Our Map:
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Santa Marta (Parque Tayrona), Colombia
- Cusco, Peru
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Copacabana, Bolivia
- Salt Flats, Bolivia
- La Paz, Bolivia
Type of Travel:
I would say our trip was a mix between extremely frugal livings (hostel living) to absolute indulgences (4 star hotel treatment). The riskier the city's reputation, the more we would spend on our accommodation (reasonable, right?) The same could not be said for our spending habits when it came to eating and shopping. So it's really tough to categorize the "style" of traveling for this trip but I'll say it was a good MIX.
Cost Summary:
International
Flight
Local Transportation |
$1,200
$1,450 |
Accommodation
|
$400
|
Extra
Activities/Tours
Food Shopping |
$400
$600 $600 |
TOTAL
COSTS
|
$4,650
|
Transportation
The heavy $1,450 price tag above seems unreasonable for South America but it consisted of 4 intercontinental flights, the famously overpriced Perurail train to Machu Picchu & 7 bus rides (4 being overnight longhaul bus rides). The big money sucker were the intercontinental flights within South America, so please learn from our mistakes!
| DATE | FROM | TO | $ | Carrier |
| 15-Sep | BOG | CTG | $257.00 | LAN Airlines |
| 18-Sep | CTG | SMR | $45.00 | Marsol Bus |
| 20-Sep | SMR | BOG | $257.00 | LAN Airlines |
| 21-Sep | BOG | LIM | $257.00 | LAN Airlines |
| 21-Sep | LIM | CUZ | $257.00 | LAN Airlines |
| 22-Sep | CUZ | Machu Picchu | $103.80 | Perurail |
| 23-Sep | Machu Picchu | CUZ | $103.80 | Perurail |
| 24-Sep | CUZ | Copacabana | $32.00 | Transzela |
| 28-Sep | Copacabana | La Paz | $7.50 | Local Bus |
| 28-Sep | La Paz | Uyuni | $25.00 | Panasur |
| 01-Oct | Uyuni | La Paz | $35.00 | Tudo Turismo |
Lesson Learned #1 - Flights within the country are CHEAP however flights within South America are insanely expensive. We made the rookie mistake of following our hearts versus using our brains. In other words, we set our hearts on starting in Colombia without realizing the costs to fly from Colombia to Peru were almost as expensive as our international flights from YVR - BOG. Ridiculous! Note that ground transportation was never an option because a) it would take the whole 3 weeks just to get from Santa Marta to Cusco and b) all travel advisories advised that all Colombian borders were being overrun by guerrilla fighters and that ground transportation was heavily discouraged. Luckily, LAN airlines offered a "South American pass" which lets you combine routes the airline provides at an overall discounted group rate. At the end of the day, our little oversight cost us an extra $1K but this was much more acceptable compared to the original $2K quoted to us. So, take this into consideration and try to avoid international flights within the continent :)
Lesson Learned #2 -For the many wanderers hoping to tackle the Inca Trail, note that the passes are extremely limited and often sell out 8-10 months in advance. So, if you have your heart set on doing the trek, book WAY in advance.
Lesson Learned #3 - While planning this trip, two words that always striked fear in my heart were "overnight busses". All the horror stories made me super nervous about the latter part of our trip where overnight busses to travel between cities were inevitable. The mountaineous terrain in the area prevents travel by train. You may consider a regional/cheap flight but some of the areas do not have an airport nearby, leaving ground transportation your only option :) Let's just say, you can never be prepared no matter how hard you plan or research.. so just buckle up, stay smart and open minded. Some tips from our experience:
1. Getting from CUSCO to COPACABANA. You will need to go through Puno. Do not believe anyone who says there is a direct bus, it doesn't exist! We wanted to travel with Cruz del Sur but they were sold out by the time we booked. So, we went with the company our hostel recommended (Transzela). We arrived at the train station late at night, paid our exit fees and boarded our bus. To our delight, the bus was clean and the seats were huge and comfy (fully reclinable is key). The 6 hours from Cusco to Puno were a breeze but it wasn't until we arrived in Puno at 530AM that we were told we were being transferred to another company to take us from Puno to Copacabana. These scams are quite common as you will pay a premium for a "luxury" bus but are later switched to a sketchy bus for the latter portion. I was quite disappointed as I had triple checked with our booking agent that we would not be switching companies but since the new bus was in decent condition, it didn't feel worthwhile to argue with my non-existent Spanish while half asleep for the remaining 1.5 hour journey.
