Americas - South America
Messages: 74,861 - Threads: 12,963
Welcome to the South America branch!
Welcome to the Thorn Tree's South America branch.
The countries covered by this branch are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile & Easter Island, Colombia (note spelling), Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.
We hope you find plenty of useful information about travelling to South America here. It is highly recommended that new users check out the some of these useful FAQ threads on this branch before posting a new thread:
Information about Antarctica can be found here.
If you are a returning user or a South America guru, please help us keep t... more »
Apr 8, 2008 9:00 AM
zerotres
last reply
Feb 12, 2013 12:44 PM
gustaveeiffel
31 replies
83,656 views
location:
Brazil
Brazil Frequently Asked Questions
For the benefit of everyone dropping by the Brazil branch for the first time, please read this FAQ first. And I hope there can be some sort of way to moderate the thread to keep it updated and clean. I know there are some AWESOME regular contributors here who enjoy giving advice; I feel this thread can really help to condense the information available.
I'll go first, with some general thoughts from the South America FAQ. Many thank to Apollo for starting that thread and for a great idea. Hopefully we can have a similar thread for Brazil.
1) Use the "Search" function to find out if someone has already asked your question. Many questions have already been asked before, and regular contributors to the forum get tired of answering the same thing over and over again.
2) Read a few pages of posts. The most frequent...
more »
South America FAQ thread
Zedd_at_LP writes: The countries covered by this FAQ are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile & Easter Island, Colombia, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela. Antarctica is covered here.
LP already have some information about the region in the World Guide, and also in the Postcards section.
Then there's the LP hostel booking site which can be found here: <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.lone...
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Nov 16, 2012 7:58 AM
mendocinateacher
last reply
May 5, 2013 2:02 AM
mendocinateacher
112 replies
24,760 views
location:
Argentina
UPDATE Reciprocity Fee Pre-payment- starting Jan7,2013 at ALL Entries
http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesibleingles/?noticia=1632 (so far, in Spanish only)
Pre-payment has already started, no problems reported so far, it just does not become obligatory until 28 DECEMEBER 2012 for flights to Aeroparque or for Ezeiza International Airport, BA. As of Right now , it is still an option to paying on arrival. As of January 7, 2013, it is scheduled to apply for all entry points, everyhwehere, by land sea or flight.
You register for the pre-payment site and pay here:
https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes/
Also, an explanation of the procedure is set out there as well.
The National Imm... more »
May 22, 2013 10:27 AM
aardbeienjazz
last reply
May 22, 2013 10:27 AM
aardbeienjazz
0 replies
6 views
location:
Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands
One Month Itinerary 60-year-olds
Hi all,
I'm planning an Ecuador-trip for my 60-year-old parents in law. They are travelling a month in Ecuador during Oktober this year. They will arrive in Quito and leave in Guayaquil. They are in a relatively fit shape.
I spent the last few days researching a lot about Ecuador and came up with the following itinerary:
Quito (3 days)
Mindo (2 days) - Visiting El Mitad Del Mundo on the way
Otavalo (1 day)
Pappalacta (1 day)
Cuyabeno (5 days) - Staying in a jungle lodge
Latacunga (1 day) - To see the Quilotola Lake
Cuenca (5 days) - Spending a little more days here because they will be visiting their daughter here
Guayaquil (2 days)
Galapagos (7 days)
This makes 27 days in total. This means they have 4 or 5 more days to spend somewhere. Is there a place where they should spend more time? Or is there a very nice place that is not in my itinerary that is worth visit...
more »
May 22, 2013 8:48 AM
mojonh
last reply
May 22, 2013 8:48 AM
mojonh
0 replies
5 views
location:
Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands
Best option - Mindo to Quilatoa Loop?
Can anyone give me the best travel option of getting from Mindo to somwhere on the Quilatoa loop? Anywhere along the route works, whatever is most efficient.
I'm assuming we'll have to go through Quito and take the normal routes, but hoping there is a quicker way.
May 22, 2013 8:13 AM
1chelsea
last reply
May 22, 2013 10:19 AM
femby
1 replies
26 views
location:
Chile & Easter Island
international shipping from Chile
Hi, I am leaving Chile at the end of the week, and need to send some stuff back to the UK. I have checked the 'CorreosChile' site, but the only costs I can find are for courier service, which I don't want (it would be cheaper to pay additional baggage allowances for the rest of my travels!!).
Does anyone have any idea (roughly) of the cost of sending 7kg in a box approx 44cm x 31cm x 23cm to the UK using the cheapest method - is this 'Encomienda Internacional'? I may have to dump a bit more stuff if it's too outrageous!
May 22, 2013 7:53 AM
amourxxoo
last reply
May 22, 2013 10:32 AM
casaana
2 replies
31 views
location:
Peru
peru visa
hi i{ve been in peru 3 months,i want another 3or6months if i go to the border of equador can i just go in and out for a few hrs or do i have to stay out for a few days'?
Selling Toyota 4Runner Limited 2008 - road trip approved!
Hi!
I am selling my Toyota 4Runner 4.0 Limited 4x4 from 2008 here in Santiago. She has now run 133,000km of which 23,000km she completed with me. I am the second owner.
During the 22,000km she has not let me down once. I just completed 10,000km driving down the Carretera Austral and back, I encountered not a single problem. Last week she passed the 130,000km inspection without fail. She has new tires (10,000km), Pirelli Scorpion ATR. Front break pads have just been renewed during inspection.
I sell her with some usefull accessories, which I will outline below.
Fuel: she burns 95 octane and has a 80l tank. Realistic figures from my recent 6 weeks 10,000km trip:
- Highway, mostly even ground, average velocity 90-120km/h: 8.5-9km/l (2 persons, roof rack with 2nd spare tire), theoretical endurance 650-720km. Best we did was 700km.
