Kenny536

Please advise me on my trip to South America - I have never done this before (21 years old).

Any advice related for anything to the trip is appreciated.

I am still in the beginning phases of planning out my trip to South America this Summer. I am going to be graduating mid-May. I want to leave late May or early June of 2010, and stay there for 3-5 weeks.

Cost is a factor, but I do not want it to be a deciding factor.

I have a job waiting for me starting July 19th, so I won't mind spending 3-5 grand, because I probably won't have a chance like this for a long while.


I haven't even begun to plan out the logistics - i.e. costs, flight, transportation, living accomodations, visas, other documentation (?), immunizations, exchange rates, weather, what places I should avoid due to crime, what I will need to bring to the trip, etc. (I am probably missing a lot). I am going to be using Lonely Planet's and Frommer's travel guides to help me with some of this stuff, along with internet resources.

For flight, I am thinking of doing it through oneWorld (http://www.oneworld.com/ow/air-trave...-south-america). Is this a good idea?


Here is what I REALLY WANT to see:


(2) Peru - Machu Picchu
(3) Bolivia - Lake TitiCaca ( on the border of Peru/Bolivia), Río Madidi watershed (Parque Nacional Madidi) also (Noel Kempff Mercado National Park)
(1) Brazil - Amazon River/Rainforest/Pantanal/Iguazu Falls/Brazilian Beaches/Rio de Janeiro
(1) Argentina - Iguazu Falls (I hear both sides of the falls are amazing to see.

Here is what I wouldn't mind seeing, but will probably skip due to cost/time reasons:

(4) Costa Rica - rainforests/other activities (ziplining, river rafting, white water rafting, etc.) (this is nice but the rainforest isn't so great compared to the Amazon, right?)
(5) Galapagos Islands (very expensive)
(6) Kaieteur Falls, Guyana - (this place looks beautiful, but again, expense and time).
(7) San Pedro de Atacam in Chile (I don't know how exciting this will be)


What do you think of that list? Is it realistic to do 1, 2, and 3? Should I get rid of (3)? Is it possible to include (4)?

Like I said, I haven't planned much of the logistics yet. I have no idea how long I will stay at a particular location, let me know if you have any estimates.

Here is the specific journey, in my mind so far.

I am thinking that I will land in Peru, somehow find a safe place to stay that is not far from Machu Picchu, and then use a guided tour to visit Machu Picchu. I want to avoid guided tours due to expense, but I am told that it is a good idea to do this for Machu Picchu. After that, go to the border of Bolivia to see Lake TitiCaca/Parque Nacional Madidi. Then somehow travel east to see Parque Nacional Noel Kempff. After that, I will be pretty much on the border of Brazil. Then I will somehow go South to see the Pantanal and the Parque Nacional do Pantanal Matogrossense. After that, I will continue to go further south (a lot). Until I reach Iguazu Falls (Parque Nacional Iguazu). Then, if time permits, I will head northeast to Rio de Janeiro and spend some time there and find a nearby airport to come back to Chicago.


In the above trip, I did not include the Amazon Rainforest/River because I have NO IDEA yet where in Brazil I should go to see this. I do not want to go to Manaus because I understand that this is a beaten path, and I want to go somewhere less traveled, but not overly expensive. I am thinking I visit the Amazon rainforest/river before I head south for the Pantanal, but that will depend on where I want to see it. As for the Brazilian beaches, I am clueless on that as well so far. Please let me know where I should go.

Susan7

I went to the Amazon in Brazil at the end of last year, here's my trip report which outlines one of the many options for visiting there.

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...es-colonia.cfm

There's a great trip report from Marija which includes the Amazon and the Pantanal.


Also for the Pantanal see atravelyn's report

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...n-and-ilha.cfm

Susan7

Here's the link to Marija's report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...-to-brazil.cfm

You can also search this site by using the button at the top, that will bring up trip reports and responses to questions.

qwovadis

http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-.../dp/1741041635

5 weeks is 35 days or so

Maybe time to pick up the Andean Route

from Lima to Buenos Aries overland picking up MP and Iguazu

or pick 3 countries spend 12 days in each

about all you have time for.

