A visit to South America

Richard reflects on his tour of South America with his wife, Odette

What prompted you to book your tour?

Machu Picchu was always high on our bucket list of travel destinations, and we had been hearing reports that the number of tourists allowed to visit would be substantially reduced in the coming years to allow the site to recover from overuse (we had been looking at travelling to South America pre-COVID and originally was booked to leave in June 2020). Once the decision was made on Machu Picchu we started looking into what else South America could offer and we were excited to see the destinations that the 19 Day South America tour would bring us.

Did your expectations meet reality?

Absolutely 100%. South America is an amazing continent with each country offering so many differing experiences from history, scenery, and food. One thing that they all had in common was the warm and friendly people who were happy to meet you.

Any surprises?

For all the bad publicity that Rio attracts around safety we certainly felt safe during our stay and even ventured out to meet the locals.

What were the highlights of this tour for you?

The obvious highlights are in the destinations themselves however our biggest highlight was being with tour guides they have an absolute passion for their country and city. The guides ensured that all of our expectations were met and loved sharing their experiences, their passion, and their knowledge.

Did you do any optional tours? If yes, which ones and would you recommend them?

We chose most of the optional tours as we saw this as our opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture of the country. Our top three optional tours were Rainbow Mountain Day Trip – challenging and so worthwhile. Such a sense of achievement getting to the top, and the view was breathtaking; the Gran Adventura – Iguazu Falls; fun with a capital F, sit back and enjoy the adventure; Eat Rio Food Tour – fantastic guide who took us to places the average tourist would not visit. We ate and drank with the locals, highly recommended.

What do you say to those pondering whether or not to book?

Book it – you will not regret it!

Any advice for future travellers?

Remember to be open-minded and not sweat the small stuff. Travelling across a number of countries there are bound to be some small hiccups, but it all adds to your story when you get back home.