Travel Journal

Hola!

As we shiver in the Kiwi winter, warmer exotic climes certainly appeal right now, so we thought we’d highlight one of our favourite destinations. We think that South America has been hugely overlooked in recent years, but from New Zealand it’s a very comparable in-flight time to flying to either Japan or Vietnam! There are no complicated visas to obtain, it’s good value for money and offers an incredible diversity of experiences.

First-timers to South America tend to explore the popular Andean countries of Peru, Bolivia or Ecuador in search of Incan & pre-Colombian adventures. The drier months of April to October are a popular time to visit with the star attractions undoubtedly Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands & Amazon Rainforest lodges, Peru’s Cuzco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas & Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, astride the Peru/Bolivia border.

On the way to or returning from these Andean nations you may wish to enjoy a city break in the ‘heartland’ of South America – the three capital cities of Santiago, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro are all very different, but each are buzzy and cosmopolitan like their European counterparts. The most iconic scenic highlight of South America –mighty Iguassu Falls – sits astride the Brazil & Argentinean border and is a very popular stopover.

In the Deep South you have Patagonia (think our Fiordland but on serious steroids) – this magnificent trekking region of Southern Chile and Argentina is best explored in our Summer, from November to March when the weather is warmer and more settled (slightly less windy than winter!) or enroute to Antarctica!

Recently emerging destinations in South America include Colombia – Ian was very impressed, especially by the beautiful Spanish colonial coastal city of Cartagena, but the national parks, Caribbean beaches and coffee plantations all offer a ‘wow’ factor. Brazil continues to emerge with its impressive Pantanal wetlands region, the beaches of Paraty & Buzios either side of Rio and the African-influenced North-East – Recife & Salvador are encouraging travellers to venture past Rio & Iguassu.

So how do you get to South America from Christchurch? Well, until 26 October this year, the Chilean national airline LATAM fly 6 times a week from Auckland to Santiago in Chile and then they switch to 4 flights per week from 27 October. That’s good news as their flight to Santiago will then no longer be originating in Sydney, it will be originating in Auckland, which should free up a lot more space on those Dreamliners and hence lead to cheaper airfares for Kiwis keen to explore this most fascinating continent! Flexible return airfares from Christchurch via Auckland to Santiago with checked baggage and complimentary pre-seating will start around $2,400, or from NZD$2,700 to Lima in Peru.

Qantas also fly from Christchurch via Sydney to Santiago and their fares are usually comparable to LATAM’s. There are also strong rumours of a twice weekly direct Auckland-Buenos Aires flight launching in December this year with China Eastern Airlines, although this has yet to go on sale.

South America is a destination that the Discover Travel team know well, between us we’ve travelled extensively around all the most popular countries including Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador & the Galapagos and Colombia. Ian’s a huge fan and has visited the continent 8 times!

If you only plan to visit once, you might be tempted by this 25 day ‘South America Explorer Tour’ (or 32 days including the Galapagos Islands), it’s fully escorted from New Zealand and departing on 18 Sep 2025, so be quick!

If that’s too soon, how about the truly epic 36 day ‘Grand Tour of South America’ departing on 1 September 2026, also fully escorted from New Zealand and covering all the highlights.

Given the vastness of the continent, to keep cost reasonable and have the chance to make some new friends, you may prefer to join a small group tour over there, our friends at Intrepid and G Adventures have a fantastic range of itineraries at different levels of comfort. There are some great multi-country tours like this one of Peru, Argentina and Brazil, or here’s some of our favorites for Patagonia, Peru, Bolivia and Colombia. Intrepid are due to have a big sale next month, so get in touch with us for details of that!

At Discover Travel, we like to keep things fresh and interesting, so we’ve been scouring the continent for interesting new experiences for those travellers who prefer to explore independently. How about a stay on a winery in Chile, a hacienda in Ecuador or aboard a small ship in the Peruvian Amazon? Or perhaps you’d like to explore the incredible ‘cowboy country’ scenery around Salta or the ‘chocolate box’ town of Bariloche, both in Argentina?

This is just a tiny selection of ideas to get you started, there are thousands of others. Please drop us an email or give us a call us to start planning your own trip.

Hasta luego!

The Discover Travel team.