SmileyKrn

I have only been to Peru and Bolivia but here are my thoughts:

(1) Altitude - Yes, you need time to adjust, but to avoid adjusting time, try to only adjust once (do not go high-low-high-low)

(2) The 3rd week in June has a huge festival in Cusco. I have never been there during Inti Raymi; but it may be a reason to go to Cusco that week, or completely avoid Cusco.

(3) It takes time to go into the interior of the rainforest and see wildlife (at least in Peru). If the rainforest is your priority, maybe research the highlights of each area and the recommended time to visit.

(4) In general, most people that have traveled to S. America deter from their plans because of the fantastic people and experiences they have while traveling. They get 'hooked' into where they are at, and often stay longer than intended. I say pick 2-3 places (maybe ones that you can travel around to different sights) and just enjoy.

(5)Guided tours can be expensive. But they also allow you to share moments with others, and they do all the planning for you, making it a real vacation. I usually do a combo when I go to Peru. I get an apartment to rent and maybe do a 3-4 day hike with a group.

(5) Also, check out South American Explorers. They have good info and club offices in different cities.

(6) One World flights will save time and monies (if you play around with the flights). I just booked 5 flights within S. America for under $300, so it can be a great bargain.

Good Luck! Have fun!

christabir

Kenny-

Are you going solo or with a friend? It's cheaper for two or more. There are also places I'd go with a companion that I wouldn't go solo. You can go to the Peruvian amazon and the Peru side of Lake Titicaca to save time/money. Skip Costa Rica this trip- it's not in the area at all. I'd do the west coast first - start in Lima, Amazon, lake Titicaca, Cusco/sacred Valley/machu Picchu in whatever order works best in one swing - maybe 2+ weeks by air and train travel. Then fly from Lima across to Sao Paolo Brazil and do Iguassu/pantanal/Rio all by air for another couple of weeks. The order you are trying to do things won't work due to transportation restraints. You need to look at where airlines fly and the airport hubs (Lima and Sao Paolo are the major hubs) I can't help on costs - I'd never be able to do it for $5000. But I'm old and need my luxuries. It sounds like a great trip. Have fun planning!!

jason1235

SmileyKern:

You wrote:

(6) One World flights will save time and monies (if you play
around with the flights). I just booked 5 flights within S. America for under $300, so it can be a great bargain.

I'm trying to figure out how you managed to book your flights so inexpensively. I just went on the OneWorld site and the cheapest flight in SA was $119 per leg. I'm traveling arounf for 6 weeks between Argentina and Brazil. Any suggestions you can offer for cheaper flights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Axel2DP

Kenny,

Why do you think you'll need a guided tour for Machu Picchu? You can get enough information about the site from reading the descriptions in travel guides like Lonely Planey. You can also buy books (or go to the library) on just Machu Picchu and read it before going to Peru.

mlgb

If you can fly LAN into South America, they have their own S. A. airpass which gives you a bigger discount than the One World Pass.

At the moment LAN is having a huge airfare sale on, but you must return by June 30. Lima is a good point of entry. You would need to fly between Lima and Cusco to visit MP, which has been expensive, but there is now some competition for LAN, or you may find a good discount with their airpass.

Lodging and food are not expensive in Peru

SDGlenn

We did much of this itinerary in 2 trips (omitting the Bolivia part, which would have been too much). It's easy to combine Rio with Iguazu Falls, or do Cuzco/Machu Picchu and the Amazon at Iquitos. Combining them, probably by going through La Paz, might be possible but way too much for one trip, even for the amount of time alloted.

I do agree that Manaus isn't worth it, Iquitos is better, though the Amazon at Manaus is pretty spectacular. Rio can be done in a few days, and if you catch a morning flight, you can do the falls from the Brazil side in a day (this even gives you time to take a cab to Paraguay, for shopping or gambling). Not sure that moving to the other side (Argentina) adds anything to the view. You can probably work the Pantanal into this itinerary pretty easily.

I agree that you'll need time to acclimate to the altitudes, and don't forget that some flights are just not possible without spending, say, a full day in Lima. Watch out for itineraries that take you back and forth between sea level and 11,000 feet - 21 years old is older than you think!

Kenny536

I'm really sorry to everyone for not posting earlier.

I bookmarked all the forums that I am asking for help, I guess this one got lost in the shuffle!

Susan - thanks for the report links, I'm still in the process of reading atravelynn's Pantanal report, it is very informative!

Smiley and qwov - thank you for the tips!

