https://havanatimes.org/?p=149100

The link above tells the sad tale of a tourist who had dutifully placed three envelopes containing his cash out in plain sight--as instructed--only to have them filched by security people in Terminal 3.

So what do folks do to avoid this same fate? Does Terminal 3 use only a metal detector (as opposed to X-ray or some sort of body scan)? If so, wouldn't keeping cash in a well-hidden money belt (w/o a metal zipper) prevent this? Please tell me what you do to avoid such robbery.

It’s best to use this report as a back-up to the current Lonely Planet guide book or one of its older editions.

Black Market / “Mercado Azul”:
The Mercado Azul has basically finished due to the free floating Arg. Pesos so it’s no longer necessary to deal with it.

Sim card:
Movistar worked out good in the south, a Sim card is ARS 50, buy additional credit in the form of “bolsas mixtas”. You get local talking time and internet access in packets according to your needs.
E.g. ARS 160 valid for 7 days, 2GB internet plus free Whatsapp, 80min local talking time with all operators plus unlimited SMS.

Public transport - busses:
If you don’t consider hitching or flying as an option, buy your ticket several days ahead, especially in the high season Dec – Feb. For example when I was in Ushuaia in the beginning of January, bus tickets to Punta Arenas were sold out for 4 days ahead of time. The same is true for El Chalten up north to Los Antiguos and Bariloche.

Hitching:
Hitching in general worked out great for me; often it was the only option in Argentina and especially in Chile, see my longer report there. Basic knowledge is that single travelers are in advantage of groups, more than two will be much more difficult and women get a lift easier than men. But the most important rule is; whenever possible try to talk to drivers, which is much better than just standing on the road and wait for them to stop for you. Talking to drivers is easiest on traffic lights, police checks, borders or petrol stations.

Accommodation:
Where I have a tip for accommodation, you’ll find it below but I also stayed with friends and used Couchsurfing.

Ushuaia:
It’s an interesting place but it’s clearly a cash cow. This is seen easily when you visit the local museums for example.
Museo Maritimo & Museo del Presidio (Prison Museum) has simply doubled the prices to ARS 600 / US 15 adults, ARS 450 students and ARS 1’350 families. Open 10am – 8pm, April to Dec. and 9am – 8pm Jan – March.
The prison museum is huge and is somehow a bit overwhelming and very divers. I couldn’t figure out why e.g. the Swiss have a cell showing the beautiful Château Chillon. There are good but pricey souvenir shops.

Museo del Fin del Mundo is now ARS 200 adults and 100 for students. Small but worthwhile visiting.

Hikes:
Laguna Esmeralda
Beautiful and easy 3h return hike to this little lake. I went with friends but local tour operators do the trip daily at around 10am and return by 3 & 5pm. The cost is around ARS 450. Bring all the stuff you may need. If you have your own wheels you could stop on the way back to Ushuaia at Playa Larga and go for a walk there as well. At the end of the road follow the trail.

Antarctica Cruises:
These cruises got meanwhile very expensive.
I haven’t been yet to Antarctica but inquired in a couple of places for such a trip (for the future).
I would recommend to check out the offers at Freestyle Adventure Travel.
Talk to Gabriel Chocron or one of his team members in the “bunker”. His website has a ton of information including some current trips. You can also participate in a newsletter sent to your email. Best to enlist before you go there. www.freestyleadventuretravel.com
Email: Gabriel@freestyleadventuretravel.com / Tel. +54 9 2901 156 06 661.
For a quick overlook: A 10 days Antarctica classic trip will cost you about US 5’500 in a triple cabin on the inside of the ship!

Leaving Ushuaia up north by bus: Book your ticket several days ahead of time.

King Penguis near Porvenir, Chile:
If you like to visit the King Penguins in Chile, 115km from Porvenir do the following:
Take the first bus (around 7am) to Rio Grande, 211km away. Tell the driver that you are heading to the border at San Sebastian by hitchhiking. He’ll let you out at an intersection with a petrol station. Cross the road and walk down to the petrol station to talk to as many people as possible until you get a lift over the border.
... Informations continue at my Chile report.

El Calafate:
I did various stuff with friends in the area but here are 2 worth wile trips.

A cheaper but good option to visit the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier:
Caltur has an office that works like a travel agent. It’s located in the middle of town at Ave del Liberatador 1080. It’s a good place to book various tours in and around El Calafate, including Glacier Trekking and up to El Chalten, including accommodation. If you speak to the office manager Mariano who also speaks English, you’ll realise quickly that some folks in Patagonia can work pretty fast and efficient :) Tel +54 02902 491 368. www.caltur.com.ar

The most common tour is:
Morning bus to the glacier Perito Moreno 09.00 - 16.00 hours, (2-2.5h for the drive), ARS 800 / US 20. Book your boat tour here as well for 11.45h, 13.00h or 14.30h, ARS 700, US 17.50, 1h

Afternoon bus to the glacier 13.00h – 20.30h, ARS 800 / US 20.
Afternoon boat ride is at 15.45 only, ARS 700, US 17.50, 1h
If you are taking the afternoon tour you’ll have at least 2h on the board walks. This was more than enough for me (including seeing 3 large ice blocks falling into the water and doing most of the walks). Remember: If you can choose, look for a cloudy day as the contrast of the ice is much better to see.

Expensive, great and diversified: Book the “Adventure” Tour for US 250 per person at
Glaciar Sur, owner Marcelo Jannes (basic English), the current cute staff spoke English and French as well.
www.glaciarsur.com, 9 de julio 57, paseo de los pajaros, phone: +54 02902 495 050.
Both tours (Avenutura and Pioneros) come at the same price and are explained on the website where you can even watch a short movie about the tour.

