mvermani

Hi,

We have never travelled to South America before and wanted to get your opinion on what places/countries we could visit.

We are planning to go for 7 - 10 days during end of May to early July time frame. We will be travelling from Washington D.C. We have an 18 month old toddler and hence plan to travel to cities with decent facilities (safe, not hot). We want to play safe as we have not yet gone on a long trip with the 18 month old.

Also, should we look for cruises or package deals or does self booking works out better?

Thanks,
Parents looking for a fun and peaceful break!

avrooster

Obviously, I'll suggest Argentina. You could stay for a few days in BA and visit our NW during part of your stay.

Your time frame will be our late fall/early winter. It will be moderately cold in BA and quite nice in our NW.

We have all you may need, as far as "decent facilities" is concerned. I believe United flies direct from DC, or used to.

I would self-book or use a local travel agent, such as Isabel. You can research her by using this forum's or TA's http://tinyurl.com/nw9f4 search feature.

Have a great time in South America with your toddler, mvermani.

qwovadis

www.latinamericaforless.com

www.gotmyfare.com

good round SA tours

Peru Argentina Brazil my favs in that order...

mvermani

I want to go to Peru but will that be feasible with the toddler. I don't think we'll be able to do hiking and all.

globetrots

I'd vote for Peru over Argentina because if nothing else, you don't have to wait until 11 pm to eat in a restaurant! But Latin America is very family friendly no matter where you go and many smaller, independent hotels will have suites at a reasonable price so you can have a separate room for your child. As the first poster noted, you're there in winter, so it won't be hot in most locations after a certain level going south.

avrooster

I have lived in BA for "only" 68 years and I'm telling you you can have dinner at between 8 and 8.30 PM in any restaurant.

In some places, quite a bit earlier than that.

Eddwarm

avrooster, thanks for clarifying the mistake that one of the previous writers made. In 2007, if I wanted, I could take dinner prior to 10p if I'd wanted at the many restaurants in my barrio of Recoleta. Basically I ate at varying times!

TCCG

Sorry for my bad English.
That's a lot of places to visit in Brazil! You have Rio de Janeiro, with Ipanema Beach, Asa Delta fly, Cristo Redentor, Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf, lots of places to shop clothes for teenagers super fashion. You have the Amazon Forest, at Manaus, with various kind of tours to see nature and animals (but is very hot). You have Pantanal and Bonito, also eco turism. Fortaleza, with a tematic water park, Beach Park, in front of a beautiful beach. Iguaçu Falls with a lot of things to do at the park, not at the city. Lençóis Maranhenses in São Luis, Maranhão, etc. Brazil is a beautiful contry, just choose what is more like your way.

flintstones

Use the reasonable alphabetical order, and start with Argentina. I agree with AVRooster and think THIS country has a lot to make you feel like at home. And I "only" lived 45 years eating before 11 p.m....
I do not why inthe era of comunications such a lack of information! This part of the Third world is not so bad...LOL!
It would be good to know where the posters are from...
Flintstones...

Huentetu

I would rule out Perú, wonderful as it is, because of the altitude involved in seeing many of the sights. I can tell you from experience that if a toddler that age is affected by altitude they tend to vomit. Winter is not the best time for Lima.
Use an agent to maximize your short time frame, some have been posted above. The suggestion of combining Buenos Aires with NW Argentina is a good one. Anyway, I wouldn't try to fit in more than two countries as you will only be sampling what there is to see.

flintstones

Huentetu is right, the altitude is not a minimun issue. YOu have to enjoy your vacation, different bodies react in a different way. HAve you ever being so high?
The NW is not as much high ans you have a LOT to see.
The Salt Flats, Purmamarca, Tilcara and CAfayate are the MUST in the area.
Warm regards,
Flintstones...

messifan

I'd say Argentina would be the best. Buenos Aires is a very family-friendly place, with lots of parks and museums and fun things to see. Just walking around the streets you can find lots of music and dancing. The food is great, and yes, you can eat whenever you want!

Also, if you have time, Iguazu is something really special to see. It involves a lot of walking, but nothing too strenuous for an active toddler! That would definitely be something that your child would remember for a very long time.

Cheers!

etienne00

I agree with messifan. Besides, Argentina is a perfect place where to learn Spanish. I went to NT School a spanish school located in Downtown.They offer very cheap one-on-one classes!!