Je cherche des avis sur les sites de Nazca/Ica/Pisco/Paracas et Islas Balestas.... et autres sites du coin !
En fait je suis à Arequipa et je m'aprête a remonter dans le nord du Perou. Je ne comptais pas m'arrêter avant Lima, mais j'hésite finalement... j'ai parcourus les posts existants mais je voudrais des avis sur tous ces sites et d'autres si vous en connaissez. Je précise que je ne compte pas survoler Nazca (hors budget)... dommage, une autre fois !)
J'ai quelques questions plus precises et je demande surtout des avis persos, mais n'hésitez pas à me parler d'autres sites ou à me donner d'autres infos si vous avez de bon plans logement, resto, caves etc etc etc n'hesitez pas non plus !!!!
Le mirador de Nazca a t'il un interêt ?
Quelqu'un peut t'il me parler des sites autour de Nazca et Palpa (Chauchilla, Pardeones, Cantallo, Cahuachi... etc etc etc ????)
Conseils et avis pour Paracas et Islas Balestas (sites, hebergement, balades a pied, agence... ?) A votre avis, le tour aux iles ne presente t'il pas un derangement trop important pour la faune ??
Pisco, état de la ville aux dernières nouvelles, conseille logement petit budget (15-25 sol ca serait pas mal...) ? Je serais bien tenté de m'arrêter en ville même, pour faire marcher le commerce comme dit Losninos !
Ica et environs, musées et caves, des conseils ? D'autres sites a voir (mêmes moins connus !!), dormir a Ica même ou a Huacachina, des conseils ??? (je ne suis pas un enorme fêtard, mais cela ne me derange pas non plus, au pire une petite nuit lol)
Merci bien a tous ceux qui voudront bien prendre le temps de me faire part de leur experience des lieux !
Un voyage ne se calcule pas en terme d'heures d'avion... on peut aller bien souvent plus loin avec une bonne paire de chaussures.
Ca donne envie de repartir de te savoir la bas!!!
Alors stp si tu as un peu de temps devant toi profite de cette région magnifique pour nous! Bon la g pa bcp de temps pour te répondre mais je connait quelques bonnes adresse à te conseiller dans cette région...
Nazca: le mirador assez decevant, le musée de maria reish trés intéressant pour les fauché et si tu t'intéresse aux interprétation des lignes et à l'astronomie (il on un planétarium!), les sites aux alentours de la ville: super rando stop à faire d'une journée. Si tu peut et que tu t'interesse aux rites et aux croyances quechua passe rendre visite à un ami, Felix qui tient le musée "Inca Wasi" prés de l'aéroport (y a aussi un trés beau et tout nouveau musée municipal sur les civilisation de la cote sud du pérou juste à coté, possibilité de s'y rendre en micro ou en colectivo oir à pied ou en stop en bouclmant ton parcours touristique autour de Nazca); juste à coté de chez lui g rencontrer un artisant super aimable qui m'a invité à manger plusieur fois chez lui et m'a m^me appris quelques thechnique de céramique qu'il fabrique selon des méthode ancéstrales!
Hébergement: le moins cher que g trouvé, ct 15soles.
Ica/Huacachina: quelques musées intéressants à Ica, une ville assez gloque et tentaculaire.... connait pas vraiment. Je me suis plutot plu à Huaca, environnement de desert incroyable bien que touristiquement surexploité. Si t pas trop fan des hotel a gringo je connait une bonne adresse chez des amis qui tiennent un ptit resto et qui pourront surement t'heberger pour pas cher si le feeling passe bien... Possibilité de fairre du sand board, d'aller ramasser des fossiles ou d'apprendre à cuisiner local, de visiter une bodega (ou tu peut déguster à volonté plein d'alcool locaux à base de raisin: pisco, cachina...) avec eux aussi.
Pisco/Paracas/Ballestas:
Si tu passe par la, il Faut t'arreter à Pisco, ne serait ce que pour soutenir l'effort de reconstruction d'une population incroyablement courageuse et chaleureuse. Si tu as du matos utiles (genre matériel de soins, jouet, crayons de couleurs...) je pourrait te donner l'adresse d'une amie sérieuse, Sylvia, qui se chargeait de redistribuer des dons aux habitants les plus défavorisé suite au teremoto. Elle pourra aussi t'avoir des prix pour visiter les ile ballestas mais ça reste assez couteux (genre 60 soles je crois) bien que ça valent carrement le détour. Oubli pas de gouter au Ceviche et de mater un couché de soleil sur le pacifique avant de partir!
