3 weeks in April, where to go!? South America/Central America/Other?

[Ahleckz]

I want to go away for three weeks in April (flying out on the 2nd or 3rd from Scotland (but if money is right will consider England)).
My original plan was to go to Buenos Aeries, Montevideo and Mendoza. However it's mad expensive.
My next plan was Rio and Sao Paulo, but there's just something about it which is putting me off. Though flights are very cheap.
I'm now thinking Peru, but don't really know anything about it bar Machu Picchu.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've been to S.E. Asia, and probably going to go back in June so that's out.

I like to party (big wine, beer and cocktail fan), love architecture, modern cities but also being in the middle of nowhere. I prefer cities to beaches, but beaches to jungles.

HELP!

I'm ready to book it, so come on. Who will decide my holiday?

 

[malachi]

Thailand?

 

[Bear]

I spent three weeks going from Argentina to Peru, going Argentina, Chilie, Bolivia and Peru across the Andes/altiplano and it was one if the best trips I've ever been on.

I would definitely have Bolivia on your list as there is so much worth seeing. There's Salar de Uyuni the beautiful salt flats as far as the eye can see with a wild cactus island in the middle, the Eduardo national park with some great lakes with wild flamingos (Laguna Colorada, Blanca, Verde) . The park borders Chilie so you can start at San Pedro de Atacama to see the the Atacama desert. La Paz the Bolivian capital (the highest capital in the world) is a fantastic city and well worth a visit.

With Peru, there's lake titicaca where you can see the people who live on the lake on floating reed homes, Olaytatambo, Cusco, Aeroquipa, Saksaywaman, sacred valley and of course Machu Picchu etc.

 

[Nitefly]

Argentina is definitely my favourite country but you need a lot of time to travel around it. The cities are soooo far away from each other that you end up on overnight busses... expensive ones! Not great for a three week trip. But are there many places where you can walk on a glacier, go to a tropical rain forrest and stand off a beach looking at 'herds' of enormous whales?

I'd say Buenos Aires is a great place to live but maybe not the greatest to visit. You can do the major sights and things to do in two days easily. There is however excellent night life - bars and nightclubs. The food is also amazing. The biggest steaks you will ever see for dead cheap and incredible wine. If you are looking for partying (and the obligatory travel mischief / sex) then you could do worse than stay at one of the Milhouse Hostels. The older one is genuinely above a porn cinema. Yep, I listened to people ****ing on the big screen and in your dorm. Try and book a private room! I had the courtesy to find an empty room... I think I'm too old for that jazz now and perhaps you will feel you are too, I don't know

Mendoza was the one place I opted to skip but I hear great things. Likewise I haven't been to Bolivia nor Peru. I have have heard mixed things on Bolivia.

Try looking up Patagonia (specifically Bariloche), Igauzu, El Calafate and Puetro Madryn. To see what they have to offer.

With three weeks, I think heading to B.A. for a couple of nights then down to Patagonia / Bariloche could be possible - go and see the great lakes! Beautiful

Uruguay is rubbish and offers pretty much nothing over Argentina - don't bother. Montevideo is awful! Please don't go there!

Any specific questions ask and I'll try to help

 

[LionOfJudah]

lots to see in Peru - as highlighted by BEAR. Cusco and Lake Titicaca were my favourite places. there is also Nasca lines to see there.

Patagonia is great also and EL Calafate in Chile/Argentina. Beunos Aires was good esp if you want to go see the Tango shows etc.

 

[Antar Bolaeisk]

Oh, I might see you in Peru in April! Trying to get things organised now at the moment.

 

[Amp34]

3 weeks - a mini trip around Belize Guatemala and Honduras. You can get a boat from Honduras to Belize and then do some kayaking around the Belize barrier reef, before heading to Guatemala to see Tikal. We had planned on doing this at some point. We can't get 3 weeks at the moment so are in fact going away for two weeks to Guatemala instead.

Alternatively how about 3 weeks in Indonesia if you haven't been (although you do mention SE Asia) - a week or two in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) looking for orangutans and other forest life, then head down to Komodo and spend some time there, you can do a weeks kayaking in the area as well. Lots more things to do in Indonesia as well, including the area of west Papua, which is pretty remote.

The Philippines is also great, been there twice now and the variety of climate/cultures is massive. Again it's technically SE Asia but not the usual Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos that people are usually referring to when they say SE Asia.
All depends what you want to do!