Thanks once again to Johathan, Washington, Philippe, William and all the other excellent local guides. Our Tour director was with us every step of the way and made sure we all got on the right bus or airplane, and that no one got lost. She helped with money changing, knowing the best shopping areas and restaurants, and how much to tip for what. This is very important as Aussies are not used to tipping and many (me included) feel very uncomfortable doing it.
My best advice to others planning a holiday to South America is to book a tour with a reputable and experienced company like Contours Travel to minimize your hassles and make sure they introduce you gradually to altitude. Contours Travel was excellent and the entire holiday ran smoothly.
We spoke with several unaccompanied travellers during our trip, and before and after our trip, and were amazed at how much most of them had missed, and how many problems they had at border crossings, airports, bus terminals, hotels, and with taxi drivers, shopkeepers, and vendors.
Our local guides for Peru and Bolivia were excellent. Why did we pick them? We didn't! Contours Travel did. They are quick to make changes if there are problems; either with personnel, hotels, excursions, vehicles, etc. It may cost a little more to use these companies, but we noticed how much better our guides and excursions were by observing other groups and talking with other travellers.
To read more about the Sensational South America tour, click here.
To read their whole review of the trip, please visit their travel blog following this link.