The Adventure Tour is from 08.00 – 19.30/20.00 with a max of 12 people.
First you drive for about an hour on a gravel road to reach a small boat (roofed). The boat trip across Lago Roca takes about another hour. From here you’ll hike for max 1h to meet a Zodiac boat in which you’ll cross a smaller lake for about 30 min. If it’s windy, you’ll get wet but they have some body covers on board. Upon landing you’ll walk approx. 1.5 – 2h to Laguna Fria with its ice blocks (which fell down from the surrounding glaciers like Glaciar Frias). Here you’ll have a lunch (included and transported by the guide) before you return the same way. The landscape is beautiful as you are walking in a valley surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The terrain is mainly flat and easy to walk so it’s definitely possible to do the trip if you have an average physical condition. On this hike you’ll be alone with your group in a stunning landscape.

The Pioneros Tour costs US 250 as well per adult and last from 09.00 – 19.30.
You’ll be on a 2h drive (on the way you’ll stop for watching animals, rock paintings and some sheep stuff demonstrations at an estancia (farm) where you’ll enjoy later a tasty BBQ lunch. Later you’ll do a 45 min boat cruise and a half an hour walk to see Perito Moreno in some distance.
After a further 15 min drive you’ll get to the official board walks where you’ll have 1.5h time to walk around with a guide who’ll explain you everything you may ever want to know about the glacier.
(I haven’t done this tour)

Onward transport to El Chalten:
Caltur has daily departures in high season to El Chalten at 08.00h, 13.30h & 18.00h, 3h, ARS 1’600 / US 40. Tel +54 02902 491 368. www.caltur.com.ar

Book your ticket at their office at the bus station or in town.
The bus station has free Wifi.
Chalten Express office at the bus station has similar prices and various departure dates in high season.

Hostal Shilling is a good budget to middle class option.
Paradelo 141, jefe Cecilia. Phone: +54 02902 491 453
Dorms are ARS 800 (4-bed & 5-bed option), singles are ARS 1’715 and doubles are ARS 1’960
Breakfast and Wifi is included. It’s a 5 min walk out of the centre of town.

Hi there!

I would like to ask you for a help. I'm planning a trip to India. It is my first time travelling there and I'm gonna travel solo. I'm interested more in monasteries, friendly good vibe places and beautiful nature then in big cities and top tourist places. I would like to have a chance to hide in some monasteries for some short time but also make a nice trip in nature. I've got one month to travel. I'm not decided yet if to go also to Nepal. My rough itinerary is to start in New Delhi -> Dharamsala -> Ladakh? -> Rishikesh -> Varanasí and from there I'm thinking of going to Kathmandu. But I don't know if Nepalese Himalays are completely different from Ladakh for example. I would be very grateful if you can tell me if these places are worth a visit or tell me another places to see. I'm also courious how many days you suggest to stay in these places. Thank you very much for any hint.

Leopold

Hey everyone, this January I'm planning to go to the Middle East between 30-40 days. I've made a plan, but nothing is yet 100% sure. AS a young 19 y/o I'm planning to stay at Hostels on the big cities, and maybe meet some people to keep traveling.
I'm quite worried about the days in each city. I'm visiting this places also to film a documentary, so, I would love to be able to meet locals and talk to them, as so, i would like to stay long enough on the big cities to do so.

1.TEL AVIV 5 NIGHTS (08/01 - 13/01)
TUE - SUN
2.HAIFA 4 NIGHTS (13/01 - 17/01)
SUN - THU
+AKKO/ROSH HANIKRA/GALILEIA

3.JERUSALÉM 5 NIGHTS (17/01 - 22/01)
THU - TUE
+MAR MORTO/MASADA
4.RAMALLAH 3 NIGHTS (22/01 - 25/01)
TUE - FRI
+NABLUS/BETHLEM/MAR SABA/HEBRON
5.EILAT 1 NIGHT (25/01 - 26/01)
FRI - SAT
6.JORDANIA 3 NIGHTS (26/01 - 29/02)
SAT - TUE
+PETRA/WADI RUM
7.TEL AVIV 1 NIGHT (29/01 - 30/01)
TUE - WEN
8.ISTANBUL 6 NIGHTS (30/01 - 05/02)
WEN - TUE

Here are some questions:
-Is a Galilee day tour worth it from Haifa?
-Is 3 Nights fine to visit Palestine?
-6 Nights in Istanbul is fine?
-Is it worth to visit Amman with only 3 nights in Jordan

Thank You so much! Todah Raba! Shukran! Tesekkuler!

What kind of travel blogger are you? A Chiang Mai digital nomad? A blogger with a day job? An RV enthusiast? Or just someone telling stories to their parents back home?

https://stickymangorice.com/2019/06/27/travel-bloggers/

Here is my illustrated runthrough of the main types of travel bloggers i've come across! Which ones have I missed out on?

Hello folks

First time poster in Mexico section so please be gentle.

So I will be visiting Mexico between Xmas and New Year's and I have found a hotel that suits my needs but before I book I want to make sure that I am staying in the right part of the City and that the tourist activities/places are within easy reach. So the hotel that I have selected is at :

Av. Revolucion No. 333 Colonia Tacubaya, Delegacion Miguel Mexico City CDMX (Courtyard by Marriott Mexico City Revolucion)

Would you gurus please tell me if this is a good spot to stay in Mexico City for a first time traveller?