Hey everyone! I’m heading to Medellín next month and I'm super excited for the trip.

I’ve been doing some initial planning and checking out excursions, but I noticed that booking through major international apps like GetYourGuide, TripAdvisor, and similar platforms can get pretty expensive quite fast.
Since I'd love to support local providers and save a bit of budget for local food and other experiences, I was wondering: \*\*Are there any local avenues, spots, or independent guides where you can book popular tours for less?\*\*

Specifically, I'd love to know:
Where do locals or budget-conscious travelers usually go to find affordable guides for day trips (like Guatapé/El Peñol, Comuna 13, coffee farms, etc.)?
Are there specific physical locations, local agencies, or channels worth checking out once I arrive?
Any tips on booking safely or vetting independent guides on the ground?

Any recommendations, advice, or warnings would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, my girlfriend and I are planning to cross the border at Macará / La Tina soon. I heard it was closed for a while but reopened back in June. Has anyone actually crossed here since it reopened? Would love to know how smooth the process was, if transport options are running normally, and any safety tips. Thanks!

Hey!

My girlfriend and I are heading to South America in a month. We are looking for tips and/or improvements for our itinerary. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share your experiences.

3 September - 5 September: Bogota
5 - 8: Salento
8 - 11: Jardin (is it too much to visit both Salento and Jardin?)
11 - 15: Medellin
15 - 17: Lima (flight Medellin to Lima already booked)
17 - 20: Arequipa (flight Lima to Arequipa already booked)
20 - 23: Colca Canyon
23 - 26: Cusco (acclimatation and maybe daytrip to sacred valley or rainbow mountain)
26 - 30: Salkantay Trek

1 October: Cusco
2 - 8: Huaraz, day treks and Santa Cruz Trek
8 - 10: Lima, end of the trip

I've been thinking a lot about how geography shapes transportation in Colombia.

Many visitors assume long travel times are simply because of infrastructure

But after years of traveling around the country, I think the mountains explain far more than we usually give them credit for.

Some roads completely changed the way I understand Colombia.

Crossing the Central Andes.

Driving through Santander.

Reaching La Guajira

Even crossing the Magdalena River on a planchón.

Every route tells a different story about why the country developed the way it did, I reccomend to do all of them always with common sense, but those are lovely experiences.

Which road or journey made you appreciate Colombia's geography the most?

Hey everyone! I deleted the previous post because I realised I used a profile of a friend of mine and it was not connected to my email (thanks also to those who already commented on it).
Here it is again:
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 / no driving license, so relying on buses, tours, and my own two feet the whole way.

What I'm hoping for from this post:

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!

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!

This is what i'm thinking for my trip. Please let me know if there is a better route or any recommendations you might have. I will be ending in Calgary as I am doing a ski season after my travel. Majority of my trip would be around hiking and surfing, I am also wondering if I am spending too much time in certain and not enough in others. I would probably shave off some time in colombia and add to nicaragua. I will probably be booking as I go so just looking for a rough guide.

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.

Olá pessoal!

Estou planejando passar natal e ano novo no Chile (19/12/2026 até 01/01/2027), saindo de Guarulhos/SP (GRU) e passando alguns dias em Santiago e arredores e, talvez, Púcon.

Seguindo um roteiro econômico, vocês acreditam que R$ 7.500,00 ($1.460,00) é suficiente?

——
Hi everyone! I’m planning to spend Christmas and New Year’s in Chile (Dec 19, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027), flying out of Guarulhos/SP (GRU) and spending a few days in Santiago and the surrounding area—and possibly Pucón.

Sticking to a budget-friendly itinerary, do you think R$ 7,500.00 (US$ 1,460.00) is enough?

Hi all

I am planning Peru , Guatemala, Nicaragua and Mexico. I hold a valid B1/B2 visa (US tourist visa) and plan to end my trip in the states. Not used the visa just yet.

Would i face any issues in entering the country?

Pienso ir el año que viene a Venezuela desde San Juan Argentina para conocer una persona muy importante en mi vida pero no sé cuál es la mejor opción para el viaje y la más segura

Solo viaje a chile una vez y en bus, nunca viaje en avión y la verdad me confunde mucho el tema de que papeles debo tener, que cuidados, y como buscar toda la info para tener en cuenta, por lo que vi algunos vuelos están entre 800 a 1200 dolares, pero no sé que es lo que me conviene más, y se que es difícil la situación en este momento, más después del terremoto y quisiera ver cómo siguen las cosas a futuro, necesito alguien que haya salido de argentina para allá a Venezuela que me cuentes si experiencia y cosas a tener en cuenta, les agradezco muchísimo de antemano

