Tour and Travel

Posts Tagged ‘South’

Happy, Beautiful People

Two of South America’s countries are in the top ten of daily experience happiness list, meaning that Paraguayans and Venezuelans have some of the best daily experiences on record. Argentina is in the top 20.  This means that South America is a fairly happy continent and you can expect to have a good time there.

Not only are the people happy in South America, but they are also very beautiful with Argentine men having a reputation as being very handsome and Venezuelan women having a reputation of being gorgeous.

Combine happiness and beauty and you have two ingredients that make a successful recipe for visiting South America.

Learn to Dance

There are three reasons to learn to dance in South America:

Tango in Argentina

Salsa in Venezuela

Samba in Brazil

South Americans are expert dancers and they learn to dance at a young age.  If you want to learn to salsa or tango then it is far better to travel to South America and take lessons there than learn at home.  You will be surrounded by excellent dancers.

Practice Your Spanish or Portuguese

If you are a student of Spanish or Portuguese, you will find it cheaper and perhaps livelier to practice your foreign language skills in South America.  Many cities offer local academies where you can take inexpensive classes to polish up.  If you are looking for a standard version of Spanish, try Venezuela or Colombia which offer the most neutral-sounding Spanish around.  Avoid Argentina however, as they have a strong accent and a more distinct dialect.  Ecuador and Peru are also good for learning Spanish.  And if your language of choice is Portuguese, then you should choose Brazil over Portugal because millions more speak Brazilian Portuguese than it’s continental cousin.

Cheap Prices

South America is not an expensive place to visit.  Transportation is cheap.  Great meals (particularly in Buenos Aires) are cheap.  Going to the movies is only a pittance.  Beer is cheap.  In Venezuela gasoline is practically free.  You get the idea.

Fascinating Landscapes

What compares to the Amazon rainforest? Nowhere on earth will you see as much animal and plant diversity. Then there are the Andes mountains that tower high above the western coastal plain. And then there’s the pampas of Argentina where you can see endless fields of grain or the lakes and streams of Patagonia. South America offers verdant landscapes that will put you in a good mood. And that’s not even mentioning the great beaches that you will find. If you want a great beach, visit Choroni in western Venezuela or Buzios in southern Brazil. The abundant nature and low population density provide good reasons to visit South America.

Final Motivators

Here are some final top reasons to visit South America:

Argentinian beef is arguably the best in the world

Visiting Macchu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes is an unforgettable experience

Who wouldn’t want to visit a Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro?

South America is one of the most intriguing continents in the world. Geologically varied, culturally loaded and historically fascinating, it is a great destination for traveling, with South America adventure tours being all the rage.

Chile, the elongated, thin country stretches over 4,300 km(2,700 m) along the southwestern coast of South America is supreme for South America tours. From the arid desert plains in the north to the creeks, glaciers and lakes in the Lake District, towering active volcanic peaks of the Andes Mountain, this diverse country put together some great opportunities for fine adventure travel experience on South American holidays. Chile features huge extremes in its panorama.

Explore the Variety of Chile Tours

1. Chile City Tours – Santiago city nestled between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean landmarks all visiting places from historic and modern centers to the Plaza de Armas, the presidential Palace, colonial treasures, splendid ornate civil buildings, churches, museums, Parks, and the famed Mercado Central. It is also a heaven for lovers of excellent wines and incredible food.

Valparaíso is the oldest port in Chile. This port has its own historic significance as Chilean House of Assembly and Senate. Other visit places are the new government houses, the Plaza Sotomayor, the Plaza Victoria, the cathedral and the harbor area.

Viña del Mar is a lively city with attractive Coast and beautiful beaches, modern hotels, high-end restaurants and fashionable bars. It kept Chilean tradition of elegance.  The famous Garden city named for its many parks. The most attractive Parque Quinta Vergara with an amphitheater and the Museo de Bellas Artes.

