Buenos Aires to Bogota

macca1983

Anyone done this in 3 months? Realistic or not?

Would you be better off trying to simply do Buenos Aires to Lima? Is that a bit more realistic?

Neamhshuntasach

Well it could be easily done in 3 months. But it all depends on what you want to see in between. If you just wanted to see some of the main tourist spots such as Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Salar de Uyuni, Lago Titicaca, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Lima, Amazon, Quito and maybe get up to do Ciudad Perdida. And just move between those without hanging around places too much. Well then 3 months would be doable. But there will be a lot of moving around on buses. It wouldn't be the pace i'd like to travel at. I spent almost 3 months in Colombia alone. Just going as far as Lima would give you more time to enjoy the countries you go to in my opinion. Just depends how much you want to get to Ecuador and Colombia.

macca1983

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

Well it could be easily done in 3 months. But it all depends on what you want to see in between. If you just wanted to see some of the main tourist spots such as Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Salar de Uyuni, Lago Titicaca, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Lima, Amazon, Quito and maybe get up to do Ciudad Perdida. And just move between those without hanging around places too much. Well then 3 months would be doable. But there will be a lot of moving around on buses. It wouldn't be the pace i'd like to travel at. I spent almost 3 months in Colombia alone. Just going as far as Lima would give you more time to enjoy the countries you go to in my opinion. Just depends how much you want to get to Ecuador and Colombia.

What did you make of Colombia? I am trying to throw in Colombia and Ecuador due to cheapness really. I am excluding Brazil and Chile due to cost. How cheap was Colombia and what did you get up to exactly for 3 months? Many sites to see or just simply getting to know the place better?

Neamhshuntasach

I loved Colombia. Probably my favorite country in the world. I didn't really know what to expect before going but once there i found some of the most friendliest people i've come across, nice cities and towns, great atmosphere from the music and just a general vibe in the air. Colombians love a drink and the nightlife is good. Not to mention the women are cracking looking. Especially down south.

Colombia is cheap enough. The currency is made because 4000 odd Pesos is a Euro. I was roughly paying 6 euro a night for accommodation, in a small bar or shop a liter bottle of aguila was less thana Eruo. Maybe 2 Euro+ in a club. Rum is cheap everywhere. You can eat a decent meal for less than 3 euro. Well cheaper if you stick to beans, rice and a bit of meat. The street food is also amazing and cheap. The empanadas in Colombia are the best i've tasted anywhere. Getting around is a cheap enough. A bit more expensive than some countries though. The bus system is good and you can go anywhere. But some can take really long and stop for everyone. Tours and stuff are good value for what you get.

I stayed there that long due to the sites, the people and just not wanting to leave. Would have stayed longer only my visa was running out and i had already extended it a month. Bogotá is a really cool city. Some good musuems, street performers, hills to climb with great views or take the cable car and just walking around the old district are good ways to pass the day. And it has good nightlife. Lots of music bars and nightclubs.

San Gil up a little north is the place to go for adventure sports such as rafting, caving, swimming in lagoons and waterfalls and trekking. And Villa de Leyva is around here too. Beautiful colonial town and famous for it's shrooms if your into them.

Up on the north coast is Cartegena which looks like a shíthole when you first arrive but once you see the walled city the rest grows on you. The Getsemaní district is the cheapest place to stay and is dark at night. Can look dangerous but it's grand. Bocagrande is a way nice area and has a great beach. Inside is just great to walk around in. The architecture and vibe is unreal. Especially at night. Well worth having a drink in there even though it's more over priced than outside. And watch out for the brazer bars in there. A boat trip over to Playa Blanca is well worth it. It's like one of those postcards of a tropical island. There's package tours but make sure you bargain. As with most of latin America. Also the Chiva bus is great craic. It's a party bus that stops off at bars. Santa Marta is a little further up north. Another coastal city with a great beach called Rodadero where you can do water sports for cheap. Decent enough nightlife as well. Lock ins were common for me. But the main reason most people come here is because it's a base point for doing the Ciudad Perdida trek and going to Parque Tayrona. The trek is a highlight of Colombia. It's 6 days through the jungle to the lost city. Sleeping in hammocks every night, being shown how they make coke, can shoot guns (if lucky), and then you get to the site. We had a great bunch of people with us in our group so that made it every better. Drinking every night and you can get weed for cheap if you like to smoke. Overall a great experience. Parque Tayrona is a park where you can go trekking, or hit the beach. Camping and staying in hammocks are the options for sleeping. Another place to go is Taganga which is known for diving. It's cheap enough but not as good as Honduras or Thailand.