2. Getting from COPACABANA to UYUNI (Salt Flats). To start your Salt Flats tour, you will likely consider Uyuni as your starting point as this is one of the major hubs. The trek to Uyuni required a stopover in La Paz (one of Bolivia's main cities) so, the 140KM from Copacabana to La Paz is considered pretty insignificant since it is nearly 800KM to get from La Paz to Uyuni. We booked with a recommended company for the first leg of the trip but given the chaos of having all bus companies board at the same intersection in the middle of an intersection at the same time, it was pretty impossible to argue when being pushed onto a completely different bus company. This bus was definitely not the same as what was advertised to us, my seat in particular was broken, but it just didn't seem worthwhile to argue for such a short trip. One interesting thing during this part of the drive is that you will need to momentarily deboard to cross the water via boat while the bus is tugged separately by a rickety shaft. Once the bus and all parties reach the other side, you quickly board your bus (same one) and continue your journey.
We arrived in La Paz and were hoping to book with Tudo Turismo to get to Uyuni. Although most backpackers hate booking in advance, I would highly recommend booking this one in advance because all seats were sold out for the entire week! We quickly realized we would not be taking the highly reputable Tudo Turismo for the 10+ hour journey to Uyuni (imagine the 7 faces of horror) and would instead need to take a public/local bus. To make matters worse, the attendant quickly informed us these public buses tend to leave earlier and that we only had essentially 45 minutes to figure out our plans, buy our tickets, eat a meal, freshen up and board. Let's just say running around and figuring out the new plan at 3800m elevation was no easy task. Based on his recommendation, we opted for the company Panasur which promised fully reclinable seats and seats together. This company must have been a family operated company because the driver's entire family was on board and left with only 10 seats filled. The seats were most definitely large and fully reclinable (as promised) but the unexpected extra surprise was the intense smell of urine that greeted us and continued to linger & intensify throughout the 13 hours on board. When we finally arrived (later than expected as this company took a longer route), the new challenge became to find a highly reputable company to take us around the Salt Flats for the next few days. Let's just say, figuring this out while just arriving in a new and unfamiliar town, after 13+ hours on a very smelly bus with less than 30 minutes made for 7 pretty grouchy girls. Read more about the specifics of our booking/experience with Blue Line HERE.
Although Panasur made me smell like permanent urine for 24+ hours, I would actually choose that bus company over Tudo Turismo. We booked with Tudo for our journey back and was greeted with hot beverages, pillows and everything that promised for a great ride back. However, within minutes of departing Uyuni it became quickly apparent this was going to be a rough ride because the driver took what seemed to be a non-existent road. It literally was as if he decided to just head north and follow the desert path. The whole ride was like a consistent Magnitude 4 earthquake but matters got pretty scary and dangerous once we realized we were caught in a massive snowstorm (in the middle of the desert). I don't think I slept a wink for that 10 hours as I was pretty confident we were going to die. However, with everything in our trip, we made it safe and sound to our next destination.
Sorry for the rant but this trip just had so many crazy stuff happening that I feel it is my DUTY to share as much as possible to facilitate the next traveler's journey :)
Accommodation
| City | Type | Name | $ per night |
| Cartagena | Hostel | Media Luna Hostel | $18 |
| SantaMarta | Hostel | La Brisa Loca | $13 |
| Cusco | Hostel | Ecopackers | $15 |
| MachuPicchu | Hostel | Supertramp | $14 |
| Copacabana | Hotel | Hotel Onkel Inn | $41 |
| La Paz | Hotel | Camino Real Aparthotel & Spa | $45 |
1. Media Luna Hostel is among the top rated hostels in Cartagena. The actual condition of the hostel is quite different than what is posted online. Nonetheless, the hostel is well located and definitely among the most popular in the area. However, a few things they do not mention online is that the kitchen closes often (and early) and the bars upstairs are often closed. We were in a room for 10 but we did not expect to be also sharing the space with the 4-5 rooms (40-50 beds) next doors through a connected hallway. The lack of locks was also a bit odd as anyone could just come strolling into our rooms. The conditions had one of our most seasoned travelers (who has traveled rural China and India) begging to stay in a hotel.
