South America - should I be wary of Paraguay?

Havw a trip planned in August, newspaper articles about government un setteling, Anyone have info advice?

Funny I was wondering same thing with a trip there for end of July.

I'd be more wary about figuring out how the heck I could occupy my time in Paraguay than any fallout from the recent impeachment vote.

Seriously, what is there to do in Paraguay?

Seriously, what is there to do in Paraguay?

Find a way out as quickly as possible.

I am actually going to Iguazu falls but could not find any United mileage seats to the falls so flying into Asuncion and taking the bus to the falls.

A bit more exciting perhaps.

Most important - don't get anyone pregnant. That seems to happen very easily in Paraguay.

Most important - don't get anyone pregnant. That seems to happen very easily in Paraguay.

Yep.... very easy if you hold some form of higher elected office.... :D

Find a way out as quickly as possible.

Not to be rude to our MercoSur brothers... but Im afraid that the above is probably true. Unless you are there for some business reason or to visit someone, there is not that much to see and/or going on.

Not to be rude to our MercoSur brothers... .

Ex Mercosur brothers.....and welcome to our new Venezuelan ones.

Mmmmm interesting.

Find a way out as quickly as possible.

Seriously, that's a bit of an exaggeration....

I actually quite enjoyed Paraguay when I was there for about a week. Asunción is a rather pleasant and comfortable capital where I stayed in a lovely hotel downtown and ate quite tasty meals. It's not Buenos Aires by any stretch, but it's an interesting place to spend a few days. Downtown has some cool cafes and bookstores, as well as German-type restaurants.

Also, the mix of Spanish and Guaraní cultures is unique, and - when you get out of the capital - you'll find people speaking Guaraní quite frequently. I was quite taken with the diverse mixture of the people. On a long-distance bus trip, I'd see indigenous Guaraní alongside tall, blond people (Germans or Mennonites, presumably). Paraguay definitely has a very different feel than most South American countries.

Also, the Jesuit reductions (Trinidad and Jesús) in the south of the country are interesting sites to visit. When I was at Trinidad, I was about one of three tourists there. I had a fascinating, one-on-one guided tour from one of the on-staff guides, who was wonderful.

my colleagues in one of the ministries assure me that things remain peaceful and although cabinet members have changed day to day life is the same. In fact many of my colleagues maintain the same positions . I haven't been back yet to assess for myself but sounds as though things are OK, especially if you will be in tourist areas such as iguazu and take usual precautions to avoid any developing demonstrations. For about 80 bucks you could fly one way to ciudad del este, if you want to avoid the bus ride.

I lived in Paraguay some time ago and return periodocially. While not a tourist mecca, Paraguay does have some interesting sights. While the present political climate is needless to say unique, day-to-day life continues unabated. Asuncion offers an array of government buildings of historical nature (Casa de Independencia, Palacio del Gobierno, Palacio Legislativo, Pantheon) within walking distance of most downtown hotels (the Crown Plaza is reliable and the Hotel Guarani has been "refurbished"). Many shops and cafes are located around the Plaza de Heroes and Plaza Uruguaya. Dining has come a long way in recent years and like Argentina, the beef is not to be missed.

Outside of Asuncion, the Jesuit Ruins and Itapu Dam are the other attractions. The real gem of Paraguay is, however, the people. Paraguayans have a "buena onda" (good vibe) about them. Paraguayans are exceptionally warm and friendly to foreigners. While English is not widely spoken, you'll find enough folks with a basic knowledge to help out when needed. Enjoy.

I'm a bit interested to visit New Australia...has anyone heard of it? Also, is the food much different from neighboring countries? I think I've read pineapples originate from there, so there's...that.

I'm planning a trip to Asuncion/Luque that I leave for on Thursday and it does seem like quite a hard city to pin down.

TripAdvisor has a good deal of basic information but nothing specific about the different barrios, nightlife and side trips.

I got a basic plan but nothing to rigid for this trip.

I will say that Paraguay's history is quite the read, triple alliance to the current political climate, I am excited to see some of the historical locations and meet some Paraguayos.

I will have a nice 6 nights there so I will report back with how "wary" people should be when deciding to book that flight to Asuncion.

How long does it typically take to get the visa (required for Americans, Canadians, and a hand full of others)?

Seems you have to get it in advance and not simply at entry.

I sent my passport to the consulate and had it back within a week (us citizen to Miami consulate)

I would like to bump this thread just to say that if you are from the US (and several other countries) paraguay is now Visa on Arrival effective 1/1/2013.

