Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and Marriott. Hotels here begin at $50 USD per night and go up to $200 USD. These hotels are nice and you
can often find deals on Hotels.com, but they are markedly more expensive than the family-operated hotels.
I try to avoid these large chains because they are expensive, and unlike the small mom-and-pop shops, they
send money out of the country, back to corporate headquarters, whereas with the small places more money
stays within the local community. If you are traveling as a group, you can split the cost of these rooms to
make them more affordable.
Apartment Rentals
The apartment rental trend has yet to hit South America the way it has elsewhere in the world. You will find
very few available options once you leave the capital cities. In all of Ecuador, there are only about 230 hosts
at the time of this writing and more than 50 percent of those on Airbnb are in the capital, Quito. Prices for
rooms are comparable to those of a budget hotel, typically ranging from $10 USD to $30 USD for your own
room in someone's home. Very rarely do you find whole apartments for rent outside of the larger cities.
An alternative to the apartment rental sites is Craigslist (craigslist.org). This site has more listed apart-
ments and homestays due to the fact that unlike the rental sites, Craigslist does not take a commission. You
don't get the verification offered by the other sites, but you can find more deals. As Marcello Arrambide
of wanderingtrader.com says, “I found two exceptional apartments on Craigslist, one in Buenos Aires and
the other in Chile, from owners at affordable prices. I couldn't find an apartment for that cheap anywhere
else. There are many expats in cities like Medellin, Buenos Aires, and even Rio that advertise on Craigslist.
It would definitely deserve a look for the larger tourist destinations.” Rooms cost the same as on apartment
rental sites like Airbnb and Roomorama. Be sure to watch out for scams though—don't send money before
you see the apartment, make sure you see a lease, and don't go to the first session with a large pile of cash!
Additionally, homestays are a popular option in South America. A homestay is when a traveler stays
with a local family for an extended period of time to learn about their culture. Homestays are done for a
week at minimum. In South America they cost between $100 USD and $140 USD per week and include
three meals a day. You'll stay in an extra bedroom of a local host family. You can find homestay listings on
Craigslist or on Home Stay Web (home stayweb.com), a website specific to South America. Homestays are
extremely popular with travelers who like to spend more time in a place.
Hospitality Exchange
If you can't commit to such a long period of time but still want to get to know locals, Couchsurfing is very
popular throughout this region, and you'll find an abundance of hosts just about anywhere you go. Unlike
in Central America, you can even find hosts in smaller, out-of-the-way destinations. It's a really good site to
use in South America.
Servas and Hospitality Club also have good networks in this area of the world.
All accommodations can be booked at the booking sites mentioned in Chapter 11 or listed in Appendix
A. Additionally, local tourist offices can help you secure accommodations.
FOOD
It's hard to spend a lot of money on food in South America if you stick to the local markets and street stalls.
I remember when I was in Ecuador and found sandwiches for a dollar and a delicious ceviche dish for 50
cents. Even in a local diner, a large meal with chicken, rice, and a drink cost me $3 USD. Eating at local
food stalls will cost you about $1 USD per meal for a hearty plate of meat and rice. You'll find these vendors