- Dirt road, average velocity 50km/h: 7...
May 22, 2013 5:08 AM
jeska_anne
last reply
May 22, 2013 10:53 AM
femby
5 replies
53 views
location:
Chile & Easter Island
Santiago!
Hi, I'm off to Santiago in 3 weeks - unfortunately only for 2 days before heading north. Any tips on what not to miss while im there?
Thanks.
wi fi & skype in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador
I'll be visiting these 3 countries in July...never been before....just wondering what the wi fi connectivity is like??
what would be better.....taking my laptop & hoping I'd be able to use it from guest houses, restaurants etc OR iphone & trying to Skype?
guess I also need to know about cost & availability of local internet/phone chips? I've not taken any form of mobile phone before when travelling out of Australia because of cost factor; but now there seem to be cheaper options available
thanks for any advice
May 22, 2013 2:29 AM
scottyheather
last reply
May 22, 2013 2:45 AM
scottyheather
0 replies
33 views
location:
Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands
Galapagos inter-island ferry to Isabela
Hi folks
If we are flying into Baltra at 11.45am is it realistic to try to get the 2pm ferry to Isabela? Does anyone have firsthand experience of this? Is it possible to do this or is it totally unrealistic and should we just expect to stay at least the first night on Santa Cruz?
Cheers and thanks.....
May 21, 2013 11:49 PM
shrjeff
last reply
May 22, 2013 9:55 AM
hazzdawg
5 replies
48 views
location:
Peru
peruvian sim card
is there a relatively inexpensive prepaid sim card with coverage in the major locations: lima, arequipa, puno and cuzco? one that includes a data plan would be super.
thanks...
May 21, 2013 10:35 PM
SEJLB
last reply
May 21, 2013 10:35 PM
SEJLB
0 replies
15 views
location:
Venezuela
Exchanging Dollars for Bolivares
Can someone please outline the options (and their risks) for exchanging foreign currency for bolivares in Venezuela? Our credit and debit cards are USA, but we will be arriving in Venezuela from Chile and had not planned on carrying any major amount of dollars with us as we moved about South America.
Thanks.
May 21, 2013 9:46 PM
PJMccartney
last reply
May 22, 2013 6:45 AM
mickmclaugh
2 replies
53 views
location:
Peru
Job Offer Cusco
Hi,
I'm not sure what the etiquette regarding this is on the forums but if anybody is planning in staying in Cusco for a few weeks/months and wants a job in a new bar that has just opened here then contact me. I'm the manager and we need people that speak English (high season is coming) and preferably Spanish too although we already have the Spanish part covered with the rest of the staff (all Latino). The Facebook page for the bar is:
https://www.facebook.com/Hyqnotiqcusco?fref=ts
As I said, if you're interested let me know!
Cheers
Patrick
May 21, 2013 8:48 PM
jasonsj
last reply
May 22, 2013 3:51 AM
lucapal
2 replies
39 views
location:
Argentina
Bus from Posadas to Buenos Aires
We will be in Misiones Province in the first part of August, and we were expecting to take the bus from Posadas to Buenos Aires. Searching the internet shows some schedules and fares for BA to Posadas, but not the other way around.
I just want to confirm that there are buses from Posadas to Buenos Aires. Does anyone have experience with this? I know, it's probably silly, but since I can't seem to find reliable info I just want to be sure.
If anyone does have experience with this, can we only buy the ticket at the terminal in Posadas? How early can we buy our tickets?
This is aside from the bus strike. Since we're going in August, we're just hoping it will be settled by then.
May 21, 2013 7:21 PM
francois1234
last reply
May 21, 2013 9:56 PM
polyglot25
5 replies
47 views
Backpacking lima-santiago
I everyone !
I'm planning to go backpacking from lima, peru to santiago, chile in a little more than a month in august this summer. I wanna have your advice on this, is this seems like a good plan or do you think going other itinnary in this region (west of south america) might be more interesting for the time i have to spend there. I'm open to any sugestions !
Thanks a lot for your help !
May 21, 2013 7:14 PM
jasonkillion
last reply
May 22, 2013 8:15 AM
jasonkillion
6 replies
88 views
First time backpacking advice.
Hi everyone,
My friend and I are planning on spending 40 days backpacking through Colombia, Equador, peru and Bolivia. We are gonna have a loose itinerary and mostly make it up as we go, with the exception of hiking the incan trail. I've never backpacked in another country before so I'd like some advice.
1. Route: What would be the ideal? we were thinking of landing in Cartagena, Colombia and working our way south to Bolivia and bussing back up around day 36 to catch our return flight home. Is this possible in 40 days?
2. Cost: How much do you think it would cost not including flight? We were hoping to keep it around $3000, including the $500 incan trail hike.
3.Accomodation: We will be travelling sept 18- oct 28. How hard is it to find a hostel to stay in the day you arrive in a new city? Should we always be calling in advance?
Any info you guys have is much appreciated.
more »
May 21, 2013 6:37 PM
jasonkillion
last reply
May 21, 2013 6:37 PM
jasonkillion
0 replies
26 views
backpacking south america
Hi everyone,
1. Route: What would be the ideal? we were thinking of landing in Cartagena, Colombia and working our way south to Bolivia and bussing back up around day 36 to catch our return flight home. Is this possible in 40 days?
2. Cost: How much do you think it would cost not including flight? We were hoping to keep it around $3000, including the $500 incan trail hike.
3.Accomodation: We will be travelling sept 18- oct 28. How hard is it to find a hostel to stay in the day you arrive in a new city? Should we always be calling in advance?
Any info you guys have i... more »
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