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-- What is the best Central or South American country and/or city to visit?
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Originally posted by Jayx1 punta cana is like being on the truman show. Its a walled compund of fiction and very hard to get out of. Just to get outside a taxi will charge you $20 in a country where people make $2 a day. Needless to say as an adventurer i didnt like it very much.

Hence why I said for a 'resort'
Not overly ideal for people who want to create their own adventure.

I have done a few guided tours that were amazing... but not ideal for independent travelers.

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Originally posted by rabbitjoker Coming from many friends who have been there: Brazil is a great place to visit, so long you have someone to guide you. Otherwise it is expensive and possibly dangerous (both Rio and San Paulo).

it's not actually as bad as some might say. in fact when I went to Brazil, I toured the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro and it was hands down one of the best experiences ever. despite guys with machine guns guarding specific areas, most of the people there were extremely friendly and glad to see outsiders taking an interest in their culture and lifestyle. they also host some of the best Baile Funk parties in the whole city.

this isn't to say of course that violence & crime doesn't exist in Brazil, just that I think sometimes it gets a little overblown in the media. I have some good friends from Sao Paolo and they tend to feel the same way.

despite the high crime rate, i think if one exercises common sense and good judgment they'll have an unbelievable time in Brazil.

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Originally posted by Jayx1 Argentina for sure. Ive been there 6 times. It;s pretty cheap to travel there and the food is delicious. I recommend Buenos Aires and visiting Evitas grave, touring the casa rosada, la boca and taking in a tango show. Then get on a plane and travel to las cataratas de iguasu. They are the most beautful waterfalls you will ever see. You can usually get a package from a travel agent in buenos aires but if you want to be secure before you go, you can get one from the internet. Iguasu is on the brazil and argentina border and usually with these packages you stay in brazil. So you would need a visa for brazil. Argentina does not require a visa from canadians. Also another trip is a ferry ride across the river to montevideo and punta del este uruguay. Punta del este is like the ibiza of south america and the beach is great too. Uruguay also does not require a visa. Flights are decent. Last i checked they were 700 out of toronto tax inclusive but are usually 1200. You can get a flight for around 900 from buffalo. Oh and the nightlife in buenos aires is amazing. Can i say pacha anyone?

+1 on everything you said!

never had better steak & wine than in Argentina. I found this little place on Avenida Defensa in BA that had streak to die for. not to mention that when you add it all up, the meal comes out to like $10 a person lol!

iguazu falls is simply awesome. definitely a natural wonder of the world. the Argentine side was definitely 100x better for adventure travel and getting right up and into the falls, esp. on speedboat.

apparently Creamfields is now being held in Punta del Este. I checked out Pacha in BA and had an awesome time. I loved the outdoor area over looking the Rio de la Plata. Did you ever check out this club called Caix when you were there? supposed to be the CZ of BA lol

Re: What is the best Central or South American country and/or city to visit?

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* Do to the specific program I'm in, I have to go to school in the summer (boo-urns). Thus, I am only given a couple of weeks off after exams in April before I go back to school. My dad has been asking to take me on a trip forever, and I thought this is a perfect opportunity to do so. We only want to go for about a week, b/c I already have plans for the other week. And we want to go somewhere in Central of South America. We don't really want to go to one of those all inclusive resorts to just sit on the beach and drink all day b/c we really want to get out and go on some tours and see the place (think Maya Ruins type stuff). My dad just got back from Mexico to see all the ruins, so I don't want to make him do that again, but I don't know where else to pick. What do you guys recommend? Where have you been, what have you seen (Pictures are greatly appreciated)? How long did you go for? Is anywhere better and/or safer than elsewhere? Edit - I'm NOT looking for party spots, as I'm going with my retired dad and unfortunately likely will not be partying! Thanks for your help!

Hi Lisa,

Hopefully this message hasn't arrived too late. Speaking from the perspective of a frequent visitor to the South American continent.

My two favorite destinations which I would recommend would be.

Brazil
Colombia

You many choices of coastal cities to visit within Brazil. However the Rio de Janeiro is by far the best city catering to tourism if you plan to be out sight seeing daily. Accommodations, Hotels are great if you plan to stay for 3-5 days, otherwise you can score a better deal renting out a condominium. I strongly recommend to stay in Leblon, or Ipanema. word of advise, DO NOT STAY IN COPACABANA =P Avenida Atlantico is very pretty but the neighborhood is quite trashy filled with prostitutes and street thugs!

My second recommendation would be Fortaleza, its a very lovely city in the North-Eastern region of Brazil, has a fairly decent tourism industry although there isn't as much to see and do as in Rio.

Colombia, Cartagena quite possibly the safer routes. Hotels would be recommended in Colombia over renting a condo. Boca Grande is a fairly nice neighborhood to stay in Cartagena. Santa Marta is also another lovely Colombian jewl several hundred KM's North/West along the coastline.

Hope this helps, and enjoy your vacation.

