I am an American who has been going to Cuba for nearly 20 years and was thrilled when President Obama relaxed rules even further for Americans, I can now fly direct from NYC instead of traveling to Toronto or the Caribbean then onward to Havana. Nothing has really changed under president Tramp, except he dropped one category of the 12 excuses for going to Cuba. Those people who went on a tour were conned,for lack of a better word, into going on what was probably a very expensive tour. You can go on your own and as the previous poster stated check off support for the Cuban people .Get a few good guide books ,read up,research on sites like this,get a map and you can do the trip on your own, pretty cut and dry.Cubans are helpful even when don't speak English and it's one of the safer tourist destinations you can visit. Enjoy !
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Hey xodanifayexo - if you've already been all over South America, you should do fine in Nicaragua. I suspect the level 2 travel advisory is because there's still a lot of shady stuff going on between the government and locals.
I would've gone there during the recent holidays if airfares from the States had been more reasonable. MGA continues to have the highest fares in CA for me, traveling from the midwest.
It likely depends on how far you explore beyond León and Granada, but your biggest challenge might be finding which establishments are still even open. Otherwise, it's been reading like you'll have most places to yourself.
Enjoy ~
" But a bicycle is such an unusual way to cross the border, I'm sure there are no rules setup for the CR immigration agents to follow."
Hmmmm, I have had a couple of guests traveling on to South America via bicycle spend a night or two at my hostel small in El Salvador who have reported no problems entering either CR or Panama thus I don't believe it is that rare so there must be regulations covering this mode of travel.
Please report back on your experience so we know for sure, have a great trip.
I arrive in Quito Wednesday night, Jan 30, at sunset and have a hotel reservation near Otavalo. My plan is to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel.
Is this a reasonable plan in terms of highway safety conditions or should I stay overnight at the airport and resume my trip in daylight the next morning?
I usually avoid travel after dark in South America whether I am driving or someone else is. I have been in Colombia for a month, where the main highways are in excellent condition, but I still didn’t drive after dark.
Thank you for any advice from those in the know.
You have two options with regard to the flights if you cancel yourself, there will be no refund. If you wait until the time and they are cancelled you will either be refunded or given future credit, that is for the main flights, if you have booked any within South America that could be different. For other things the simple thing to do is either not book anything or for something like accommodation book through booking.com with free cancellation. Kenko is correct in the UK now it is impossible to buy travel insurance that covers you for anything Corona related, plus with the FCO advice as it is you will not be insured. Best thing is too wait by August things could be back close to normal who knows.
I would never do a tour, at least not for that long, maybe a side trip for a night if there was not another way to reach the area/region.
Safety is no more a issue in South America than in Central America. If you visited Guatemala & Costa Rica, you know the ropes and do's and dont's.
But distances in SA are far greater than in CA. All 7 countries in CA, fit into the size of Colombia....
Also be sure to plan Patagonia and Andes/mountain in summer, which is the opposite time of year, as the north hemisphere, so you want to go in Oct to March...as winter in Patagonia is June/July.
I much prefer solo travel meeting others of my choosing, not stuck on a bus, hotel and buffets with the same crowd, no thanks. But thats me.
Also, this forum is dedicated to independent travel, so the responses you get here, will be biased. On Trip Advisor, it will be the exact opposite.
June-August is a monsoon season in SEAsia. In South America it's winter, in most part of the continent.
SEAsia might be slightly cheaper but not that much.
Both destinations that you consider offer same attractions in terms of culture, landscapes. SEAsia is better on food choices. South America offer more diversity in nature and mixed cultures. All considered, I'd choose South America, from Colombia to Peru and maybe Bolivia.
I understand that some airlines/countries require proof of onward travel out of their country but is it enough to buy a return flight ticket into and out of one country and then travel around other countries (overland) using the return flight ticket as proof of onward travel?
e.g. If I buy a return flight ticket from Australia to Mexico, then travel from Mexico through Central America then to South America, will my return ticket suffice? FYI we are Australian passport holders. Thank you.