Further south there is Medellín. A beautiful city that is really developed. You can go to Pablo Escobars grave or to a bullfight. It's cruel as fúck but still rouses curiosity. Has a great metro system, good shopping malls, decent soccer team, cable cars, some cool musuems and parks. Great nightlife and an Irish hostel called the Pit stop. Great craic there. Has a swimming pool and a bar of course. Great city to go out in.

I stopped off in lots of small towns and some bigger cities such as Manziales and went up Nevado del Ruiz. A snow capped volcano. You can also go stay on a coffee plantation there or in some of the other towns close by in the cordillera. Quite the interesting experience. Cali is also a good city. The salsa capital and some of worlds most beautiful women. There and Medellín must hold that title. Went to soccer games there, sky diving, hang gliding, salsa clubs, mountains to climb, cool zoo, good nightlife.

Further south is Popayan. A nice town but many use it as a stop off on the way to San Augustin and Tierra Dentro. Small towns home to ancient statues and tombs respectively.

Leticia is a city in the Amazonian part of Colombia and borders brazil. Although you can just walk back and forth without anyone checking a passport. Sometimes you won't know what country your in. You'll need to fly to get here and is amazing if you like a bit of adventure. Living with a local tribe, boating around the amazon, fishing, swimming, etc. Lots of wildlife as well.

Anyways sorry that got so long. Just so much about Colombia made it a great country to visit for me and lost track of time writing about it. A real highlight of South America and if you get up that far do yourself a favor and don't just leave a week for it. You'll regret it.

macca1983

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I loved Colombia. Probably my favorite country in the world. I didn't really know what to expect before going but once there i found some of the most friendliest people i've come across, nice cities and towns, great atmosphere from the music and just a general vibe in the air. Colombians love a drink and the nightlife is good. Not to mention the women are cracking looking. Especially down south.

Colombia is cheap enough. The currency is made because 4000 odd Pesos is a Euro. I was roughly paying 6 euro a night for accommodation, in a small bar or shop a liter bottle of aguila was less thana Eruo. Maybe 2 Euro+ in a club. Rum is cheap everywhere. You can eat a decent meal for less than 3 euro. Well cheaper if you stick to beans, rice and a bit of meat. The street food is also amazing and cheap. The empanadas in Colombia are the best i've tasted anywhere. Getting around is a cheap enough. A bit more expensive than some countries though. The bus system is good and you can go anywhere. But some can take really long and stop for everyone. Tours and stuff are good value for what you get.

I stayed there that long due to the sites, the people and just not wanting to leave. Would have stayed longer only my visa was running out and i had already extended it a month. Bogotá is a really cool city. Some good musuems, street performers, hills to climb with great views or take the cable car and just walking around the old district are good ways to pass the day. And it has good nightlife. Lots of music bars and nightclubs.

San Gil up a little north is the place to go for adventure sports such as rafting, caving, swimming in lagoons and waterfalls and trekking. And Villa de Leyva is around here too. Beautiful colonial town and famous for it's shrooms if your into them.