Bon voyage et profite en bien. Surtout au cas ou tu rencontrer certaines de mes connaissance sur place (je peut t'envoyer leur contact en Mp si certaines t'interesse), n'oubli pas de les saluer de ma part et de leur dire combien je les aimes et ils me manquent!
Pour plus de détail, tu peut allez jetez un oeil sur mon blog, g poster des article sur cette région: viaje.over-blog.fr
salut Manu
Conseils et avis pour Paracas et Islas Balestas (sites, hebergement, balades a pied, agence... ?) A votre avis, le tour aux iles ne presente t'il pas un derangement trop important pour la faune ??
C'est tres bien a faire, sauf que depuis le tremblement de terre tout a été quelqu peu chamboulé dans le coin. bien sur les bateaux qui te menent aux iles polluent et derangent certainement, mais ca vaut le coup
Ica et environs, musées et caves, des conseils ? D'autres sites a voir (mêmes moins connus !!), dormir a Ica même ou a Huacachina, des conseils ??? (je ne suis pas un enorme fêtard, mais cela ne me derange pas non plus, au pire une petite nuit lol)
Huacachina c'est vraiment bien si tu as l'occase, si tu aimes le soleil et les ambiances un peu "roots" c'est pas mal
Merci a vous deux pour vos reponses rapides et interessantes !
Ok, ca me decide, je vais bien m'arrêter dans le coin, car oui sinople j'ai un peu de temps... bon on en a jamais assez, la preuve il ne me reste deja que 2 mois sur les 6 au total du voyage... gloups ! Reste a savoir si pour rejoindre Nazca je file par la cote ou je prends une petite semaine pour repasser par Cusco par Puno, puis par Abancay... mais j'ai poster un autre message a ce sujet... si par hasard vous connaissez aussi les sites entre Puno/Cusco et Cusco/Abancay (je connais deja Cusco et la vallée sacrée)... je suis preneur (voir mon autre post) !
pour en revenir a la côte ;
Effectivement je pense que sur Ica je vais plutôt m'orienter vers un hebergement a Huaca. Je ne suis pas forcement fan fan de ce type d'ambiance, mais juste pour 1/2 nuits cela ne me derange pas... et par contre j'adore les ambiance de desert et d'oasis, donc c'est parti pour Huaca... em plus si il y a moyen de trouver des fossiles alors la Banco (et oui j'adore les cailloux, personne n'est parfait 😏 !) Si tu as des plans sur le sujet, je suis preneur !
Sinople, je vois (a mon plus grand bonheur d'ailleurs) que nous partageons le même sympatique defaut d'être bavar quand on aborde les sujets qui nous interesse... en ffet pour quelqu'un qui n'a pas trop le temps tu t'es bien laché, belle grosse reponse bien consistante, je t'en remercie !
Ton message confirme plusieurs points pour moi ; je vais effectivement m'arrêter a Pisco plutot qu'a Paracas... ce n'est pas grand chose comme coup de pouce mais même si c'est peu (et oui pas trop de sous a depenser lol) j'espere que cela aidera un peu... Donne moi le contact de ton amie sur place, et si tu as une info sur des produits faisant plus defaut que d'autre... je vais sacrifier un peu de mon budget bière fraiche et resto pour faire quelques achats utiles pour les gens de Pisco... Je n'ai pas grand chose pour le moment, a part une trousse de secours certe bien fournie, mais que je compte garder jusqu'a mon retour... suffirait de s'en separer pour en avoir besoin, et je compte encore vadrouiller en montagne dans le nord !
