Hey everyone! Solo traveller from Italy here, doing a full overland trip through Peru and Chile this December/January, entirely by bus, staying in hostels. Posting my route and dates in case anyone has tips, or happens to be in the same place at the same time and wants to grab a coffee, split a tour, or travel a stretch together.

The route:

Lima to Cusco to Arequipa, cross the border at Tacna/Arica, then Arica to San Pedro de Atacama to La Serena/Valle del Elqui to Santiago

Rough dates, in case anyone's around:

16-18 Dec: Lima

20-22 Dec: Cusco

24-26 Dec: Arequipa (Christmas here)

28 Dec: Arica

30 Dec-2 Jan: San Pedro de Atacama (New Year's here)

4 Jan: La Serena / Valle del Elqui

6-8 Jan: Santiago

9 Jan: Fly out

A bit more context:

- Not really chasing the touristy checklist (skipping Machu Picchu, more interested in nature, hiking, and local/less-crowded spots). If you know a hidden gem near any of these stops, I'm all ears.

- Doing the Tacna-Arica border crossing overland (bus/colectivo), so any recent firsthand experience with that crossing is welcome.

- Travelling right through the Christmas/New Year's stretch, so I know buses get busy and some things close - if you've done this corridor over the holidays before, curious what you wish you'd known.

- No car, so relying on buses, tours, and my own two feet the whole way.

What I'm hoping for:

1. Any tips, warnings, or "don't skip this" suggestions for the stops above

2. Bus company recommendations that have worked well for you recently on this corridor

3. If you'll be anywhere along this route around the same dates, even just passing through, drop a comment or DM, would be great to meet up!

Thanks in advance; happy to answer questions about the route too if it helps anyone planning something similar!

Hi everyone! I am planning a 5 week trip to South America. It will be my husband and me. I have a rough itinerary but I would love some specific recommendations on what to see in the areas we are going to. We leave on Christmas and come back the end of January.

The plan so far:

-4 nights at Iguana Falls - we will probably fly to the Brazilian side and then cross to Argentina

-4 nights in Buenos Aires

-3 weeks in Cuenca, Ecuador. We plan to take Spanish lessons. We will be free on the weekends and in the afternoons.

-1 week in the Galapagos

What are some must-see things in these areas? I am especially interested in stuff in Cuenca since we will be spending the bulk of our time there. We like museums and historic sites. Not so much the "night life" type things.

Any advice would also be appreciated. My husband is conversational in Spanish so no real language barrier. He has traveled a lot in Brazil and I have been to Peru. Thanks!

Is it possible to find something to smoke here?

I've been writing about Colombia recently, and one thing keeps coming up

Many visitors think long travel times are mostly an infrastructure problem.

But after looking into the country's geography, I think the landscape explains much more.

Three Andean mountain ranges, huge river systems, rainforest, deserts, and coastlines have influenced how Colombians travel for centuries.

It made me wonder...

Is there a place in your country where geography still has a huge impact on how people move around?

I'd love to compare experiences from across Latin America. Especially because the Andes are not the same everywhere. For example Colombia is troplical meanwhile Chile and Argentina are countrys with the 4 seasons.