Roughing it in South America

[Chris]

My friend and I are planning to spend two months in South America in July and August 2010. We both want to experience the REAL South America; not a contrived and commercial version of it. As such, we are looking to do as much trekking and camping as possible, while still staying within our time constraints. Our intended route will most likely begin in Lima, continuing through Bolivia to Buenos Aires, and ending in Rio de Janeiro. Just a few quick questions;

1) Are there opportunities along our intended route to do some camping? We would like to be able to 'live off the land' for a couple of days at a time. We have searched online for campgrounds, but most are quite pricey. Any thoughts or suggestions? Are there strict regulations outlining where one may set up camp?

2) We are very eager to spend one week in the Amazon. Instead of going on a jungle tour which we have heard is often very artificial, we are thinking about hiring a local guide to take us. Have you had any experience doing this?What country/city would this be best to attempt?

3) Could you provide a rough estimate of the transportation costs involved for our intended route, assuming we bused it the entire way.

Thanks in advance. Your website has been a great source of information.

Sincerely,

Chris

[Mark]

Hi Chris,

I had camping gear with me on my trip in South America and used it mainly for hiking in national parks. Only on few occassions did I use campgrounds because first, as you say yourself, the price is more often than not more expensive than spending the night in a hostel, and second, some of the campgrounds were not really inviting. You probably can pitch your tent anywhere in South America but safety may be an issue if you do so.

I spent 3 weeks in Santa Rosa, a small village in the Amazon basin in Bolivia. Jungle tours sold in Rurrenabaque come to Santa Rosa to explore the rivers on a motorized canoe. This is one of the best places to see an abundance of wildlife: crocodiles, piranhas, sweet water dolphins, capybaras, anacondas, etc... One afternoon I rented a canoe with a friend of mine and had great fun (see pic below), and yes, there are crocodiles in that river.... The same goes for Brazl, you can explore things on your own, just ask around.

It's very difficult to put a figure on bus transport. I bused 18 months in South America (excluding Southern Argentina where I hitchhiked) and bus transport was cheap. With $500 - $750 you should be able to cover your itinerary.

Enjoy your trip!

[Chris]

Thank you for your last reply. My friend and I now have a much better idea of our intended itinerary. You mentioned that you only used your camping gear only while hiking through national parks. That is something we are very eager to do. Just a few more quick questions if you don't mind;

1) What is the admission process and costs involved in hiking/camping in a national park? Does one simply pay the admission fee and then have essentially unlimited acess to all areas of the park? Can one just set up camp anywhere in the park?

2) I am having a lot of trouble finding information on reputable national parks. Would you happen to have any resources that would help us narorw down parks to visit (Our intended route is from Lima to Buenos Aires, so any national parks on this 'line of travel' would be convenient).

3) We would like to 'live off the land' once in the national park. Did you do this? If so, what was your main source of food and what steps did you take to protect yourself from the dangerous elements of nature (ie. cats, posionous critters etc).


Once again, thanks for all your help. Keep up the great work on the website.

Chris

[Mark]

Hi Chris,

Admission to national parks is not expensive. You pay the fee at the entrance park and are sometimes, not always, allowed to hike/camp everywhere. There are designated paths and camping areas in national parks.

The paths and camping areas are there to minimize the impact tourists have on nature. In Torres del Paine national park, a careless Czech backpacker used a gasoline stove in windy weather and caused a large fire that destroyed 160 km² of the park.

The Lonely Planet guidebooks have lots of useful information, including maps, on national parks in South America. You can get detailed maps on the road in South America too. Don't forget your fellow backpackers, they will be your best source for information.

I can't help you on your question about using food resources in national parks. I brought food with me for the hikes.