Robert H asked:
My family and I are hoping to travel somewhere in South America this upcoming February. We hope it to be relatively warm, a safe place for the family, and also, not to burn a hole in our wallets. My daughter speaks pretty much fluent spanish, so language isn’t that much of an issue… Our family likes to do a lot while on vacation, so a place with some interesting history and things to explore would be wonderful.
My family and I are hoping to travel somewhere in South America this upcoming February. We hope it to be relatively warm, a safe place for the family, and also, not to burn a hole in our wallets. My daughter speaks pretty much fluent spanish, so language isn’t that much of an issue… Our family likes to do a lot while on vacation, so a place with some interesting history and things to explore would be wonderful.
I love Ecuador. To see the Galapagos can be pricey, but the rest of the country is very inexpensive. Banos can be a cool town and there’s a volcano there. Make sure you see the rainforest!
Comment by Anne C — June 16, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Even though South America is less expensive than the US or Europe, the more expensive countries would be Chile, Brasil, Peru, Colombia.
Argentina right now is not expensive and it’s very safe.
The cheapest countries would be Bolivia, Ecuador and I guess Paraguay but there’s not much to see in Paraguay
So South America’s cheapest offer would be either Bolivia or Ecuador (except Galapagos Islands). In both countries you can see the andes mountains and the Amazon Jungle as well.
Comment by Garra U — June 17, 2009 @ 5:07 am
I would go to San Andres Island Colombia. Great beaches. Nice people. Lots to see and if you really want kick back.. go to Providencia.. Its the most calm place on earth.. If you are into the throbbing night life Providencia is NOT for you.. Some pretty good dancing on San Andres, however.
Stay at the Mar Azul. DO NOT stay at the Sunrise. It TOTALLY SUCKS.
Comment by Estrato Seis — June 19, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
Here is a guide to travel to South America. It has a lot of advice and insight, and links to the best web sites for exploring South America.
Comment by Answerman — June 20, 2009 @ 12:42 am
I would recommend Ecuador. It is very safe and has a lot of different climates.
If you want it to be warmer, you should head towards Guayaquil and the beach towns, Montenita is especially cool. You can surf and boogie board, suntan, etc. It’s pretty warm there in February, although Quito is a little cooler. It’s easy to travel around Ecuador by bus. You can see the mountains, rainforest, coast all in one country.
I would highly recommend visiting Ipiales while in Ecuador. It’s in southern Colombia, but it’s very easy to get there from Tulcan, Ecuador. They have the most beautiful church there that was built over a ravine. It’s definitely a sight not to be missed.
Cotopaxi is awesome too. It’s a volcano a little bit south of Quito. If you want to visit there, you need to either rent a car or hire a driver because the local buses will only drop you off at the turn off to the National Park and it’s another 3 km from there to the park entrance.
The hot springs in Banos are cool to visit, plus they have a lot of operators there that have jungle treks you can sign up for.
Otavalo is infamous for its open air market and alpaca textiles. The colors are amazing and you can get great deals on scarves, sweaters, tablecloths, etc.
Plus, if you have time there’s always the Galapagos. We haven’t been yet, but have heard great things.
Anyway, I hope wherever you choose, you enjoy your trip. We had an amazing time in South America and are planning a trip back there this winter. Have fun!
Comment by Aglease — June 23, 2009 @ 3:38 am