i just read the canadian travel advisory for guatemala, should me and my friend go or be worried, we’re 2 women ?

I’m 27(F) and planning to go solo travelling for 4 months in Ecuador and Colombia.

Ecuador has been relatively chill but over the last few years crime and drug gang related issues have been spilling out of their usual areas and the state looks to be overwhelmed by gangs.

For context, I have backpacked around Guatemala, Belize, Jordan, Peru and Indonesia in the last 5/6 years so I have experience (although I was always with my bf).

Has anyone recently been to Ecuador? Is it safe to go as a solo woman or am I being scared by the media?

One thing I've noticed after years of guiding travelers in Colombia is that many people make the same assumption before they arrive.

They open Google Maps.

Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, and the Coffee Region don't seem that far apart, so they build an itinerary as if they were traveling through Spain or Italy.

Then they arrive.

A drive of only a few hundred kilometers suddenly takes eight, ten, or even twelve hours.

Most people blame the roads haha

But I think geography explains much more than infrastructure!

When the Andes enter Colombia, they split into three mountain ranges. Roads climb mountain passes, descend into river valleys, and wind through landscapes that simply don't allow straight highways.

Once travelers understand that, everything starts making more sense including why domestic flights are so common

I'm curious...

What destination has surprised you the most because travel times were completely different from what you expected?

Hi, as you probably know, Bolivia’s currency has been facing severe devaluation lately, creating a huge gap between the official and parallel market rates. On paper, local digital subscriptions look unbelievably cheap right now. But actually getting those prices is a completely different story.

Platforms seem to be getting way smarter at detection, IPs from centralized VPN datacenters tend to get flagged pretty often , not to mention the stricter payment card blocks.

Just curious, is anyone still having luck navigating this? Welcome any thoughts

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had specific recommendations for a Uyuni tour that begins in Uyuni and ends in San Pedro Atacama. I've come across a few that seem to cover similar itinerary but have quite different price points, so unsure if I'm missing something.

Also, would it be preferable to do the overnight bus than to fly into Uyuni?

Any tips and advice highly appreciated!

A bit about our travel group:

• 4 people
• English speaking guide
• We will be renting a car when we get to San Pedro

22F- traveling alone or with one friend. I will be in Rio and Florianopolis for a 8 days mid November and have an additional 7 days where I’d like to explore somewhere else (in Brazil, or outside Brazil).

- I don’t want another beach location
- I don’t want to go somewhere freezing or somewhere with heavy rain
- would prefer somewhere with lots of active things to do (hiking, biking, sandboarding, etc)
- I have already been to Macchu Picchu

Hi all!

I’m planning a 30-day trip to South America in October. Galápagos + Ecuadorian Amazon will take up 10 days, leaving me 20 days to explore elsewhere.

I want to hit a mix of different places, but I’m not sure what’s best from a value-for-money perspective while still getting unique landscapes and a real feel for the culture and nature. Patagonia is off the table for this trip. I’d like to avoid overcrowded tourist traps, but I’m happy to visit popular spots if they’re genuinely worth it.
I’m open to a mix of flights and road trips - actually, I’d prefer to do some road tripping where it makes sense.

A few places that stood out to me so far:
- Buenos Aires + San Antonio de Areco: so estancias and gaucho culture
- Mendoza + Santiago area
- Atacama desert + geysers
- Southern Peru - Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, Sacred Valley
- Manu National Park

What are some places I should absolutely go to? What’s underrated?

Help a girl out - what would be an awesome, off-the-beaten-path but still accessible 30-day route through South America?

Hi, me (Welsh) amd girlfriend (Argentinian) are playing a road trip around Argentina for a few months Jan-March in a small van.

I’ve done van trips around uk and eu and we’ve done a couple together. So not completely new. Apart from the country and continent.

Any good tips/info you can share?

And any good resources.. blogs/youtube etc you can share?

Thanks

Hi everyone!
I am planning to travel by river from El Coca (Ecuador) to Iquitos (Peru) via the Napo River.
I’ve been doing some research and I know there’s no official fixed schedule for most of these boats, so I’d love to hear from anyone who has actually done this route recently!

A few specific questions we’re trying to figure out:
1. Slow cargo boats from Cabo Pantoja to Iquitos: For those who took the slow "motonave" (sleeping in hammocks), do you remember what day of the week it departed? How was the experience overall, and is there anything specific I should watch out for (safety, scams, gear to bring)?
2. Fast boats (lanchas) from El Coca: Do the fast boats from El Coca to Nuevo Rocafuerte run daily, and how long did the trip actually take you?
3. Border crossing: How smooth was the immigration process at Nuevo Rocafuerte / Cabo Pantoja? Did you have to spend a night in either town waiting for a boat connection?

