South America

South America Road Trip

by Gap Year Escape · 0 comments

The US is renowned the world over for its awesome road trips. Whether you want to rip up Route 66 on a Harley or cruise the Pacific Coast Highway in an open-top convertible (something I did in a used BMW), there’s something for everyone. However, what happens when you cross the border into Central and South America? Are the roads expansive and the scenery stunning or are they all single-lane dust tracks? Thankfully, it’s the former and here are 5 of the best for you to try in your gap year.

Argentina

Argentina has an abundance of breathtaking scenery, particularly the northern highlands, which have some great roads and scenic towns and villages all within a relatively short distance of one another. South of the city of Salta, along Ruta 68, are the imposing Quebrada de Cafayate, a fabulous range of red mountains and rock formations. The scenery shifts again as you enter Argentina’s wine-growing region and then visit the remote, pre-Inca ruins of Quilmes. This road trip is best tackled in an all-terrain vehicle that can comfortably handle the country’s many gravelled, unfinished roads.

Bolivia

At the heart of the continent lies Bolivia, a country that borders five other South American nations and offers one of the world’s most notorious road trips, known as ‘Death Road’. The 35-mile stretch between La Paz and Coroico quickly ascends into dense rainforest and has some extreme drop-offs and precarious single-lane roads that can be made even more hazardous by rain and fog. Although a truly awesome road it should be treated with extreme caution as it is estimated that between 200 and 300 travellers are killed each year on this road.

Brazil

If mountain roads, deadly or otherwise, aren’t your thing, it may be worth considering a trip along some of Brazil’s magnificent coastal roads. There is almost 1,400 miles of coastline between Sao Luis to Rio de Janeiro, much of it littered with small, secluded beaches as well as all of the other natural and cultural highlights the country has to offer. Anyone wanting to take this road trip needs to consider that there is a lot of driving to do with some huge distances between towns, so top up with gas at every opportunity.

Chile

The altiplano area of northern Chile highlights all of the natural wonders this country has to offer, from snow-capped volcanoes to desert mountains via pre-Inca ruins and adobe villages built into cliff sides – you get the lot. This trip will take you across some rugged roads so it is best that you hire a vehicle with 4-wheel drive and be sure to stock up on fuel as petrol stations are few and far between.

Colombia

Colombia has coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea and its flat coastal lowlands and tropical climate make it perfect for a coastal road trip. Alternatively, you can travel further inland and experience the spectacular countryside of the central highlands and Andes Mountains. One word of warning about Colombia, however. It appears to be home to the world’s worst and least considerate drivers and is definitely not one for the inexperienced driver.

Don’t Sleep on São Paulo

by Gap Year Escape · 0 comments

Brazil’s biggest city can’t seem to shake its rep as a boring, crowded, all-work-no-play, dirty, industrial dump. All most people know is that São Paulo has a big international airport with flight connections to more desirable parts of the country. Most people don’t know what they’re missing.

São Paulo is the economic engine that’s driving the Brazilian boom, and as such, it’s the city where most of the money is. Paulistanos – as the city’s 11 million residents are called – do work hard, but they play just as hard, as evidenced by the thousands of gourmet restaurants, music venues, and nightclubs sprinkled throughout the city. A weekend in Rio is cute. A week in São Paulo is hardcore. But if you’ve got to change planes at Guarulhos anyway, you might as well do a quick stop-over; a couple days’ll do ya, and you’ll be glad you did.

WHAT TO DO

For the full-on dystopian chaos that São Paulo does best, hang out in the Centro (daytime only) near the Theatro Municipal or the Rua 25 de Março shopping corridor and watch the parade of kooky, real-life characters pass by. The Avenida Paulista business strip is all hustle and bustle during the day – check out the eclectic São Paulo Art Museum (MASP) or lush Parque Trianon just across the street. If crowds aren’t your thing, verdant Parque do Ibirapuera has thoughtful architecture and museums, the Museu Afro Brasil and the Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) among them. Funky Vila Madalena has art galleries and bohemian boutiques out the wazoo, while slick and sexy Jardim Paulista is but one of the city’s upscale stomping grounds.

WHAT TO EAT

São Paulo’s food is all about the immigrant communities that give the city its flavor: Japanese delights with a side of karaoke in Liberdade, Mediterranean goodies at Athenas on Rua Augusta, pizza at Braz or full-on Italian in the Bixiga neighborhood, and Saturday feijoada – Brazilian soul food – at St-Etienne in Jardins.

