Hi everyone, firstly a little about me as this is my first post.
Hi Andy
How exciting! Your trip sounds amazing and you have loads of time to plan what you are going to do because what I love about South America is that it is such a diverse continent, there is loads to see and every country is different.
South America is really easy to travel round, as a female travelling alone for 3 months I had no problems and only incredible experiences. I would have loved to have stayed out there longer but unlike you didn't have the guts to quit my job so had to return to the world of routine quicker than I would have liked. I've been to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia and Brazil and totally loved every one. The only country I've heard some bad things about safety wise is Venezuela but having never been I can't advise on first hand experience.
Budget wise it really depends on the countries you are in, how you travel (like you said buses are cheaper, sometimes, than flights), how good you are at cooking yourself rather than eating out all the time, how many organised tours you do etc etc. Each country is different, I found Brazil to be very similar to European prices, Chile similar whereas Bolivia and Peru are still really cheap and you can travel on very little. I spent £4k in 3 months but did loads of tours, travelled through 5 countries and generally went for it! I think it's possible to travel on a tighter budget but don't assume all of south america is really cheap because it isn't. It totally depends on how long you spend in each country and what you do, have a look on more specific threads relating to different countries on this site.
It's really good you are going to take Spanish classes, you really need a basic understanding of Spanish as a minimal, particularly if you want more than an observatory experience of the culture. My biggest frustration was not having enough Spanish to really converse with local people. As you are going for so long I'd also recommend you go on a Spanish course in one of the countries you are visiting, there are loads of good schools which other travellers can probably advise on you on plus latin american spanish is slightly different from European spanish, and there are also some slight differences between the countries themselves!
My other advice would be:
- Go to your local library to take out travel books on the countries you want to visit, gives you loads of ideas about what is good to do, and gets you excited! Research when is the best time to be visiting the countries you want to see, they all have differing wet/dry seasons, climates, festivals. Be aware of local holidays when things get busy/more expensive and also when the weather can make it more difficult to travel. E.g. Pategonia for trekking - good time is Jan - March, Carnaval in Brazil is feb/march, Bolivia can be a bit of a nightmare to travel around when it's their rainy season as roads turn into rivers!, Machu Pichu trek is closed one month (i think feb but may be wrong) etc
- Get good travel/medical insurance and understand any clauses they have regarding health conditions or visiting an area which is advised against by your government.
- Look at the British Foreign Office's travel advice pages regarding current conditions about areas you are going to. But also you will get a feel for a place when you are out there, in Colombia our Government advises not to do the Lost City Trek but it was one of the best things I did in that country (although as per previous point it did invalidate my insurance!)
- Take overnight buses especially if long journeys.
- Don't take a backpack which is too large/heavy or it will do your head in when you are out there! Generally though i think women travellers are worse at this
- If you are travelling alone don't worry about not meeting people, you will meet loads of people in hostels, on tours etc. Plan the key things you want to do and then when you are out there you organise things on the go. I booked hostels/buses a few days in advance, but some travellers just turn up and it works out for them fine!
- Don't listen to much to people who haven't travelled and say you are being irresponsible or unsafe!
- Be prepared for the reverse culture shock when you return home, in my opinion this is the hardest thing about travelling.
Enjoy your planning! Hannah
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