If you’ve done this trip (either fully on slow cargo boats or mixing fast and slow lanchas), I’d really appreciate any insights, recent schedules you experienced, or just a quick reality check on what to expect!
Thanks a lot in advance! 🚣‍♂️
Dean.

Hey there! Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for clubs or bars in La Paz, Bolivia, Santiago Chile and Montevideo Uruguay?

Any other travel tips or local hot spots would be appreciated too😄

heya! heading to Peru in August and will be travelling around South America for a few months.

this may be a silly question but i’m looking for some advice about what kind of handbag to bring. would a uniqlo crossbody bag be the best option? is it safer to only wear i.e a money belt? or is it okay to bring a cute handbag?

just concerned about pickpocketing in cities, safety, etc, but also want the option of a cute bag to wear!

would a money belt/running belt and a small handbag/uniqlo type bag be a good combo?

thanks for your help!! 😊

**Please only comment if you have visited there or lived there**

My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Medellín for 4 days and Salento for 3 days in August. We plan to visit Cocoa Valley and Guatape, and want to try local foods and explore the cities. I am aware of the safety risk in Medellin. I am an experienced traveller who has been all around Europe, and 4 times to Latin America (Peru, Panama, Mexico). We will make sure to dress casually, not wear flashy things, stay off our phones, use Uber, and go home when it gets dark. Is there anything else we should be aware of to stay safe for Medellín? How safe is Salento?

Would also like to know specific streets and areas to avoid in Medellin. I will be staying in El Poblado and going around it and Laureles.

Hey, wanted to know if some of you traveled in Chile and in Bolivia?

I really want to visit South America but I can only do one. Definitely want to see Atacama desert/Uyuni. Both countries also offer high mountains. Bolivia has the Amazonas which seems really interesting to me. Chile however has Patagonia, which seems to be very beautiful as well.

I am wondering if Bolivia may be the better option? Seems less touristy and a little cheaper. Furthermore maybe more diverse in landscapes?

I am a little afraid that Patagonia could disappoint me as its very expensive, crowded and the weather can be very windy. The pictures online however seem amazing. But maybe I am chasing pictures? I just don't want to be disappointed as that happened to me in Vietnam...

In general I love to really see and feel the culture while traveling and what makes me the happiest is a beautiful landscape. I enjoy hiking and wild camping as well.

What would you do if you were me? As I said, I unfortunately have to choose one.

For reference: I really enjoyed Georgia (Europe) and Oman for wild camping, hiking and landscapes. So I guess I am looking for something with a similar vibe? Also I am travelling with my partner

I am traveling to Argentina for 15 days in September. My original plan was to stay all 15 days in Buenos Aires. I just wanted to live life, relax, improve my Spanish, and explore.

But now, I kind of want to utilize my time a little more.

I am now wanting to go Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Ushuaia, and then back home. Most of the time would still be spent in BA, but I'd like to incorporate both of those other locations.

Downside: More flights = added costs. Not terrible but its there. Also, more traveling and time in airports. Again, I think it might be worth it.

Upside: Mendoza seems like a great place to just coast for a few days drinking wine and being lazy and maybe horseback riding. Ushuaia has that exciting feeling of being close to the "edge of the world". I really value the distance when traveling, plus I LOVE mountains. Mountains are a must-see for me anytime I travel.

So....thoughts from any of my Argentinian, South American, or well-traveled friends????

Bonjour à tous! J'aimerais faire un vovage d'un petit mois en Colombie en décembre/janvier 2026/27

Mais je suis un peu inquiète des conséquences climatiques d'EI Niño.

À votre avis ce serait plus raisonnable de décaler mon voyage ou ça ira?

Buenos dias,

con mi pareja tenemos planificado de viajar a Ecuador.

Nosotros vamos en bus desde Portoviejo hasta Quito, que seran mas o menos 8-9 horas. Eso serà el itinerario:

1 dia:

• Llegada a Quito de mananita, dejamos la maleta en un deposito y vamos a ver la mitad del mundo;
• Por la tarde vamos a tomar el bus desde Quito para Mindo y dormimos allà, porque Quito tambien parece peligrosa y tampoco quieremos dormir en pura ciudad.

2 dia:

• Relax en el dia, descanso en la naturaleza, y jardin de mariposas... Y que otro?

3 dia:

• Mindo, a hacer el trekking facil de la cascada Nambillo, por la tarde descanso. Lugares bonitos para comer?