I would check out Buenos Aires. My friend is from there and swears by it. I really want to go to South America but I've got my year somewhat planned. I would think its safer to go than Brazil.

i've heard good things about costa rica....

agreed on Brasil not being as dangerous as people think.. though I didn't like it much anyhow


i would also recommend visiting Colonia del Sacramento (UNESCO world heritage site) in Uruguay.. very easy to get to from Buenos Aires

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Originally posted by gummybear i've heard good things about costa rica....

Great for Eco tourism...

Almost went last year but found it logistically difficult...

One day...

If you're going for only 1 week, then anything in South America is out. Just too much travel time cutting into your vacation. Brasil or Argentina are both fantastic, they're just too far. A 12hr flight only makes sense if you're gonna be going for 10+ days.

Havana is fantastic city, and it's less than 4hrs away. Great history back to the 1600's. Pirates raiding the city, crazy old architecture, great vibe, friendly people. As long as you're outside of the resorts, the food is excellent. Anyone who complains about the food in Cuba very clearly never left the resort. Drinking mojitos at the National Hotel looking over the Caribbean while sitting on a 300yr old cannon is pretty damn cool. If you wanna hit the beach, it's a very cheap 40min cab ride out for a day trip. Even Varaderro is within an easy day trip if you want the tourist mecca stuff.

Belize is also close, but there's no direct flights from Toronto. You'd have to connect through Miami, Huston, or Dallas. It's a great little country. Everyone speaks English, which is something many take for granted. If you want crushed ice, you can get crushed ice there. Unless your Spanish is fantastic, this can be a bit of a sticking point in some Central American countries. Belize has absolutely amazing snorkeling and diving. The world famous blue hole, hol chan, and lots of other great reefs. If you don't scuba, that isn't an issue. Most of the reefs are so shallow that just snorkel is perfect. Outside of the snorkeling and relaxing, there's fantastic fishing if your dad is into that. Lots of barracuda, bone fish, and tarpon to be had. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of culture, or museums to check out there. So if that's your thing, think Havana.

Costa Rica is nice too. I've only been to the Pacific Coast. The water was almost too warm in March, so I can't imagine it's temp in the summer. Amazing food, and really nice people there. There's lots of rain forest tours, and stuff like that to do there. I was in Manuel Antionio which is just outside of a National Park. Saw lots of sloths, monkeys etc there. I didn't spend any time in San Jose which was the city you'll most likely fly into. If it's anything like most Central American cities, it will be very poor and run down. If you can look past that, then there's probably some really interesting stuff to see.

Good luck! And seriously, South America is too far for your time period!

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Originally posted by failsafe Havana is fantastic city, and it's less than 4hrs away. Great history back to the 1600's. Pirates raiding the city, crazy old architecture, great vibe, friendly people. As long as you're outside of the resorts, the food is excellent. Anyone who complains about the food in Cuba very clearly never left the resort. Drinking mojitos at the National Hotel looking over the Caribbean while sitting on a 300yr old cannon is pretty damn cool. If you wanna hit the beach, it's a very cheap 40min cab ride out for a day trip. Even Varaderro is within an easy day trip if you want the tourist mecca stuff.

+1 i hate the resorts. I just got back from Cuba and did the real deal. The food in Cuba is simple but really really good. The resort food is trash but as soon as you go to a restaurant particular (Private owned restaurant) the food is great and really really cheap. A a cheese pizza for 1 CUC anyone? Maybe a full lobster meal for 5 CUC? (about 8 canadian)

Dont do all inclusives. Its much more fun to do your own thing especially in cuba which is probably the safest place ive ever been. Even safer than canada.

We still haven't booked yet, but I think my dad and I have decided to pick between Costa Rica and Guatemala. The reason we decided not to go to South America was mainly due to the time constraints. When we have time for a 14+ day vacation then we'll go, but since we're only doing 7-10 days we're gonna stick with Central America.

We've been shopping around for what we want. The tours we've seen for Costa Rica are absolutely beautiful. But Guatemala has a lot of history with the Inca ruins etc. Plus the idea of doing an amazon/andes trip is intriguing. It's gonna be a hard decision. I was just telling my dad that I'll give him a list of the tour options that I like and he can pick whichever he wants to go on more.

quote:

Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* ...But Guatemala has a lot of history with the MAYAN ruins etc.

Fixed

As I stated in my initial response/post, C.A. is the best decision. You'll get the most for your money & time. Hope you guys have an awesome time...with many pictures

quote:

Originally posted by Stilez Fixed As I stated in my initial response/post, C.A. is the best decision. You'll get the most for your money & time. Hope you guys have an awesome time...with many pictures

lol thanks

Your post was one of the reasons I decided to stress C.A. instead of S.A. even though Brazil is definitely high on my list of places to see.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* lol thanks Your post was one of the reasons I decided to stress C.A. instead of S.A. even though Brazil is definitely high on my list of places to see.

I'm glad I was helpful Lisa .
Also, just as failsafe pointed out, if it was more than 10workdays/2weeks..then that would change everything, and I would highly suggest S.A.

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Originally posted by Stilez I'm glad I was helpful Lisa . Also, just as failsafe pointed out, if it was more than 10workdays/2weeks..then that would change everything, and I would highly suggest S.A.

dude have you even BEEN down there??

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