How to Make the Most out of a Trip to South America

South America is a truly wondrous continent. The variety of cultures, landscapes and activities can keep you coming back again and again. It’s probably easier to pack lots of different stuff into a single to trip to South America than to most other continents. Whether you’re after culture, history, adventure, wildlife, or all of those combined, South America should be on your bucket list and probably not once, but many times over.

Organizing an extensive tour abroad, especially through several countries, without local contacts and possibly not even knowing the local languages can be challenging. Thankfully, there are operators like South America Odyssey who can take care of this task for you, combining all the best options for accommodation, transport and activities into a single itinerary.

And before you think that this kind of tour will cost you big, think again. A trip organised through a well-connected and knowledgeable agency such as South America Odyssey will probably cost you less than what you’d be able to pull off yourself. Thanks to their extensive experience in the region and deep knowledge of South American travel, they’re able to find bargains (e.g. a superb but less-known lodge for your jungle hike) and also negotiate better prices than you’d be able to do yourself. The end result will also be better. Evey lodge, hotel or activity they incorporate into their itineraries has been visited and passed a rigorous testing process.

One thing to know about South America Odyssey is that they do not sell pre-made travel packages. They may have specific examples on their site, but every single itinerary is custom-made. You can combine anything with anything – obviously as far as the timeframe and your budget permits. It’s important to let them know your personal preferences and reasons for travelling. Do you want a luxurious honeymoon in the big cities like Buenos Aires, filled with tango dancing and wine tasting? Or are you a family of hikers who want to do the 50km Inca Trail through awe-inspiring landscapes all the way to the gates of Machu Picchu? Let them know and they’ll have it arranged for you.

The options on offer in South America are tremendous in quantity and quality. Here are just some ideas:

• Travel to the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) and view the unique wildlife that had nudged Darwin towards ideas about natural selection, with your own eyes.
• Take a river cruise on the mighty Amazon in the comfort of a luxurious river cruiser, surrounded by some of the most “wild wilderness” on Earth.
• Become one of the tiny percentage of people to have visited the Antarctic personally.
• Dive in Fernando de Noronha in Brazil, see dolphins and kaleidoscopic marine life
• Go mountain biking around Bolivia’s capital La Paz
• Stay at a real gaucho ranch, ride horses and try the delicious local barbeque
• Visit the surreal Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia

It doesn’t make sense to just go to South America, when you could instead make it a trip of a lifetime. The folks at South America Odyssey will help you fulfill that dream. Step by their office in London, if that’s where you live, or give them a call and have a friendly chat, or start by browsing their website and start forming an idea of what you’d like to do as part of your perfect South American holiday.