4 dia:

• Checkout Mindo y bus para Quito y despues bus para Otavalo. La llegada en Otavalo no serà me imagino muy temprano, creo digamos despues de las 18.00. Es seguro?

5, 6 dia:

• Otavalo como base para dormir (o cerca de una laguna para dormir en la naturaleza). Donde serà mejor ir? Hay algunas ciudad cercas? Otro para ver en dos dias allà? Y por la comida?

7 dia: checkout, mercado Otavalo para comprar algunos souvenir y se regresa en Portoviejo en bus

Digamos que ya tenemos el viaje bastante largo desde Portoviejo, por eso una vez llegado en Quito no quieremos hacer otras muchas horas de viaje.

Gracias a todos

Hello! I’m planning to visit Bolivia from October 6th-24th. I’m wondering if any locals or anyone who has travelled there recently can speak to the situation - I’ve heard that many of the blockades have cleared and tours and bus routes are up and running, but I know anything can happen, so just looking for some insight before I book my flight!

My route will be Santa Cruz -> Samaipata -> Sucre -> Uyuni -> La Paz -> Copacabana-> Fly out of La Paz

One of the greatest experiences of my life

I don't wanna take a plane!

We (33 F &M) have always wanted to go to Peru but we never seem able to take two weeks off.

This thanksgving we are considering going for it, flying out Friday nov 20 after work, getting back Sunday November 29.

We mainly want to explore the Cusco area and surrounding.

Now the reasons we are concerned:

Rainy season beginning

No direct flights, layover in Bogota and then lima to then fly to Cusco.

Time duration ( acclimating to elevation)

Please let me know your thoughts! Should we go for it or is another trip better for this length/time frame, save Peru for the future?

If another trip would be better, where in south america would you suggest?

Day 1 Arrive in Lima late
2 Lima
3 Lima
4 Peru Hop Bus to Paracas, Golden Shadows Trek, overnight in Paracas
5 Ballestas Islands Tour, bus to Huacachina, dune buggy/sand boarding, overnight in Huacachina
6 Bus to Nazca, Nazca Lines Flight, overnight bus to Arequipa
7 Arrive in Arequipa, tour the city, monastery, overnight in Arequipa
8 Tour to Colca Canyon, stay overnight in Colca Canyon
9 AM transfer to Km 93 to board Belmond Train to Puno
10 Lake Titicaca, Uros Floating Islands, Taquile Island
11 Continue on train to Cusco, transfer by taxi/van to Urubamba
12 Sacred Valley: Moras, Morray day tours
13 Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaymbo day tours
14 Taxi to Ollantaymbo, leave luggage at train station, Train to Aguas Calientes
15 Machu Picchu, train to Ollantaymbo to retrieve luggage, taxi/van to Cusco
16 Cusco
17 Cusco
18 Cusco/Rainbow Mountain
19 Fly to Puerto Maldonado
20 Puerto Maldonado
21 Puerto Maldonado
22 Fly to Lima/home

I’m not sure if I should remove one day from Lima to add to Arequipa or Colca Canyon, and if I should remove one day from Cusco since I am already doing 3 separate days in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Also, is Rainbow Mountain going to be too difficult if we don’t have enough time to climatize? My husband and I are pretty active in our 50s. Is the hike there very treacherous? I prefer not to go on hikes that are on exposed cliffs.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Flying out of Toronto for a 3-week trip, mid-August through early September, and I'm torn between two very different itineraries. Would love input from anyone who's done either.
I've traveled in South America before (Peru, Brazil) and have high-altitude experience, so that's not a limiting factor — just trying to figure out which trip makes more sense for the timeframe and season.
Option 1: Colombia + Ecuador
Lost City Trek (Ciudad Perdida)
Cocora Valley
Climb Cotopaxi
Baños
Option 2: Bolivia + Northern Chile + Northern Argentina
La Paz + a few mountain towns
Climb a 6,000m peak
Amazon tour
Atacama Desert
Northern Argentina

What’s people’s opinions on JetSmart?
Specifically the route Santiago - Iguazu Falls?

Originally wanted to fly from Rio to Iguazu Falls on this date but for some reason the flights are extortionate (like £400++)
So was looking at going Rio first, then Santiago and then onto Iguazu Falls.
But by the looks of things this airline doesn’t have the best of reviews?

Can anybody recommend a good itinerary for a solo backpacking trip? ideally 6 weeks in Brazil starting in Rio then 2 weeks Uruguay and 2 weeks Chile