Up on the north coast is Cartegena which looks like a shíthole when you first arrive but once you see the walled city the rest grows on you. The Getsemaní district is the cheapest place to stay and is dark at night. Can look dangerous but it's grand. Bocagrande is a way nice area and has a great beach. Inside is just great to walk around in. The architecture and vibe is unreal. Especially at night. Well worth having a drink in there even though it's more over priced than outside. And watch out for the brazer bars in there. A boat trip over to Playa Blanca is well worth it. It's like one of those postcards of a tropical island. There's package tours but make sure you bargain. As with most of latin America. Also the Chiva bus is great craic. It's a party bus that stops off at bars. Santa Marta is a little further up north. Another coastal city with a great beach called Rodadero where you can do water sports for cheap. Decent enough nightlife as well. Lock ins were common for me. But the main reason most people come here is because it's a base point for doing the Ciudad Perdida trek and going to Parque Tayrona. The trek is a highlight of Colombia. It's 6 days through the jungle to the lost city. Sleeping in hammocks every night, being shown how they make coke, can shoot guns (if lucky), and then you get to the site. We had a great bunch of people with us in our group so that made it every better. Drinking every night and you can get weed for cheap if you like to smoke. Overall a great experience. Parque Tayrona is a park where you can go trekking, or hit the beach. Camping and staying in hammocks are the options for sleeping. Another place to go is Taganga which is known for diving. It's cheap enough but not as good as Honduras or Thailand.

Further south there is Medellín. A beautiful city that is really developed. You can go to Pablo Escobars grave or to a bullfight. It's cruel as fúck but still rouses curiosity. Has a great metro system, good shopping malls, decent soccer team, cable cars, some cool musuems and parks. Great nightlife and an Irish hostel called the Pit stop. Great craic there. Has a swimming pool and a bar of course. Great city to go out in.

I stopped off in lots of small towns and some bigger cities such as Manziales and went up Nevado del Ruiz. A snow capped volcano. You can also go stay on a coffee plantation there or in some of the other towns close by in the cordillera. Quite the interesting experience. Cali is also a good city. The salsa capital and some of worlds most beautiful women. There and Medellín must hold that title. Went to soccer games there, sky diving, hang gliding, salsa clubs, mountains to climb, cool zoo, good nightlife.

Further south is Popayan. A nice town but many use it as a stop off on the way to San Augustin and Tierra Dentro. Small towns home to ancient statues and tombs respectively.

Leticia is a city in the Amazonian part of Colombia and borders brazil. Although you can just walk back and forth without anyone checking a passport. Sometimes you won't know what country your in. You'll need to fly to get here and is amazing if you like a bit of adventure. Living with a local tribe, boating around the amazon, fishing, swimming, etc. Lots of wildlife as well.

Anyways sorry that got so long. Just so much about Colombia made it a great country to visit for me and lost track of time writing about it. A real highlight of South America and if you get up that far do yourself a favor and don't just leave a week for it. You'll regret it.

Cheers for all the info. You have being to Thailand i presume so, would you say Colombia is as cheap? Would ya get by on 30 Euro a day so? I ain't talking starving myself either. Im looking to do the 3 months on about a grand a month which might be a bit optimistic but i'll give it a bash!

Neamhshuntasach

Nah a grand a month should be okay. I always pretty much average that everywhere. I have a habit of overspending in the cheaper countries and spending less in the more expensive ones so i nearly always spend within 1 or 2 hundred of a grand.

I found Cololmbia cheaper for certain things than Thailand. Alcohol and accommodation being one of them. Long distance travel is cheaper in Thailand and so is food. But it all depends what your eating.

With 30 Euro a day you'll be fine in Colombia anyways. Unless you are trying to do something like rafting or a tour or go out to expensive clubs. You shouldn't pay more than 8-10 for a place to stay, you can eat a meal for less than 2, and liter bottles of beer are a Euro in a lot of places. That leaves plenty for messing around with.

Sin1981

Hi there,
This thread really interests me cos I'm hoping to do a RTW trip next year, and i'm trying to get an idea of costs...
Neamhshuntasach: have you travelled all over, or just S. America and Asia? You done Oz/New Zealand? btw, Colombia sounds fab!
I'm hoping to do from Mexico city down to Buenos Aires, then onto NZ, Oz, and ending with SE. Asia, and I had 1K per month in mind.. you reckon this will be enough? or am I living in fantasy land?
sorry for hijacking your thread macca1983:o
thanks

imme

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I loved Colombia. Probably my favorite country in the world.

