Notes & Advice
Below are some notes and advice for travelling to Argentina, Chile and the coasts of Uruguay and Brazil. If you are unsure of anything or would like more information please do not hesitate to ask.
Importante note: we do our best to keep these notes & advice up to date. However, they are not a definitive guide and we strongly recommend you discuss them with us before travelling and that you also double check with your local government well in advance of your departure date.
What to bring
Many of our trips involve moving about a lot, so our first advise is travel light. (That said, it is no problem if you are travelling with a lot of luggage, just let us know in advance and we will work out ways to help you along the way).
With this in mind we advise bringing just two pairs of footwear: a multi purpose pair of boots (which type would depend on the activities you are doing).
Water is also an important part of many of our trips. Many of the accommodations we work with have swimming pools and we often base our hiking and horse riding trips around visiting waterfalls, rivers or lakes so, if you like to swim, always pack a pair of swimming trunks.
Unpredictable weather & Specialist equipment
Even in the summer, throughout the region, the weather can be very unpredictable, particularly in the Andes mountains, where there is always a chance of strong winds, which drop temperatures considerably, and in the high mountains you can be hit by a snow storm at any time of the year. Meanwhile in the semi-tropical regions of northern Argentina and the coast of Brazil there is always a chance of rain. Our advise to combat the changing weather is layers that you can easily take off and put on, topped off with a lightweight windbreaker that is genuinely waterproof – one that you can easily fold up. And, if you are travelling to the south, even during the summer or any part of Northern Chile or Northwest Argentina at any point of the year, we advise you bring warm clothes for evenings and early mornings: scarf, gloves, woolly hat etc.
Our trips involve a wide range of activities, if you are bringing your own kit or need further advise for a specific activity, please contact us.
Sun & Insects
If you are spending long hours in the sun – hiking, kayaking or horse riding for example – irrelevant of your skin type, you need a very strong sun-cream – this is particularly important if you are going to the mountains. To give you an idea of how serious this is, within the communities who live in the Andes the cases of skin cancer, conjunctivitis and other problems associated with the sun have gone up exponentially in the last few decades. A zinc cream, like cricketers use, for extra nose protection is a good idea as well as long sleeve shirts, a wide brimmed hat, with a strap to keep it from getting blown off, and a very good pair of sunglasses – ideally a pair that are especially designed for the high mountains.
Cases of Dengue, Malaria and Zika have been rising in the more tropical regions of Argentina and Chile and, even on the coasts, they are a risk in Uruguay and Brazil. However, there is a very easy way of avoiding both: Insect repellent and plenty of it.
Horse riding
We strongly advise the use of a well-fitted ASTM/SEI or ISO 2010 approved equestrian helmet equipped with a retention harness, which must be fastened at all times whilst on horseback.
It is not part of the culture in South America to wear a hard hat and it is unlikely any of the people working on your trip will be wearing one. However, many travel insurance companies will not cover you if you are not wearing one.
As mentioned above, the sun is also a problem so you also need to keep your head in the shade – there are special types of hard hats with a wide brim for the sun.
Beyond a hard hat, it is important you have footwear that the toe fits easily into stirrups and keep in mind stirrups tend to be narrower in South America. Otherwise, we advise you wear what you feel confident and comfortable riding in. In our opinion accidents happen when people get nervous, which is generally when they are outside of their comfort zone so bring what you are used to riding in, what you feel comfortable and safe in.
Camping trips
Some useful extra items to bring if you are spending a night or more camping:
- Lip solve & moisturiser (particularly in the mountains, your skin drys up very quickly)
- Torch (head lamps / minder’s lamps are generally the most handy and always bring spare batteries).
- Travelling / camp towel (one that folders down into a small space)
- Wet wipes (if you don’t want to wash in the near freezing water of certain regions these make a good substitute)
- Toilet paper (we will obviously bring our own but this saves you the embarrassment of asking for it)
- Water bottle
- Dry bags (you can get really good camping zip bags but black bags will do. They are to keep everything separate and dry)
- At least -10 Cº Sleeping bag (these are often provided though many people prefer to bring their own or at the very least a Sleeping bag liner.) Note: some of our more extreme trips require a sleeping bag that works in lower temperatures, if in doubt ask us during the prepartion of your trip.
- Roll mats (again these are often provided though you may prefer to bring your own).
- A duffel bag (or some sort of bag that can be squished into a ruck sack or onto the back of a mule) if you are doing a trip that use pack animals or porters to carry your luggage.