En fait je suis bien interessé par tout les contacts que tu mentionnes dans le coin, que cela soit a Nazca, Ica/Huaca, Pisco... donc si tu peux m'en dire plus en MP ca serait genial, et je ne menquerais pas de les saluer de ta part (voir de trinquer a ta santé et a ton retour prochain pourquoi pas !!) par ailleurs j'aurais a affiner pour les sites a voir (Nazca notamment), ton aide me sera certainement encore bien preciseuse avec ton tour en auto/stop, tu semble vraiment bien connaitre ce coin du Perou ! Une adresse de bodega en particulier au fait sur Pisco ou Arica Lol ???
Un voyage ne se calcule pas en terme d'heures d'avion... on peut aller bien souvent plus loin avec une bonne paire de chaussures.
Je part bientôt pour le Pérou et comme je serai limité dans le temps je dois choisir de visiter soit les lignes de Nazca, soit le cimetière de Chauchilla.…
On dispose en fait de 3 petits jours pour aller de Lima à Nazca et voir à Paracas les îles Balletas et la réserve ainsi que la lagune de Huacachina, les lignes…
Je suis en train d'organiser un voyage au Pérou de 4 semaines en sac à doc avec mon chéri (que ça fait cloche d'écrire ça!). Je tiens d'abord à remercier…
Nous serons arrivés à pieds à Agua Calientes avec nos 4 enfants la veille au soir. Pour ne pas épuiser tout le monde je pensais faire le Machu pichu pas trop…
Hi everyone,
We're planning a trip to southern Chile in November. Here's our tentative itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Santiago, then a flight the next day to Balmaceda where we'll pick up a rental car to reach Coyhaique.
Day 3: Walk in the Coyhaique National Reserve, then continue to Puerto Chacabuco. Return to Coyhaique for the second night.
Day 4: Drive to Villa Cerro Castillo for a hike in the national park. Continue to Puerto Tranquilo and stay there for 3 nights.
Day 5: Boat tour on Laguna San Rafael.
Day 6: Day trip to Monte San Valentin Glacier.
Day 7: Excursion to the Marble Chapels, then drive to Puerto Guadal. We'll stay there for 3 nights.
Day 8: Walk along Lago Carrera and return to Puerto Guadal.
Day 9: Rio Baker Valley and, if possible, a glacier excursion.
Day 10: Drive to Cochrane and hike in Tamango National Reserve. We'll stay 2 nights in Cochrane.
Day 11: Walk in the Chacabuco Valley.
Day 12: Drive to Caleta Tortel. We'll stay there for 2 nights.
Day 13: Cruise in the Rio Baker delta.
Day 14: Return to Cochrane.
Day 15: Return to Balmaceda in two stages.
Day 16: Continue the return journey.
Day 17: Return the rental car and head back to Santiago.
After this, we're also planning to explore northern Santiago. I'll post about that part once I have a clearer idea of the route.
What do you think of this itinerary? Is it doable in 17 days?
Thanks in advance for your tips and recommendations.
martine
Hi everyone! So happy to be back on this forum—it’s packed with such useful info! 🙂 My husband and I are planning a 2.5-week self-drive trip to Colombia at the end of the year, including some domestic flights. My first question is: is it possible, easy, and safe to do a road trip in Colombia?
Below is our draft itinerary (with questions at each stop):
29/11: France → Colombia. Overnight in Bogotá.
30/11: Exploring Bogotá: La Candelaria and Montserrate.
01/12: Gold Museum (closed on Mondays). Drive to Zipaquirá (1.5 hrs) to visit the Salt Cathedral. Then drive to Villa de Leyva (3 hrs). Explore the town. Overnight in Villa de Leyva.
02/12: Return to Bogotá via Laguna de Guatavita (5 hrs). Is it worth the detour? Overnight in Bogotá.
03/12: Flight to Pereira. Drive to Salento. Overnight in Salento.
04/12: Cocora Valley (hike among the wax palms) followed by a drive around the area. Are there any waterfalls or other sights nearby?
05/12: Visit a coffee finca—any recommendations? Then explore the surroundings: Filandia, Manizales, waterfalls? Hot springs? Which ones?
06/12: Flight to Medellín.
07/12: Exploring Medellín: Centro, Plaza Botero, Comuna 13. How do you visit Comuna 13? Is it easy to get around Medellín? Metro? Buses?
08/12: Drive to Guatapé (2 hrs). Visit the town, stroll around the lake, then El Peñol. Overnight in Guatapé.
