Is somewhere in Latin America your only choice for a destination or are you casting a broader net that means you could be interested in going to Europe, Africa, or Asia? ZZ

In May We are taking 6 months to do a circuit starting off in Ecuador (landing in Quito) travelling down through the country before crossing into Peru around Loja ( probably) and then to Chachapoyas before spending some time on the north coast beaches of Peru before heading to cusco and the SV via the Cordillera Blanca. From Cusco we plan on heading into Bolivia via Titicaca and then doing a rough circuit of the country before heading back to Peru possibly via northern Chile. We also plan on visiting Arequipa and Colca canyon before catching our flight home from Lima. A similar route could easily be achieved in a couple of months.

I think the key is to check out the open jaw tickets and fly out of one city and back from another to avoid backtracking and the flights are usually the same or less than a return from the same city. We are not going to Columbia this time but the OJ tickets to Bootable and back from Lima were very competitive ( but that was from London)

All of this will be done on a budget, using buses where possible as flight within South America can be expensive. The exception is Bolivia where I expect to take a few flights due to the apparently dire buses and the distances involved.

Having travelled to some of these places before we are concentrating on places we haven't been to before but revisiting one or two we have. Must sees are too numerous to mention and are clearly dependent upon your own specific interests. Advance planning will ensure you get the most out of your trip as there is a huge amount to pack in and 2 months will fly by.

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ has some interesting itineraries which you could use as a starting point.

As far as I know, ColUmbia could be, among many other things, a county in the state of New York.

Now, if we are talking about ColOmbia, that's another matter.

Just kidding! LOL!!!

You haven't given even a vague idea of what you like and South America has it all. June and July are good months for skiing in Argentina and Chile, desert landscapes in the north of Chile, Salta and its environs in Argentina. Buenos Aires has big city life all year. However, both countries are expensive, only beaten by Brazil.

It is the ideal time for going to the highlands of the Andes as it is the dry season. So anything in the Andes of Perú, Bolivia or Ecuador. All three are more reasonably priced, with Bolivia being the cheapest. In Perú you have Cusco and Machu Picchu, Arequipa and much more. But you would need to book what you want now if Cusco and MP are on the list as it is the most popular time to visit. Bolivia needs a lot of flexibility as road blocks and strikes are quite common, so you always need a plan B and even a C. Still, it is a fascinating country. Ecuador has a bit of everything except desert; mountains, jungle, the colonial architecture of Quito, the Galapagos.

I would take a closer look at the above three countries and see what is there in each. With 2 months you could feasibly visit all three.

Good advice from both crellston and Huentetu. I would stick with the Ecuador/Peru/Bolivia circuit if you are on a budget. In Bolivia, I met a lot of younger people traveling for extended periods. Many of them like to park themselves in Sucre, I think it is worthwhile including Sucre (and Potosi, but it will be very cold) before or after you see the Salar de Uyuni. That time of year you might also include the jungle.

Crellston did you read about the two "lost" Americans. It sounded like they were doing that crossing from Ecuador to Peru (via Pantoja). Can't remember if I posted about them.

Funny article, love the expression on the guy on the left.

http://gawker.com/5987844/worlds-most-embarrassing-mom-makes-peruvian-government-hunt-down-her-son-when-he-stops-posting-on-facebook



Remember the southern hemisphere, June and July are cold but tend to be dry in the Andes.

Mlgb, yes I did read about the" lost" Americans - hilarious, but I suppose not so funny for their mother! The photo certainly says it all really..

I am planning to post a trip report on the road but will of course be relying on Fodorites to call the authorities if I suddenly stop posting.. On the other hand, it may just be that I dropped my iPad in the Amazon!

Thanks for the link, mlgb. I hadn't heard about that - new take on helicopter parenting!

thanks for the responses everyone! ive tried to accomplish some narrowing down of countries. I know it would be easier with adjacent countries, but I want to focus on Peru and Argentina with more time spent in Peru maybe 2-3 weeks.

that being said, what's a good way to navigate through peru. a friend did arequipa to colca canyon to to cusco and the hike to macchu. she said lima wasnt amazing, but does anyone disagree? any must see places to be added and where does one fit them in. how much time is really needed in each place?

as for argentina, i really just have buenos aires and mendoza on the list. i heard the iguazu falls are a bit out of the way. salta seems far out of the way too, but not sure.

must find a way to solidify some nice jungle activity in this mix. if the amazon is too big of an endeavor, what are some other great locations that will satisfy that wildlife craving.

thanks!!!!

You can get to most place in Peru by bus, relatively affordable. There is jungle in Peru.

Since it does not sound like you have done any research of your own, I'd recommend going to the Fodor's Destinations section by country and read the free information there.

You can also read the numerous trip reports and travel blogs posted here and elsewhere on the internet.

Or you can look for a tour that sounds good to you, and just follow that on your own.