





Latin America.
So you're heading to LATAM? Let's get it right.
How to not get robbed
What a day actually costs, country by country
Where to go and what to skip
Getting around without losing sleep or your bag
The money setup that saves you thousands
Learning Spanish
How to actually get into a stadium
What members actually said.
Bought this two days before flying to Buenos Aires. The Blue Dollar section alone paid the bundle back forty times over — we walked into Western Union with the exact steps from the guide and walked out with almost 3× the exchange rate the ATMs were giving. For A$29.99 we saved around A$800 across a month in Argentina. Genuinely insane value.
The maths on this is ridiculous. A$29.99 and you get the Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico AND Peru single-guides included plus the LATAM regional playbook. I was about to buy Argentina + Peru separately for A$30 and realised for the same money I got five guides. Wish I'd found this a week earlier when I was still trawling Reddit.
We would have hit Galapagos completely unprepared. The guide specifically flagged the $220 USD CASH ONLY entry fee — we had a card and one $50 note between us. Sorted it in Quito the day before we flew. Also booked our Isabela tours in person like the guide said — saved about 40% vs the online prices we were about to lock in. Los Tuneles was the best day of the entire trip.
Chose Salkantay over the Inca Trail based on this guide, best call of the trip. Booked Machu Picchu Team like it said, and the crystal dome at Soraypampa on night one was mad, sleeping under the stars with the mountain right there. Circuit 2 at Machu Picchu, saved USD 15 mentioning Aussies In. Five days, minimal crowds, cheaper than the Inca Trail. Would have paid double with my original plan for a worse experience.
The San Blas Islands boat trip from Colombia to Panama is somehow BOTH the cheapest way to get north AND the most beautiful thing we did. Was not on our radar at all until we read the LATAM guide. Four days, uninhabited islands, snorkelling, sunsets, around $450 USD. Would've flown right over it otherwise. This one hack was worth the price of the whole bundle.
The Lake Atitlan Spanish school + homestay pick was a life-changing two weeks. A$450/week including meals + living with a local family + tours + studying with three volcanoes on the horizon. My Spanish went from 'hola' to actual conversations and I made friends I'll visit again next year. Guide told me exactly which school and how to book direct.
Mistakes the guide saves you from.
Using ATMs in Argentina instead of Western Union (Blue Dollar)
Anyone who doesn't know about the Blue Dollar
Booking the wrong Salar de Uyuni tour (cheapest = miserable 3 days)
Most first-timers who book at the cheapest agency
ATM withdrawal in San Pedro de Atacama (A$17 fee/withdrawal)
Anyone who doesn't get cash in Santiago or Calama first
Brazil airport without an eVisa (since April 2025)
Anyone who hasn't checked the recent rule change
Cancun hotel zone over Tulum Pueblo for a week
Most first-time LATAM travellers
Galapagos $220 USD entry fee but no cash at the airport
Surprisingly common — the ATM at Quito airport doesn't always work
Skipping travel insurance + getting hospitalised
Anyone who tries to save A$300 on insurance — true budget killer if it goes wrong
Booking Galapagos tours online instead of in person (30-50% markup)
Anyone who books before arriving
Accepting a drink from a stranger on Tinder in Medellin
Tourists who don't know about scopolamine
Instant. Yours forever.
Common questions.
Is this worth it if I'm only going for 3 weeks?
Is it a PDF?
Do I get updates?
What if I've already booked my flights?
What if it's not for me?
I'm only going to one country. Still worth it?
Your trip, planned.
Where to go. Where to stay. What to eat. How to get around. What to skip. Every answer in one place — researched by Aussies who've actually been.