5 golden rules for travelling South America
It’s a well-known fact that South America is one of the biggest and craziest continents to travel through. Its myriad of differing cultures are filled with heat, color, dancing, incredible food, friendly locals and extremely variable weather: the place is primed for visiting travelers to have a good time.
So here’s a rundown of the best ways to enjoy South America:
Decide on your goals: South America is an extremely varied place. If you have a sound idea of what’s most important to you, you should travel somewhere that facilitates it. If you are excited to uncover native and natural history, perhaps visit Machu Picchu. If you want safe, foreigner-friendly bar culture, visit Argentina, Colombia, Chile or Uruguay.
Eat local: There’s a tonne of amazing food to be eaten in South America. From the classic favorites, like empanadas, ceviche and avocado, to the more adventurous cuy and alpaca meat.
You’ll never go hungry when travelling about. Shopping at local markets is one of the best ways to both sample the local produce and save quite a bit of cash; plus you can practice your Spanish with the stall holders too.
Learn basic Spanish: In South East Asia no one, especially not the locals, have any expectations of you learning or speaking the local languages in the few days or week that you’re there.
Latin America is completely different; there is actually some expectation that you at least try to learn and speak some Spanish in Latin America and the ability to communicate in Spanish will be greatly received. Being able to speak the language will go some way to improving your experience of the country and your connection to the people.
Take a photography class: South America is full of surreal and otherworldly landscapes. These beautiful sights include Patagonia, the Cocora Valley in Colombia, the Uyuni Salt Flats and Iguazu Falls.
Scenery like this deserves more than a quick snapshot. Before your trip, take a photography class to hone your skills and, if you have the money, invest in a DSLR for professional looking shots.
If you have any interest at all in photography, South America is a great destination to play around and get creative using beautiful landscapes as a backdrop.
Be alone, but don’t be lonely: This advice is the most important. South America is world-renowned for its friendly and inquisitive people; many of them love share stories and chat. If you can keep your mind open and your confidence high, these locals can be your ultimate travel guides and the best part of your experience.
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