Axel - you are right, I will not use a tour agency for Machu Picchu, only for the Manu rainforest and the Pantanal. Is it necessary for Lake Titicaca and Iguazu Falls? And if it isn't, would you still recommend having one?

SDGlenn - Why is Iquitos so much better than Manu? I think Iquitos is too out of the way, so I will have to settle to see the Amazon at the Manu Reserve.

Christabir - I am amazed, I wish I had seen this post a month ago. I have been slowly researching and forming my itinerary this past month, and it formed into exactly what you have suggested (read below)

Thank you for all your responses, I have updated my trip - here it is:

Here is my preliminary itinerary:

Chicago > Lima > Cuzco > Peruvian Amazon (Manu Rainforest) > Cuzco > Machu Picchu> Cuzco > Lake Titicaca (will I have time?) > Pantanal > Iguazu Falls > Rio de Janeiro

I do not know if I can go straight to Iguazu after the Pantanal, or if I have to go to Rio first, I have't gotten that far in my research yet.

I understand this is hard to do in 5 weeks, but I'll try.

What parts of this itinerary would you recommend I research tour agencies for? I have already done extensive research on a tour agency for Manu, and I believe I have found a good deal. I believe DosManos has the best deal, where it is 770$ for 8D/7N. Anyone heard anything good or bad about this agency?

Now I am the process of transitioning over to researching the Pantanal and tour agencies for the area. Right now, I am thinking to go to the Northern part of the Pantanal, since I'm reading that there is more wildlife there. Based on my itinerary and the limited time I have, how long do you think I should devote to the Pantanal. I am thinking at least 12 days.

Lastly, my parents (especially my dad) do not really want me to go to South America. They have this silly notion that it is too dangerous and I will get kidnapped or die. I'm going to go anyway, but to put their minds at ease, do you guys have any ideas of things I can tell them to make them understand that it's safe? Brazil has a pretty high crime rate, but from my limited research, Peru is pretty safe. And obviously there's areas that tourists should avoid, and the tour guides will let me know where not go, I'm sure. If you guys can help me think of specific things to tell them, that would be great. Please spare me the "it's your life, do whatever you want" thing. I doubt anything I say will convince them ... cultural difference I guess.
There is a 50% possibility that at least one of my friends may accompany me on at least some of this trip. Hopefully I can meet some people along the way so they don't think I am going alone.

Thanks a lot for everyone's help so far!

Axel2DP

Do you know which parts of Lake Titicaca you want to visit and how long you plan on being in Puno? If you just want to visit the Uros Islands then it's easy enough to head down to the port yourself and buy a ticket on the boat that the locals take to visit the islands. I do think the Uros islands that you visit on the local boat versus the one that's arranged through an agency might not be quite as nice though. As least that was my experience. I went the first time through an agency and then went back again on my own since I had some time to kill before my afternoon flight.

Regardless if you go with an angency or do-it-yourself to the floating islands, the agendas for both appear to be the same: Boat drop group off at first island where everyone then sit around in a half circle while someone explain how the islands are built, what the people eat for food, etc. You're then given some time to wander around (you can't really go anywhere far, lol) and the locals beckon you to buy some souveniers. You can also pay extra to have a ride on one of the reed boats. The group is then brought to another island with opportunity to buy more trinkets.

If you want to visit land islands like Isla Taquile after the Uros and maybe arrange for an overnight stay then it's probably easier to arranged it via an agency if your Spanish isn't so good.

I felt pretty safe in Peru, but I also used common senses like not walking and hanging out alone at night in deserted streets/unlit alleys, etc.

Note: Do not leave legs and arms exposed while touring Machu Picchu (or at least unprotected with insects repellant). Those black flies/mosquitos will eat you alive.

Kenny536

I will be using DosManos for Lake Titicaca as well (only 75$ for 3 days)


I have a bunch of general travel questions - they might be stupid, but I have never done this before:

1. cell phone - how is this going to work? Am I supposed to buy a temp phone when I arrive in Peru? Or will my cell phone work there? How will I call my parents back home?

2. Camera space - I have a 12 MP digital camera that has an SD card (haven't check how much space the SD card holds), I'm sure I'll run out of space... so which alternative do you think would be smarter:

a. After the SD card is full, find a computer at a hostel (hopefully they have SD card readers or I will need to bring a USB sd card reader), and then upload the pictures on a private server on the internet and then clear the space on the SD card.

b. Buy like 5 SD cards

c. ??


