Ultimate South America

Trip was fantastic, the tour director had 38 people in the group but handled each of our concerns very well. We all got along very well and made some good friendships.

We were looking forward to travelling with a group of friends whom we have known for years. Highlights included Iguassu Falls, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It was amazing from the Brazilian side of the Falls however on crossing the border the Argentine side of the Falls was just spectacular, the cascading landscape and the serene beauty was breathtaking. Lake Titicaca with a group of approximately 40 artificially made floating islands was simply awesome and amazing in how...read more the island was build, the homes, etc using natural materials.
I would travel with Cosmos again. The tour was well planned and organised, though the pace was a little hectic as the city tours ended around 1ish. I was quite exhausted with the early morning starts and was rather hungry for lunch. Accommodations were comfortable and centrally situated with eating places, sundry shops, shopping areas within easy reach. (In Rio de Janeiro the Copacabana Beach was just down the road from the hotel). Local guides were knowledgeable about the local history and the people, they gave us good pointers should we roam around by ourselves. Drivers were excellent in manoeuvring tight corners, busy chaotic traffic and kept us safe on the roads.
I would like to commend our Tour Director, Fernando Bordallo. I have nothing but praise and admiration for him. He gave clear and precise instructions and showed such patience when asked the same question umpteenth times. He showed engagement with his ‘Cosmos family’ as within a couple of days he knew all his travellers by name and faces. He was very responsible making sure that no one was left behind and if any member was not accounted for he would go looking for the person. He showed empathy for his ‘flock of sheep’ as when any member was unwell he kept an eye on that person.
He was as meticulous as one could possibly be with his paperwork/prep work: Boarding passes were on hand for all the flights: Iguassu Falls, Buenos Aires, Lima, Cusco, Juliaca, and finally Lima where our tour ended. Fernando and the local guides would lead us to the airport check-in counter and ensure that all his travellers were safely checked through then he would be the last to go through. Porters were organised to collect our luggage from the coach to the airport check-in counter and from the carousel of the airports when we landed. Train tickets were ready to Aguas Calientes, the quaint town closest to the "Lost City of the Incas", and he had entry tickets ready for our admission to Machu Picchu.
It could not have been an easy job to handle 35 people of different nationalities and personalities. I could not begin to imagine the after-hours he puts in when we retire for the night. His time keeping and management flair indicated his dedication to his job. He did his job to the best of his abilities and he carried himself well professionally.
I would go with Global/Cosmos/Avalon for my future trips however I would need to save up as it is quite expensive however you get what you pay for. A tip for future travellers: Set your goals and priorities. If seeing the world is one of your interests, save up and embark on the journey while you’re fit and healthy. The world is huge, there’s so much to see and so little time.
In terms of the quality of accommodation: Recanto Park, Iguassu Falls – we were upgraded to a suite which was luxurious. Kenton Palace, Buenos Aires – again we were upgraded, and the room was so comfortable. San Agustin Exclusive, Lima – the air ducting in this hotel was only for heating thus the room was rather stuffy. La Casona Yucay, Sacred Valley – this hotel was just lovely, particularly the beautiful surrounding of the majestic mountain. Jose Antonio Cusco, Cusco – this hotel was very uncomfortable and stifling. Our room had a view of the road and there was no air conditioning so we had the window opened but in doing so it was noisy and very dusty.
We travelled in September which was a good time being spring in the southern hemisphere, temperature was mild and cool. It was a big group of 35 with ages ranging from the 30s to 70s. Travellers were from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, US and Malaysia. We all got along, we all looked out for one another, we all were concerned for each other when anyone was ill, we all stopped when one member had a fall and when one person collapsed from the high altitude. I couldn’t ask for a better group of travellers.

We enjoyed our 19 Day Ultimate South America Tour. The highlights of the tour were certainly Iguassu Falls and Machu Picchu. We were fortunate that the weather cleared for our afternoon visit to the Brazilian Side of the falls. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour the day when we visited the Argentinian Side of the falls but our spirits were not dampened and we put on our rain ponchos and proceeded to explore. The gods were also with us when we explored Machu Picchu. Wow! this was certainly...read more a big tick for the bucket list.
The tour manager did a great job of organising our group of 34 people with airport check in and baggage collection. The local guides were very knowledgeable and passionate about their local area. In general the hotels were good. We particularly liked the resort at Iguassu Falls and the hotel at Machu Picchu. All included excursions were very good and the included meals were mostly good. Our flight from Lima to Cusco was delayed about 3 hours due to weather so rather than miss out on the markets scheduled for that afternoon the guide rearranged the following day to make sure that we didn't miss out on anything.
We found drink prices in Brazil and Argentina quite reasonable but they are a bit more expensive in Peru. It is a good idea to check prices before ordering drinks. We only did one optional excursion to Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro. We had booked the Bird Park Excursion but this was cancelled due to weather conditions. We tended to do our own exploring in the cities. It is possible to walk to the base of Sugarloaf Mountain from the hotel but we chose to share a taxi with a couple of other guests (taxis are quite reasonable in Brazil and Argentina but avoid taxis in Santiago). As we are over 60 we were able to purchase senior tickets for the cable car.
If you want to see the main highlights of South America without a big price tag then this Cosmos Tour is for you. Thank you to Georgie for organising this tour for us and for making sure that we received our travel documents 3 weeks prior to departure. I particularly like the checklist that Global Journeys use. However, I do think that Cosmos need to change the meeting time for the 1st day of the tour as 2pm in the afternoon is too early in the day. I also think the tour manager needs to email all guests a week out to confirm meeting time.

Excellent trip which includes a lot of the highlights of South America. We had an excellent Tour Director and top quality local guides. The accommodation was very comfortable and breakfast was included. I would recommend this tour for active people as there is a lot of travel (6 internal flights) and a lot of walking, it was actually quite exhausting. At Machu Picchu a second guide is provided for people who do not want to walk around which I thought was very good and they didn't miss out on too...read more much. Highly recommend booking airport transfers through Cosmos as Rio is very dodgy, plus the Cosmos transfer rep assists you with checking into the hotel and when you leave stays with you at the airport until you go through security. This is most helpful as the language is a barrier if you don't speak Portuguese or Spanish.

This was an action packed tour that really did cover the highlights of South America in 19 days. The tour director was amazing! He negotiated 33 participants through 7 internal flights. We had daily typed updates on meeting times, and details on what to watch out for. Expect early morning starts but also some free mornings so that a more leisurely start to the day is possible. I did this tour at the end of September and early October and the weather was just right. ...read more
Carefully think about the offer of optional and additional side tours. I would not recommend you pre-book these. There is a lot to see and digest already. No good to have booked a dinner when you are feeling unwell or too tired to enjoy the tour. I rated accommodation a bit lower as the Puna hotel was quite ordinary and outside walking distance to restaurants and shops. The tour was well thought out, covered 80% of city highlights and I would recommend it to my family and friends.