South America

The cultural heart of South America, these iconic Andean countries are often the first visited by Kiwis when venturing into Latin America. Access is a little easier to Peru than Bolivia, but we’d highly recommend discovering both:

Cuzco – simply wonderful, you can easily spend a week here and still have plenty left to see and do. You’ll need to spend the first couple of days acclimatising to the 3400m altitude, but the mixture of Incan and Spanish architecture and heritage is exhilarating. And nowadays, there’s world-class restaurants and boutique hotels for comfort.

The Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu – the Urubamba Valley and it’s ruined Incan fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo is a ‘must see’ and often visited enroute to Machu Picchu. We’re recommend spending a night at Aguas Calientes and then taking the early morning bus up to Machu Picchu so you arrive well before the train from Cuzco does. It can be rather upsetting for the hardy Inca Trail trekkers (who’ve been walking for 4 days) to find people at the Lost City before they arrive just after dawn though! A steep scramble up Huayna Picchu to get the best views of the Citadel is worth the effort.

The aforementioned Classic ‘Inca Trail’ – still one of the finest 4 day walks in the world – especially on the 2nd and 3rd day when you experience amazing views of the mountains in a real wilderness area. The 3rd day walking through the orchids of the cloud forest down into the lesser known ruin of Winay Wayna is especially beautiful, especially after slogging over a couple of high passes (including the infamous ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ on day 2!)

Machu Picchu is every bit as spectacular as it looks in photos and in brochures, and best experienced with a good guide to interpret the various aspects of the City as it unfolds around you. If you’ve booked too late to secure permits for the Classic Inca Trail, don’t despair as the alternatives such as the Lares or Inca Quarry Trek are just as rewarding and less crowded.

Lake Titicaca – the spiritual heart of the Incan Empire, this is a remarkably scenic wonder and a restful antidote to the hustle and bustle of more accessible places. Id’ recommend exploring both sides. I’d recommend a homestay on one of the Peruvian islands as part of a small group trip to experience what life is really like on the Lake, or take a catamaran across to Isla Del Sol on the Bolivian side – the hike to the top is a lung-buster, but the view is incredible and there are some lovely eco-lodges to enjoy.

La Paz – the highest capital city in the world, a city of superlatives, and certainly one of the most unusual. The view down into the city from the crater rim at El Alto is almost worth the visit alone! The markets are fascinating, with entire streets appearing to sell identical wares, but the ‘Witches Market’ is a must-do. If you are feeling brave, perhaps try the famous downhill mountain bike down what used to be called the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’.

Potosi – reputedly the highest city in the world, I’d recommend a visit to ‘Cerro Rico’ – the rich hill of silver that created much of the wealth of the Spanish empire, and now mined as a co-operative for tin. Whilst it’s a rather bizarre tour, it’s a truly humbling experience to travel into the mine and witness the severe conditions the miners work in. Donations at the mine entrance are gratefully accepted!

The Salar De Uyuni – Ian’s favourite place in all of South America – this almost perfectly flat white salt desert must be one of the closest experiences to being on another planet you can experience on Earth. Taking a 4WD drive across this to the island of giant cacti in the middle is a ‘must do’ and the photographic opportunities are unique. If you go in the summer ‘wet’ season, the horizon seems to disappear and you almost feel like you are flying rather than driving across the salt!

The ‘heartland’ of South America – and the easiest to access from New Zealand, with direct flights from Auckland to Santiago with LATAM, and then good connections to Buenos Aires or Rio De Janeiro, and then from either to Iguassu Falls. There’s also a good (if rather complicated!) LAN Airpass for reasonably priced flights within South America.

How best to experience this region?

Tailor-made travel – a good option for couples or groups of friends, and ideal if sticking to the popular tourist locations like BA, Iguassu & Rio.

Small Group travel – social, a great option for solo travellers, and very cost effective when heading a little more off the beaten track. Ideal also for Patagonia treks.

