My Travel Costs in Central America: A Complete Budget Breakdown (with Spreadsheet)

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Note: See the end of this post to see how you can get/use my expense tracking spreadsheet (free).

Many people are interested in how much around-the-world (RTW) or other long-term travel costs, especially as a budget traveler or backpacker. Latin America, generally being a fairly inexpensive destination, is popular for long-term itineraries. So, I bring you some good news and bad news. … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Antarctica (Antártida) Travel Guide

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I am one of the fairly small number of travelers who has been fortunate enough take a tour to Antarctica. Unlike for others, it hasn’t been a specific goal of mine for a very long time. Rather, as I started contemplating my lengthy travels in Central and South America, I started hearing about Ushuaia, the “end of the world.” Then I started to hear … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Argentina Travel Guide

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Due to the fact that I spent more than four months in Buenos Aires and that it is in many ways a place unique and separate from Argentina as a whole, this guide will cover the parts of Argentina I visited outside of Buenos Aires (though be sure to check out my Buenos Aires travel tips as well). Basically, my route was from Bolivia to … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Buenos Aires Travel Guide

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Here I will share some of the useful resources and, hopefully, insights I have into the popular South American city of Buenos Aires.

Travel Tips: Uruguay Travel Guide

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I was in Uruguay in September 2011 for a relatively (for me) short trip, visiting Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, Punta del Este, Villa Serrana, Pueblo Eden, La Paloma, La Pedrera, Valizas, Cabo Polonio, and Punta del Diablo. I was there during the off season and apparently in summer the country is overrun with tourists, many from Argentina. Thus, anything you read here may be completely … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Chile Travel Guide

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I crossed the Andes from Mendoza, Argentina arriving in Santiago. I then moved on to Valparaíso, Pucón, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas (if you count spending the night in the airport), and finally Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine.

Travel Tips: Bolivia Travel Guide

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Bolivia seems to be one of those countries that some people seem to really love while others think it is vastly overrated. Without a doubt, there is a lot of natural beauty on display in this country, with access to 6,000 meter mountains and the Amazon within hours of the impressive capital of La Paz. The Potosí mines are both impressive and deeply sad and … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Peru

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General Thoughts on Perú

  • Perú is a paradise for those, like myself, who are interested in archaeological sites. Of course, it’s most famous for Machu Picchu, but there are SO many more archaeological sites to visit besides MP and I encourage you to do so.
  • Use iPerú, found in many tourist locations. It is a great source of unbiased information, including bus routes and schedules,

… [ Read more ]

The Poor Man’s Route to Machu Picchu

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Alternative Treks
For months I had been planning to do one of the alternative treks to Machu Picchu, having mostly decided on the Salkantay Trek after reading great reviews of it and hearing equally good first-person accounts as well. Of course, being a backpacker, plans change. Arriving in Cuzco in the low season I started looking for an agency to use for the trek. What I … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Ecuador

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General Thoughts on Ecuador
I enjoyed my time in Ecuador, but if anything I write below sounds as though I didn’t it is probably because I went to Ecuador after spending three months in Colombia, a country I truly loved. Ecuador certainly has its own natural beauty and other charms, but what left me a bit cold were the people. It wasn’t that they are unfriendly, … [ Read more ]

Travel Tips: Colombia

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General Thoughts on Colombia
I, along with everyone else I have ever met who has traveled Colombia, loved it. I spent a bit more than three months there. The people are great, the country is beautiful and there is plenty to see and do. Crime and the FARC aren’t the problems most people assume and, aside from the big cities, Colombia seemed safer than many places … [ Read more ]

Sailing San Blas (Panamá) to Cartagena (Colombia) aboard the Sacanagem

CIMG1537 1024x768 150x150 - Sailing San Blas (Panamá) to Cartagena (Colombia) aboard the Sacanagem

When I started my trip in Mexico in March of 2009 I started hearing about the option of sailing from Panamá to Cartagena, Colombia, visiting the beautiful San Blas islands (also known as the Kuna Yala) en route. Sounded good to me! More than a year later I have realized that travel goal aboard a boat called the Sacanagem captained by Brazilian/French Federico Layolle.Before getting … [ Read more ]