I am going there in a few days and could I provide an update on my experience.

http://www.consulparny.com/ingles/html/visas.html

So, I recently got back from Paraguay and had a great time!

My routing to Paraguay was USA-Brazil-Paraguay all via air. AA only cared that I had a Brazilian Visa.

My only note about Sao Paulo is that when you get off the plane. No matter what anyone says if you don't need to pick up your luggage from baggage claim follow the signs to International Transfers. :) You can access both terminals from the third floor by walking between the VIP / Airport Clubs.

When you land in Paraguay there is a person at a desk along the wall to issue you a 90 day visa. The person & desk are directly behind the immigration/“migration” lines.
This took about 25 minutes and I was the only person who needed a Visa on Arrival. So if you have a whole family plan accordingly. (If you arrive during the day and have Star Alliance Status there is a TAM lounge in this area.)

My final note is that I recommend that you do not exchange your USD for Paraguayan Guarani. I found that everyone accepting credit cards (Visa, MC, Amex) the exchange rate was better on them and that most people would do the math and convert PYG to USD on the street at a rate of 4,000 or 4,080 PYG to USD. This means that we were getting a better rate then my credit cards (sometimes) for paying in USD. Also, when the locals saw that I was paying in Cash they immediately offered a 10%-20% discount on the price of products. This was true in small stores and street vendors.

I'm going to go ahead and add that I was also recently in Paraguay for the first time, and had a very good time. Flew up from EZE (unfortunately could not get a flight from AEP) to ASU, and stayed at the Sheraton for a couple of nights on business, and really enjoyed the food in Asuncion, and the whole change of pace from Buenos Aires. Once my meetings were all done, I moved on and stayed at the Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo a few kms outside of Asuncion and really enjoyed playing lots of golf, tennis and napping on the beach on the banks of the river. It was a perfectly lovely way to recharge the batteries before coming back to Buenos Aires.

(I should add that despite the paranoia I got from Argentines before I left, I saw not a single mosquito and the temperature was never more than about 30 degrees. I say this because before going I was deluged with warnings that Asuncion was infested with Dengue which I was sure to die from if I went up there, and that the temperature would be above 50 on most days leading to imminent heat stroke if the Dengue did not get me first. But no, no mosquitos at all, and Asuncion was far more pleasant than the oven of hell that BsAs has been this summer.)

I'm going to go ahead and add that I was also recently in Paraguay for the first time, and had a very good time. Flew up from EZE (unfortunately could not get a flight from AEP) to ASU, and stayed at the Sheraton for a couple of nights on business, and really enjoyed the food in Asuncion, and the whole change of pace from Buenos Aires. Once my meetings were all done, I moved on and stayed at the Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo a few kms outside of Asuncion and really enjoyed playing lots of golf, tennis and napping on the beach on the banks of the river. It was a perfectly lovely way to recharge the batteries before coming back to Buenos Aires.

(I should add that despite the paranoia I got from Argentines before I left, I saw not a single mosquito and the temperature was never more than about 30 degrees. I say this because before going I was deluged with warnings that Asuncion was infested with Dengue which I was sure to die from if I went up there, and that the temperature would be above 50 on most days leading to imminent heat stroke if the Dengue did not get me first. But no, no mosquitos at all, and Asuncion was far more pleasant than the oven of hell that BsAs has been this summer.)

I went to Asuncion in November and it was HOT. But lots of places get hot in summer so you can't do anything about that.

I stayed in the Ibis right next door to the Sheraton and I was a bit envious of how nice your hotel was. Mind sharing some details on if it is worth the extra money?

I hope you ate at Piegari restaurant right across from the hotels because it had pretty good pasta.

I thought Shopping del Sol was nicer than most shopping you could find in BA and everybody was a lot more relaxed.

I'm going to go ahead and add that I was also recently in Paraguay for the first time, and had a very good time. Flew up from EZE (unfortunately could not get a flight from AEP) to ASU, and stayed at the Sheraton for a couple of nights on business, and really enjoyed the food in Asuncion, and the whole change of pace from Buenos Aires. Once my meetings were all done, I moved on and stayed at the Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo a few kms outside of Asuncion and really enjoyed playing lots of golf, tennis and napping on the beach on the banks of the river. It was a perfectly lovely way to recharge the batteries before coming back to Buenos Aires.

