WillTravel

My friend and I will be staying at the Sheraton at Iguazu Falls, April 6-9. Basically we arrive around noon on April 6, will have the full days April 7 and 8, and fly out at 15:00 on the 9th (so that day we would probably stay in the park area).

In addition to the Brazilian side, I have also heard it is quite worthwhile to get a tour of the dam on the Paraguay side.

What is the best way for us to arrange everything? We're budget travelers and staying at the Sheraton because we are pooling Starwood points, but probably willing to pay more for something definitely worthwhile.

tatersalad

Will:

Although I havn't been there yet (going a month before you), my understanding is that you can tour Itaipu Dam from either Paraguay or Brazil. The following website is for the Brazilian side:

http://www.itaipu.gov.py/index.php?q=en

The dam is 15km north of Foz do Igacu; we intend to tour the Brazil side of the dam to avoid the time and expense of the crossing into Paraguay. US citizens need a visa to enter Paraguay.

Also, the full moon is April 9; the "Full Moon Walks" are from the 7th to 11th of April in the Argentina Parque Nacional Iguazu; check this out:

http://www.iguazuargentina.com/

WillTravel

Thanks, tatersalad. Someone told me she did both the Brazil and Paraguay tours and enjoyed the Paraguay one much more. My friend wants the extra experience of going to Paraguay also. But I'll definitely reconsider if it's too difficult logistically.

The full moon walks are great! Thanks.

tatersalad

Will:
On second look at the Itaipu website I see that is covers both sides of the border. The special tour which allows you inside the dam appears to be only on the Brazil side. Both sides offer a panoramic tour.

We will spend our first night at San Martin Hotel in Brazil and the next two nights at the Sheraton in Argentina.

Our plan is to travel about the area by taxi.

flintstones

Ariel Sebastian Villalba was higly recommended, you can contact him at
[email protected] or [email protected]...
Flintstones

tatersalad

Another tidbit about Iguazu that I ran across a couple of days ago is that the area is now included in a Yellow Fever area by the Brazilian government and the US CDC is posting it also. I contacted a clinic in my area that has a travel department and they also confirmed that there has been at least one case of Yellow Fever diagnosed in the Iguazu area of Argentina.

The shot requires council with a doctor because it is a live vaccine and the recipient must meet certain health requirement before it can be administered.

One more thing to be considered.

MarnieWDC

Iquazzu Falls is a real highlight to any trip to Argentina. We loved it. IMHO: Play it smart.

The Yellow Fever alert has been in effect for a while. We got the shots prior to a our visit to Iguazzu last year; the shots are inexpensive, easy, and the immunization lasts for many years. The disease in incurable. Bringing an effective insect repellent is wise; so is getting the recommended shot.

and to nag on....

The potential cost and aggravation of finding yourself on the wrong side of the Brazilian or Paraguaian law is hardly worth saving the money. If you get turned back - no big deal, but if you get 'caught' in the country???

I hope you have a wonderful and uneventful trip.

~MarnieWDC

WillTravel

Yellow fever - glad to know about that, thanks.

We would, of course, get appropriate visas for any country we are visiting. My friend would use her German passport, and I would use my Canadian one, and the fees are less than if you use an American passport.

Elainee

We went to the dam on the Brazilian side. We went inside as well as seeing the outside. It is big. Unless you are really into dam machinery it is not a must-see. My son-in-law loved it, the rest of us would have liked doing something else. Gdreat birdpark on the Brazil side. The falls on both Brazil and Argentina were great. But do not take the boat trip on the Argentina side unless you are willing to do the long, long, steep stair climb up. Much easier on the Brazil side.

WillTravel

Update - I only had to pay $36 Canadian for a Brazilian visa that is good for 10 days. It took 15 business days. Of course I will probably only use it one day or at most two, but this is still a better deal than the $117 Canadian that I thought I had to pay.

I had my Yellow Fever shot a few days ago. I was also given a stern warning about dengue fever, and the only protection against that is insect repellent.

I should have emailed Ariel before, but I just did so now.

Elainee, exactly how bad is the climb up on the Argentinian side? I am fairly wimpy when it comes to such things.