year. Although the total distance is only 33km (20.5mi), the ancient trail laid by the Incas from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu winds its way up and down and around the mountains, snaking over three high Andean passes that have collectively led to the route being dubbed 'the Inca Trial'.
The views of snowy mountain peaks, rural hamlets where llamas graze and cloud forests flush with orchids can be stupendous, and walking from one cliff-hugging pre-Columbian ruin to the next is a mystical and unforgettable experience. Except for the sad fact, of course, that…
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Bacalhau do Tuga
Since opening in 2009, the ‘Tuga’ (Portuguese guy) has been drawing throngs of people to this beachfront hole-in-the-wall, mixing classic Portuguese codfish recipes with local specialties such as peixe grelhado com molho de manga (grilled fish with mango sauce).
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Cristo Redentor
Atop Corcovado (which means ‘hunchback’), Cristo Redentor gazes out over Rio, a placid expression on his well-crafted face. The mountain rises straight up from the city to 710m, and at night, the brightly lit, 38m-high statue is visible from nearly every part of the city – all 1145 tons of the open-armed redeemer.
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Wayna Picchu
The most famous of several short walks around Machu Picchu, the climb up the steep mountain of Wayna (also spelled Huayna) Picchu is located at the back of the ruins. At first glance, it appears a difficult climb but, despite the steep ascent, it's not technically that hard. The scramble, which takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes, takes you through a short section of Inca tunnel.
The fabulous views from the top are definitely worth the huffing and puffing, even for trekkers just stumbling in off the Inca Trail. Take care in wet weather as the steps get dangerously slippery. Beyond the central plaza between two open-fronted buildings is a registration booth, where you…
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Fallen Angel
This ultrafunky lounge redefines kitsch with glitter balls, fake fur and even bathtub-cum-aquarium tables complete with live goldfish. It isn’t cheap, but the decor really is worth seeing and the occasional theme parties held here are legendary.
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Parque Lezama
Scruffy Parque Lezama was once thought to be the site of Buenos Aires’ founding in 1536, but archeological teams recently refuted the hypothesis. Today’s green park hosts old chess-playing gentlemen, bookworms toting mate (traditional Argentine tea) gourds and teenagers kissing on park benches. Don’t miss the striking Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa (Russian Orthodox Church) on the north side of the park.
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Kaupé
For an out-of-body seafood experience, head to this candlelit house overlooking the bay. Chef Ernesto Vivian employs the freshest of everything and service is impeccable. The tasting menu (AR$360 with wine and champagne) features two starters, a main dish and dessert, with standouts such as king crab and spinach chowder or black sea bass in blackened butter.
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