Questions about Central America and South America...Please help?

Here are some answers I can think of off the top of my head:

A. Visa? Well it depends on your country of origin. My guess is that you're coming in from New Zealand? (Hence, NZ) My understanding, however, is that you should be fine. You can obtain a "tourist card" at international airports and when crossing borders by road. Moving around from place to place should not be a problem for you.

B. Cheapest from NZ I'm not too sure. I would totally check out what airlines fly to the airports you're looking for. In addition, you have to specify which Santiago you want to go to. You can either refer to Santiago in Chile or Santiago in the Dominican Republic.

C. Cheapest way to commute around Central America. Well, if you're budget oriented you might want to take the bus. Grupo TACA offers regional service by flight, but that can be extremely expensive. A quick flight from Managua, Nicaragua to Guatemala City, Guatemala run well over $100 (one way). TransNica and TicaBus are great options for moving around Central America. There's also another bus service, King Bus, which gets you around comfortably (but at a higher cost). Do a google search for these bus companies to get an idea of what to expect and how much transportation overall is going to cost. But again, bus is a wonderful and inexpensive alternative. (Don't expect to sleep much on the bus, however).

D. "Must read?" I'm not sure what I can recommend to you in this department. I would be familiar with the culture and what to expect. I know that wikipedia articles for certain countries (Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, etc.) are well constructed and give you a good idea of the country's history and cultural events (among other things).

Traveling: I have to say, Nicaragua has been the BEST country I have visited in the region. The people are extremely nice, good hearted and are always willing to help you out if you get lost. The country is an inexpensive alternative to Costa Rica (the hype made it expensive). A lot of beauty, particularly in the colonial cities of Leon and Granada. If you have the chance, there's also the San Juan del Sur beach not far from Managua (the capital), which is honestly very beautiful. Overall, the country is one of the region's fastest growing economies and it's a safe place to be. I would totally check it out if I were you! :)

1) You might need a visa to enter Mexico and Brasil. For the rest of Latin America, just make sure that you have your passport and all other travelling in order.

2) Guessing that you are from New Zealand, it would be cheapest for you to travel to Chile (Santiago is the capital). However, I think you would be missing out on the cultural richness and natural beauty Central America has to offer. South American countries are great - the problem is that they are too big to see it all in a few days. I would recommend you travel to Central America, especially Honduras. The Bay Islands in Honduras is absolutely paradise. They have the Mayan ruins down there too, and many other attractions. The best part is that it is all very accessible within hours, and it is fairly cheap.

3) The cheapest and safest way for you to commute within Central America is definitely by bus. There is a private bus company called Pullmantur that commutes between Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Personally, I believe it is the finest. To commute between Central American countries all you will need is your passport.

4) I'd suggest you check out the Honduran tourism website: http://www.letsgohonduras.com/

FUN MEMORIES: travelling to the beaches in La Ceiba, Tela, Trujillo and the Bay Islands in Honduras is just an amazing adventure! If you are travelling with friends it is even better. There are tropical rainforests, beaches, national parks, prehispanich museums, spas..you name it!

Hope you have a blast wherever you choose to go!

The Americas are one huge landmass besides; North, critical and South united statesa. are only convinient divisions that don't mirror geographical realities. Anyhoo, the suitable thank you to think of roughly it fairly is to make sure the Americas as 2 super triangles. The northern one is going from Canada to Panama, whilst the different one is only South united statesa.. As for Mexico, that's needless to say component to the non-end piece of land that's North united statesa.. And politically, properly, keep in mind NAFTA? North united statesa.! And wager who's in it? the US, Canada and Mexico. So there you flow.