photo: http://www.brazil.org.za/iguazu-falls.html
Once again, the Flight Deal has come through with an amazing deal, and I booked flights for $369 per person. The flights are on LAN airlines, in August: 4 nights Iguazu Falls, Brazil, and 3 nights Lima, Peru on the way back.
Of course, I have no idea where to stay or what to do – other than see Iguazu Falls, of course.
Will you help? Any and all suggestions are welcome!
IGUAZU
I visited Brazil in 2006 – I ran the half marathon in Rio. The visa at the time only was 5 years, so I need a new one. Is it still as complicated as it was 9 years ago?
As for hotels, I would prefer a cute, boutique hotel or inn, around $100 per night or less. Probably closer to Foz do Iguacu. Any tips?
Restaurants? Sights? Tours?
LIMA
Hotels – I would probably stay at one of the two Club Carlson Radisson hotels. Any suggestions as between the two?
Sights? Shopping?
Restaurants – one person already suggested Astrid and Gaston for the fancy, once in a lifetime, type of restaurants. Other than that, any suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
My wife and I enjoyed our short time in Lima. We stayed in a backpacker hostel, so no help on hotels. We spent our day in the city doing the Lonely Planet walking tour, which gave a great overview of the city. The Lima Cathedral was especially nice. Here is our blog about our time in Lima: http://jtkatie.blogspot.com/2013/12/lima.html
If you have the time & desire to leave Lima, Paracas is a 4-hour coach bus ride away (probably shorter with tour buses) and has some incredible sights! The Ballatas Islands have a stunning amount and diversity of wildlife!! And, it is really cheap to take a boat tour to see it. There is a reason it is referred to as the “Poor Man’s Galapagos” 🙂 http://jtkatie.blogspot.com/2013/12/paracas_5.html
thank you so much for your input; I’ll be sure to read your blog posts.
I’m still trying to figure out how to book the stopover for longer than a day! Any input? Your trip is exactly what I want
The flight deal helped me on this. They told me to include this instruction in the advanced routing line – “lim /minconnect 1440”
We also took advantage of this deal around the same time last year and went in November. We stayed at Ibis Foz do Iguacu and the rates were around $21/night. Not close to the falls but at a good downtown location. There is a tour office across the street where we booked transportation to the falls, buffet lunch at the falls, the boat trip for Macuco safari (do try it!). There are also restaurants and bars around the hotel that are frequented by locals.
I would stay at the Hilton Lima in Miraflores, pretty good and new hotel.
As IGUAÇU your choices are very limited but you could try the Hotel Continental Inn or the Slaviero Suites Foz do Iguaçu
We did it last NovemberNovember and Visa is worse, you need to apply in person. There is only one hotel near the Falls, Hotel dad Cataratas which is inside the park and great for visiting when the park is closed. It is very pricy though. We stayed in town at the Hotel Bella Italia. Very reasonable and a shopping center just across the street. Tour office in the lobby. That said I would never fly on Man again. We had a short trip and routed Mia-Lima-Foz. We arrived 3.5 hours early for our 1Am flight and they told the flight would not leave until next morning. Lied thatwe would make connecting flight in Lima. We did not get to our hotel room until 1:30AM and had to be on the bus at 6AM. So we had to spend another night in Lima. No compensation at all. They could have put us on a Mia Rio flight with another line and got us there close to on time. LAN sucks!
wow, Joe, you are the first person I heard such stories about Lan from. I think I flew them before without a problem.
Bella Italia was great, they let us have a checkout time of 4-5PM
BTW you would need a pricy visa for Argentina also. Recommend doing the bird park along with Fall’s tour.
Between the 2 Radissons, definitely the one in Miraflores. I’ve lived within a few blocks of each and there is much more within walking distance in Miraflores (restaurants, entertainment, the coast) The San Isidro one is mostly a residential area although there are a couple good restaurants close including A&G.
The Hotel das Cataratas on Brazil side in the park is definitely where to stay. Expensive yes, but so worth every penny!!! The view from the Brazil side is hands down definitely the best view. The beauty is unimaginable! FYI – the guidebooks are all wrong!!! They say Argentine side has better view. Trust me, it is not! But you must still go over to the Argentina side if only to take the trek out onto the platforms that are directly over the falls. Very cool!! I went in November and the falls are at their peak so be prepared to get wet (take protection for cameras, etc) b/c you will get drenched in water. Nonetheless it was so beautiful & very cool I’d do it again in a heartbeat (but with a dry towel for my camera). The walk on the gangway out to the edge of the waterfalls has to be well over 1/2 mile and is a just a really cool experience and beautiful walk over the river. Make sure you take Argentine pesos as you must have cash to get into the park. And be prepare to wait in line for the ATM for Argentine pesos.
You should also visit the hydro-electric dam on Brazil side. Amazing display of human engineering and just a really neat tour!!
Really no need to stay close to the falls if you’re there for 4 nights, like I said on Twitter the Argentinean side is a must. I would honestly drop your hotel budget down to like $25 a night and do the Argentinean side, there is no need to spend $100 a night in Igauza.
I’m sure your hotel will provide you with lots of information about getting to the falls on both sides (you can just do a day trip to Argentinean side if you like – I got public buses to Argentina and back and to the falls as well from memory. Again your hotel will give you the info you need if they are any good – if they keep pushing tours just ask for alternate options). Yes the fee is expensive at $160, but it lasts ten years and I’m sure you’ll be back to visit Argentina within that time anyway, so really you’re just prepaying this expense and experience the raw power of the falls.
Bird park was OK I guess, nothing special just something to kill the time. Depends on how much you like birds I guess? I thought some bits were a bit depressing but good for the most part.
Thanks again. I guess I have time to decide on the Argentina issue. We went to Mendoza and Buenos Aires 2 years ago and loved it – it was before they modified the reciprocity rules so we didn’t have to pay. I was in Rio in 2006, but the Visa was 5 years at the time.
Anyway, the hotel which looks most appealing to me is about $65 per night. http://www.hotelbellaitalia.com.br/
All I know is that I’m very psyched.