WHERE TO PLAY

Get your samba on at Ó do Borogodó or Bar Mangueira. Bourbon Street Music Club and the Orleans keep it cute for the jazzy-belles. Hip-hop heads roll to Clash Club on Tuesdays, Glória on Thursdays, and Joy Club on Fridays. For rock and/or house, hit the Baixo Augusta strip. Rua Frei Caneca is the gay strip, but lady-lovers do The L Club on Fridays while the guys hit The Week on Saturdays. Everybody ends up at down-and-dirty Love Story for the grimy after-hours.

WHERE TO STAY

CouchSurfing is huuuuuuuuuge in São Paulo, and a local friend is almost essential to get the most out of the city. Otherwise, there’s Airbnb.com (though they’ve been shady lately), inexpensive Formule 1 hotels, and the regular, overpriced international chains.

For more info on São Paulo.

This guest post was written by Ernest White II from Fly Brother. You can also follow on Twitter @FlyBrother

4 Not-To-Miss In Peru

by Gap Year Escape · 1 comment

There are plenty of places to visit and things to see and do in Peru; from the classic Inca Trail hike to Macchu Piccu to surfing and beaches in the north and trips deep into the Amazonian jungle. Here are 4 other things I think you shouldn’t miss:

1. Inti Raymi Festival

I have to admit that I knew nothing about this festival before I got to Peru. We happened to be looking for a bus to Cusco and a hostel worker told us we better get on it because the festival was going to be starting.

It turned out to be, by far, to have the biggest and loudest and longest parade I have ever seen in my life! Thousands of costumed participants danced and played music along the parade route for more than 17 hours! I came out at 9am when it started, and they were still going at 1am when I turned in for the night! As they finished the parade route, the people then filled in every town square in the city dancing and singing and eating and drinking and carousing for the rest of the night. There was not a free square inch of space anywhere!

The real ceremony marking the winter solstice (on June 24^th) took place the next day. A day long affair of pomp and circumstance involving more costumes, more parading, and mock sacrifices to the gods. It was a sight to be seen; and to think we almost missed it!

2. Colca Canyon

It is billed as the deepest canyon in the world, but in reality it is the second deepest. The deepest is also in Peru, a few kilometers away, but is not accessible and so Colca gets top billing. At 1km deep it sets itself up to provide quite the workout to those that choose to hike down…and then back up.

The trail is dusty, and gravelly, and steep as it switchbacks back and forth across the hillsides to the bottom. The scenery is stunning and gets lusher and lusher as the river at the bottom of the canyon gets closer and closer. There are plenty of small villages to trek through on the way and, at the end, a stay in the oasis where green grass and bluer than blue pools await to help you rest and relax. Take advantage of it because the climb back up is a killer!

3. Eating Cuy

Cuy is a traditional dish in Peru and, although we in North America do not normally eat guinea pig but prefer to keep them as pets, it’s worth trekking out to the outskirts of Cusco to try some. Tipon is the village just outside of Cusco that specializes in cuy. It’s best to try getting there by local ‘combi’ bus for the full experience.

I’ll be honest; cuy is not that good. There is not much meat on their little bones, and what there is tastes like greasy rabbit. It’s charbroiled to overdone and served with rice, potatoes and quinoa – no shortage of starch in Peru! But it is an experience that I’m glad to have had.

4. The Altiplano

I love, love, love the altiplano. The grassy plains that are, literally, on the top of the world at 12,500 feet above sea level. The plains are expansive, dotted with cattle and llamas; the air is clear and thin; and the scenery is absolutely stunning mixing mountain vistas with wide, wide valleys.

We passed through altiplano as we crossed over the Andes on the 22 hour bus ride from Lima to Cusco (which I don’t recommend…it was long, and twisty, and dark most of the time) and again as we took a bus from Cusco to Puno (which I do recommend; Tourismo Mer operates a tourist bus with historical stops that was fabulous). It may be an area that doesn’t get much attention but, for me, it was a highlight.

This guest post was written by Gillian from One Giant Step. You can also follow on Twitter @OneGiantStep

Planning a trip to Argentina

by Gap Year Escape · 4 comments

Argentina is one of my favorite places so far in the world. The country is so vast and like the United States, you can find everything in the 2^nd largest country in South America. The only difference is that Argentina is much more compact and it has something the U.S doesn’t have, the gateway to Antarctica. There aren’t too many countries in the world where you can truly find everything.

Image: Finizio

When To Go:

Because Argentina is so vast it really depends on what and where you want to go. Avoid the North in the winter (Dec, Jan, Feb), Buenos Aires and even the Iguazu Falls have been described as hell on Earth by locals because of the heat. Patagonia is massive and the further South you travel the weather gets more and more unpredictable. In Ushuaia for example, the weather changes every 15 minutes. November is when the penguins start to hatch and also the beginning of Antarctica high season. To see the best side of all the Argentina tourist attractions make sure to travel to the North in the spring and South in the winter or fall.

