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ajmci · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Edinburgh

Morning!

I'm travelling down from Peru into Northern Chile in a couple of weeks, and was considering visiting San Pedro de Atacama. It's been recommended by a couple of folk, but other say it's really over-priced and touristy!! Anyone got any good/bad or otherwise tales to tell?

Cheers!

viovio · Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 63 Location: Chile

Definitely too expensive and touristy.
If you want to visit the real villages, go to Mami�a and Cami�a.
San Pedro is full of foreigners and is the most expensive "city" in the north of Chile.
On the other hand.... nightlife is good in San Pedro while in all others is non existent.
I would definetely recommend Iquique and Arica since they are both cheap (Arica more than Iquique) have good beaches, and in Iquique there's a fairly good nightlife too.
What are you interested in doing here?

ajmci · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Edinburgh

Cheers for the advice!

I spent a couple of relaxing days in Arica on my last trek down into Chile, and am looking for somewhere a bit different for my Xmas break. I like the sound of the (expensive but unique) tours of the salares.

I was thinking of returning to Peru via Bolivia, but it looks a bit rainy! So, maybe I'll head on to Salta, Argentina.

Basically, I'm just interested in seeing some new places. Beaches are cool but I live in Northern Peru and so I go quite a lot! As I approach my 40th year I find my interest in throwing alcohol down my throat while shouting above a relentless beat diminishing...but it's good to know where the kids are at!![/i]

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

san pedro is fun and a good base for seeing other stuff. it is pretty pricey though and in the southern cone summer holidays horribly busy (and i'm thinking of this time 3 years ago so i'd imagine it's more expensive/busier now). salta is really nice and is also a good base for seeing some cool stuff. it's also a hell of a lot cheaper then SPA.

you should do the salar de uyuni tour up through bolivia then la paz and then copacabana to see lake titicaca-that whole route iss one of the most amazing trips i've done anywhere in the world. you can start in san pedro or i think you could arrange the fist leg through the salar from jujuy or a little further north in argentina.

ajmci · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Edinburgh

Yup, that's what I'd heard about San Pedro, but worth a look,no?

I originally planned to head back into Peru via La Paz & Lago Titicaca (I've only been to the Peruvian islands but they were most tranquil!), but all my info suggests RAIN RAIN & more RAIN!! Hence the Salta option...

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

yeah, i'd give san pedro a go...but try an book somewhere to stay ahead of time.

rain...it's luck of the draw...i went in mid-january, a supposedly awful time and i didn't see a drop of rain in copacabana, nor on the unuyi tour nor in la paz. it did rain a bit in cusco but i got to see machu pichu rising out of the mist as the sun burnt off the cloud so i can live with that...you're guaranteed to get rain in salta as well, just that it'll be a nice thunderstorm to clear the air before it hits 30c and sunny again. the problem with bolivia and peru is that they are bleeding freezing because of the altitude; this means you have to take the most stupidly over-sized rucksack ever and end up crippled by back pain.

ajmci · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Edinburgh

Cheers for the advice - as you say rain is just a matter of luck! Ironic you mentioning freezing temperatures, while we gently roast alive up here in Northern Peru. Still, humidity is OK,wheras Bs As is bad for that,no?

I've been doing some more research into average precipitation levels in mid Dec. While La Paz and Copacabana are expected to enjoy a near constant Scottish like drizzle, Salta will be glorying in sudden dramatic thunder storms!

Looks like I'm going to get wet, unless I just stay in Chile and blow all my pesos!! Sigh, it never rains but....

viovio · Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 63 Location: Chile

No need to blow your pesos!
You can come to Iquique, visit Salar de Huasco, geysers "Puchuldiza", Oasis de Pica, Termas de Mami�a, and an Inca village near Cami�a "Juanca"- Salitreras in Humberstone, Santa Laura.
I have been in termas de mami�a, Oasis de Pica and Salitreras.
Never been to Salar or geysers. I am really afraid of them.
It's not as expensive as San Pedro, but not as cheap as Peru. Wink

I found a chilean tv show that shows most of these places There's a video and pictures:
You have to choose "La ruta de Patty"
http://programas.tvn.cl/larutade/chile/capitulos.aspx?idc=404