long message - serious replies only please
prather - 01:04pm Mar 19, 2006 EST

Please send any substantive messages that you really think will help directly to prather at netzero dot net .

Have I missed any good companies or discarded any for the wrong reasons?

DESIRED TOP PRIORITY Machu Picchu - 2 visits - time to see thoroughly - may need to include rests Iguassu Falls - both sides - overnight - boat ride LOWER PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro A brief exposure to Amazon R. CONSTRAINT I have 38,731 NWA miles which will get me to and from Lima. Until about 1 year ago these miles would get you anywhere in SA. Then NWA changed their rules and won't 'grandfather in' those that accumulated miles under the old rules. I want a tour that will make my using these miles economically worthwhile. PREFERENCE escorted is preferred to locally hosted A medium priced tour is preferred - not super cheap nor super expensive No interest in Galapagos As reguards hotels, I like a good, central location but don't desire a fancy hotel. The only specific thoughts at this time are that Das Cataratas seems to be the place to stay at the falls. UNKNOWN Are the Chilean Fjords worth doing? i.e. spectacular like Norway? Are there any interesting cruises of the Amazon? A friend said it was wide, flat, and uninteresting. Does any mountain scenery compare with the Canadian Rockies? Does any train or bus trip thru them compare with the one in southwestern Canada? What time of year is best for visiting the falls? any experience with them? AP---------Amazing Peru

'There is a really nice 20 day tour in www.amazingperu.com with covers all the areas you want to visit - it is in the Peru and Brazil section' $4095 with my air - interesting Time at IF good, time at MP a bit short. It does Pantanal,Ballestas Islands, Nazca Lines,Arequipa, Colca Canyon,and Pisac. I'm not familiar with these. The price for this might be higher. $3800 with the 4* Continental in Iguazu or $4100 with Das Cataratas - custom tour -with my air- 16 nights -everything I wanted +Umbra Valley, Pisac, Lake Titicaca Contact - 1800 704 2915 - Shaun O´Boyle [[email protected]] They have a 24 hour phone line should anything go wrong. Tours in Lima and Machu Picchu – private. Tour in Cucco and Urubamba Valley – group. Shawn is trying to get info. on type of falls tours. Nancy - AAA likes opinion AV vs AP? I could probably ask them to quote a longer tour like the AP one. AV-------Avanti - apparently you would need to piece together your own tour from little pieces that they offer www.latinamericavacations.com and www.eurovacations.com. $5895.10 for detailed itinerary for 2 persons in late Aug. including air Lima to Rio, air Lima to and from Cuzco,air Rio to and from falls; hotel Lima 2 nights, Cuzco 2 nights, Machu 1 night, Rio 3 nights, falls 1 night; 1/2 day tour in Rio, tour of Argentina side of falls, all airport transfers Could add 1/2 day City tour in Cuzco for $64/person Heather Petty [email protected]

BR-------Brendan - I hear it is like Globus but perhaps a bit better tours are locally hosted www.brendanvacations.com South American Classic + Machu Picchu - good itinerary - includes Buenos Aires and Santiago

I got detailed quote on Taste of South America + Machu Picchu $3634/person 15 nights - good at MP, 1 night at falls I can offer you the Macuco Safari tour which is a half day tour while in Iguassu Falls on the Brazillian side and it will be at an extra cost of $242 for two. The description is ( the national park's Macuco Trail. A jeep is the best way to explore the rain forest with its 2,000 species of subtropical plants in different layers from the forest floor to high tree canopies. After 3km we start walking with eyes and ears open for animals and birds. A hiking trail leads to the Macuco Falls, one of the most picturesque places in the national park. At the banks of the Iguassu River, we take a specially-adapted boat and head towards the Iguassu Canyon for close-up hypnotizing views of the waterfalls crashing down from the cliffs high above.) 3 ½ hour

Not enough time?

GT-----------General Tours - Nancy sug. 3 jewels + Grandeur of Peru

G of P $2799-2899/person land + internal air escorted - good at MP - 11 nights 3 jewels- - have to go deluxe to get good hotel at falls $2003-1898 - 8 nights 2 tours at falls + time for boat Ends in Buenos Aires. They call it 'privately guided' Would quote custom package for Rio

Tara ---Time at MP and IF OK---locally hosted $3394***-3628**** adds San Salvador and Manaus Can use my air (saves $600 - reflected in the above) Lois to get info. on flight times, other tour availability at IF, and exact number of hotel nights. Scott liked VA--------Vantage - The splendors of South America - 17 days/14 nights $3499 + extension to Machu Picchu, Cuzco, & Lima $1299 Time in MP and IF good

I’m told They won't tell you flights until after you book and are committed. If we could get this info. they might be a possibility.

These prices include air to and from Miami. You can't book it without this air. DC is $250 more.

Somewhat like Colette tour.

www.vantagetravel.com/soaA06 below are discards

OAT------ We have one tour that includes Machu Picchu that offers Iguassu Falls as a post trip option. This tour however cannot be purchased land only. We have a few trips that offer Machu Picchu without Iguassu Falls.

Can't do MP, IF, and my air

TR-----Trafalgar - not a good company - skimps - I've taken a tour with them - we did the Louvre in 1 hour! tours are locally hosted? www.trafalgar.com

Highlights of South America - itinerary $4585 DC to DC. $3625 with my air.