Getting Around:

This is where it gets chaotic. The economy in Argentina is in the pits and inflation is rampant throughout the entire country. If you are traveling via air make sure to have enough time to get by the monthly strikes with the airline companies. Best way to travel is via Bus, you can have a first class experience for a cheaper fare.

Argentina recently instituted an extra tax so it isn’t that much cheaper. Its more to avoid aggravation at the airports since the bus system in Argentina is the most efficient thing in the country. They have just set plans to build the first high speed rail system to connect the 3 largest cities in the country

Eating:

It isn’t as cheap as you would think but there are way to save money. Empanadas are always a cheap bet and you can get tostados (very primitive sandwich) for very cheap. If you are going to eat out look for the sausages and some of the meat. Argentina is the 2^nd highest consumer of meat in the world and there are always cheap meat options on the menu.

Accommodation:

While I was doing my research for living in Buenos Aires I found that is ridiculous cheap to rent an apartment in the city instead of staying at a hostel or a hotel. Outside of Buenos Aires you can find great couch surfing opportunities and great Hostels as well. You can sign up with Hostelling International to get great discounts on both tours and rooms alike.

Misc:

If you are traveling to Salta or Puerto Madryn, I highly recommend that you rent a car. If you split it with other travelers it comes out cheaper than the tours and you can really cut your time by more than half at each location. Be aware that car insurance in Argentina doesn’t cover roll overs or break ins, make sure to lock your doors and keep everything hidden.

Don’t bother visiting Ushuaia unless you are in the area or going to Antarctica. Its a pure tourist trap and you can do the same activities in Puerto Madryn, Bariloche, and Calafate.

Things You Have To Do:

Calafate – The Perito Moreno Glacier is absolutely incredible, more incredible than the most incredible places you have been. Really.

Iguazu Falls – Hands down one natural wonders of the world. How does Niagara compete with 275 waterfalls? 275!

Puerto Madryn – There is nothing like walking around close to a million penguins and diving with Sea Lions. The Galapagos Islands is the only place that comes close to being able to interact with animals.

Bio:

Marcello Arrambide has been working for freedom his entire life. He’s unlocked the secret through day trading and now wanders the world. Traveling the world for most of his life he has chosen to share with the world how easy it is to travel and live overseas with his travel site Wandering Trader’s Travels. He has visited over 30 countries on 4 different continents including the elusive Antarctica. You can also find him on twitter: @WanderingTradr and Facebook: WanderingTrader

An ultimate guide to seeing Galapagos independently

by Gap Year Escape · 16 comments

Magda Biskup from Destination World provides a detailed guide on travelling the Galapagos independently for a lot less.

Galapagos is on many people’s list of places to see. But for budget travelers it’s often one of the places – like Antarctica or Seychelles – they never expect to visit, simply because it’s too pricey. The idea of seeing the amazing wildlife of the archipelago is very tempting, but very few backpackers can afford a boat trip.

However, not many people realise that it’s actually possible to see the Galapagos without paying big bucks for a cruise. I’ve done it and I am going to show you how to do it.

Seeing the Galapagos in the ideal world…

If I was to be completely honest, I would have to admit that a week-long cruise is probably the best option to see the archipelago – the nights are spent sailing and the days visiting different islands and snorkeling with sea lions. Awesome. But a quick tour of travel agencies or a simple internet search reveals that the cheapest possible option costs at least $500 for what’s advertised as a 4 days/3 nights trip. However, after a closer look you discover that the tour actually lasts 2.5 days and 3 nights, because most of the the first day is spent getting to Galapagos and the last day you fly back to the mainland the first thing in the morning. Of course those $500 do not include any flights or national park ticket (which you need another $450-$500 to pay for) or extras such as scuba diving. So you do the math and it seems like you are looking at spending about $1000 for cruising the Galapagos for just two days. I don’t know about you, but for me that’s a hell lot of money. And I don’t even want to mention the money you would have to pay for a longer cruises. They simply cost a small fortune.

Luckily there is another option.

What’s the difference?

The main difference between cruising the Galapagos and exploring the archipelago independently is that the former gives you the ability to visit more remote islands. But this is only if you go for a longer cruise, like 6 days or more. Those so called 4 days/3 night trips will only take you around the main island.

Having said that, you can still see LOTS on your own. The wildlife is everywhere and you will have plenty of opportunities to encounter giant turtles, iguanas, sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, rays, blue-footed boobys, flamingos, penguins and many more.

This is how you do it.