Colchagua Valley Museum – the visitors can get an illustrations about themes on Paleonthology, archaelogy and Pre Columbian Art of Chile and America, History of the Conquest, Colony and the Independence of Chile and America till the Republican period.

Frutillar – Driving around the lake shore from Puerto Varas to visit Frutillar is like taking a step back in time. In Frutillar, there is a wonderful open-air museum with restored colonial Chile Tours and Travels and furnishings from the early German settlement period, as well as an operating blacksmith shop. Throughout the summer there are various festivals of classic music organized here.

2. Chile Nature Tours – The very north of the country is occupied by the world’s driest desert in the world, some parts of which have never felt a drop of rain, while deep in the south; the famous ice fields of Tierra del Fuego extend out into the distance like gigantic hovering rocks. In between, more welcoming terrain greets visitors; palm-fringed sandy beaches and well-developed ski-resorts can be reached in a couple of hours from Santiago and further south, the Lake District and Patagonia both mark outstanding rock climbing.

San Pedro de Atacama -  This is the town in Atacama desert in northern Chile has a popular traveling destination amount tourists interested in natural wonders. These excursions capture profound landscapes, natural events and inhabited places that bare the ingredients and surprises that make the experience unforgettable.

Salar de Atacama – World’s largest salt lake. The Laguna Chaxa, part of the Reserve National park Flamingoes, offers a terrific opportunity to get closer to various species of birds in their natural habitat.

Geysers El Tatio – It situated at 4.500 m above sea level on the Altiplano. The geysers are spectacular in the early morning. There are about 40 geysers, thermal wells and fumaroles make an unforgettable experience.

Valley of the Moon – The sunset in this bizarre, almost lunar landscape formed by the erosion of salt mountains. Strange sculpted rock formations in the middle of the desert with the Lincancabur Volcano in the background make for a particularly rare experience.

Puerto Montt, the capital of the Lake District is one of the worlds most attention-grabbing and attractive regions, with lakes, snow capped volcanoes and thermal springs just waiting to be discovered. Chile has some appealing fishing towns and excellent beaches making for a serene holiday. Particularly hiking through the rural landscape of Patagonia and the Lake District are extremely popular for adventure travelers beaches and Andean ski-resorts.

3. Chile Cultural Tours – Easter Island is one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands famous for the large stone statues or Moai, mostly found along the coastline of the island. These stone statues have been inventoried on the island and in museum collections. Easter Island gives the traveler a glance of past cultures with its renowned moai statues.

4. Chile Wine Tours – Chile is a wine country for some fabulous wine, Santiago is the place which is gateway to the Andes, situated between mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. With the wonderful climate for wine making enjoy an interesting tour through the vineyard to know about the history of Wine production and the most modern technology in cooling equipment, stainless steel tanks, filters and oak casks which has lead as making of exceptional wines at vineyards. The vineyard Veramonte is one of the biggest winery in Chile and others are Indomita, Casas del Bosque, Concha y Toro, Santa Rita. You can enjoy sampling some of the most excellent Chilean wines on your South America Vacations. The weather conditions of Casablanca Valley specially offered the sea breeze, allow the production of white premium Chilean wines.

A trip to Peru is fascinating and magical. Travel Peru’s varied scenery, from desert coastline to lush mountains and fertile valleys, sampling its tasty seafood and absorbing its ancient culture among the most interesting experiences in South America. Sightseeing in Peru is an other-worldly experience. It offers a plethora of scenic landscapes as well as a cultural mix that is evident in both the architecture and customs. The first taste makes the traveler curious to know more.

Visit Machu Picchu, the most recognized settlement of the Incas, located in the southern Peruvian Andes in a unique and mystical setting. Touring this holy place is to witness an archaeological site with architectonic and engineering innovations which have survived the ages. There are no words to describe the magnificence of such a scene which has become one of the most highly sought destinations for tour operators in Peru.

