Help! 6 weeks in South America

squishy

Howdy folks

I'm plannin a trip to South America at the start of May for 6 weeks. I'm going to be travellin on my own (and I'm a girl) so I'm a bit nervous and I need help!
The rough plan is to fly to Lima (from NZ that's where I am now) and from there join a tour to do the Inca trail. I'm hoping to make some friends that I can latch onto there! After that I'd like to go to Pto Maldonado ( I think) what's this like? then to lake titicaca, Sucre, Santa Cruz and then hopefully fly to Rio de J. for a few days and eventually fly back to Ireland.

Ok so a few questions:
1.What do u think of the plan? Too much? Any other must see places?

2.Any probs being a solo female backpacker?

3.I'd like to book the Inka trail tour before I get there so any tours you reccommend?

4.What about visas? Do I have to get tham beforehand? (Peru, Bolivia and Brazil)

5. What about flights from Bolvia to Rio?

Thanks in advance

Nicola

PunyHuman

Hey

I think your itinerary is pretty practical; six weeks will probably be enough for what you want to do. You're not deviating much from the established path, so travelling on your own shouldn't be a problem, as you'll soon fall in with other gringos.

I don't have much relevant knowledge, but I assume you know that you have to book the Inca trail well in advance - three months as far as I recall. SAS travel in Cuzco was recommended to us by a few other Irish folks that we met on the road, but we didn't go to Peru in the end.

If you're an Irish citizen you get a visa on arrival in Brazil. Ipanema's the place to stay in Rio.

Good luck

michaelanthony

If you're a blonde, you'll probably get more unwanted attention

squishy

Thanks lads. Well I'm dark blonde but is dying my hair worth it!?

humbleCounty

jesus dont bother dying your hair just for that, i have a shaved head and i was told to grow my hair to avoid being presumed military and kidnapped, but **** what are the chances...

Little worried about the Inca Trail now though, leave SE Asia tomorrow for NZ then fly into Santiago on the 1st April, and want to do Inca Trail sometime towards the end of April, which is less than two months away, best book it tomorrow!

Enjoy your trip, sure might even see ya there!

peace

bleary

I travelled the Peru /bolivia part on my own as a girl with blonde hair. Dying your hair wont make much difference -they can spot gringos a mile off..
Recommendations for the Inca trail
definitely SAS travel http://www.sastravelperu.com/
You have to book 6 weeks in advance -a least when i went you did
I hemmed and hawed and went with a different tour company because it was easier to sort out payment -regretted it dearly .
SAS has a large amount of very mixed travellers in it and had the best areas in the camp site -seemed to have their own guides etc
My company put me as a single traveller in a group with 2 large groups of friends -No other English speakers just me and my not very good Spanish for the 4 days. In fact they didnt even try to talk /walk with me -ended up running most of the trail trying to keep up with them . Talking to the english /irish aussies I met on the way back on the train after I completed the days at least an hour ahead of all their groups but constantly felt I was holding them up.
The guide had no real interest he was doing the trek so long
Most of the tours just contract in the guides and the porters but SAS employed them from what I was told.
Other guides were lovely and actually spent more time with different tour groups than I did with my own (not difficult since I could only see them way off in the distance) but it is pot luck
Really thought trek would be the highlight and instead one of the biggest dissapointments I have had travelling
I didnt need a visa for Peru or Bolivia last year I found the best way of finding this out was to post on thorn tree on lonely plant
I loved bolivia much preferred to Peru
Check out going on a pampas trip from la paz to Riobamba flight is amazing and fantastic time up there -
Isla del sol is lovely and untouched
Copacaban in bolivia is a nice chill out spot
Tupiza in teh south amazing horse treks best ever
Then the saltplains are out of this world