Our Advice
Slow down and enjoy the differences…. you’ll be back home with the familiar soon enough.
Enjoy being away
Here are some of our suggestions on how to get the most out of your trip to South America.
It makes a lot of sense to start enjoying your holiday even before you leave home. We suggest you do some reading and learning about where you are off to, by tapping into the many sources of information that are out there, books, blogs, travel web pages, maps and so on. If you spend some time learning about the places and cultures which you are going to come across – it can only enhance your experience.
If you don’t speak any Spanish why not sign up for a language course before you go. If you make the effort to meet and talk to the local people in their own language it will add to your understanding and enjoyment. If you are off to highland Peru then you could try learning a few words of Quechua – that will impress the locals.
We suggest you are sensitive to the behaviour, beliefs and customs of the local people.
If you want to take photographs of people, always ask first, they may not like it. It is worth remembering that you are just one of many visitors.
Laws of land ownership and access may be different from your home country, so don’t assume you can walk anywhere you like. Always ask.
Also of course we recommend that you respect the laws of the country you are travelling in.
Witches market, La Paz
We always try to support small local businesses and therefore to support the local economy, rather than large chains. If you buy local produce then you will be helping the local economy, drink locally made beer or fruit juice rather than imported brands and buy and eat locally grown food.
There may be some flexibility in prices when buying crafts, especially in local markets. Some haggling will be expected. But we recommend you haggle with humour and not aggressively.
You may encounter some begging. We suggest, rather than giving directly to individuals, donating through a charity, clothes, goods, money will always be welcome, and there are many worthwhile organisations that would welcome any help at all. Many kids do not have access to dentists so please don’t give out sweets.
Most South American countries do have a tipping culture, so bear that in mind. Some people rely on tips.
Environmental impact
Do try to minimise your environmental impact.
There is very little recycling in South America, so try to minimise use of plastic, single use batteries etc. Turn off lights, power, air conditioning etc when not in use. Resources are limited.
Follow guidelines at popular sites in order to help preserve local wildlife and habitats. Stick to footpaths and don’t buy products made from plants or animals.
Mountain streams are often drinking water so avoid using soap and washing in the water. Carry all rubbish out with you form the mountains,
Do not pollute or bathe in rivers. Often those streams will be someone’s drinking water source further down river.
Never leave rubbish, pack out what you bring in, leave no trace, and even better leave a campsite in as good or better state than you found it.
Huayhuash
Testimonials
W. Kyle, USA. 4-day Inca Trail trek, Cusco and Sacred Valley, April 2025 Food was awesome, at our Cusco hotel and on the Inca trail. There were so many highlights: the way our guide explained in great detail about all the birds, plants (especially all the different orchids), in addition to his knowledge on all the ancient historical sites was quite amazing. It made the trail more like an adventure, instead of a hike. All of the people at the hotel in Cusco were very helpful, especially Kevin, who brought oxygen to my room Saturday morning when I was still having issues adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco. The other tour guides, Eddie on the walking tour of Cusco, and Mateo, who did the Sacred Valley tour were good. Andean Trails was recommended by Responsible Travel, my first contact for this adventure.
W. Kyle
» 4-Day Inca Trail Hike To Machu Picchu, Peru
D. Joselow and family, USA. Land-based Galapagos holiday, April 2025 The accommodations were great - clean, comfortable, and well located. The food was good, especially the farm lunches. We also really enjoyed the meals on the boats. The overall organization of the trip was terrific. We were a big group and everything ran as expected. We could not have felt better taken care of. Everyone was very kind and very gracious. Honestly, the entire trip was exceptional. We definitely loved the wild life, on land and on/in the water. Learning the history was also great. The Interpretation Center on St Cristóbal was small but very informative. We also loved our boat trips - Kicker Rock, Española,Tuneles. Guide Maritza is a treasure. She has great energy and a clear passion for the place. She was patient and good humored, exceptionally hard working and incredibly knowledgeable. We were told she was a last minute substitute. We sure got lucky. We didn’t know we were going to have our own private guide for the entire time. That actually made the trip and I would recommend this to anyone traveling to Galapagos. The boat crews on St Cristóbal and Isabela were kind and funny and thoughtful. We had a blast spotting dolphins and whales and other creatures. The crew members were always looking out for us and doing everything they could to make us comfortable. Everything felt very local - the farms and ceviche evening and brewery were all about our hosts. But the boats and buses and hotels and restaurants felt the same. The kids rented surf boards and had a great time talking surf with the owner. We found warmth and kindness everywhere so hopefully we did no harm and showed appropriate respect and appreciation. Honestly we can’t imagine a better trip. We would absolutely recommend the itinerary - and Andean Trails - to anyone. We chose Andean Trails because someone we know used the organization to tour the Galapagos and had a great trip. We wanted to do a land-based trip and couldn’t find another organizer who seemed to have the expertise and offered various land options. This was a pretty unusual trip for us, our first time out of the U.S as a family. We didn’t closely examine other Andean Trails offerings but would certainly recommend the group to others. I have to close by thanking you for all your help. We had lots of different questions and lots of different needs in throughout the planning. You were very patient on all of it. That made us very confident that the trip itself was going to be as wonderful as you were. It was. Thanks so, so much. This was a bucket list adventure. I am not sure how any future trip can compare.
» Galapagos Island Hopping: San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz
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