Time in MP and the falls short. 2 nights Lima,3 nights Cuzco, 1Puno,2 La Paz,3 Buenos Aires, 1 falls, 3 Rio Lima, Cuzco, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, Peruvian Highlands, Titicaca, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, Moon Valley, Buenos Aires, Palermo, Iguassu, Rio de Janeiro, Sugar Loaf Mountain Priscilla 1-866-544-4434 ext 5258 very helpful. Gave me flight times - look reasonable. I'm trying to get details re time at MP and activities at IF

G1-------- http://www.gate1travel.com/south-ame...ssu-tour-8.asp interesting

http://www.gate1travel.com/south-ame...ur-special.asp "

They seem to think the cost of airfare between them would be prohibitive. I cannot get them to quote a combined package. MP time is short.

GL----------Globus - not a good company - skimps - sometimes doesn't deliver what is promised - I've taken a tour with them tours are escorted www.globusjourneys.com South American Sampler - good itinerary - 16 nights includes Buenos Aires and Santiago

IF short, MP short South American Sampler with Peru extension. The tour is available June 10, 2006 to June 26, 2006 The approximate cost break down for 2 people is4429.00 X 2 $8858.00 Land Rate They have a longer Amazon to Andes which adds Manaus, Bariloche, Puerto Varas. I'm trying to get details re time at MP and activities at IF

GC-------Grand Circle - They would not let me do my own air escorted www.gct.com Discover South America + Peru and Brazil extensions Currently, we do not have a program which would cover all of the countries that you mention. The closest that we have is the Discover South America program listed on our website. Due to the internal flights involved, this program is not available land only

IE--------International Expeditions - 9 day Amazon Voyage and and extend it to Machu Picchu The web side is www.ietravel.com

Nature travel - not appropriate

Scott liked Odysseys Unlimited I don't think they do Brazil

TRAV--------------TRAVCOA MP - 9 day $4295 + Rio 16 day $7885

Big Five - very expensive for no apparent reason www.bigfive.com

LaTour - very expensive for no apparent reason www.latour.com

Elderhostel - impossible to cover top priority items in 1 trip www.elderhostel.org

Abercrombie & Kent - Has the Wonders of South America and it covers the following places: Lima, Cusco - Machu Picchu, Santiago, Purto Montt Chile and Puerto Varas and Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, Rio De Jenairo. This trip is for 19 days Or Wonders of Peru. The web side is www.abercrombiekent.com They tend to be very expensive. Abercrombie & Kent has the Wonders of South America and it covers the following places:You can do your own air to and from The web side is www.abercrombiekent.com

Collette Tours - Discover South America with pre-extenssion to Machu Picchu. Drastically different prices obtained from company directly and from travel agent. I was never able to resolve the discrepancy. Neither allowed me to save $ by using my NWA miles. Itinerary looked fairly good except that they flew you from Lima to Santiago at 1:15 AM! Time in Machu Picchu was short.

The web side is www.collettevacations.com

Just Peru Ancient Land of Mysteries.

MAU---------www.maupintour.com Trio of Gems Oct 7 departure is $3049 The tour rate includes the on tour flights Buenos Aires/Iguassu/rio. For the Peru Oct 15 departure which would follow afterward, the land tour rate is $3129 per person Again, the land tour rate includes the on tour flights from Lima/Cuzco/Lima. The flight leg required to position from Rio to Lima is not included and additional overview 1 person's view Globus, Trafalgar, Gate1, Collette, General and Isram (Latour) being First Class tours (although Globus does have 1 or 2 Deluxe Tours and General has 1 or 2 Budget tours) Maupintour and Tauck are inn the Deluxe category A&K (Abocrombie & Kent), Tauck, Travcoa and Amazing Peru are your Luxury Tour operators -- Elderhostel and Grand Circle do not work with travel agents --

Holland Am. seems to mention Machu Picchu but doesn't seem to do it. Carnival doesn't do SA. Princess - would need to do 2 cruises Queen Mary 2 - would need to do 2 cruises Overseas Adventure Travel - doesn't seem to do Brazil Tauck doesn't do Rio. - Scott didn't like.

Geo Ex – does only Peru – does hiking

"CONSTRAINT I have 38,731 NWA miles which will get me to and from Lima."

Prather: Do you actually have these tickets confirmed? I have serious doubts that you will actually be able to get the tickets you want with only 38,000 miles. While technically this may fall into the attainable, NW is most often requiring "PerkPass" status at 70,000 miles for a round trip.

You may want to sort this out before worrying too much further about the itinerary.

I have checked the NWA matter. Can you help me with the other issues. Please reply to the address indicated.

Actually, the rest of us would prefer you respond on the forum - that way anyone who's interested can benefit from the expertise of those who have gone before us.

As above, the idea of a travel forum is a *public* discussion, so all people can benefit and build a database of information for future reference.

If we each just hooked up as private penpals it would completely defeat the purpose of Fodor's.

Again - can anyone provide substantive help re my search for a SA trip?

You would really do yourself a favour by contacting a travel agent for something this in-depth.

or break your long message into smaller, single questions. you're simply asking too much from the forum.

Answer what you can, please.