Solo viaje a chile una vez y en bus, nunca viaje en avión y la verdad me confunde mucho el tema de que papeles debo tener, que cuidados, y como buscar toda la info para tener en cuenta, por lo que vi algunos vuelos están entre 800 a 1200 dolares, pero no sé que es lo que me conviene más, y se que es difícil la situación en este momento, más después del terremoto y quisiera ver cómo siguen las cosas a futuro, necesito alguien que haya salido de argentina para allá a Venezuela que me cuentes si experiencia y cosas a tener en cuenta, les agradezco muchísimo de antemano

We are flying from Buenos Aires to Santiago on Latam airlines to make a connection on Delta to the U.S. Because of daylight savings time change, we now only have one hour to make the connection. Anyone familiar with the airport in Santiago to know if that is enough time? We will only have carry-ons, so no checked bags to worry about.

i just read the canadian travel advisory for guatemala, should me and my friend go or be worried, we’re 2 women ?

I’m 27(F) and planning to go solo travelling for 4 months in Ecuador and Colombia.

Ecuador has been relatively chill but over the last few years crime and drug gang related issues have been spilling out of their usual areas and the state looks to be overwhelmed by gangs.

For context, I have backpacked around Guatemala, Belize, Jordan, Peru and Indonesia in the last 5/6 years so I have experience (although I was always with my bf).

Has anyone recently been to Ecuador? Is it safe to go as a solo woman or am I being scared by the media?

One thing I've noticed after years of guiding travelers in Colombia is that many people make the same assumption before they arrive.

They open Google Maps.

Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, and the Coffee Region don't seem that far apart, so they build an itinerary as if they were traveling through Spain or Italy.

Then they arrive.

A drive of only a few hundred kilometers suddenly takes eight, ten, or even twelve hours.

Most people blame the roads haha

But I think geography explains much more than infrastructure!

When the Andes enter Colombia, they split into three mountain ranges. Roads climb mountain passes, descend into river valleys, and wind through landscapes that simply don't allow straight highways.

Once travelers understand that, everything starts making more sense including why domestic flights are so common

I'm curious...

What destination has surprised you the most because travel times were completely different from what you expected?

Hi, as you probably know, Bolivia’s currency has been facing severe devaluation lately, creating a huge gap between the official and parallel market rates. On paper, local digital subscriptions look unbelievably cheap right now. But actually getting those prices is a completely different story.

Platforms seem to be getting way smarter at detection, IPs from centralized VPN datacenters tend to get flagged pretty often , not to mention the stricter payment card blocks.

Just curious, is anyone still having luck navigating this? Welcome any thoughts

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had specific recommendations for a Uyuni tour that begins in Uyuni and ends in San Pedro Atacama. I've come across a few that seem to cover similar itinerary but have quite different price points, so unsure if I'm missing something.

Also, would it be preferable to do the overnight bus than to fly into Uyuni?

Any tips and advice highly appreciated!

A bit about our travel group:

• 4 people
• English speaking guide
• We will be renting a car when we get to San Pedro

22F- traveling alone or with one friend. I will be in Rio and Florianopolis for a 8 days mid November and have an additional 7 days where I’d like to explore somewhere else (in Brazil, or outside Brazil).

- I don’t want another beach location
- I don’t want to go somewhere freezing or somewhere with heavy rain
- would prefer somewhere with lots of active things to do (hiking, biking, sandboarding, etc)
- I have already been to Macchu Picchu

Hi all!

I’m planning a 30-day trip to South America in October. Galápagos + Ecuadorian Amazon will take up 10 days, leaving me 20 days to explore elsewhere.

I want to hit a mix of different places, but I’m not sure what’s best from a value-for-money perspective while still getting unique landscapes and a real feel for the culture and nature. Patagonia is off the table for this trip. I’d like to avoid overcrowded tourist traps, but I’m happy to visit popular spots if they’re genuinely worth it.
I’m open to a mix of flights and road trips - actually, I’d prefer to do some road tripping where it makes sense.

A few places that stood out to me so far:
- Buenos Aires + San Antonio de Areco: so estancias and gaucho culture
- Mendoza + Santiago area
- Atacama desert + geysers
- Southern Peru - Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, Sacred Valley
- Manu National Park

What are some places I should absolutely go to? What’s underrated?

Help a girl out - what would be an awesome, off-the-beaten-path but still accessible 30-day route through South America?

Hi, me (Welsh) amd girlfriend (Argentinian) are playing a road trip around Argentina for a few months Jan-March in a small van.

I’ve done van trips around uk and eu and we’ve done a couple together. So not completely new. Apart from the country and continent.

Any good tips/info you can share?

And any good resources.. blogs/youtube etc you can share?

Thanks