central/south america

[dandyda11]

Hello! I am currently planning on doing an around the world backpacking adventure. I probably won't leave for about a year but I'm a planner and want to start researching and planning the best possible trip. Right now I'm focusing on the central and south American leg. This is what I've come up with so far. These lists are not in any order.

Comments

[2hedgehogs]

Congratulations on planning your round-the-world trip! I remember very fondly planning our 18 month rtw trip. We spent months just flipping through guidebooks, reading travel blogs, checking out photos, and getting our hands on as many things to inspire us as we could. Good stuff. :)

As for what places you left off your list that you might want to consider, a lot will depend on what interests you. :) What kinds of things do you enjoy most (i.e. people watching, mountains, cities, oceans, outdoor sports, wine, wildlife, camping, hiking, dancing, cooking, etc)? South America has a lot to offer! That said, one extra destination you might want to consider is the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador. We spent 8 days/7 nights on a boat there, and while it was one of the most expensive parts of our entire trip, it was well worth it. Just something to think about. :)

We spent a bit over 6 months in South America and visited Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador. We wrote lots of stories while we were on the road (and actually still do so), so

[dandyda11]

Thanks for all of the info. I am definitely going to be checking out your blog. Reading the blogs of people who have done this has become a favorite way to research. And I was thinking of adding Uruguay to the mix, too.

My problem is I like a lot of everything so it is hard to narrow down the places I want to go! Oh, and thanks for the tip about Ecuador and the Amazon.

[2hedgehogs]

Glad I could help! :) Reading travel blogs was one of our favorite ways to research too. It still is actually! We're headed to Colombia in a few weeks, so I've been peeking at all sorts of blogs about Bogota. Wheee!

We really enjoyed our time in Uruguay. It's particularly perfect for visiting quirky little fishing villages (though there are some bigger beaches with party scenes too). It was a great "vacation spot" during our travels, if that makes sense. :)

My problem is I like a lot of everything so it is hard to narrow down the places I want to go!LOL! I totally know that feeling. And I'll tell you what: you'll probably still feel like that from time to time on the road too, and that's okay. :) I remember very distinctly feeling overwhelmed when (upon arriving in Argentina at the beginning of our trip) we realized we could go anywhere we wanted to go - within Argentina, within South America, within the world

[tembeelephante]

Costa Rica is very touristy but at the same time you can find tons of safe, cheap ways to travel. I have a book somewhere where I wrote down everything I did and places I stayed I just have to find it...

[goremeister_666]

in chile, you might want to look into san pedro de atacama, copiapo, pucon and puerto montt.