3. Visas

I'm reading that an advance visa is not required for American citizens to enter Peru. But when I arrive there, I should check with the embassy or consulate of Peru.

So from what I understand, I can simply apply for a visa after I arrive in Peru, but on the other hand, a visa is required for entry into Brazil. Regarding Peru, wouldn't it be easier just to do it in advance while I am still in the United States? So I don't have to waste time going to the embassy? Or is that not even possible? I'm trying to figure out where I can do this ... I'm at http://www.peruvianembassy.us/en.html ... but not seeing anything - if anyone can link me that would be great.

Also, according to travel.state.gov, I should register with the nearest U.S. Embassy if I am traveling in Peru - and I can do this through https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ .. I made an account there but when I try to add a trip to Peru, it wants my local address and phone for Peru .. I do not know this yet - am I not supposed to to do this until I arrive at Peru?

As for the Brazilian Visa, I am working on that right now, and I should have one before I leave.

So I will only need a visa for Peru and Brazil, right? Will I need a visa for Bolivia if I am visiting Lake Titicaca? Will I need a visa for Argentina if I am visiting the Iguazu Falls (both sides)? I am assuming I will, maybe not for Bolivia - but I just want to make sure.

Axel2DP

For the camera backup question, I recommend that you (1) bring multiple SD cards *AND* (2) upload each card content to the internet as soon as you gain access to a computer. You should always think about backing up your pictures as soon as possible since something could happen to your card, ie. it get stolen, you forget them somewhere, it breaks.... On those days thay you can't access the computer then you have the extra SD cards handy. I would go ahead and pack the USB csd card reader with you. It doesn't take up much space, right? Better to be prepared than not.

About contacting your parents back home, you can certainly write them frequent update emails. Internet places aren't hard to find in the major cities. I don't know about using cell phone, but when I had to make an emergency call to my bank while I was in Cusco, I went to one of the internet places there where they have phones that allowed me to call home and paid them by the minutes. You could also buy phone cards that you can use on the public phones also.

I didn't need a Visa when I was in Peru last October. If you do need a Visa for other countries you plan to travel to, I would go ahead and try to get them at home, so that'll be one less thing you'll have to worry about on your travel.

Diane60030

The visa process for Peru isn't really even difficult. When you are on the plane they will hand out the visa and customs forms to fill out. Then you just give them to the immigration officer at the airport. He'll give you a slip of paper about the size of a credit card to keep with your passport. You need to have it with you when you leave the country.

As for the camera. I would take 2 or 3 4 gb cards for the camera. Just when you want to upload there won't be a place available. Actually I was in Peru for 17 days and took about 3 GB of pictures.

What I would advise you is to take several sets of rechargable batteries and an a voltage converted for recharging them. Peru is on 220V and anything directly plugged in usually gets fried. Some tourist places will have the US standard voltage, but you can't count on it. Also Peru uses both circular and retangular outlets. You may find you have the storage space and not enough juice! And you don't want to spend your money and time trying to find replacement batteries (if they are available in the jungle).

For your cell phone. You will probably be able to use it there. Check with your celluar company. Some times the phone has to be "unlocked" for overseas calling. Also the rates tend to be relatively high.

I don't think there are many magic words that will make parents feel better about their kids traveling on their own. I've been doing it for decades and I still get eyerolls. It might make them feel a little better if you had a set itnerary with contact information. I know having a flexible schedule is great, but if this is going to be an issue (which will last long beyond this trip) then it might be worth it to preschedule all accomadations and give them the associated addresses, phone numbers, and if they exist Trip Advisor reviews.

Kenny536

Diane and Axel - Thank you for the posts, I have addressed the camera issue below, let me know what you think! I will look into the cell phone tips, thank you.

***UPDATE***:

I have sort of figured out how I will get from place to stay and where I will stay:

After landing in Lima, I will stay at the Loki Hostel most likely - I am still looking into transportation for how to get to the Hostel. Also, I am still deciding on whether or not to fly to Cuzco or do train/bus.