09/12: Return to Medellín.
10/12: Flight to Santa Marta. Drive to a hotel near Tayrona Park.
11/12: Tayrona—El Zaino entrance.
12/12: Tayrona—Palangana entrance, then Bahia Concha and Santa Marta. What do you think?
13/12: Drive to Minca (45 mins). Can we reach the village by car? Pozo Azul and Marinka waterfalls. Overnight in Minca (or back in Tayrona?).
14/12: Drive to Puerto Nao (5 hrs). Stop in Ciénaga on the way + boat tour in Nueva Venecia and/or Buena Vista? Not enough time? Overnight in Puerto Nao.
15/12: Exploring Cartagena: Centro, Getsemaní, the walls + La Boquilla if we have time.
16/12: La Boquilla (is it really worth it?) if we didn’t have time yesterday, then back to the beach.
17/12: Return to France.
So, what do you think? Is this doable, or should we tweak it? Thanks in advance for your invaluable feedback and tips! 🙂
Hi there, I’ll be in Brazil from December 10th to the end of February.
I’ve sketched out a rough itinerary but I’m not sure how to arrange it—considering the climate, year-end holidays, and Carnival.
Basically, I’m thinking of the Amazon, the Northeast coast with Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (but skipping Chapada Diamantina),
Ouro Preto, Paraty, and Ilha Grande—but no Rio visit.
Is this doable in 3 months?
Which direction should I take for this itinerary?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone, does anyone know the agency Ventura Travel Agency (not ventura travel)? After lots of research and quotes, it’s the only one offering Uyuni at a reasonable price while meeting all the criteria: transfer to the border, private-room accommodation, and a very fair rate. Other agencies or guides either offer shared rooms, no border transfer, or prices that are way too high. But I’d love to hear some reviews about this agency. Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone,
We're planning a trip to Chile to visit the Atacama Desert and then head toward Putre, Lauca, Salar de Surire, etc.
Which would be the better time to go, April or November?
Is an SUV enough?
Looking forward to your tips!
Hi everyone, French travelers in Chile—what credit cards do you use for your various car rentals in the country? I’m traveling in September and was planning to switch my regular debit card (a VISA PREMIER in deferred debit mode) for the deposit guarantee.
My rentals are with Figal in Punta Arenas, Econautos in Arica, and Chilean Rent a Car in Temuco, and all of them want the deposit on a credit card. For me, deferred debit *should* work, but I’ve read comments saying the opposite.
How’s it actually working on the ground with these rental companies right now? Will a deferred debit card work, or not at all?
In France, banks don’t issue credit cards, right—or am I mistaken?
Hi everyone, is it still possible to travel in Ecuador outside the Amazon region? If so, do you have a reliable agency to recommend? All your recent experiences from the past few months would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much
Hi,
We’re heading to Buenos Aires for 3 days in November and would like to do a guided tour of a few neighborhoods. There are "free" tours, but none in French. Does anyone have a guide to recommend so we can really get to know the city beyond just the architecture?
Thanks
Hi there,
I’m desperately looking for info on the schedules and routes of (shared) boats to visit the islands of Lake Titicaca.
From what I’ve found, there’s a *combi* (bus) that leaves from Puno to go to Llachon. Where do you catch it? What are the schedules and frequency? Does it take about 1 hour?
Then in Llachon, you can take a boat to Amantani (45 min). Same question—where do you check for frequency and schedule?
After that, from Amantani, boats go to Taquile and then Uros. Do you have enough time to visit the islands between two boats? Frequency and schedule?
The goal is to do this tour independently (no agency) over 2 days. Thanks for any tips you might have!
I just got back from a trip to Bolivia and wow—what a wake-up call. It’s not the easiest country, but it’s absolutely stunning.
I started with Isla del Sol, perfect for easing into the altitude at a relaxed pace. Try to stay in the northern part of the island—it’s quieter and the views are insane. And the trout there? Unreal. Quick tip: bring cash in small bills; they almost never have change, and cards are rarely accepted.
Next up, La Paz. The city’s pretty wild, built in every direction. I did a few hikes in the area, including the famous Charquini Lagoon (the blue lake) at over 5,000 m—let’s just say I struggled 😅 but it was so beautiful it was totally worth it.