(I should add that despite the paranoia I got from Argentines before I left, I saw not a single mosquito and the temperature was never more than about 30 degrees. I say this because before going I was deluged with warnings that Asuncion was infested with Dengue which I was sure to die from if I went up there, and that the temperature would be above 50 on most days leading to imminent heat stroke if the Dengue did not get me first. But no, no mosquitos at all, and Asuncion was far more pleasant than the oven of hell that BsAs has been this summer.)

I stayed at the Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo too. I enjoyed my stay a lot. Did lots of research on Dengue before traveling and didn't believe it would be a problem in ASU. It sounded like a much larger issue in the far north and close to the Brazil border to the east by the Falls.

How easy it is for an American citizen to get a Paraguayan visa in Buenos Aires? Has anyone tried?

While not Argentina, on my trip to Paraguay there we some US citizens that got their visa in the UK immediately before their trip it took them 4 hours total they said.

How easy it is for an American citizen to get a Paraguayan visa in Buenos Aires? Has anyone tried?

Real easy. Just go to the Consulado Paraguayo en Viamonte 1851 with all your papers and cash to pay for the visa.

They will hold onto your passport and give it back to you with a visa that is much nicer than the ugly thing Argentina slaps in there.

It took me a weekend to get it and I had no problems.

Why bother if they are issuing visas on arrival?

How easy it is for an American citizen to get a Paraguayan visa in Buenos Aires? Has anyone tried?

Added to wikipost; gracias.

I would like to bump this thread just to say that if you are from the US (and several other countries) paraguay is now Visa on Arrival effective 1/1/2013.

I am going there in a few days and could I provide an update on my experience.

http://www.consulparny.com/ingles/html/visas.html


As for dengue fever, it IS present and it has its problems. Transmitted by day biting Aedes mosquitoes, there is no vaccine nor is there a cure. Medicines are used to treat symptoms only. Dengue is not deadly in most cases (though if it turns to dengue hemorrhagic fever, time to say "adios"). Over 200,000 cases in the tri-frontier area (Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay) this year (yes, as of 1 March 2013 - link (http://en.mercopress.com/2013/03/01/dengue-200.000-cases-confirmed-in-triple-frontier-paraguay-argentina-brazil)). ~15,000 in Jan-Feb in Paraguay alone.

Unlike some other arboviruses, because the Aedes egypti mozzie loves living in the immediate vicinity of people because they provide such a nice environment for it to breed in, dengue is more likely in inhabited places than far from human habitation. It will be more prevalent in the rainy season.

Unlike most malaria transmitting mosquitoes, the Aedes is a day biter. Protection comes with long sleeves and full length trousers, a decent repellent (20% DEET or picaridin) on exposed areas, and for those who are there at the wrong and for a long time, spraying clothing with permethrin / Permanone adds a repellent that will last for several weeks and endure several washings.

Yes, I have had dengue (serotype III, the worst, picked it up from a mosquito-infested ruin near the Quintana Roo - Belize border, and it provides me lifelong immunity from that serotype, but not the other three, and if I develop it from one of them it is likely to be even more severe - perhaps even because I had Chikungunya fever in Vietnam once, also from overly-intimate Aedes mozzies sucking on my blood).

Dengue may not be deadly in most of its forms (and Paraguay has recently experienced a new strain for the area, "serotype IV" dengue, and through for many dengue can be mild, it is not necessarily nice. The old name was "breakbone fever", and it will indeed feel like a really terrible flu with head (feels like spikes in your eyeballs), muscle and bone aches, fever and a rash, lasting about a week. Incubation is 3 - 14 days, so for some it's more likely you will come down with dengue at home, and your local doc may be clueless - though only symptomatic relief can be offered in any case.

Not a huge worry, but something to protect oneself from.

Note: I am not dispensing medical advice. Do your own research, check with your health professional rather than rely on information you secure from FlyerTalk. (But trust me, you do not want to replicate my experience with dengue...)

I...(I should add that despite the paranoia I got from Argentines before I left, I saw not a single mosquito and the temperature was never more than about 30 degrees. I say this because before going I was deluged with warnings that Asuncion was infested with Dengue which I was sure to die from if I went up there, and that the temperature would be above 50 on most days leading to imminent heat stroke if the Dengue did not get me first. But no, no mosquitos at all, and Asuncion was far more pleasant than the oven of hell that BsAs has been this summer.)

Sorry to hear about your dengue experiences, JDiver. I would consider that to be a worry throughout tropical South America, though - and even outside. There have been recent outbreaks in Rio and even BA, so it's hardly a Paraguay-specific problem. I think anyone going to the region should be aware and take precautions (bug spray, long clothes, etc) to minimize contact with mosquitos.