First Trip to South America
Replies: 8 - Last Post: Oct 8, 2012 12:13 PM Last Post By: name1234
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First Trip to South America
Hi, I am just beginning to plan a trip to South America, I have only travelled South East Asia and the US before. I was wondering if the backpacker trail is similar in South America to Asia? are hostels/ guest houses easy to come by, how easy is it to get from country to county/ city to city do lots of people travel South America compared with Asia. I just want to get an idea of what it will be like before i go as it will be my first solo trip. Thanks4
We are in SA right now actually. South America has a few popular routes and most all of them lead to Cusco ;).Seriously, buses are good, hostels are cheap and easy to find. The big thing to realize is that English speakers are rare. SEA is easy in this respect. SA less so. Still, the people are lovely and helpful if you try your best.
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"You should learn at least some basic Spanish. Unlike SEA english is not widely spoken".Most definitely. Even in capitals such as Santiago many locals don't understand English. Enrol in a Spanish course and take a comprehensive phrase book with you. If you go to Brazil you will also need Portuguese, even in Rio.
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I was in Peru and Ecuador over the summer and I wholeheartedly agree that you should know some basic Spanish. The locals were very friendly and I wish I knew more Spanish to have real conversations with them.If you take tourist buses (some are reasonably priced), then there is usually the option of an English-speaking guide. And if you're looking into covering long distances, LAN has an air pass for internal flights.