After that, I headed to Sajama. It’s cool, especially for the hot springs, and I stayed in Tomarapi. But honestly, if you’re short on time, you can skip it without too many regrets.
The highlight of the trip: the Salar. I did it starting from Tupiza, and I *highly* recommend going Tupiza → Uyuni. Way less crowded at the start and the landscapes are super varied. For the tour, I used SplitYourGuide to find a group, and it worked out great. Super handy for splitting costs and meeting people.
I wrapped up in Sucre—this city is gorgeous, all white, with such a chill vibe. And the salteñas + ice cream? Next level 😋
Bottom line: Bolivia’s a bit rough around the edges, sometimes exhausting (shoutout to the altitude), but it’s 1000% worth it.
If you’ve got questions or need tips, I’m happy to help!
Martin
I was planning to go to Réunion and stay in half-board accommodation with non-professionals, but it seems that’s not really the custom there—or maybe my budget isn’t big enough.
So, since I’ve already traveled around Ecuador and Peru, I’m now looking at Argentina, especially for its mountains (like the ones in Réunion that tempted me, even though—frustratingly—I could only admire them from below).
I plan to get around by bus and don’t know in advance where I’ll sleep, so I won’t book ahead. If I like a place, I might stay for several days.
I know that in Chile, it’s easy to find half-board accommodation, but what about in Argentina?
I’d like to stay with locals in half-board without it being a professional setup. I’m not sure if this is common practice there. It’s up to me to find someone willing to host me.
What do you think?
What would be a fair price (keeping in mind that 40 to 50 € is the max I can spend on accommodation, breakfast, and dinner)?
Hi everyone,
We’re heading to Patagonia for three weeks in November, starting from Coyhaique in Chile.
We won’t have a car, and I’m struggling to find information about transportation options for a few parts of the itinerary we’d like to do:
1) From Perito Moreno (the town, near Los Antiguos), we’d like to travel down Ruta 40 to visit Perito Moreno National Park and then cross into Chile via the Paso Roballos (at the latitude of Bajo Caracoles) to reach the road to Cochrane. Without a car, it seems we’ll need to use private agencies to get to the national park—do you have any recommendations or suggestions? Also, does anyone know if it’s possible to cross into Chile via Paso Roballos (from Bajo Caracoles) without a rental car? That is, without having to go all the way down to El Chaltén or back up toward Perito Moreno/Los Antiguos, etc.?
2) The second stretch that seems a bit tricky (though still easier, in theory) is from Caleta Tortel to Villa O’Higgins on the Chilean side. Do we have to go back through Cochrane, or are there ways to get directly from Tortel to Villa O’Higgins?
3) Finally, we’d like to hike into Argentina (El Chaltén) from O’Higgins. Any recommendations for this? Do we need to go through an agency? What’s the estimated duration of the trek?
As you’ve probably gathered, we want to visit some off-the-beaten-path spots but don’t have a car, so we’re looking for the best possible compromises.
Thanks so much in advance for all your suggestions!
Thomas
Hi,
we’re planning a round trip from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, to Salta, Argentina, in two months. On the way there, we’ll take the northern route via Susques, Route 27, then 52. But for the return, we were thinking of taking the southern route via San Antonio de los Cobres, Route 51, then 23. Is it similar to the northern route in terms of road surface? How busy is it, and are there gas stations? Basically, should we be worried about doing it in an SUV that’s supposedly 4x4 but has regular road tires and no second spare wheel, obviously...
I’ve seen that we can stop over in San Antonio de los Cobres.
Thanks for your feedback.
Raf.
Hi,
we’ll be in Calama at the end of March 2026, and I’m looking for a reliable car rental there for a 7-day road trip to Salta, Argentina. But I’m struggling with the car rental agencies in Calama because the reviews can be scary. I saw Gyg, which has great ratings, but I’m a bit wary (5/5 from 59 reviews—either the guy’s amazing or it’s fake...), but I can’t find any recent reviews on VF in general.
For Punta Arenas, I booked with Dachelet and didn’t have any issues with email exchanges.