In Cuzco, I will probably stay at the Loki Hostel as well. For Machu Picchu, I haven't looked into specifically where I will be staying and what train I will be taking. For Lake Titicaca, Dos Manos will provide the transportaiton (75$ for a 3 day tour). I am still unsure of how to get to the Pantanal from Puno, but I am starting to look into that as well. I may even have to go from Juliaca > Lima > Sao Paulo and then bus it to Cuiaba or something. Hopefully this will be easier once I have finally decided on a Pantanal tour agency, so I know exactly where I need to be. (I am still leaning toward the Northern Pantanal). As for the rest of the trip, I haven't looked into it much but I don't think it should be too difficult. Hopefully everything starts coming together soon, because my schoolwork is not going to get any easier!

I'm still working on comparing Pantanal agencies - I will post again once I have made some sort of tangible progress.

Here's a few random questions:

Should I bring my laptop to South America? I assumed that I wouldn't because in case I get robbed or something. I was thinking that I just bring a couple SD cards, and not even bother uploading pictures on to the internet, but rather just bring a couple 8 GB flash drives and upload them on to there, and them empty out the SD cards. How does that sound? So all I will really need to bring is an SD card reader, flash drives, SD cards, and my camera of course.

I'm not sure if I will need batteries, my camera has a battery charger where I can just plug it in to an outlet. Will this not work in SA?

I'm currently communicating via e-mail with the Brazilian consulate in Chicago in order to obtain a Visa. I cannot apply yet because I am still waiting for my passport in the mail (I had to renew it, it may still be a couple weeks at least). However, one of their other requirements is that they want a print out of the round trip ticket or the flight itinerary or something. However, I do not know which airport or airline I am taking yet, because I am going to go there after Peru... I do not even know the exact dates, and probably won't know the exact dates until well into June when I am on my way to Lake Titicaca. So how am I supposed to provide this information? I asked them and their response was "We do ask that you provide flight itinerary/plans of entry and exit from Brazil."

I replied back reiterating the fact that I will not have that available and explained my situation, and they have yet to reply. I wonder how strict this? Can I not give them estimates? \It's pretty ridiculous.


**Medical/Hygiene Help**

I need some medical help - I'm not expecting anyone to give me some professional medical advice, but just opinion based on personal experience, or links to some information.

Anyways, so I needed a Yellow Fever vaccination in order to get into Brazil. Before I could do this, I was told that I need to make an appointment for a travel consultation in order to get my Yellow Card (sort of like a passport for medical history I believe). The consultation was with a registered nurse, and it was free through my school. It lasted almost 3 hours! I thought it would be a waste of time but it was pretty informative. However, it is always nice to have a second opinion, so please let me know if you have any thoughts on what she is recommending below.

The nurse recommended a lot of different things based on where I am going:

-Yellow Fever Shot ($90) (done)
-Swine Flu Shot ($0) (done)
-Typhoid Shot (49$)
-Seasonal Flu Shot (20$)
-Hepatitis A Shot ($3) (this is recommended even if I am not traveling, so I will definitely get this done)
-TB test to see if I need a shot
-Tetanus vaccination (I don't think she mentioned this, and I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I'm reading that I should have this before going into Manu)

-Cipro - I think this is some sort of anti-diarrhea antibiotic drug that I should take if I happen to get really sick and have diarrhea and vomitting. She also recommended bringing some Pepto or Imodium.

-Malaria Medication - She is recommending I take malarial medication. She was unsure about the Malarial risk in the Pantanal, but she said that there is risk in Iguazu, but I'm not sure she knew what was she talking about as she did not seem very confident with regards to malaria. She is using some program/website called Travel Medicine Advisor to make her recommendations. She recommended taking Malarome or Lariam for malaria medication.
This is the main thing that I am unsure about, can anyone help me out with this?

Based on Google searches, I'm reading that there is about a .1% risk for malaria and Leishmaniasis in Manu, and there is almost no risk in the Pantanal or Iguazu either. Obviously these aren't medical documents where I'm getting this information from, but rather from tourists who have had personal experiences with this, and also from tour agencies.
Tourists are saying that the malaria tablets will just make you feel sick and ruin the trip, and there is no point. I should just stick to DEET mosquito repellant (30-50%?), as that will simultaneously protect me from Dengue Fever as well.

As for rabies, as long as I am sleeping with mosquito nets I should be fine, I don't think there is really a need to look into pre-exposure vaccinations for this, right?
I'm assuming the mosquito nets will be provided?

