Useful Information

TIPPING Tipping is optional, however, it is a customary practise in Latin America. It is common to tip services such as guides, porters, drivers, waiters, baggage handlers and anyone else who goes out of his or her way to help you. Tipping guideline per person: Tour guides $5/half day and $10/ full day. Tour drivers $2/half day and $5/ full day. $1 per bag for bellboys. A 10-15% service charge is usually included in restaurant bills, but an additional 5% can be added for good service. PASSPORTS & VISA This information is correct at the time of printing but is always subject to change. Please check requirements for all countries you will be visiting prior to departure. All travellers require a valid passport with sufficient pages (approx. 6) with a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of completion of travel. Australian passport holders do not require visa for entry into Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Colombia nor Peru. There is a reciprocity fee in Chile (USD117 approx.) payable locally on arrival at the HANDY TIPS FROM US, THE LOCALS!

ALTITUDE SICKNESS Some South American cities such as Cuzco, La Paz and Quito are situated at an altitude of 2850 meters above sea level or higher. At these altitudes, the lack of oxygen affects most people to some extent until they become acclimatised. Mild symptoms include headache, lethargy, dizziness, difficulty in sleeping and loss of appetite. It is recommended that you rest in your hotel on the first day of arrival into this city to assist in acclimatisation. LANGUAGE Spanish is spoken in most of South America, with the exception of Brazil where Portuguese is the national language. Generally, in the capital cities and popular tourist areas, some English is spoken; however in remote areas it is unlikely there will be many people who speak English. CURRENCY As each South American country has its own currency, it is wise to take the majority of your spending money in USD. However, taking Debit Cards with your own money is also a good idea, as most major cities have ATM Access, giving you the opportunity to with draw in the local currency.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE DEGREES CELCIUS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Buenos Aires 25 24 21 18 14 11 11 13 14 18 21 23 Bariloche 14 14 11 8 5 3 2 3 5 8 11 13 Ushauia 10 10 8 6 3 2 2 2 4 7 8 9 Santiago 21 20 18 15 11 8 8 10 11 14 17 19 Puerto Montt 14 14 12 10 9 7 6 7 8 10 11 13 Punta Arenas 10 10 8 6 3 2 1 2 5 6 8 10 Arica 23 23 22 20 18 17 16 16 17 18 20 21 Lima 23 23 23 21 20 18 17 17 17 18 20 21 Cuzco 12 12 12 12 11 10 10 11 12 13 13 13 Arequipa 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 La Paz 8 8 8 7 6 5 5 6 7 8 8 8 Rio de Janeiro 28 28 27 25 23 21 21 22 23 24 25 26 Salvador de Bahia 27 27 27 27 26 25 25 25 25 26 26 27 Manaus 27 26 27 27 27 27 27 27 28 28 28 27 Quito 14 14 14 15 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 Guayaquil 27 27 27 27 27 25 25 25 25 25 26 27 Cuenca 15 15 15 15 14 13 13 12 14 15 14 15 Montevideo 22 21 20 16 12 10 10 10 12 14 17 20 Bogota 12 13 13 13 13 13 12 12 13 13 13 12 Caracas 21 22 23 23 24 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 Mexico City 14 14 16 17 18 18 17 16 17 15 14 13 Cancun 24 25 26 27 29 29 30 30 29 28 26 25 Havana 21 21 23 24 26 27 27 27 27 25 24 22 Santiago De Cuba 24 24 25 25 26 27 27 27 27 27 26 25

Rosario Island