Thanks in advance.
Raf.
I’m planning the trip of my dreams for next November—Chile!
I’d love to get your thoughts on my potential itinerary. I know it’s a big investment in terms of both time and money, so every bit of feedback, suggestion, or info helps immensely. Thank you in advance!!
1-Flight to Santiago
2-Explore Santiago
3-Explore Santiago
4-Bus from STG to Valpo (2h) + visit Valparaíso + night in Viña
5-Visit Valparaíso + bus back to STG (2h)
6-Flight to Calama + bus to San Pedro + explore and acclimate in San Pedro + car rental in the afternoon (+Chaxa?)
7-(Very early) Valle del Arcoíris + Laguna Cejar + Valle de la Luna
Good evening,
We’d love to go in November to enjoy some beautiful beaches for about two weeks, preferably around Bahia, as November/December seems like a great time.
We’ve already traveled to Brazil several times and know the south of Rio as well as the region between São Luís and Fortaleza, and Chapada Diamantina...
What advice would you give us: the south with Itaparica, Morro de São Paulo, Boipeba, Barra Grande—or all four? Or maybe the north?
Thanks in advance for your help
Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I last posted!
First time in South America for me, my wife, and our 7-year-old son. I’ve put together this itinerary and would love to hear your thoughts:
Bogotá 28/07 – 30/07: Arrival. Which neighborhood and outings would you recommend?
Flight to
2 Filandia 30/07 – 03/08: (255 €). Waterfalls and horseback riding,
Cocora Valley,
Hiking,
Nearby villages.
Flight to
3 Tayrona 03/08 – 07/08: Hotel La Casablanca
Hike with Tierra Nevada and the Kogui village (any feedback?). Return by inner tube for the little one.
Short night hike.
Second hike to La Piscina, etc., return by 🐎.
4 Cartagena 07/08 – 10/08: Air-conditioned bus.
Staying in Getsemaní? Mangroves & the Castle, exploring the city.
5 Bogotá 10/08 – 12/08
Feel free to share your feedback!
Have a great day!
Hi,
During an upcoming trip to Peru, we’ll have one day to explore around Arequipa (excluding Colca Canyon) with a car and driver.
We’ve got a few options:
- Toro Muerto petroglyphs and dinosaur footprints at Querulpa
- Ruta del Sillar and Quebrada de Culebrillas
We’re a group of 6 friends with an average age of 70, all mobile, and we’re planning a trip to Peru in September/October 2026. Below is an idea of what we’re looking for: a French-speaking guide, accommodation in 3-star hotels or homestays with comfort.
Duration: 16 to 20 days on-site.
Visit the main sites with immersion in the culture and way of life.
Which francophone agency in Peru would you recommend? Thanks
Hi there!
I’m putting together my itinerary for Brazil, looking for beautiful natural spots with wildlife, flora, and great hikes...
I’ve come across the Cananeia / Super Agui / Ilha do Mel region and the PETAR / Intervales / Alto Ribeira area.
Has anyone here been to these places? If so, do you have any recommendations for accommodations and activities?
Thanks in advance!
Best,
Olivier 🌍
I’ll be in ARICA in northern Chile at the end of May 2026 and want to get to TACNA.
Are there taxis, buses, or collectivos that run the border crossing route?
After that, bus to AREQUIPA (Peru): any bus company you’d recommend?
Hi there,
We’re spending 3 weeks in Brazil, arriving in São Paulo—a couple plus a teen—and we’ll have a rental car.
We especially love nature: hiking, wildlife watching, birds, etc.
We’re planning to wrap up with a week around Paraty and Ilha Grande.
We’re not really into visiting big cities like São Paulo or Rio unless you think we’d be missing out big time.
So we’ve got 2 weeks to explore the south/southwest region of São Paulo.
What do you recommend?
National parks? Off-the-beaten-path nature spots? Iguazu Falls?
Hi there,
Do you have any recommendations for comfortable accommodation in Leyva and Barichara? We're also looking for a guide to explore the areas around these two towns (parks, waterfalls, etc.).
Thanks for your tips!
I visited Colombia in January 2016 and I’m heading back from August 6th to 17th with the same airline to see how things have changed. Starting August 18th, I’ll continue with independent exploration. I prefer slow travel and enjoying places at my own pace.