do you know or anyone else, would the US let you in if you have a Colombian stamp on your passport.

macca1983

Sin1981 wrote: »

Hi there,
This thread really interests me cos I'm hoping to do a RTW trip next year, and i'm trying to get an idea of costs...
Neamhshuntasach: have you travelled all over, or just S. America and Asia? You done Oz/New Zealand? btw, Colombia sounds fab!
I'm hoping to do from Mexico city down to Buenos Aires, then onto NZ, Oz, and ending with SE. Asia, and I had 1K per month in mind.. you reckon this will be enough? or am I living in fantasy land?
sorry for hijacking your thread macca1983:o
thanks

No problem. I've done SE Asia and NZ and OZ. 1K will do in SE Asia but not in NZ and OZ. Not sure if this means you are living in fantasy land or not!

Sin1981

thanks Macca1983,

I knew 1k wouldn't be enough for those places. sorry, didn't phrase it right. So, how much would i need for Oz, NZ? I'm thinking one month in NZ (not sure how I'll do it, either completely independently and plan as I go along, or use one of those hop-on-hop-off bus packages). what have you done?

for Oz, I'm thinking 4 weeks on east coast, and 2 weeks on west coast.

so, that's 1.5 months in Oz, and 1 month in NZ.

Any advice re. costs?

thanks a mill!!

macca1983

Sin1981 wrote: »

thanks Macca1983,

I knew 1k wouldn't be enough for those places. sorry, didn't phrase it right. So, how much would i need for Oz, NZ? I'm thinking one month in NZ (not sure how I'll do it, either completely independently and plan as I go along, or use one of those hop-on-hop-off bus packages). what have you done?

for Oz, I'm thinking 4 weeks on east coast, and 2 weeks on west coast.

so, that's 1.5 months in Oz, and 1 month in NZ.

Any advice re. costs?

thanks a mill!!

I've just done both these countries so im pretty up to date on costs and all that craic.

It really all depends on what activities you get involved in. About 1,500 would do for NZ for the month. However do a bungee jump with the full package and that costs about 450 Euro, so as you can imagine this would really throw out your budget. However 1,500 would certainly do for hostels, having a few beers every night and probably cooking most nights. Maybe throw in one or two low cost activities. NZ is cheap but tis hard to resist all the activities on offer and that can really screw your budget. I would not recommend the Kiwi Experience unless your under the age of about 22. Ti full of Brits/Irish all between the ages of 18-22 and while im only 25 i felt a bit too old for most of the people on the bus i was with.

Australia is more expensive and i would be looking at 2,000 to 2,500 - more leaning towards 2,500. East Coast is full of Irish people - not sure if you want to avoid them or meet some fellow country people.

Neamhshuntasach

imme wrote: »

do you know or anyone else, would the US let you in if you have a Colombian stamp on your passport.

Yeah i've since been without problem. Considering the US give millions a year to Colombia they have no right to have a problem.

Neamhshuntasach

Sin1981 wrote: »

Hi there,
This thread really interests me cos I'm hoping to do a RTW trip next year, and i'm trying to get an idea of costs...
Neamhshuntasach: have you travelled all over, or just S. America and Asia? You done Oz/New Zealand? btw, Colombia sounds fab!
I'm hoping to do from Mexico city down to Buenos Aires, then onto NZ, Oz, and ending with SE. Asia, and I had 1K per month in mind.. you reckon this will be enough? or am I living in fantasy land?
sorry for hijacking your thread macca1983:o
thanks

Been all over. Try to get away for a few months at least every year. I liked New Zealand but hated Australia for the most part. And 1 grand a month should be okay for Latin America and South East Asia. But for NZ/Oz it won't go as far but it is manageable. Just depends what you wanna do with your time.

In NZ/Oz it's almost 20 euro a night for a hostel. So if your not planning on working i assume you'll be staying in hostels. That will be over 400 a month on accommodation alone. One a night out i'd spend around 60 or so. Less if it's just a few drinks. Internal travel can be expensive. Eating out is expensive enough too. But you can buy and cook for yourself on the cheap.