South America Travel Guide | She is Wanderlust

South America features remarkable scope of cultures, nature and history. If you are looking for an adventure destination, look no further.

Why Visit South America

HISTORIC MONUMENTS

South america is filled with ruins from lost civilizations, highlighting the Machu Picchu in Peru, the Easter Island in Chile and the Lost City in Colombia. The indigenous cultures in South America provide some of the most interesting historic sights to visit in the region, in addition to some fascinating colonial architecture brought by the spanish and portuguese.

NATURE:

South America houses some of the most impressive nature formations I have seen. From the amazon jungle to the glaciers in Argentina and Chile, the salt formations, the deserts and more.

MIX OF CULTURES

South America was created by a mix of cultures between the Europeans conquistadors, the indigenous natives and the African, influenced by a couple emigration waves that came later on to different countries. Thanks to this, each region has its own character, food and celebrations, and all of them are worth taking a look to.

PRICE

Overall, South America is an amazing continent to travel on a budget if you compare it to western prices. Although not every country in South America is cheap, you can get by for $30 a day or under in the most of them.

DESTINATIONS

South America features remarkable scope of cultures, nature and history. If you are looking for an adventure destination, look no further.

Why Visit South America

HISTORIC MONUMENTS

NATURE:

South America houses some of the most impressive nature formations I have seen. From the amazon jungle to the glaciers in Argentina and Chile, the salt formations, the deserts and more.

MIX OF CULTURES

PRICE

Travel
DESTINATIONS

Bucket List

How to get around

South America features a enormous network of bus lines, being this the cheapest/better way to travel around. Gas is cheap, so driving around could also be an option, but take in consideration that the most of the roads are in really poor condition, and car-rental agencies don’t allow cars to be taken across international borders. You could fly everywhere but this is the most expensive option.

Money Saving Tips

-Avoid restaurants: There are a lot of park and outdoor places where you can eat you own food. You could also eat at outdoor street vendors, like choripanes. Avoiding restaurants and eating at a lot of the local “grab n’ go” places will give you a taste of the local cuisine at a much cheaper price.

-Hostels or Camping: The difference in pricing between a hotel and a hostel is huge, and you can find plenty of cute and cozy hostels. There is also a new trendy camping service called Campspace, which allows you to pitch a tent in someone’s backyard for free or a nominal fee.

-Travel by bus: Bus is the cheapest and easiest way to travel around South America.

-Plan in advance: Planning with time could save you hundreds or even thousand when it comes to flights, trains and accommodations.

What to expect in South America

LANGUAGE

Spanish is the official languages of all countries in South America besides Brazil, where portuguese is the main language and the Guyanas, where they have English, French and Dutch respectively.

CURRENCY

Every country in South America has a different currency, you would have to exchange every time you get into the territory. Some countries allow you to withdraw directly from the ATM, but not all of them. Same goes for credit cards.

SAFETY

Overall South America is a safe place, with the exception of some countries and certain places. Is not just the country you are traveling to but the area(s) of the country you will be visiting. Venezuela is the most dangerous of all of them, but nothing will happen to you if you go to the amazon jungle there, for example. Also be careful in Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador, the crime rate in this country is a little bit higher in comparison with the rest. Just like anywhere else you need to be alert and use your common sense.

CLIMATE

When visit to South America, the further south you go, the more seasonal the climate is, with the latitude around Argentina and Chile experiencing hot summers and chilly winters, but the rest of the countries tend to have a tropical weather all year round.

VISA & PASSPORT

Remember that many countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months (some just three months) after your arrival date before they’ll grant entry to their country. Some of them also require a VISA to enter the country depending on your nationality. Plan in advance and make sure you have everything in order.