-She also recommended that I make sure that my medical insurance company is covering me when traveling abroad - to make sure that their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expences such as medical evacuation. This is what most travelers do, right? I'm going to call my health insurer soon.

-She also recommended drinking only bottled or boiled water. Will I have to buy a case load of bottled water over there? Where will I get this? She gave me a sheet with all of these tips, they even go as far to say as use bottled water to brush my teeth. Also, never drink unpasteurized milk - that makes sense.
She also said to bring some electrolyte powder patches (i.e. Gatorade) to put in your water because your body will need electrolytes even more in that part of the world.. I forget what her justification was exactly, something about the proper minerals not being in their food I believe.

Please post if you have any input on any of this! Thanks!

mlgb

I would leave the laptop behind. It makes you a target. Internet cafes (at least in Peru) are inexpensive and numerous.

If you have the proper adapter, a battery charger will work pretty much anywhere, in Peru you may not even need the adapter. However it may or may not make a full charge and if you take lots of pictures I would have a backup battery or set (I like having a camera that takes AA batteries).

You would want to look into travel insurance for evacuation coverage if your provider doesn't cover it.

Your nurse provided some good tips on hygiene. Another tip, get some travel hand sanitizer and use it before you eat anything. I often wonder if the people who get stomach bugs get it from their hands or from the food...

You can buy bottled water on virtually every street corner or tienda (store)..and I do recommend following those tips on stomach upsets, as well as she should have mentioned not to eat raw fruits and veg that haven't been peeled, no salad greens..just think you don't want to eat anything that last touched water before it touched you. The Cipro and all the other stuff is a good idea, I think you'll have more chance of tourist tummy than all the other illnesses.

Diane60030

For transportation in Lima it is very easy to get a taxi at the airport. There are also car services. Which ever you choose make sure you have directions to the Hostel from the airport. Lima isn't an easy city to drive in.

Personally, I think it is worth the $200 or so to fly from Lima to Cusco. It is an all day/night train or bus ride.

I agree, skip the lap top, but do plan on an adapter for your camera. Peru's standard voltage is 220V. Consult your camera information to make sure you can plug in at that level. You don't want to fry you camera. And for the space they take up a few batteries are worth the peace of mind. Who wants to be at MP and not be able to take a picture!

It sounds like you'll have to do some hard planning around your entry and exit from Brazil. If you are going to fly you are probably going to have to do that any way. There are only a few flights in and out of the Lake Titicaca area each day. Personally, I'd adjust the attitude that it is ridiculous. It is their country, they get to do what they want.

Tentus is usually a booster shot for most Americans. You should have one every 10 years. You might check your records, some colleges require them for registration.

For traveler's revenge - I'd take either cipro, or pepto and/or imodium. You can take a couple packet of the instant gatorade, but you'll only need them if you get REALLY ill. As I recall I saw gatorade on sale at most of the larger grocery stores.

I'd skip the malaria medication. By the time you'd get sick you'd most likey be back in the US.

You'll need the DEET for MP as well as the jungle. It doesn't protect, just vastly decreases the chance you'll be bit.

You sound like you are doing most of the trip the budget way so I'd ask about the nets. You are going to developing nations.

I'll second the note about bottle water. At least in Peru is it is easily available in the major cities.

You can eat very well in Peru. There are peelible fruits easily available and it is up to you if you want to try the salads. I did and I survived quite nicely. I would plan on taking some granola or power bars with you. They were good when I was traveling and a store or restaurant wasn't available.

Axel2DP

Are you planning to stay in Lima for a day or more before flying off to your next destination? For Lima > Cusco you can certainly fly into Lima at night, stay at the airport and then catch an early AM flight the next morning to Cusco. In that situation it wouldn't even be worth it at all to spend a night in a Lima's hostel unless you want to do some Lima's sightseeings.

You can ask the Lima's hostel to arrange for a taxi pick-up at the airport. The cab driver might ask you to pay for his parking fee. I was actually surprised when this was asked of me last year. Try also to have exact change or close to it for the cab fare, because the cab driver probably won't carry too much change on him and the whatever changes he gives back to you might only be a few pennies, literally. This happened to me.

Axel2DP

Just want to add that if you have the hostel/hotel arrange for your cab pickup then make sure to verify with the hostel if you are to pay the cab fee to the hostel or directly to the cab driver.