- Travel pillow that squashes into a small bag. Not strictly necessary but can make the difference between a bad and a good night sleep
General
Internet and mobile phones
Internet can be patchy or non-existent, please contact us for specific advice on your trip.
It is possible to buy a chip for your phone and we can help you arrange this on arrival.
Shopping & eating out
Most of the cities we work with our open all day every day however much of the countryside shuts down from 12:00 / 13:00 to 17:00 / 18:00 for the siesta. This includes most shops except shopping malls. Shops are then open again from 17:00 /18:00 to 19:00 / 20:00
In the evening South Americans generally eat much later than many countries. It is quite normal for people to start eating after 22:00 and most restaurants will be almost empty until 21:00.
Money
Paying with cards can be a frustrating process in South America. We advise you to bring at least two types of card (an amex and a visa or a credit and a debit for example) as well as some US dollars with you, we then advise you to exchange some dollars to the local currency on arrival, this way you always have several ways of paying for services. (Many exchange shops do not like small bills, it is advisable to bring only 100 U$D notes). Cards are widely accepted but there are also plenty of places that do not accept cards and often there are issues with foreign cards. Cash machines, that dispense the local currencies are common throughout the region. Notes on exchange rates: we advise you to ring us before your trip for the most up to date information about exchanging money and paying for things in Argentina.
Passports & VISAs
You must have a valid passport. If you do not already have a passport you should apply for one now, as it may take some time.
It is advisable when traveling to keep a photocopy of your passport’s photo page separately from your passport (along with a photocopy of your insurance policy).
IMPORTANT: Please check the date that your passport expires. In some countries you may not enter unless your passport is valid for at least a further six months beyond the date you complete your trip.
Visas: Argentina and Uruguay automatically give visitors a 90 day tourist visa that you do not have to apply for.
- As does Chile, however, if you are travelling to Rapa Nui (Easter) Island you need to fill in the following online form: https://ingresorapanui.interior.gob.cl/#
- As does Brazil, except citizens travelling with passports from Australia, Canada and the United States who are required to have an e-Visas which you can apply through the portal https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/ Notes: passport, visa and vaccination requirements are liable to change at short notice. We are not responsible for displaying the correct information here but do our best to keep it up to date. For official and current entry requirements into Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil please contact the corresponding Consulate for your country.
Domestic flights & Times
It is important to remember the times mentioned in our itineraries are estimates. They can change for a number of reasons.
We work hard with our providers to make sure they are always punctual and we are constantly tracking all of the services involved in any given trip. However, occasionally there are bumps in the road. We always try to keep you updated on any delays and if you would like us to confirm a time or if you are concerned that a driver has not arrived don’t hesitate to let us know – we advise waiting 5 mins after the time specified on the itinerary and then contacting us and at airports sometimes it can be confusing and tricky to find the driver or guide due to the crowds though rest assured, if the service is on your itinerary it has definitely been booked and the driver or guide will be there. Note: for group actvities/transfer there is a flexibilty of 15 minutes after the pickup time to allow for the delays due the the multiple pickup locations.
Check in is 2 hrs before departure and flights missed due to delays are non-refundable. It is advisable to insure against such an eventuality.
Luggage allowance depends on each airline and ticket category though it is generally:
- Hand baggage: 8 kg
- Hold baggage: 15 kg
Tipping & Driving
It is not a big tipping culture here, many people would tip just what change they had in their pocket or nothing at all. Certainly, no one will be offended if they do not receive a tip. That said, tips are always well received. Our advice, is always to tip in the local currency and we recommend 10% though it is of course at your discretion. For guides and drivers, the average wage is around 1,000 USD so a 10 USD per day tip, in the local currency, is a reasonable amount. Note: it is not customary to tip taxis.
Traffic drives on the right, speed limits between country vaary thoughwe advise keeping to the lowest: 25mi/40 km residential areas. 37mi/60 km urban areas. 49mi/80 km suburban main roads. 74mi/120 km Autopista (highways). Note: keep a careful eye out as speed limits often change with little notice and there are often speed cameras.
A valid driving license is all that is required to drive as a tourist, provided you are at least 23.
Note on road safety: the roads are relatively safe though we advise people to never trust a sign, traffic lights, another driver’s signal or anything else one might automatically trust in their own country. It is always best to double check here
Further reading
Finally, for those interested in reading up about South America, below are some of our favourite English language books about the region:
