3-4 months in South America

Old May 28th, 2018, 07:39 PM
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3-4 months in South America

Hi everyone!

Only beginning my research now as my partner and I are quite clueless about the area so looking for some recommendations and suggestions to begin my search! There are SO many countries with diverse culture and history and amazing sights so we are finding it hard to choose.

We are thinking of 3 to 4 months (can be flexible with time as we can decide to stay longer or shorter in an area) and exploring approx 4 countries. We will be on a backpacker budget so hostels, street food etc. We haven't figured out an exact budget yet as this is a part of our 1 year trip (we are also doing SE Asia and eastern Europe) and wanted to choose our countries first to further research costs per country and come up with a final budget but for now it will be around $20K-$25K AUD each. So I guess the cheaper the country the better as well!

Interests: we are big foodie and love to eat so amazing food is a must, we like living like a local, eating street food etc and are always up for adventures so hiking and off the beaten path exploring. We also love learning about a country's culture and history and going to museums and doing a few history tours etc and are happy to slow travel using public transportation or bus to go from place to place!

So far we have Peru as an absolute must.

Thanks so much!
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Old May 28th, 2018, 10:26 PM
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Bolivia for sure.
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Old May 29th, 2018, 12:16 AM
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We have done several long trips around South America, mostly by bus. You may find a few ideas on our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com

I agree with you that Peru is a must and also with mlgb re Bolivia. Fortunately, both countries are inexpensive places in which to travel and Bolivia especially so. Another country which would on my list would be Colombia, also very cheap in terms of food, transport and accommodation. Ecuador, is more expensive and unfortunately is smack bang in between Colombia and Peru.

Aregentina is wonderful but sadly, due to rampant inflation, it is not a cheap country in which to travel. Chile we also found to be more expensive.

Museums are usually cheap or free. You can eat well in local restaurants and markets. Peru, without a doubt has the best and most varied cuisine. In Colombia and Bolivia food is cheap but get used to every meal being accompanied by mountains of rice, potatoes and fried plantains!

Bus travel in Peru is excellent, elsewhere you may want to fly the longer distances if budget permits. In Colombia we had planned to travel by bus but after witnessing several serious accidents in our first week, we changed our plans somewhat! Even so we were involve in a couple of less serious collisions there.

In terms of basic costs For accomodation, food and transport, I think you should be to get by on your budget but air travel is relatively expensive and the cost of any tours and entry fees ( esp. in Peru) will add to your costs.
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Old May 29th, 2018, 04:44 AM
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Fortunately Ecuador is small, bus travel is quite cheap, food as well. You could easily fill a month each in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia and transit through Ecuador. Internal flights are less expensive in Ec and Co than Pe and Bolivia thanks to local airlines. Main issue with Ecuador expenses is the currency is USD so hope for a falling $. Peru is popular and highly touristic spots will be more expensive but you can also go off track and see a lot for less e.g. Ayacucho and Huancayo. Lima is fantastic for museums and food. Hard to get a bad meal in Peru to be honest even at the cheapest levels. The Gold Museum in Bogotá is worth the detour. If you like contemporary culture research Ecuador a bit. The Mama Negra Festival is awesome!
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Old May 29th, 2018, 04:51 PM
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Amazing advice thank you everyone! Right now I think Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador are very high on the list. The Galapagos Islands look incredible too but I know that will really stretch the budget. However, we won't have another chance to do a long travel like this so might rework the budget and see if we can fit that in!!
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Old May 29th, 2018, 04:57 PM
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Hi, I definitely recommend Peru. Best food, affordable for traveling and culturally very diverse. I was there for almost a year and can say: the destination is worth it. Many people mean Peru is pricey. I can only contradict that. Even in tourist hotspots like Lima and Cusco you can find cheap accommodation.
And if you should be in a hurry: Peruvian Airlines serves the main spots and you'll get from A to B for affordable prices. The service of this airline is great, I did not see any difference with LATAM and all the other major airlines. I think Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines should definitely be on your bucket list - if you decide to visit Peru.

Bolivia is still the cheapest country in South America and I can only recommend this country to you. It is worthwhile just the places off the beaten path. I felt very well in Santa Cruz de la Sierra and in La Paz. Both cities are great to travel to and from there you can do nice day trips.

If you are looking for good food and pure culture, you should not skip these two countries.
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