South American backpacking

[OLVpilot]

I was thinking of doing some low-budget South American traveling this January and had a few questions:

My plan would be to start in Bogota and travel south through Chile, over to Buenos Aires, and then up through Brazil back to Bogota to fly back. If I'm going to go on a backpackers budget, what type of expense money would I need to last me about a month and a half?

I like to travel very light and very cheap, but now and again throw back a few beers and have a decent meal. Just curious for how I might need to budget.

[Glonass]

Hi,

It really depends on what your comfort zone is and what very-cheap means for you.

Do you want to stay in a dorm or private room or are you bringing a tent with you? Share or not a bath? Do you need your granola cereals for breakfast and a Tropicana or a toast and butter will do? Do you want to travel from town to town hitchhiking, by a/c bus, by basic bus (with the chickens and all) or by plane? Do you plan on using the public transport in town or you prefer the taxi (though much cheaper then in the States)?

Anyhow you can say South America is still feasible on a shoestring without compromising comfort nor safety. Generally speaking adequate dorms and rooms are available in the $5-$20 range. In-city transportation is fairly cheap but obviously a bit more expensive in the capital city. So is the food item but then again it depends greatly on how tough your stomach is and how tight is your budget. A combo meal in a very cheap "restaurant" can cost $3 or even less. There is always a fast food restaurant in big cities that can help you feel closer to home if you need it for a couple of bucks!

As for beer, it is inexpensive and you can easily passout before you run out of money. :}

If you need something more specific I can help you out on your Chile leg. Take into account that January is the high season south of the equator therefore lodging prices tend to go up and it may sometimes be difficult to find a place to crash.

Bon voyage! :ok:

[varigflier]

Don't forget your bullet proof vest. :ok:

[AeroDiaz]

Here you can find a list of cheap, good, clean, and safe places to stay. Hostelling International Groups ? Budget accommodation, activities and packages for groups, group bookings on Youth Hostels worldwide (http://www.hihostels.com/groups/index.en.htm?noigs=Y)

Even if you are not a member of this association they always give you a very good price. I used to be a very frequent costumer and never had a problem. Excellent staff.

Last time I stayed in one of these Hostels, I shared the room with 9 college gals from France. :E

DÍAZ

[Heading090]

AeroDiaz,
it seems to be the right decision at this time, quit looking for a pilot's job and go for the venture of travel to south america.
I wouldn't recommend hostels in bogota!!

[lpokijuhyt]

Fairly cheap. Ecuador used to be extremely cheap, but maybe it has become more expensive. Colombia is nice, especially the Cartegena region near the sea. Peru...it depends, Cusco and Macchu Picchu can get spendy, but then again the areas are a ton of fun. You can go up to Iquitos in the North and rent a boat for a few days and travel into Brazil via the Amazon, fairly remote....definately will not see other tourists, nice journey ala Acopocolypse Now. Bolivia can be cheap as is Paraguay, both nice countries. Chile can get spendy in places, it is nice but can be a bit rainy and cold. Uruguay is a good place as well, not too touristy. If you make your way to Tierra del Fuego, you used to be able to hitch a ride on the Russian ice breaker vessels to Antarctica...which is cool because that can be an expensive excursion, but since the Russia-US relations went down the toilet during the Bush years...that service probably stopped. As you make your way back up to Argentina get ready for some awesome beauty. Stay clear of Sao Paulo (LA of S. America). Havent been to Surinam or Fr. Guinea but should be fine. Have fun...and try not to fly anywhere, it is much more personal if you take the time to travel from one place to the next. Cheers!:ok:

[FlyingOW]

Glonass,

I laughed when I saw your location: "DisneyLAN":D... Is it because it all just seems so mickey mouse from time to time?:}:ok:

OLV Pilot:

Travelling through Peru is relatively inexpensive, there are exellent coach services (lie-flat in some cases) that range in Price from 20-50 USD one way depending on how far you are going....

May I suggest the following: Cross the border from Salinas (awesome beach town), Ecuador down to Mancora (beaches with great surf, great seafood and SOME cheap hotels), then continue down through to Huaraz for some mountaineering/hiking/trekking (if you like that sort of thing). Then on to Lima (Colonial city centre, local ruins and great nightlife). Then continue by plane to Cuzco (typically 100-150USD one way on LAN Peru or TACA Peru) then hike to Macchu Picchu (Inca trail quite pricey nowadays) OR alternatively continue by land from Lima to Paracas (nature reserve), Nazca (the Lines) and Huacachina (small desert oasis town in middle of desert for sandboarding on the Dunes) and then continue to Cuzco by land. Once finished in Cuzco continue by train to Puno (Lake Titicaca) and then cross into Bolivia, continue to La Paz and visit the great Salt flats of Uyuni,etc and then on to Santa Cruz etc

Saludos,

OW

[OLVpilot]

Wow, I appreciate the outpour of recommendations. I'll definitely sift through these in my planning portion.

I plan to do quite a bit of cheap bus travel and tent camping as much as possible. Mainly I beg the question, is two months too short (or rushed) to make it down from Bogota to Buenos Aires and back again? It's much cheaper to fly from North America to Bogota than any South American city and one-way tickets are wayyyyyy too expensive!

[chongololo]

I wanna go too!
Have fun and stay safe.
Good luck.

[Hunter58]

Not sure you want to go to Bogota. If you have been there and know your way around, oh, yes, fun city, great places to go out and eat, cabbies are relatively chap, there are reasonable hotels, people can be friendly...

If you don't know your way, you might end up in the wrong spot and things can go south fast!

Try Cartagena (although expensive) or Santa Marta (much more affordable). For budget reasons I guess the flight into BAQ may be an alternative. Barranquilla is nice as well if you know where to go, again, but it puts it into 2 hour Bus distance from either of both other coastal cities.

Buses typically are good and cheap, as long as you stick to official bus lines (at the terminal de trasportes). They cover almost all the country and have become quite safe. Empresa Brasilia is the largest operator.