Getting to the Galapagos

As you get to Ecuador go to any travel agency in Quito or Guayaquil and buy your plane ticket. There are three airlines flying to Galapagos from the mainland – Tame, AeroGal and LAN Ecuador. It doesn’t really matter which one you choose, as they all have pretty much the same prices. The return flight costs between $350 and $420, depending on when you fly (there are low and high season prices) and where from (flights from Guayaquil cost $50 less than those from Quito). You shouldn’t have any trouble booking you flight just a few days prior to departure.

There are two airports in Galapagos – one on Baltra and the other one on San Cristobal. It is possible to fly to one of those locations and fly back from the other. Which is an options you should consider, as it can save you time and money.

Galapagos logistics

Santa Cruz Island is where most people start their Galapagos adventure – whether they go on a cruise or travel independently. Santa Cruz is a home to the biggest town in the archipelago – Puerto Ayora – and you will be surprised to know that it has got a population of 18,000. Puerto Ayora has got a few cheap hotels, where you can expect to pay between $15 and $25 for a double room, and quite a few travel agencies as well. They organize day trips to the surrounding islands like Floreana, Bartolome or Seymour. Expect to pay between $60 and $150 for a day trip, depending on where you want to go and which travel agency you pick (those listed in LP tend to be most expensive). Do shop around.

There are also a few dive centers in town organising day trips. Those scuba diving trips do cost a bit ($130-150 for two dives), but are so worth the money.

If you prefer free activities, there is a few things to choose from. Go to Charles Darwin Research Station to see giant turtles or walk to the beautiful Tortuga Beach, where you can meet sea iguanas and lots of birds. Both are amazing places and they cost nothing to visit. If you care to spend some dollars on a taxi, you could see the lava tunnels in the middle of the island, or wild giant turtles on one of the properties (ask the owner for permission). Just ask any taxi driver and he will take you there.

When you get bored with Santa Cruz you should consider taking a speed boat to Isabella. It’s the biggest island in the archipelago and one the cruise trips never visit, so there are a very few tourists over there. A few boats leave Puerto Ayora for Isabella every day at 2pm and they cost $30. Remember to take some sea sickness tablets, as the trip can be rough.

When you get to Isabella make sure you do two things – go snorkeling at the place called Las Tintoreras, where you can swim with rays, sea lions and sea turtles, see penguins and other birds as well as some sharks, and go for a horse trek to the crater of Sierra Negra volcano. The trek is not your typical Galapagos activity, but it is a great opportunity to learn a bit about archipelago’s natural history and see some stunning landscape.

If you are into surfing the town has got pretty amazing beach to explore.

After you get to know Isabella, you should head to San Cristobal island. To do so catch the morning boat to Santa Cruz and then 2pm boat from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal. It’s a lot of traveling, but definitely worth the effort. The local town is called Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and it’s archipelago’s capital. The place is dominated by sea lions occupying the the promenade and the local beach. Not something you get to see every day.

Make sure you go to stunning Lobreria beach, about 1km from town, which is inhabited by even more sea lions and a huge number of iguanas. You will probably be the only person there. And if you want to see the hammerhead sharks you can do it too. Just book a snorkeling or scuba diving trip to Kickers Rock and Lobo Island, and you will see tens of them.

These are just some things you can do on Santa Cruz, Isabella and San Cristobal. There is much more activities to choose from and how you spend your time there is up to you. But the fact is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to see those amazing islands. It surely costs a bit more that mainland Ecuador, but considering what you see, it’s money well spent.

Show me the money

Now that you’ve read it all, you probably want to know how much it costs. As I mentioned before, a budget 4 days/3 night cruise bought in the mainland Ecuador will cost around $1000, including flight and national park ticket.

And this is what I spent on the independent 10 days/9 nights Galapagos trip:

Return flight – $360 National Park entry – $100 Galapagos permit (issued at the Quito and Guayaquil airports) – $10 Accommodation (9 nights, shared double room with private bathroom) – $100 Transport between the islands – $90 Food – $100 Tours – $180 (I took four tours: day trip to Floreana – $65, snorkeling in Las Tintoreras – $20, horse trip to Sierra Negra – $45, snorkeling at Kickers Rock and Lobo Island – $50) Scuba diving at Gordon’s Rock – $130 Other (beer, souvenirs, taxis etc) – $50 Total: $1120 for 10 days

Final word about Galapagos boat trips

If you still really want to see Galapagos by being a part of a boat trip, here is my advice – do not book it from home and do not book it in the mainland Ecuador. Just fly to Galapagos and find a boat trip there. There usually are some last minute deals available is Puerto Ayora and those deals can save you lots of money. To do so however, you need to have flexibility and time, as it can take a few days to find what you want.

This is a guest post by Magda Biskup from Destination World. Magda has recently returned from a 20-month long career break trip and is currently based in Sydney, Australia.