World Trip
Hi Guys,I am planning a trip for the end of next summer (2014) and would like advice and opinions of your experiences
I am looking to travel for a minimum of 9 months and I will have a budget of around £23,000
The rough route I have is fly from England to Austrailia in about October/November time then go from there to New Zealand then to Chile up to Peru. My plan within South America is very vague currenly so any advice would be greatly appriciated. From South America I want to then head North to the US (I'm not too fussed with Mexico). I want to keep fairly west within the US however don't want to miss states such as Colorado which is central. From the US I will continue north to Canada where there are so many places I want to see, national parks, the lakes, the rockies and the scenery.
I have a colleague from Canada so this is where I need the least advice about however any more is welcome
The main thing I want to get out of this is to explore naturally beautiful locations; mountains, waterfalls, local culture and see a lot of nature. I am a male aged 21 and have had previous experience travelling Europe. I will be travelling some of it alone as my friend I will be starting with will be restricted on time.
My plans are very rough, nothing's set in stone therefore if anyone feels they could improve my route then feel free to have your input
Thanks in advance for any help
Sam
1
Going from Santiago to Lima along the coast is probably the longest most boring route in SA to take, like Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos which is a bit shorter. Going up from Chile to Peru, you should at least cross to Argentina and Bolivia and maybe include some parts of the south of Chile and Argentinawhich are really amazing2
Thanks beerfree,South America is where I have the least knowledge of. I've seen international flights are very expensive there hence why I've aimed to stick to one side of it
What different experiences are there from the west to the east? Also how much of the Amazon is accessible to tourists as I know it's not the safest of places
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The Amazon is easily accesible and quite cheap on the bolivian side. And no problem with safety at all there. International flights are expensive indeed but because the distances are huge and there is not much competition nor demand. But you can follow a nice route crossing from Santiago to Mendoza or San de Pedro de Atacama to Salta and on to Bolivia and Peru4
Hey Sam,Here is a hint for itineraries in unfamiliar countries... have a look at companies like G Adventures, Intrepid & Geckos, and see what itineraries they do. Then multiply the time taken by 3, and that's (roughly) how long it's take to do it yourself.
For stunning natural beauty, you could be looking at places like Patagonia (Chile/Argentina); the Lakes District (Chile/Argentina); the red-rock canyon/desert areas of Salta & Tupiza (either side of the border of Argentina & Bolivia); the Bolivian Salt Flats, & Machu Pichu. To name a few :-)
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I've just looked up some of the excursions those companies do and they seem ideal ... minus the price. I know a lot of it will be doable without going with a company and people that I meet in hostels will no doubt have similar routes. Machu Pichu I really want to see and I'll do the Inca trail there. The lodge living really appeals to me also, are they common to book whilst you're out there?Thank you
6
Yeah, just look at those itineraries to get ideas for your route, then do it yourself, for around $50 a day (more in Chile, Brazil & Argentina).Not sure what you mean by lodge living?
The Inca trail you will need to book MONTHS in advance - everything else you can sort out on the spot when you're there.
How long is your total time planned for Sth America? Have you given any thought to learning some Spanish? Its no fun trying to get around if you don't have any.
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Also what I understood the Inca Trail to be is just a route that starts at Cuzco. I didn't know it would have to be booked?9
If you want to the real incatrail you have to book 3 to 6 months in advance and it is quite expensive. You can go to MP in other ways an do other treks there. In 3 months you could easily do some parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile and except if you want to go to southern patagonia you wouldn´t have to take any flight except to the jungle in Bolivia maybe to Rurre which isn´t expensive10
Domestic flights can be quite reasonable. This is a good way to cut down on travel time if you have the cash.Rosetta stone sucks bigtime. I swear I spent around 100 hours on that stupid program and didn't learn shit. Michelle Thomas is a good start but you want at least a few weeks with a decent private teacher if you really want to learn something.
