Originally Posted by
stan1162
I agree. The lodging is still the cheapest part. I suspect the reforms that have been put in place is what is keeping rental prices down ( lots more apartments on the market). But food is def more expensive. Yesterday we went to the Museum and it was not free anymore.... If you are a tourist and don't know what it used to be like, then maybe 3 or 4 bucks for a visit to see old masters isn't noteworthy, but it does feel different. And maybe it will take years to get tourists to come. Only when the giant cruise ships are in port will we notice any. And even those, most take shore-ex, busses, to a tango show and to the cemetery, back to the ship. It will be very interesting to see what happens . After this 3 month trip to South America, we are headed in 2025 and beyond to Africa, then Asia then Australia?NZ not knowing when we will be back here. ( well the draw of Patagonia is strong, so maybe a visit to our favorite estancia is not out of the question!) Happy Trails.
We always take a Southern Hemisphere trip in the Northern Hemisphere winter (a brilliant idea this year if you live in the eastern half of the US, given the temps). Often, we take two. If you truly want to chase daylight, there aren't that many destinations to go. Chile and Argentina have the advantage of not having huge time zone changes and cheaper (AA) coach award redemptions, too. We're fond of both countries, but we're not happy when they're expensive. I honestly don't think Argentina is "expensive" now, but it's certainly not cheap. As everyone has noticed, the lodging is pretty cheap. The national park fees are outrageous -- and we HATE the practice of most museums/attractions having 2 to 3x foreigner rates, especially now that their local rate isn't so cheap to begin with. The restaurant costs are annoying: it's not that they're truly "expensive," it's just that their current menu prices are hard to determine, and expensive enough for you to care. One of the best reasons to visit Argentina is its excellent food and wine, and I'm pretty sure most visitors are enjoying these less than they were a year ago.
Last year, I said it was a toss up between Argentina and South Africa for my favorite "long vacation" Southern Hemisphere" trip. South Africa now wins in a landslide (I recently posted my South Africa recommendations in the Africa forum). I might also suggest New Zealand, which is now cost-competitive with Argentina (especially if you take advantage of the online discounts for restaurants and activities) and you get free nature and a more "first world" experience.