TripAadvisor & Your Next South America Vacation

Dec 12
08:26

2012

Matthew Barker

Matthew Barker

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TripAdvisor is a great resource for travelers planning a first time South America vacation. Learn more about how South America ranked in this year's awards in this article written by a South America travel expert at Latin America For Less.

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Most avid travelers already rely to some extent on TripAdvisor,TripAadvisor & Your Next South America Vacation  Articles especially in search of hotel and restaurant recommendations. However TripAdvisor can also be useful in the first stages of planning a vacation and that ever important decision, choosing a destination. For a South America vacation specifically, first time visitors come in 2 major category, those who know exactly where to go, what to see, and what to do. And then there are travelers who don’t. In such a case, TripAdvisor is a great way to access other traveler’s opinions and to get insights from people who’ve been there and done that. Conveniently, at the end of each year, TripAdvisor also surveys travelers on what they consider to be top destinations, restaurants, and hotels. For the uncertain traveler who wants nothing more than a good lead to go on, this kind of information is priceless.

 

So how did South America come out at the end of 2012? Here are some highlights:

For top destination in the world, TripAdvisor members voted for the top 25 and Buenos Aires came out at #13 in the company of classic cities such as London, New York City, Rome, Paris, and San Francisco. For its cosmopolitan elegance, hot nightlife, fine cuisine, and some of the top hotels in the world, Buenos Aires is a great introductory destination for a South America vacation with attractions to suit all types of travel style. Culture lovers can enjoy theaters, museums, and tango performances. Shopaholics will find a paradise in Palermo. Fans of architecture will delight in the wide avenues and Parisian-style buildings that characterize this fine city.


TripAdvisor also created a category for top 25 destinations in just South America. So if you’ve already been to Buenos Aires, don’t worry, there are plenty of other places to see when you travel to South America. In Argentina, other top destinations include Bariloche at #5 (within the top 10) as well as Puerto Iguazu (interestingly beating out Foz do Iguazu on the Brazil side as the destination for Iguazu Falls tours), Mendoza, and Salta (this destination ranked at #23 but is trending upward in popularity with every year that passes). Brazil had the most destinations on the list. These include Rio de Janeiro at #3, Florianopolis at #7, and Sao Paulo at #10, as well as Buzios, Salvador de Bahis, Foz do Iguacu, Paraty, Manaus, and Bonito. Chile had 3 destinations: Santiago, Pucon, and Puerto Varas. Ecuador had two: Quito and Cuenca. In Colombia, sultry Cartagena ranked well at #4 as did fascinating Bogota at #8. And Montevideo in Uruguay eked onto the list at #25.   

 

In other results, Brazil dominated the best beaches in South America category. And Tambo del Inka in Urubamba, Peru, came in at #9 on the list of Top 25 Hotels in the World. Urubamba is in the Sacred Valley and is a great stopover (at a lower altitude than Cusco) for trips to Machu Picchu. Other categories of results include best restaurants, best wine destinations, and destinations on the rise. Visit the TripAdvisor site for a full listing.