Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Where in South America

Given the vast distances in South America three weeks would be much better than two, especially as you are slow travellers.

You don't mention your interests, or the time of year, so it is very difficult to be too specific with recommendations but here are a few suggestion;

Peru - A couple of days in Lima maybe followed by a flight or bus to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon before heading up to Cusco and the Sacred Valley where a week is really the minimum needed to explore the valley, Cusco and , of course Machu Picchu. Best time would be May to September. A link to the Peru section of the blog of our travels in South America which may provide a few ideas https://accidentalnomads.com/category/peru/
Argentina - Buenos Aires plus a road trip around the north west from Salta and then on to Iguazu for the falls. Depending upon the time of year and your interests you could also head down south to Patagonia https://accidentalnomads.com/categor...ica/argentina/
Colombia is also an option. Hugely diverse though getting around is a little more challengingBogota and Medellin are both amazing cities. Cartagena is colonial walled city on the coast but for us at least is the smaller towns and villages which are the most rewarding places in Colombia. .https://accidentalnomads.com/category/colombia/

60% inflation has been a fact of life in Argentina for decades. over the last few years this has become less of an issue for tourists as there is a parallel exchange rates which compensates tourists for this. Known as the "blue dollar' rate this effectively halves the costs of travel in Argentina for foreigners. you used to have to take foreign currency in cash and exchange off the street but recently the gov introduced a new law enabling cc providers to apply the higher rates.

Safety in South America is always a concern but in reality not as big a concern as you may think. My wife and I have probably spent a couple of years travelling the continent on various trips and I can only recall one incident that caused me concern. Exercise the usual sensible precautions and your trip should pass without problems. Peru has had major political problems over the past year which has resulted in many protests, strikes, riots and loss of life. I wouldn't have travelled there a few months ago ( and I am by no means a nervous traveller!) . It was not so much about the safety aspects as it was the government NOT tourists which were the target of the protests, it was more about the travel disruption which disrupted many tourist travel plans. The situation is now under control and tourism is getting back to normal.