Need help planning a trip to South America
 

My husband and I are planning to travel to South America early next year i.e. around March 2011. Since we are going this far and have about 15 days we would like to combine a few destinations in South America. We are not very adventurous but would like to visit all the highlights of the chosen destination. We really want to enjoy nature on this trip. Therefore, i hereby request for some suggestions on combination of countries, must do's..etc etc....I have Brazil, Peru, chile & Argentina on my mind..but am absolutely open for suggestions. Also, we don't mind a hectic trip in order to cover as much as possilbe in 15 days..

If you just have 15 days, then visiting 4 countries is a little ambitious I think. You better concentrate on 1 country and see the highlights there. I really recommend Peru, since in this country you have a lot to see and do and a lot of diversity. You will visit places in the Andes Mountains, see beaches and can go to the jungle. Don´t forget to visit Machu PIcchu!

I agree with Cuscotravel with 15 days you will not have time to see much of 4 countries. If your priority is to see nature, I'd recommend Brazil. Think about perhaps visiting the Pantanal and the Amazon. You could add in one other city, maybe Sao Paulo or Rio.

These countries are giant distances are vast...

www.gotmyfare.com

www.latinamericaforless.com

2 week multicountry itineraries

Too much cramming for me but go for it if you like...

I would also suggest Peru. You can find Amazon lodges, of course Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and a trip to Paracas for the penguins and sea lions. Plus Lima is worth a few days and has fantastic food.

Thanks for the suggestions!!..btw is March a good month to visit there countries??

Also, what is the best mode of transportation within and between these countries??

I agree with these guys, I dont think you realize how big the countries really are. What I plan to do is stay in Buenos Aires and then branch out from there. What you could do is fly to Peru, then to Buenos, Brazil, and then head back home. Your going to be doing more waiting around at the airport than seeing things if you pack too many things at once. Machu Pitchu takes a long time so you could just stick ot t

Start in Brazil (maybe Rio) should only take you a day or two, then iguazu falls and Buenos Aires 2-3 days, then head to Mendoza (Argentine wine country) spend 2-3 days there, then maybe head back and see matchu pitchu or even head to Uyuni, Bolivia to walk on water. You can use that as a baseline and add in time. Let me know if you need any tips on saving money donw there too.

March is the summer/fall for them should be ok

hope that helps
http://www.wanderingtrader.com

Transportation is tough because you want to cover so much ground, the buses are ultra comfortable and generally they travel overnight. they spread out to beds to it works out nice. if you want to cover ground fast then think about flying but i always travel by bus when i go. here are some links:
http://omnilineas.com/
http://plataforma10.com/

hope that helps:
http://www.wanderingtrader.com

Peru is the way to go. They have a great tourist infrastructure. The domestic airfares are reasonable, and times are only an hour or so between the major destinations. Plus, for a break from flying, the trains to MP are so cool. March in MP is good. I agree with some of the other posters; 4 countries seems a bit much...unless your goal is to simply "be" in 4 different countries, it hardly seems worth the crush to try to do it. Better to see all you can in 1 country than just a little bit of 4.
That said, I think Venezuela would be #2 over the other choices. No ruins like Peru, but all the nature you can stand.