2. La Brisa Loca was a nice change with amazing (private) showers and a pretty great bar upstairs (the spinning wheel is dangerous). They have a great pool in the middle of the hostel (steps away from our beds). The rooms were comfy and clean however we again noticed an absence of locks. On the surface, the hostel is great however do keep your guard as the following were noticed:
a) The staff at the bar upstairs do a great job at encouraging you to spin the wheel and drink/appoint drinks. However, realize that every drink you were given or "won" is actually being charged to you upon check-out. Pretty ingenious but sneaky nonetheless. I was a bit peeved as they had tried to overcharge me (understandably, counting the number of beverages you've consumed the nights before is a bit difficult after one too many) but counting beans is afterall my specialty, so please don't try to rip me off!
b) We booked a private driver through the hostel to take us to Parque Tayrona. The driver turned out to be illegal and was taken away by police 15 minutes into our drive which left us stranded and lost for 5+ hours. Long story which is explained further in my post on Parque TayronaUpon returning to the hostel and explaining the situation to the staff, the blame was put on us. Absolutely the most ridiculous conversation I've ever had.
3. Ecopackers was hands down the best hostel during our entire trip. The rooms have a cottage feel to it and the endless layers of blankets are a nice welcome. The hot showers were also a great change however it seemed to only work at certain points in the day. The breakfast was also great (and cheap). The only downside would be the staff being a tad temperamental often seeming overwhelmed. I also did not like the fact that they only had one taxi driver they partnered with. You would assume requesting for another driver, after having a bad experience with the originally driver, 5+ hours in advance would be an easy enough request no? Apparently not. 
Supertramp in Aguas Caliente was our hostel for our Machu Picchu trip. Well located at the base of Machu Picchu and only a few footsteps away from the train station & bus station. Sebastian was so incredibly welcoming and was available literally day & night. He definitely tried his best to make our stay in Machu Picchu the best possible with a high degree of enthusiasm and many recommendations. The beds were not very comfortable but for a 1 night stay, it was nothing to complain about. The only complaint was that the hostel is located right next to a bar which plays music until 4 in the morning. Considering most guests start their trek at 3-4 AM, it seemed a bit counter intuitive.
5. Hotel Onkel Inn in Copacabana was a piece of heaven as we made the switch from hostel living to modern apartment loft living. Located a 10 minute walk away from the "city centre", the hotel provides an amazing/unobstructed view of Lake Tititcaca with its foot to ceiling windows. Danilo was also a dream as he was so accommodating providing us with unbiased recommendations and introducing us to a driver to take us around Copacabana for the day. The hotel also has a pretty good range of movies and endless snacks which made for great movie nights. A few moments where we were reminded we were in Bolivia as oppose to living in a swanky Manhattan loft were the many insects which greeted us in the bathroom and the questionable construction quality during one particularly stormy night. Nonetheless, our stay was a great relaxing/resting point for our trip as we prepared ourselves for the next leg.
6. Camino Real Aparthotel & Spa. After having read a few articles which named La Paz among the most dangerous cities in the world, we unanimously agreed to spend a bit more to feel safe and secure during our stay. We also figured we would be pretty beaten up by the end of our trip, so indulging before heading home seemed appropriate. We didn't expect to book a 4 star hotel (Bolivian standards) but the choices in accommodation in La Paz were pretty lacking. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this hotel. From the moment we entered, the staff treated us like royalty (imagine, 7 girls in a disarray of alpaca wear among the businessmen, having spent 3 days on the salt flats and having just endured 10 hour drive from the borders of Argentina followed by a 10 hour treacherous bus ride from Uyuni), and even allowed us to check in 7 hours early!!!! Music to our ears. The hotel also had a great buffet breakfast and an in-house massage & nail salon. The rooms were extremely spacious as each room had a living room, 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen.
Activities
The ~ $400 figure above spent on activities doesn't include the little miscellaneous things here & there. But, the main costs were as follows:
| City | Item | Cost |
| Cartagena | Playa Blanca Bus Ticket | $45 |
| Parque Tayrona | Entrance Ticket | $20 |
| Machu Picchu | Entrance Ticket | $60 |
| Machu Picchu | Guide | $10 |
| Salt Flats | 3 Day Tour | $135 |
| Salt Flats | National Park Entrance Fee | $20 |
| La Paz | Gravity Death Road | $125 |
| TOTAL | $415 |
Summary
Overall, the South America trip in 2014 remains probably my most adventurous, feeling completely out-of-my-element, trip to date. Nonetheless, the trip was so amazing and I would not have traded a minute of it!
Here is an awesome video one of the girls made to quickly summarize the trip:
South Amerrrica 2014 from Ally Chang on Vimeo.
