Argentina
Buddha who gives guided tours to Buenos Aires can arrange the perfect day to see what is important in the big city. Fluent in English/Spanish and a passion to show visitors the best of Buenos Aires. His prices are in accordance to the economy of Argentina.
afinetour, a travel company in Miami set an amazing trip up for me and my wife to Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro.
I spent 4 nights in Bue, 2 nights in Igr and 4 nights in Rio. The hotels they suggested were affordable and amazingly located.
In Buenos Aires we stayed at Art Hotel with great rooms and unique location in Recoleta. In Iguazu we stayed at Esturion hotel, that provided a great room in their second floor and they are located just 10 minutes from the falls and in Rio we stayed at Praia Ipanema hotel, right in front of the ocean. The tour guides were really helpful and friendly. I recommend their services since I had no problem and everything was handled very professionally.
I had problems with Aerolineas Argentinas though and was delayed like 5 hours.
There are plenty of options for seeing the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires Argentina. I went by myself the first day in the city and got lost in the cemetery and could not find where Evita was buried. So I looked online to find a decent walking tour.
One of the least expensive tours I found was a daily tour. I met my guide at the starting point and paid only 20 pesos for the 2 hours.
I was guided through the old palaces of Alvear and learned a great deal of history about Argentina. Then I was shown where many museums were that I went back to visit.
In the cemetery I really began to see the picture of Argentina and why the country is the way it is. Many legends are buried in the cemetery and there were a great deal of interesting stories.
I felt the tour was of high quality and took the Daily City Tour they offered as well.
Evita's tomb was not as impressive as many of the other tombs in the cemetery. The sculptures and architecture was fascinating.
For a first good grasp of Buenos Aires, stay for a minimum of seven full days. Think about four or five days for the city and two for outdoors (Estancias, Tigre & Delta islands boat tour, Colonia in Uruguay).
Premium guided in-depth walking tours are a must for first timers and for second timers too. Even Porteños may benefit on it. Take one or two that fulfil your specific interests.
Plan in advance your BA walking tours and BA visit with a map of the city, tourist guides such as Time Out, books of BA as Bad Times in BA by Miranda France. Google things and participate in travel forums as Trip Advisor before arriving.
Cycling in BA is dangerous, except in Bosques de Palermo and Plazas (parks).
Shopping is one of BA’s top attractions. Cash is king, and you won´t have to pay off your credit cards when you get back home.
Search for reasonably priced apartment rentals, don´t expect to find cheap ones in Recoleta. Try renting direct from the owner of the property if possible, there are people (locals) that own three or more apartments and they manage their business through word of mouth. Prices for a full month’s rental of a well-located apartment should cost about U$S 600.
Argentinians in general are tourist friendly. Some knowledge of Spanish will help you more than you might think.
Websites that may help in your search:
www.interpatagonia.com
www.welcomeargentina.com
www.guillebaires.com
www.guiaoleo.com
Whats Up Buenos Aires has started a tourism project showing BA culturally. I did a behind-the-scenes art tour and it was fascinating.
A four day conversational spanish course for only £22.
Classes are actually held while walking around the city, learning about its culture and history.
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