Our recommended ‘must sees’ include:

Buenos Aires – most of our team’s favourite city in South America – a cross between Paris & Barcelona with Italian, German and even British influences thrown in for good measure. The city that never goes to sleep, well not until the early hours anyway, and that includes the kids as well! Ask Peter for his shopping tips in San Telmo, and perhaps try to get a ticket to a soccer match. The restaurants are superb – but don’t arrive for dinner at NZ meal times as they may be clearing away lunch dishes! The steaks and fine red wines are legendary. An overnight ferry hop to UNESCO-listed Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay is good fun.

Santiago – a nice gentle introduction to South America – very European, and handily placed to make day trips to the Pacific Coast towns of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar or the Andes – perhaps try some skiing if you are visiting in winter! The vineyards nearby are well worth a look too!

Iguassu Falls – take a couple of days and experience from both sides – the ‘Devil’s Throat’ jet-boat ride on the Argentine side will have you excited and soaked in equal measure, while the boardwalks on the Brazilian side offer the best views and the Bird Park is great!

Mendoza – for its wineries – and the views of the Andes. If you are feeling brave, take the bus from Santiago over the mountains – quite simply breathtaking!

The Pantanal – the best wildlife experience in Brazil and one of the best anywhere in Latin America. Stay in a lodge for 3 nights and enjoy this amazing wetlands.

Rio de Janeiro and her beaches – of course you should do the iconic tourist sights – Christ the Redeemer, the Sugar Loaf, the Maracana Stadium, Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, but try to take a few extra days and explore the coast South of Rio – to colonial and very pretty Paraty, the beaches of Ilha Grande, or North to the ritzy resort town of Buzios.

San Pedro de Atacama – in Northern Chile, this is the oasis town perched in the middle of one of the driest places on Earth – there are weather stations here that have never recorded rainfall. If you have time, enjoy one of the world’s most spectacular 4WD safaris – up and over the Andes into Bolivia, entering via the surreal Salar D’Uyuni salt desert.

Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia – possibly the finest walking destination in the Americas, I’d highly recommend the Full Circuit or the abbrieviated ‘W’ Trek – whilst it’s a reasonably challenging walk, the scenery is rewarding – the terrain and views change every day and trekking alongside occasionally calving glaciers is amazing. It can get busy in the summer holidays, so whether you are staying Lodges, Refugios or camping, please book early!

The BBC’s documentary ‘Galapagos’ has certainly generated great interest in this, one of the world’s greatest wildlife destinations. The wildlife experience is simply outstanding. Highlights were the close encounters with marine life – snorkelling with turtles, Galapagos penguins, seal lions, sharks and huge shoals of tropical fish. Walking on these otherworldly volcanic landscapes was a wonderful experience – we’ve been fortunate to experience other amazing wildlife destinations like South Georgia, Antarctica, Tanzania and Greenland, but this very close to the top of the list! It’s well worth reading up on Charles Darwin and his theories before you visit, so you can put what you are experiencing into historical context, and imagine what it must have been to see these strange animals through the eyes of a young scientist all that time ago. The recent history of the islands is also fascinating, with all manner of strange and scandalous stories originating from the first European settlers in the 1930’s, through it’s wartime role as a US Naval base, and now the ongoing ecological issues which are arising from a growing native population.

We’d highly recommend cruising the islands for as long as your schedule and budget permit, you won’t want to leave! A 7 night cruise from Baltra is ideal, and if you have to choose one region, head West to the actively volcanic islands of Isabela and Fernandina where the slightly cold currents create ideal conditions for a wide variety of marine life. We were fortunate to head North to Genovesa Island, home to huge numbers of seabirds, red footed boobies and uniquely, owls that hunt in the daytime!

Ecuador can be quite literally breath-taking at the altitude of Quito, where a visit to the extraordinary Jesuit church of La Compañía is a must, as is the pre-Colombian art museum of Museo Casa del Alabado in downtown. If you have time, head out of Quito to the Equator Line at La Mitad Del Mundo, or stay on a hacienda at Otavalo, home to South America’s most famous outdoor markets on a Saturday.

Ecuador is also home to some of our favourite and well established Amazon lodges like Sacha and La Selva, and it’s small enough to explore in a relatively short time, a bit like New Zealand really!