Cordillera Blanca is the perfect place for trekking, climbing, cycling, rafting or to simply enjoy the highest mountain in Peru. Huascaran National Park includes the whole Cordillera Blanca above 4.000 m and due of its character of Unesco World Biosphere Reserve, visiting this part of central Peru is a dream comes true for nature and archeology lovers.

The famous Nazca lines, located in the southwest of the country, are a set of gigantic ancient zoomorphic and geometric figures, some simple and others more complex. All images are mapped onto the surface and can be seen in their entirety only from the air. There are more questions than answers about how between 200 BC and 700 inhabitants of this desert were able to draw such immense images on the ground. Close by is located Cerro Blanco, which, with a height of 2078 m is the highest dune in the world, an ideal destination for sand boarding and paragliding in Peru.

Peru is a country with a strong indigenous tradition that can be seen in the colorful markets where each item can be viewed as a small masterpiece. Pisac, a small town located in the Sacred Valley, is one of the best ways to see how the Quechua tradition is experienced today. Pisac´s Sunday Market is well-known and is ideal for having direct contact with locals who are selling their products. At the same time, Pisac is an ideal starting point for tour to Peru, visiting archaeological sites, breathtaking scenery and the local flora and fauna.

Travel to Peru is discovering new tastes and scents, unique music, hallowed stories and congenial people. Ancient history and modern life run together in a poetic and captivating way, resulting in a beautiful country hard to leave behind.

Argentina will win South Africa 2010 and take the cup to South America. So many teams like England, Germany, Ghana, and Holland have been trying to win the tournament for a while but to no avail. If you are thinking Brazil has what it takes to win the world cup then you don’t even have a clue of how football (UK) is played. Brazil is undoubtedly a good team but it is certain that Argentina is a powerful and better team. If Diego Maradona can lead Argentina to South Africa, I don’t see why a team filled with players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodriguez will be an easy team to thrash. Brazil has players like Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Pato and Adriano but if Brazil had to meet Argentina in a world cup final, Argentina will be victorious. While South Africa might be playing at home during the tournament, the team doesn’t seem to be the best African football team. Ghana is the best African football team. The USA will also be a good team to watch during South Africa 2010. With the way Freddy Adu has been playing lately for the team, it looks like the boys will be looking to cause a few upsets during the competition.  If Brazil met the USA in a FIFA World Cup match, it’s certain that Brazil will struggle to score a goal against a team which plays good football and has many players who can run for minutes without getting tired. The FIFA World Cup will be held in Africa for the first time and it is feasible Italy will not win the cup for a second time because so many teams want the cup too.

For those who love the beauty of the North American continent, perhaps one of the most gorgeous places is the Pacific Coastline from San Francisco to British Columbia. Below San Francisco, also quite amazing especially is Big Sur. Still, Big Sur is not all there is, and as you travel Northward towards Canada and even looking at the Canadian coastline, it’s nothing short of amazing.

You truly have not seen all the beauty this world has to offer until you’ve experienced the Pacific Coastline. You owe it to yourself to see it in this lifetime and take in its breathless beauty. Perhaps, it might be wise to read up on it before you go. There are numerous travel books worthy of mention that explain the sights and vantage points.

My favorite travel book on this subject and one I recommend to all my friends, indeed one I’ll recommend to you right now is:

“The Best of the Pacific Coast; San Francisco to British Columbia – a Guide for the Curious Traveler” by Gerald W. Olmstead. Crown Publishers, New York, New York, 1989.

Learn the history from San Francisco Northward. Explore the Russian River, Golden Gate, as well as Sonoma and Mendocino County. There are chapters on the Eel River, Humboldt Bay and the Mighty Pacific Redwood Forests. The details of the entire Oregon Coast are well documented as well as the Olympia Peninsula, Seattle Area, and British Columbia.

Learn about the wild life, birds, sea life, and the weather. It’s all there and it is one of the best travel reference books on the Pacific Coastline in North America that I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing. I recommend it to you.