My trip to South America was horrible. I can't possibly call it a vacation, ugh!
Things are slow in Atlanta so as I sit here ...I've been thinking of taking a trip for a few days, alone, to recharge. Any ideas of relaxing , recharging locations?
but obviously, things are going to be a bit iffy there for a while.
Aruba is a nice spot however.
By the way, what is the beef with S. America? What country or countries in particular were you in?
Peru and Honduras. During a hike to a village we were help up by some gang who were trying to take some of us with them. It was a mess and very scary!
I'm planning a trip to Peru and if it happened there I'd like to know where in the country it was so I can avoid it. Sounds like it would be more likely to happen in Honduras.
If so, you should have gone to Costa Rica.
US Department of State has issued a travel warning for Honduras. Honduras is a drug trafficking corridor. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The MS13 gang activities have helped make the Northern Triangle -- Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras -- the most violent place in the world that is not at war. Good place to avoid!
when I first started going to Colombia about the only Americans you would run into were either Drug traffickers or CIA operatives. It was a very dangerous place to be. That said, No way in hell would I travel to the "Northern Triangle" of which you speak. It truly is a place to avoid right now.
That said, although I am not wild about the country, Nicaragua and most points south are reasonably safe to travel to, with the obvious exception of Venezuela which I did visit several years ago, but I wouldn't go there now on a bet.
Yes, those 3 countries could be very dangerous, but generally only if you visit parts of the country that tourists generally do not frequent. That said, those 3 countries are all very, very cheap and not all that different from much of Central and South America. Panama and Costa Rica are your best bets for Central America (Nicaragua is super cheap, very safe, and not bad, either, but more difficult to navigate). Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, and Colombia are all great countries to visit in South America. Cusco is an amazing city. Colombia has come a long ways. Medellin is pretty safe. Plenty of Casinos, very nice malls, and El Poblado has a lot of nice hotels. Fairly innovative city.
Peru is fun and very safe (or at least it was when I was there a few years ago). I am assuming that you are focusing on Cusco, Peru and not Lima? Cusco is a very fun time. Cusco is not overwhelming, the nightlife was surprisingly very good (I met amazing ladies just in the bars/clubs), and there is a decent amount of stuff to do. Parts of Lima, on the other hand, could be a little sketchy.
Aruba is awesome, but it can be a little pricey, depending on where you stay. Very commercialized and a lot of stuff to do. Very, very safe and a great place to do a lot of things.
And with all the negative media publicity the prices are reasonable and Nile cruises are a bargain. The main group of tourists appear to be those asshole Russians. I never felt completely comfortable anywhere south of the border, but felt completely at ease in various countries in the Middle East.
Paris is always a good idea
Cancun or Belize is a wonderful place to visit. It's cheap, safe, and lots of sun.
Juliette
Yeah, they speak English in Belize. Cancun and Belize are very safe and easy to get around. Cancun, however, is a little too touristy. Cancun has some of the best all inclusive resorts in the world. It works for all budgets. If you are considering Cancun, you should also consider the Dominican Republic. It can be a little more sketchy, but it also has some very nice resorts.
I've been to all the places mentioned several times.
I'm keeping more to the US nowadays for a few reasons
Moved from to Florida to Newport Beach many years ago.
Still enjoy Florida visits.
Try Naples FL this time of year.
You can drive across to Ft Lauderdale or Miami in under two hours.
Delray Beach offers oceanfront, sailing, lots of live entertainment.
Stunning and all the fresh air you could ever need...may catch a few snowflakes on your tongue too. Cozy up to a good book, glass of vino by the fire. Best ever relax mode. PM me I'll send you a few places.
D xo