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GLACIERS, JUNGLE AND TROPICAL ISLANDS

Grade 2

This South American experience has been carefully compiled to enjoy the best that this diverse continent has to offer whilst avoiding the main tourist trails.

Our adaventure begins by flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via the trans-polar route. Our first night will be spent indulging in a smorgabord of local dishes and wines in this vivacious and fun loving community which never seems to sleep. From Argentina we fly to La Paz, Bolivia. Then we travel west to the shores of Lake Titicaca to participate in a cruise to Taquile and the famouse flooating reed islands of Uros. From the lake we travel on the classic Puno Cuzo train around the shores of Lake Titicaca, over a high mountain pass, then down into Cuzco. After a visit to Machu Picchu, we leave the crisp, clear, rarefield air of Cuzco and drop 3,940m to the hot steamy jungles of the Manu River in the remote upper Amazon Basin. Seven days will be spent travelling 530km in a dugout canoe, camping on beaches, exploring the outdoor museum which contains the greatestv variety of flora and fauna species in the world.

Farewelling this part of the Andes, we move 600km north of Cuzco to the Cordillera, the highest equatorial mountain range in the world. We spend 2 days (with a night of camping) amoungst the many coloured wild flowers and the 360 degrees of glistening, vertical walls of ice, snow, and glaciers of the highest mountains in Peru. A rest day of shopping in Huaras will precede our final descent to Lima and our flight Quito in Ecuador.

We fly 1,000km west from Quito across the Pacific Ocean, and then cruise amoung the 13 wonderous islands of the fauna-rich Galapagos Islands, where the giant tortoises are believed to be up to 400 years old and where miniature "dragons" will eat out of your hands.

We return to mainland Ecuador and fly to the incredible Iguazu Falls, which surpass both Niagara and Victoria Falls in splendour and size. They are set in the tropical lushness at the borders of Brazil. Argentina and Paraguay.

ITINERARY:

Day 1 Sydney to Buenos Aires.
Day 2 Fly to La Paz.
Day 3 La Paz.
Day 4 Bus to Puno.
Day 5 Island Cruise.
Day 6 Train to Cuzco.
Day 7 In Cuzco.
Day 8-9 Machu Picchu.
Day 10-17 Manu National Park.
Day 18 Cuzco.
Day 19 Fly to Lima.
Day 20 Arrive Huaras.
Day 21-22 Camping in the Cordillera Blanca.
Day 23 Bus to Lima.
Day 24 Fly to Quito.
Day 25-28 Galapagos Island cruise.
Day 29 Fly to Buenos Aires.
Day 30 Arrive Buenos Aires.
Day 31 Iguazu Falls.
Day 32 Fly to Sydney.
Day 33 Arrive Sydney.

Joining Sydney / Melbourne - 33 days
2000 : 07 May - 30 Nov
2001 : Each year.
From : $7,563

Land Only Cost : $5,200
Join tour in La Paz, Day 2;
Finish in Quito, Day 29.
Cost includes : Flight Cuzco/Lima, Lima/Quito/Galapagos and Galapagos/Quito.