Discover Iguazu Falls…and which country to see it from

While dancing is a critical aspect of our Round the World trip, having time out, smelling the roses and visiting local attractions is also part of the plans. Who can come to South America and not visit Iguazu Falls? 1.5 million people visit this every year.

Argentina side first

We visited the Argentina side first so had a view of the Brazilian falls. We had flown in that morning and based upon advice provided in the Lonely Planet book, we had only allowed a half-day to walk around. This is definitely wrong. Allow at least two full days. Arrive as soon as the park opens and head to the lower falls/viewing areas. Although we didn’t do it, the jet boat ride underneath the falls also looked fun. We stayed in a nice Pousada away from the rest of the backpacker hostel types. Luckily Sandra had done the research on the bed bug type dormitory-style places and although we are on a budget, we choose to at least have a good bed and shower wherever we stay.

Three frontiers

Another highlight of our final night in Argentina was a visit to the three frontiers – a three-way river junction where you can stand on the Argentine side and see both Brazil and Paraguay on the opposite river banks. We also dined at a recommended restaurant called Bocamora – the view and the style of the restaurant both romantic and refreshing.

Brazil on day two

The next day was our only land-based customs check-in South America as we took the bus from Puerto Iguazu to Foz do Iguassu. The Brazilian Cataratas Do Iguacu Park showed off the falls on the Argentine side. Here you got a lot closer to the waterfalls (and a lot wetter). The wildlife on both sides was amazing, colourful and in your face – monkeys, coatis, birds, and an Armadillo. Again, I would recommend at least one full day here (rather than the 5 hours that we had allowed).

Overall, Argentina was a lot cheaper than we thought. We only used 55% of our budgeted allowance for food, transport, and activities. The decision to use the smartphone app called TripBoss helps to ensure we can manage and analyze the budget and spending. That said, we don’t have the breakdown of what it cost us for that period. With 10 days out of 87 complete, we are both slowly getting into holiday mode – although I still wake up early. On to Brazil…