South America overland tour

COUNTRY:: Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru
HOLIDAY TYPE:: A small group adventure
DEPARTURES:: Departs most Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year
PRICE:: From US $5299 (45 days) excluding flights
LATE AVAIL:: Last few remaining spaces on 18, 21 May and July depatures. Contact us now for more details!

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South America overland tour

Small group adventure vacation

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travelers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are traveling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travelers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

How this vacation makes a difference

Through our commitment to responsible tourism, we ensure minimal social and environmental impact in the places we visit by traveling in small groups, using local transportation and staying in locally-owned hotels. We also work with experienced local guides who are knowledgeable of local culture, history, flora and fauna.

This tour offers several opportunities to visit projects supported by the Planeterra Foundation, a non-profit organization developed as a way to give back to the people and places we visit on our tours.

House of the People of the Sun – a drop-in center for street kids in Cuzco that offers support programs and workshops to teach the children valuable life skills.

Inka Porter Project (IPP) – strives to improve the lives and working conditions of porters in Peru. Through IPP you may have the opportunity to visit a porter community and learn more about how IPP are working to improve the lives of the porters we work with.

Hogar Sucre – is a home for over 50 orphaned children in Sucre, Bolivia. Children are provided with food, shelter, education, healthcare and workshops that develop workmanship skills. A visit to this project will allow you to spend time with the children and learn more about their programs.

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Story of the vacation provider

When Bruce went traveling after University in 1989 he realised he had limited options: he could either go backpacking or stay on a resort. Returning to Canada, he set up a company that bridged the gap and offered young professionals an affordable way to immerse themselves in the culture of different countries. Bruce gave some of the profits back to the communities he passed through. Today he has offices in 38 countries and runs a travel foundation that builds projects all over the world; he is adamant that all staff adhere to his original business model of sustainability and happiness.

Vacation provider no: 294

South America overland tour

Reviewed 27 Aug 2008 by Tim Antill

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?

Iguassu Falls the Uyuni salt flats and the Inca Trail.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?

Don’t go with this operator and don’t worry about the language barrier.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

In parts but I think it could have been better in particular on the Brazilian leg (I did the southern cross with this operator) where I don’t think there was any effort to interact with the locals.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?

Overall it was an amazing experience I think the trip needs a few tweaks and if I’m honest I’m not completely impressed by the operator but having said that I’ve done some incredible things and met some great people.

Read the operator's response here:

This is a long tour (45 days) and there is so much included on this tour. The Brazil leg of this tour starts in Rio de Janeiro in which you are fully immersed in the city. Then it travels to Paraty and Ilha Grande, these are smaller towns. These communities are welcoming and embrace tourism. So it would be difficult not to interact with locals in either place. The tour then travels to Iguassu Falls, which is a tourist destination. In Bonito, there is a local Bonito guide who would proudly show their town. The Pantal, the next stop on the tour, is remote, and imagine some form of local interaction almost impossible to avoid. Interaction is a two-way street, and requires travelers to make an effort to interact with locals, as it takes us to deliver them to local places.

Vacation Reviews

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