Any tips—especially for getting around or must-see spots—are welcome!
Thu Aug 06. Fly Montreal to Bogotá 20:55-04:05+1 Air Canada
Fri Aug 07. Bogotá
Sat Aug 08. Bogotá
Sun Aug 09. Bogotá
Mon Aug 10. Fly Bogotá to Medellín
Tue Aug 11. Medellín - Explore Guatapé
Wed Aug 12. Comuna 8 & Hill of Values - PM Fly to Pereira
Thu Aug 13. Montenegro
Fri Aug 14. Salento - Cocora Valley
Sat Aug 15. Fly to Cartagena
Sun Aug 16. Explore Cartagena
Mon Aug 17. Explore Cartagena
Tue Aug 18. Fly Cartagena to Cali 12:20-14:55 Latam
Wed Aug 19. Cali
Thu Aug 20. Cali
Fri Aug 21. Cali
Sat Aug 22. Bus Cali to Popayán 09:00-13:00
Sun Aug 23. Popayán
Mon Aug 24. Popayán
Tue Aug 25. Popayán - Day trip to Silvia (Market Day)
Wed Aug 26. Overland Popayán to Tierradentro by public transportation 4h, 100km
Thu Aug 27. Tierradentro
Fri Aug 28. Tierradentro
Sat Aug 29. Overland Tierradentro to Garzón via La Plata
Sun Aug 30. Bus Garzón to San Agustín 10:30-13:00
Mon Aug 31. San Agustín
Tue Sep 01. San Agustín
Wed Sep 02. San Agustín
Thu Sep 03. San Agustín
Fri Sep 04. Overland San Agustín to Tatacoa Desert via Neiva
Sat Sep 05. Tatacoa Desert
Sun Sep 06. Fly to Bogotá via Neiva 16:00-17:00 Latam
Mon Sep 07. Bogotá
Tue Sep 08. Fly Bogotá to Montreal 09:00-16:30 Air Canada
Hi there,
Three years ago during a trip to Java (no, I didn’t post in the wrong forum!), I came across the address of former miners who had switched to “tourism” and organized nighttime ascents of the Kawah Ijen volcano and descents into the crater.
So I was thinking—maybe there are miners on the salt flats too, either former or still active, who do the same thing. If you’ve had an experience like this, I’d love any tips you can share.
Thanks in advance.
Hi there, since there isn’t much recent info on how to get to MP, I’d love to know if there have been any improvements to the "route" to Hydroelectrica. Is it feasible to drive there in February? And is it still possible to walk all the way to Aguas Calientes? I think I read somewhere that it’s no longer allowed??
Do you think I can buy Machu Picchu entrance tickets last-minute at that time of year, given the weather?
A group of friends and I are heading to Brazil in March 2019 and we’d love to attend the Carnival parade. I could really use your help because I’m struggling to find reviews for online ticket sellers for Carnival.
I came across rio-carnival—is this a reliable agency?
Do you have other agencies to recommend or experiences to share?
Any advice is welcome.
Everything You Need to Know About Argentina’s Currency Exchange Maze (2026 Edition)
Hi fellow travelers,
Packing your bags for Buenos Aires? Watch out—here, money is a science almost as complex as the dance steps in a tango!
As of March 2026, the situation has shifted dramatically: the "Blue" (parallel) rate is now neck-and-neck with the official rate. To save you from losing your hard-earned euros in bureaucratic mazes or "disastrous" exchange rates, I’ve laced up my reporter boots and hit the famous Calle Florida for you.
In my latest video (and the accompanying article), I take you behind the scenes of currency exchange:
Arbolitos and Cuevas: Who are they, and can you still trust them?
The Rate Showdown: Why Banco Nación is currently the worst place for your savings.
Western Union: Why it’s often your best ally right now.
Cash or Card? The little secret to getting an instant 10–15% discount at restaurants or hotels.
The Bill Trap: Why your 500 € notes or stained dollars might stay in your wallet.
Argentina changes fast—*very* fast (by the end of March, today’s advice might already be old news!). So don’t leave without checking the market’s pulse.
