[Christo]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
If you're interested, I have a travel blog too - http://blogs.statravel.co.uk/lucyanddave It's got photos as well as text

Thanks FHS - bookmarked for reading.

Both of you guys were about Peru/Bolivia around the time I'm planning a visit which is great. (though you had tons of other stops too - jealous!)

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by Christo)
Thanks FHS - bookmarked for reading.

Both of you guys were about Peru/Bolivia around the time I'm planning a visit which is great. (though you had tons of other stops too - jealous!)

Thanks Let me know whether it's been helpful

[missdee]

I spent 4 months in Paraguay volunteering. I wouldn't recommend going there. It's not bad or anything, but if you're on a limited time scale, there's so much more to see elsewhere.
I did visit Iguassu, from both the Brazilian side and Argentina. I definately recommend doing this, both are spectacular. We stayed on the Brazilian side for the weekend and just hopped on a bus over the boarder to Argentina for a day trip to see the falls from that side. It only cost a few quid but was well worth it.

Wherever you go, have fun!

[brabzzz]

(Original post by Christo)
...Been having a look through your travel blog...

Cool. Glad someone other than the parents enjoyed reading it! ;-)

Blogs are a really useful way of planning routes and generally researching trips and tips. Unlike the guidebooks, they have actually been there (LP is rumored to have never been to Colombia...) and definitely much more recently!

For anyone too lazy to search, it was at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...zz/1/tpod.html

[wilma flintstone]

You must go to Brazil, its be best!
I go there almost every year probably best to go to sao paulo

[miml]

I think I finally have a route sorted...

Lima - Arequipa - Cusco - Puno - Copacabana - La Paz - Coroico - Rurrenabaque - La Paz - Cochabamba - Uyuni - San Pedro - Salta - Iguazu - Mendoza (via Cordoba) - Santiago

The only thing I'm concerned about is how fast I will be travelling, I should probably take out at least one place but can't think of which one?

[Christo]

(Original post by miml)
I think I finally have a route sorted...

Lima - Arequipa - Cusco - Puno - Copacabana - La Paz - Coroico - Rurrenabaque - La Paz - Cochabamba - Uyuni - San Pedro - Salta - Iguazu - Mendoza (via Cordoba) - Santiago

The only thing I'm concerned about is how fast I will be travelling, I should probably take out at least one place but can't think of which one?

Sounds great.

I'm thinking a similar-ish route, maybe taking in a place or two along the coast to Arequipa. I think I have a week or so less than you (8 weeks right?) but I'm not planning on heading past Bolivia. I am still tempted by starting off from Quito though !

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by miml)
I think I finally have a route sorted...

Lima - Arequipa - Cusco - Puno - Copacabana - La Paz - Coroico - Rurrenabaque - La Paz - Cochabamba - Uyuni - San Pedro - Salta - Iguazu - Mendoza (via Cordoba) - Santiago

The only thing I'm concerned about is how fast I will be travelling, I should probably take out at least one place but can't think of which one?

What are Coroico and Rurrenabaque famous for? I haven't heard of them before.

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by Christo)
I am still tempted by starting off from Quito though !

I'd do it I've heard it's a great place, and I really wish I'd managed to go there! Would you be going to the Galapagos Islands too?

[miml]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
What are Coroico and Rurrenabaque famous for? I haven't heard of them before.

Coroico isn't really famous for anything. But the road from La Paz to Coroico is - Death Road

Rurrenabaque is a start point for pampas tours.

[thepinkpowerranger]

(Original post by brabzzz)
Cool. Glad someone other than the parents enjoyed reading it! ;-)

Blogs are a really useful way of planning routes and generally researching trips and tips. Unlike the guidebooks, they have actually been there (LP is rumored to have never been to Colombia...) and definitely much more recently!

For anyone too lazy to search, it was at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...zz/1/tpod.html

Slightly unrelated to the thread but your blog has given me itchy feet again! It's a good 'un!

South America looks amazing!!

[lizfairy]

Still after Jungle tour/destination recommendations and advice on getting to them.
Also, how much would it cost to get between Cuzco and Rio de janeiro, by bus or flight?

[miml]

(Original post by lizfairy)
Still after Jungle tour/destination recommendations and advice on getting to them.
Also, how much would it cost to get between Cuzco and Rio de janeiro, by bus or flight?

Cuzco - Rio is a long way to bus (unless you are stopping off on the way, eg Cuzco - Lake Titicaca - La Paz - Santa Cruz - Corumba (Brazilian border) - Rio) That would take a few weeks though.

Flights cost around £500-£600, but that was a quick search on skyscanner, you may get it cheaper.

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by lizfairy)
Still after Jungle tour/destination recommendations and advice on getting to them.

Were mine not much use then?

[lizfairy]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
Were mine not much use then?

It was really useful! I'm just after as much as possible before spending a lot of money on flights!

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by lizfairy)
It was really useful! I'm just after as much as possible before spending a lot of money on flights!

True, true Have you tried asking around at travel agents? STA Travel were very helpful and useful when I used them, and are geared for younger people/backpackers They do a lot of tours in South America so even if you said you were going independently, they'd still have a lot of useful information

[Student2806]

It's probably not doable unless you've got your own transport, but Colombia's Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá, basically a cathedral built into an abandoned underground salt mine, is a well worth a visit - it's an amazing place

[brabzzz]

Nahhh, you can take a bus to the salt cathedral. Any hostel in Bogota (or the Lonely Planet, iirc) will hook you up with the info re. which bus and where :-)

[Christo]

So what are people's thoughts on Rough Guide vs Lonely Planet for S.America?

There's a bit of a sale on amazon at the moment and the fact my CC details are on there is giving me itchy fingers... The RG was last updated in 09 vs LP in 07 which obviously is a big plus for the former. Also looked at the Peru/Bolivia ones and RG is the more recently updated.

[brabzzz]

Makes little difference. All that has really changed since publication are the prices/latest hostels...and you can find those on HostelBookers.com

With reasonable Spanish, you don't need either.

Of the two, i prefer LP due to the fact it's more targeted to the budget traveler. It also has better maps. RG is smaller, nice, has 2x the pages, hardback and contains more info, but some of that is for older/richer/family travelers.

Whichever one you get a good deal on will do just fine. Maybe even an older used one?